Forest Operations > Conduct Skidder Operations > Skidder At Work

Skidder At Work

The next group of pictures will show a skidder picking up and snigging large pine trees on a clear fell operation.

The large trees are felled into the open, but still inside the coupe boundary by chainsaw operators.

As soon as the tree stems are snigged out of the forest and placed at the landing site on bearers or chocks, the chainsaw operators cut the stems into the required lengths. In this size timber the skidder will be able to snig an average of three logs at a time.

Fig 1

In figure 1: - the operator has picked up the first stem and is about to place it with the second stem.

Fig 2

In figure 2: - the operator has collected the first and second stem in the grapple and he will move the skidder into position to place the two stems with the third stem and grapple them all together.   

 

Fig 3

In figure 3: - the skidder operator has now grappled the three stems and will proceed to snig them to the landing site to be cut into lengths.

Fig 4

In figure 4: - the operator will snig the stems across the forest floor navigating around stumps, holes and other large pieces of timber and debris.

 

Fig 5	Fig 6

In figures 5 & 6: - once the operator arrives at the landing site, the skidder is moved into position by backing up to the already placed stems and releases them once they are lined up with the other stems.

The chainsaw operator will then cut the stem into the required lengths ready for transport.   

Video 1 - 848H Skidder from John Deere Forestry

Periodic Maintenance (e.g. Weekly)

• Clean soil from back of the machines.
• Check all hoses and associated fittings for security and tension.
• Check locking tags and bushes on all pivot points on arch.
• Check main valve bank mounting bolts.
• Check grapple and blade.
• Check articulation area.
• Check track tension/tyre pressures.
• Check fire suppression equipment.

One of your responsibilities is to clean debris away from the exhaust system outlet. In the fire danger season this is critical, and may need to be performed two or three times a day to ensure there is no fire outbreak.

Figure (7) shows where debris and small branches can lay on the cabin roof next to or on the exhaust system causing a fire outbreak.

This machine has been kept free of debris in this critical area reducing any chance of a fire incident

Fig 7

Fuel Consumption Scenario

If you are responsible for refilling the main fuel tanker for the machine you operate or all the machines on the work site, you must understand the fuel consumption of the machines.

The consequences of a machine running out of fuel could be very embarrassing, disruptive and costly to the operation.

If a machine uses 11 litres an hour, the machine will use 88 litres for an 8 hour working day.

f a machine uses 15 litres an hour, the machine will use 180 litres for a 12 hour working day.

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When complete please follow the instructions of your trainer\assessor or check your answers at the back of the Learner Guide.