Harvester: how forests are cut down today

What functions do they have?

John Deere harvesters incorporate the latest technical advances with traditional quality and an increased desire to automate all processes.

The company's technologists pay special attention to the introduction of innovation, which allows the equipment of this manufacturer to keep up with the times.

Used for felling, bucking, delimbing, and assorting trunks for further transportation, harvesters of the mentioned brand are characterized by increased maneuverability, cross-country ability, high efficiency with minimized fuel costs.

These machines are used both in forest plots and in road construction, performing well on soft soils, marshy soils and on smooth asphalt surfaces.

The manufacturer produces harvesters designed to perform the following actions:

• thinning and harvesting of small branches;
• clear felling of thin-trunked and larger trees;
• felling of forests of extreme difficulty.

The most in demand is technology focused on performing the processes indicated in the last two paragraphs.

Cat Harvester Design Benefits

Compared to conventional forestry equipment, harvesters have the following basic advantages:

• high performance. Depending on the model, it can be 150–300 m3 of wood per shift. In combination with a forwarder, the harvester is capable of harvesting more than 60,000 m3 of materials per year;
• quality of logging. Harvesters provide high-quality bucking of logs, allow you to accurately maintain the length and diameter of logs, which increases the efficiency of timber harvesting and reduces the amount of additional processing manipulations;
• accurate accounting of prepared materials. In this case, the human factor is completely eliminated, which helps prevent accidental or intentional errors. Accurate calculation makes it possible to effectively plan assortments by diameter and preliminarily determine the volumes obtained;
• automation of logging processes. This allows you to keep track of downtime and working time, fuel costs, determine productivity by area and time, and provides other useful capabilities for analytics;
• reducing the amount of waste. Provides the opportunity to obtain maximum returns from the logging process;
• the ability to carry out work in hard-to-reach areas and/or at night. This further improves harvesting productivity and efficiency;
• increasing the safety of logging operations. When using harvesters, there is no risk of injury to the feller from a chainsaw or a fallen tree;
• improving working conditions. The operator works in a comfortable, comfortable, ventilated, heated/cooled, insect-free, dust-free cab. Thus, the risk of occupational diseases among fellers is reduced;
• low cost. It is achieved by increasing the productivity of the logging process, reducing the number of personnel while maintaining or even increasing the volume of timber production.

• Reliable power transmission. Cat 521B and Cat 522B harvesters are equipped with patented Cat C9 ACERT engines that meet Tier 3 requirements. These drives provide excellent power, high torque, and comparatively low fuel costs. They are durable, extremely reliable, easy to maintain, and meet American standards in terms of environmental friendliness.
• Multifunctional hydraulics. Harvesters are equipped with closed-center hydraulic systems and electronic controls that can be programmed for specific tasks and operating conditions. The hydraulic system also includes separate pumps for the saw, working equipment, stroke and control circuits, which increases the convenience and stability of performing technological operations and setting the desired settings.
• Availability of leveling system (tilt). It is the only system that, when tilted, allows simultaneous movement in two directions along the entire stroke of the harvester. The Cat leveling system is equipped with three hydraulic cylinders and is characterized by high reliability and long service life.
• Versatile and reliable chassis. The machines are equipped with a new chassis of size D7. This solution ensures reliable operation during logging and allows work to be carried out on various terrain, including rocky slopes and swampy lowlands.
• Comfortable cabin. It is designed specifically for forestry equipment. The Cat harvester cab provides industry-leading operator comfort and protection for improved performance. The new ISO mounting system reduces vibration and acoustic effects. The controls have a thoughtful, ergonomic layout. The cabins have been tested to support 120% of the vehicle weight and meet OPS, ROPS, WCB, etc. standards.
• Durability. It is due to the reliable design of the harvesters and the fact that their production uses components and parts of increased strength, as well as the presence of protective elements. For example, the tracks are equipped with pads to prevent damage to the undercarriage. There are protective elements (grills, fences) and other important components, including the radiator, etc.
• Convenient controls. On Cat harvesters this is done using the IQAN electronic system. It allows you to set and configure many parameters, the data is displayed on a large monitor.

Additionally: Brushcutter benefits

Technical characteristics based on the example of the 1270 series

Launched in 1996 by the John Deer brand, the 1270 series of harvesters, produced for clear cutting, immediately gained worldwide recognition.

The technical solutions embodied in the models of this line were so successful that machines with article number 1270 still exist today, continuing to be constantly updated and improved.

Each of the modifications of the series represented a real revolutionary breakthrough in the development of technology in the category under consideration.

Harvesters of the 1270 series are divided into groups of machines of versions D and E. Forest harvesting units of this line have common features common to all versions and consist in the following parameters:

• six-wheel base;
• powerful 6-cylinder engine;
• rotating cabin;
• intelligent navigation system for controlling the sawing process and diagnosing the functioning of the main mechanisms and components.

In general, the technical characteristics of John Deere harvesters have only minor differences, and you can verify this by conducting a comparative analysis of some models of this manufacturer.

Also, such a consideration will help to delve in more detail into the root causes of the constructive perfection of the brand being described.

Version "E"

Harvesters of the 1270 E modification, launched into mass production in 2008, are machines that are significantly superior to the analogues of the previous D-series in terms of productivity, maneuverability and reliability.

Now felling large trunks and thinning old forests has become even more efficient.

Coinciding in the main structural units and elements with the previous technology, the new version of the equipment has a number of improved specifications, which can be presented in the following list:

• increase in engine power of the Tier IV standard to 170 kW;
• increase in torque , already reaching 1,125 Nm at 1,200-1,400 rpm;
• improvement of traction force indicators to parameters of 175 kNm;
• installation of a new CH7 manipulator with a 15% increased turning moment and 11% increased lift, a boom rotation angle of 220°, and a maximum extension of 8.6, 10 and 11.7 m;
• strengthening the supporting frames and, as a result, increasing the mobility of the cabin and improving the maneuverability of the entire machine as a whole.

The TimberMatic H-09 measurement and control system, which is equipped with all harvesters in the updated series, makes control even more convenient and simple.

Options for quick access to dialog boxes have been optimized, and a control function based on operating pressure indicators has appeared. The TimberLink™ program continues to distinguish these harvesters from a whole range of similar equipment.

Never before has it been so easy to monitor all operating processes occurring in equipment, detect defects and eliminate them. In addition to these options, TimberLink™ trains qualified operators to operate this equipment.

Types of harvesting combines

Modern harvesters have almost the same design and set of working components. However, they differ in appearance and certain parameters. Today, leading manufacturers use the classification of harvesters according to the following criteria.

By weight and diameter of the processed trunk:

• light – small-sized harvesters are used for cutting to thin out forested areas. Capable of felling trees with a diameter of 5–40 cm;
• medium – universal harvesters used for a wide range of forestry work, excellent at felling trees up to 50 cm thick;
• heavy - productive harvesters that are designed for large-scale logging operations. Easily cut down trees with a diameter of up to 60 cm;
• super-heavy – powerful and highly efficient equipment for complex work. Capable of cutting tree trunks more than 1 meter thick.

Additionally: Brush cutter control
By chassis type:

• wheeled harvester – has a powerful base with a 4 x 4, 6 x 6 or 8 x 8 wheel arrangement, complemented by all-wheel drive and special off-road tires;
• tracked harvester - has running wheels and track chains with tensioning mechanisms, often supplemented with snow chains.

By type of harvester head:

• combined type - have an articulated boom and a comfortable telescopic handle (the most common type);
• parallel type - have a lifting boom made in the form of a parallelogram and complemented by a telescopic handle.

What does the price depend on?

The cost of new models of the company in question, the 1270E series, starts from 22,650,000 rubles, while the same machine, which has accumulated engine hours in its arsenal, costs 12,000,000 rubles.

For used harvesters 1270 D and 1470 D (2006-2007 production) they will ask from 8,250,000 rubles, but new equipment of this type will cost from 17,000,000 rubles. The price range for equipment on the market is very wide.

The requested amounts depend not only on the technical condition of the machines and their operating time, year of production, but also on the pricing policy of the company carrying out the sale.

Ponsse harvesters

One of the manufacturers of this equipment is the Finnish company Ponsse. This company began producing harvesters in 1970, and at the moment Ponsse is one of the world leaders in the manufacture of this forestry equipment.

Ponsse now has a fairly wide range of harvesters in stock, designed to work in a wide variety of conditions.

In addition, this manufacturer produces a wide range of harvester heads, as well as the production of equipment for loading timber - forwarders and harvesters. But now we will consider only the model range of harvesters, which includes seven models.

Advantages

Tracked harvesters are capable of performing several functions: tree felling, limbing and branch cutting, bucking, trunk packing and loading. This type of equipment is superior to its wheeled counterparts in cross-country ability, as it is capable of quickly moving over any type of soil and terrain. It also has other advantages:

• stability of operation on steep slopes,
• ease of movement over rough terrain,
• extension of the working unit to a distance of up to 10 m,
• robust frame and turntable design,
• powerful and economical engines,
• leveling and rollover protection system,
• high boom turning torque,
• comfortable cabin.

The lineup

A wide range of models allows you to choose the optimal harvester model capable of performing a whole range of work with wood. This is perhaps one of the main advantages of this manufacturer’s equipment.

Bear

The most powerful harvester model is called Bear. Bear is an 8-wheeled heavy-duty machine designed for heavy-duty work.

Ponsse Bear is capable of processing large trees. For this purpose, it is envisaged to use two types of harvester heads, as well as two types of manipulators.

This harvester has a frame design, which ensures high structural reliability. It is driven by a powerful engine manufactured by Mercedes Benz.

Technical characteristics of the Ponsse Bear harvester:

Photo of the Ponsse Bear harvester

Scorpionking

A slightly smaller harvester model is the Ponsse Scorpionking. In all respects, it is somewhat inferior to Bear, but it also has some advantages - the ability to use three types of harvester heads, an ergonomic cabin equipped with a leveling system.

The design of this Ponce harvester is also frame, it is 4-axle, and the manufacturer of the power plant is the same Mercedes Benz.

Technical characteristics of the Ponsse Scorpionking harvester:

Scorpion

There is also another Scorpion in the line of harvesters, but without the “king” prefix. This is essentially the same Scorpionking model, but it can only use two harvester heads. Naturally, in some respects it is inferior to the Scorpionking, but still the Ponsse Scorpion is a good 4-axle frame harvester capable of performing numerous tasks with wood.

Characteristics of the Ponsse Scorpion harvester:

Photo of the Ponsse Scorpion harvester

Ergo 8W

Next on the list of harvesters from Ponsse are two models called Ergo. One of the models is designated Ergo 8W. This harvester, despite the fact that it is a 3-axle, has quite large dimensions and good power indicators, which makes it possible to use it in difficult conditions.

Technical characteristics of the Ponsse Ergo 8W harvester:

The video shows the Ponsse Ergo 8W harvester:

Ergo

The second model is simply designated Ergo. It differs from the Ergo 8W model only in appearance. All production and technical parameters do not differ from those described above, the difference is only in some dimensional parameters.

Characteristics of the Ponsse Ergo harvester:

Photo of the Ponsse Ergo harvester

Fox

Another 8-wheel harvester model from Ponsse is the Fox. Having so many wheels, this harvester can work on weak soils; it can also be used on slopes.

In terms of technical parameters, it is inferior to Ponce's Scorpion and Ergo models, but nevertheless the Fox is a good option for logging work.

Characteristics of the Ponsse Fox harvester:

Video review of the Ponsse FOX harvester:

Beaver

The latest in the Ponsse line of harvesters is the Beaver model. This multi-purpose harvester is designed for both clear cutting and selective cutting of trees. This three-axle unit is perhaps the smallest among the harvesters from this manufacturer.

Technical characteristics of the Ponsse Beaver harvester:

The video shows the Ponsse Beaver harvester in action: