Cable Skidder Machine information summary

A cable skidder is a four wheel drive articulating machine that is used to drag felled trees from the stump to roadside, where the trees are dropped.

Products Produced

• Full trees or tree length at roadside.

• Generally anywhere
• For soft soils, high floatation tires may be used to avoid rutting and decrease cycle time by 19% while using 45% less fuel/PMH. Novak, 1988
• Can handle steep slopes (50%)

A high percentage of scheduled machine hours are productive machine hours

• Productivity (m3/PMH) = 32.89 - 66.72DIST where:DIST = Average skidding distance (km)

Therefore at a skidding distance of 100 m, productivity = 26.22 m3/PMH

• Empty travel and loading = 60% time
• Loaded travel = 8% time
• Unloading = 19% time
• Piling = 8% time
• Delays = 5% time

• $115,000 - $120,000 for a new TJ 240B
• Estimated Rental Costs - $50 - $75/PMH

• 1 average skilled operator per machine
• 5 hours of mechanic work per 40 hour week

Danger in rutting on soils with wet or poor bearing capacity. High-floatation tires may decrease the rut depth by 67%. Novak, 1988 Relatively small hydraulic capacity (30 to 40 litters) offers a risk of hydraulic oil spill. With efficient felling (trees do not have to be winched laterally) and proper skid paths followed, the advanced regeneration is protected as well as in other skidding operations. Gingras, 1991

Makes evenly stacked piles that facilitate scaling if tree length is brought to roadside as well as efficiency for tree length loader. Can make large piles at roadside which are good for delimbing for full tree skidding. If cutting is done with chainsaw efficiently, cable skidding is efficient.

Novak, W.P. 1988, Downsizing Skidders With High-Floatation Tires, For Eng. Inst. Can., Tech. Note TN-113

Gingras, J.F. 1991, Comparative Study of The Impact of Three Skidding Methods On Advanced Regeneration, For. Eng. Inst. Can., Tech. Note TN-163