Timberjack 230A 8-Ton Forwarder Machine Information Summary

A shortwood forwarder is usually an all-wheel-drive machine that carries cut-to-length sawlogs from the forest stump area (after being felled and processed by another machine) to roadside without letting them touch the ground. It loads the wood with a small grapple, located immediatly behind the cab, on to bunks mounted on the rear 2/3 of the frame.

Products Produced

• Shortwood at roadside

Terrain/Site Suitability

• Clearcut sites
• Selective-harvest sites (can turn very sharp, +/- 37 degree frame angle, and is relatively narrow, 118.75 inches (3016 mm) from factory Timberjack, Apr. 1994)
• Road right-of-ways
• Reasonably soft to firm soils since low ground pressure (LGP) tires are readily available and easy to install
• Moderate slopes (0-20%)
• Well suited to areas of advanced regeneration protection
• Manages rocky and stumped ground well with its oscillating frame (+/- 15 degree), four wheel drive and high ground clearance (23.5 in or 597 mm -stock) Timberjack, Apr. 1994 & Feb. 1995

Machine Production

• 24.0 m3/PMH @ 360 m forwarding distance & 0.08-0.30 m3 (softwood, with favorable ground and stand conditions and operated by highly skilled operators) Makkonen, 1989
• 31.6 m3/PMH @ 170 m forwarding distance & 0.08-0.30 m3 (softwood and hardwood, same conditions as above) Makkonen, 1989
• 10.4-17.6 m3/PMH @ unknown forwarding distance & 0.03-0.10 m3 (less favorable conditions with less experienced operators) Makkonen, 1989

Machine availability and utilization

• Mechanical Availability: 85% and up to 95% in Maritimes Mossman, 1996 & Storey, 1996
• Machine Utilization rate: 75% Mossman, 1996

Costs

• $188,895.00 (with LGP tires-43 in) Mossman, 1996

• $/PMH (rental rate) = $49.23/PMH ($9445.00/month Mossman, 1996)
• $/m3 (unit cost) = $49.23/PMH/15 m3/PMH = $3.28/m3 ($3.48/m3 Mossman, 1996)
• Repair and Maintenance - $5.36/hr Mossman, 1996
• $41.73 cost/hour Mossman, 1996

• One highly skilled operator per machine

• Fuel consumption: 12 liters/hour
• Potential for hydraulic line rupture (hydraulic oil capacity- 30L) and fuel spills (diesel fuel capacity-119L)
• Protects advanced regen with long boom reach-6.7 m
• Low Ground Pressure (protecting advanced regen and creating less soil compaction/disturbance in wet sites and/or those with poor bearing capacity)

Loading       Tires (ht/wth X   Front (PSI at 3   Rear (PSI at 3
              rim diam. (in))   in depth)         in depth)
                               
                     
empty          24.5 X 32            7.9              6.5
fully loaded                        8.8              14.8
(+/-8 tons)

empty          66/43 X 26           5.7              4.7
fully loaded                        6.3              10.4
(+/-8 tons)

• Produces large decked piles at roadside that are good for increasing delimber productivity
• Can collect both distributed and bunched wood efficiently with such high mobility
• Totally protects advanced regen in strips +/- 6-12 m by not traveling there (boom reach)

Cummins, August, 1995. B 3.9/B 5.9. Cummins Engine Company, Inc. (Pamphlet).

Makkonen, I. 1988. Review of Forwarders. For. Eng. Res. Inst. Can., Tech. Note. TN-123.

Makkonen, I. 1989. Evaluation of Timberjack 230 8-Ton Forwarder. For. Eng. Res. Inst. Can., Tech. Note. TN-140.

Mossman, J. Product Support, Lounsbury Industrial Limited. October, 1996. Personal Consultation.

Schwan, T. 1989. Timberjack 230 8-Ton Forwarder. For. Eng. Res. Inst. Can., Field Note No: Skidding/Forwarding-9.

Storey, D. Sales Development Department, FMG Timberjack Inc. October, 1996. Personal Consultation.

Timberjack, April, 1994. Timberjack 230A - 5, 6.5 and 8 Ton Forwarders (Pamphlet). FMG Timberjack Inc.

Timberjack, February, 1995. Timberjack 230A Forwarders: Load After Load After Load (Video). FMG Timberjack Inc.

Zundel, P. September, 1995. Koehring Feller Forwarder - Machine Information Summary. FE 3703.