The productivity and cost of harvesting whole trees from early thinnings with a felling head designed for continuous cutting and accumulation

The main problem with the utilization of untended stands for energy use is that small-diameter trees are expensive to harvest, and value harvest fails exceed harvesting cost. Until now, equation has appeared difficult solve, but a wood innovation – Risupeto II accumulating felling head which works on continuous basis, could provide solution cost young dense undergrowth. novel attached boom crawler excavator, harvested at full-tree length. crosscutting done later during loading by forwarder equipped grapple saw. objectives present study were: 1) define productivity; 2) produce time consumption models unit in selective thinnings 3) determine whole from early based above described two-machine configuration. Time data 16 plots consisted 3,099 where average tree volume varied between 14.2 52.0 dm3 resulting 73 m3 trees. productivity 11.2 26.6 m3/PMh indicating felling-bunching was relatively high compared latest studies Nordic technology thinning. According profitability analysis, costs be covered revenue sales.