The Influence of Old and New Machines on Productivity and Costs of Four Yarding Methods in Small-Scale Forestry in a Maine Forest

Abstract

Small forest landowners and loggers require information on the cost and productivity of available timber harvesting systems in order to make the best equipment allocation decisions, especially when the current generation of highly productive, capital-intensive harvesting machinery is well suited for clearcutting in large stands. Conversely, small-scale equipment is becoming more readily available that can help minimize the capital and operating costs associated with partial cuts and intermediate stand treatments or when operating in small-scale forests. The present study evaluated the productivity and yardings costs of four different yarding systems for old machines—a farm tractor, bulldozer, cable-skidder and forwarder—working in a group selection harvest of a mixed hardwood stand in the state of Maine, USA. A sensitivity analysis using the break-even technique and considering the same harvesting productivity and machines brands and models was used in this study to assess study differences between yarding machines costs in two different scenarios: old and new machines. Results indicate that the total machine and yarding costs for old machines were lower than for the new machines. For old machines, the yarding cost per unit delivered to the landing was lowest for the forwarder method ($2.34/m3) and highest for the cable-skidder method ($4.46/m3). In the case of new machines, the yarding cost per unit was lowest for the forwarder method ($3.95/m3) and highest for the cable-skidder method ($9.46/m3). The older machines might be a better option than new machines, particularly for small landowners who need to harvest small areas with low levels of harvesting.