Productivity Analysis of Timber Skidding Operation with Farm Tractor

Year 2018, Volume: 4 Issue: 1, 26 - 32, 12.06.2018

Sercan Gülci , Halit Halit Büyüksakallı İnanç Taş , Abdullah Emin Akay

https://doi.org/10.33904/ejfe.428397

Cited By: 6

Abstract

Farm tractors equipped with necessary attachments have
been widely used in skidding of forest products in Turkey. There are number of
different types and sizes of farm tractors that are employed in forest
operations. For appropriate logging plans and better machine selections in
mechanized forest operations, it is important to analyze the efficiency of farm
tractors during skidding operations. In this study, it was aimed to analyze the
productivity of timber skidding operation with farm tractor. Time study was
used to estimate productivity and then the effects of specified factors
(volume, number of piece) on productivity were investigated by using
statistical analysis. Logging operation took place in a black pine stand
located in the province of Köyceğiz in Muğla. Time data of work stages during
uphill skidding operation were collected for two skidding trails with different
slope classes (20% and 30%) while average skidding distance was kept constant.
It was found that the average productivity for two slope classes were 5.72 m³/hr
and 4.30 m³/hr, respectively. The results indicated that the
productivity increased as the volume of skidded logs per turn increased for
both slope classes. On the other hand, increasing number of pieces transported in
each turn caused reduction in productivity of the tractor skidding operation.
The most time consuming work stage was skidding followed by move-out unloaded
and choker setting stages.        

Keywords

Forest transportation, farm tractor skidding, productivity, time study

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