Moving slash away from watercourses and other high-risk areas is becoming a standard part of harvest operations. A solution to the challenge of how to do this on steep sites was recently trialled in a Whanganui forest, in the form of a hauler-mounted slash grapple.  The multi-tine slash grapple, designed and built by JDT Engineering Ltd, of Whanganui, was put through its paces by contractors Pomeroy Logging Ltd. The operation comprised a Thunderbird TMY50 cable hauler with a mobile tail hold and a Hawkeye Type B hydraulic grapple carriage, to which the slash grapple was attached.

During the trial the grapple successfully collected slash and tree stems up to 1.8 tonnes piece size, and moved it from an incised gully to a flatter area on the cutover, away from the waterway.  Using the Hawkeye’s camera to see the slash through the tines of the grapple, the hauler driver was able to pick it up and move it effectively in either direction along the skyline cable.

The concept has now been proven and the the prototype returned to the workshop for modifications to strengthen the frame. It will be back in the forest for some further field testing  once this work has been completed.

Collaborators: Forest360, JDT Engineering Ltd, Pomeroy Logging Ltd