Small yarders in Norway

[Redwood Climber]

TorkelH, thanks for sharing how it's done on that side of the pond. Can you give some detail on your yarders, engine size, reach? The cable size seems very small yet you are yarding some nice turns for small wood. What kind of line speeds? Are these the only size made by the manufacturer? What tree species are you logging and the values? I've only worked in Redwood country, so I'm not familiar with south pacific and nordic logging Thanks for sharing here and on youtube, I enjoy your videos.

 

[TorkelH]

Owren yarders

I have 2 of these Norwegian build Owren T3 yarders http://www.owren.no/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=40. The T3 modell developed into the Owren 400 yarder. The company also built some smaller yarders in the 80's. The carrier of my yarders is old Volvo forwarders form mid 70's the SM969 an SM971 http://app.elmia.se/classic/files/volvobm969skot1976.pdf and http://app.elmia.se/classic/files/volvobm971skot1972.pdf, they have Volvo 6 cylinder D70B engines, Twin Disc torque converters and Volvo transmissions.

The yarders power source is a Deutz BF9136L 175 hp air cooled engine, very reliable, drives 3 Sauer Sundstrand series 90 reversible variable displacement hydraulic pumps with separate circuits to each drum motor. It is electrohydraulic controlled. The theoretical idea was to get a hydrostatic regenerative winch, but the idea don't work too well in the real world. It still is a reliable and inexpensive yarder with low maintenance budget, and we can guy it up in almost anything. Machine has a 45 ft hydraulical retracted one piece tower and 4 manually tightened 3/4" guylines.

Max line speed is about 25 ft/s.

The manufacturer have built about 20 of these machines, some of them was exported to Scotland and also interior BC. The last 10 years they have only licence built these yarders in east russia, truck mounted, for logging there. I think at least 25 units have been built there.

Present it is only 7 contractors doing yarding in Norway, 2 of them run Austrian made Konrad yarders http://www.forsttechnik.at/mounty-general-information/, 1 run a Norwegian built yarder based on a Canadian Lantec winch and the rest is Owren.

Just ask if you like some more information!

I am looking forward to see pictures of the 6255 when it comes to work, and I also hope you have some pictures to post of the 199's logging old growth redwood! Here is the only picture I have of an 199 logging!

 

[Redwood Climber]

TorkelH,

thanks for the info on your yarders and logging in Norway. My Son is supposed to be getting pictures of the Thunderbird/madill....turns out it is a 255B model...though I can't say I know the difference in the 255 & the 255B. He said they had a few kinks to work out of the machine, bit it is working well now. He said it had good power and was FAST!! I tried to get all the info out of him I could, engine...line sizes....etc....he's not old enough now to appreciate what engineering marvels this stuff is......
On the 199.........I was a kid then too.....in my 20's & 30's.......I never gave it a second thought about getting pictures of this stuff........I spent 20 years logging old growth Redwood........didn't see the writing on the wall.........sure wish I had.
I do know alot of the guys I worked with.......I'll see if I can round up some pictures. I'll also see if i can find out what happened to the 199's when they switched over to logging second growth

 

[Redwood Climber]

TorkelH,

In post 22 you mentioned that Owren built some smaller yarders in the 80's. Do you have any info on them? I run into alot of projects that could use a small......small yarder. We have a hydraulic winch on our chipper. But the real deal would speed things up alot. I've played with the idea of building my own small.....small hydraulic yarder. Contract Logger posted some pics on his site that looked facinating. Any way, any info is appreciated.

 

[JustLogIt]

TorkelH,

In post 22 you mentioned that Owren built some smaller yarders in the 80's. Do you have any info on them? I run into alot of projects that could use a small......small yarder. We have a hydraulic winch on our chipper. But the real deal would speed things up alot. I've played with the idea of building my own small.....small hydraulic yarder. Contract Logger posted some pics on his site that looked facinating. Any way, any info is appreciated.

You should check out Koller yarders. They are built in Austria, but there is a U.S. dealer in Oregon. I'm sure they have a website - you'd have to google it. They have two small models that run off a tractor PTO that might work for you.

The yarders are mechanical rather than hydrastatic (Driveline to worm-drive gear box. Skyline and mainline on same shaft with cluthes on outside of drums). Extremely simple, yet very reliable.

In the right place, they are pretty darn efficient. Put them it too big of timber and they won't work.

 

[TorkelH]

You should check out Koller yarders. They are built in Austria, but there is a U.S. dealer in Oregon. I'm sure they have a website - you'd have to google it. They have two small models that run off a tractor PTO that might work for you.

The yarders are mechanical rather than hydrastatic (Driveline to worm-drive gear box. Skyline and mainline on same shaft with cluthes on outside of drums). Extremely simple, yet very reliable.

In the right place, they are pretty darn efficient. Put them it too big of timber and they won't work.

I visited the Koller manufacturing plant in Austria last fall, and I was impressed by the strongness and quality in their production and products. They also have an american site: http://kollerna.com/?what=content&id=74&cat=2&cat1=21

 

[TorkelH]

The small Owren "Variokran"

All hydrostatic, in production in the 80's. Produced by Trygve Owren, Vingrom, Norway. I only seen this yarder mounted on the small tracked carrier.

 

[TorkelH]

Some Igland yarders/winches

First and last pic is combi winch 4002S, pic 2 and 3 is the Alp-winch (which was widely exported) and pic 4 is a model called 203 Interlock.

 

[TorkelH]

One more Igland winch

Igland telescope, pretty common yarder in Norway in the 80's.

 

[Redwood Climber]

Thanks TorkelH for the info and pictures.......that Igland 203 is just about the size I am looking for for our firebreak work. Anything that size make it to the states? I'd love to mount something like that on the front of a Bobcat t320.....
On the larger yarders like your Owren T3, they don't seem to spool the lines very well. Do you find that to be a problem? Does it cause extra line wear? We were always carefull on the larger towers to keep the lines spooled well to avoid crushing lower layers. I know the drum pull is much more on the big yarders.

 

[KW850&T800H]

Even in the BC interior they use similar yarders. I have a picture or two of one. I'll post it in the morning.

 

[TorkelH]

Even in the BC interior they use similar yarders. I have a picture or two of one. I'll post it in the morning.

I look forward to see some pictures of small yarders in the interior KW850&T800H!

I would think it also is a lot of small yarders on the East Coast, so Redwood Climber; try a search on internet.

I enjoy your pic's KW850&T800H so keep on posting!

 

[TorkelH]

Thanks TorkelH for the info and pictures.......that Igland 203 is just about the size I am looking for for our firebreak work. Anything that size make it to the states? I'd love to mount something like that on the front of a Bobcat t320.....
On the larger yarders like your Owren T3, they don't seem to spool the lines very well. Do you find that to be a problem? Does it cause extra line wear? We were always carefull on the larger towers to keep the lines spooled well to avoid crushing lower layers. I know the drum pull is much more on the big yarders.

Hehe - you absolute need also these machines to spool as well as possible, or you'll damage the lines. The drum sides is very weak from the manufacturer and on this machine I have put on 1" sides on the haulback and left main to prevent them from bending out. We use the right main for slackpulling only so it is not the big forces involved here and the drum have bent sides which lead to poor spooling on the outer layers. We had some problems with a bearing on the haulback sheave that lead to bad spooling (we couldn't figure out the reason) for a while, but we have changed that now.

 

[KW850&T800H]

Ohhh, my pictures can't be that good!

Someone tell us what yarder this is? A couple around there.

 

[BDFT]

That is a Skylead C40 (60?). I believe they were built in Enderby. Usually mounted on a skidder or a truck. I think they trailer mounted some too. Its hard to tell but it looks like that one is mounted on a 640 John Deere. Usually they mounted them on Clark 668C's. When I was thinking about buying one they told me to supply the skidder and they would build a yarder on it. There was one working in Hazelton for a while in the early 90's. They had their limitations but they were alright in the right ground.

 

[KW850&T800H]

That is a Skylead C40 (60?). I believe they were built in Enderby. Usually mounted on a skidder or a truck. I think they trailer mounted some too. Its hard to tell but it looks like that one is mounted on a 640 John Deere. Usually they mounted them on Clark 668C's. When I was thinking about buying one they told me to supply the skidder and they would build a yarder on it. There was one working in Hazelton for a while in the early 90's. They had their limitations but they were alright in the right ground.

Now that you mention John Deere 640, it is a 640. Also, if you look at the mountains behind it, I don't think this machine suites those as well, but I know the 071'as and 009's a few meters away do. There are some small valleys here that will work though.

 

[strawline]

There certainly is alot of good Timber going to waste here in Norway,especially the West Coast.I felled and left about 2hectares of 50 year old Spruce so the owner could see the Ocean from his Cabin.Sad thing was that the Trees stood on a Platou so a Dozer or Skidder could have taken them to the Road with ease.

 

[TorkelH]

There certainly is alot of good Timber going to waste here in Norway,especially the West Coast.I felled and left about 2hectares of 50 year old Spruce so the owner could see the Ocean from his Cabin.Sad thing was that the Trees stood on a Platou so a Dozer or Skidder could have taken them to the Road with ease.

Most people here are a lot more concerned about seeing the ocean than producing anything at all, still I think it's like that in more or less all western countries...

 

[strawline]

Most people here are a lot more concerned about seeing the ocean than producing anything at all, still I think it's like that in more or less all western countries...

Not so much.

Norway dosn't make anything now,its too expensive to manufacture anything here because of high Labour and material costs.So many people work for the Government or in jobs that are funded by the Tax payer i really can't beleive it.I mean importing Firewood from Estonia?Come on!

The Nation will realise when the Oil runs out that they can't eat money.

 

[Williams loging]

Those are some really cool pictures! Some pictures can make the terrain seem easier going than it actually is but you can really see how steep the ground is there! I would love to visit Norway again one day and see some machines working!