Logging Equipment
Logging equipment refers to the various tools and machines that are used in felling trees and processing timber. Logging represents a massive industry, worth billions of dollars worldwide, and so any machinery that instigates greater efficiency in logging is always a welcome development. Logging equipment is plentiful and widespread, making it difficult to provide a short yet comprehensive summary, yet most tools are based on 4 key utensils: saws, winches, tongs and arches.
Logging Saws
Logging saws are the main piece of logging equipment, and range from hand-held manual saws, such as bow saws or two-man saws, to gas-powered or hydraulic chainsaws. The logging saw that is used will largely depend on the task at hand, with chainsaws being used for thicker and hard-to-reach branches. Logging saws are mostly used in the de-limbing process, where branches and knots in the trees are sawn off in order to render a segment of the tree into a log. Foresters will also use logging saws to weaken the base of the tree before felling it with a logging winch. The logging saws most frequently used by professional foresters are those that are gas-powered or hydraulic as they are much more efficient than manual models and pose less physical strain on the user.
Logging Winches
Logging winches are mechanical devices that are used to fell trees by pulling them to the ground. A logging winch works by cranking a cable that is tightly wound around a drum. The other end of the cable is wrapped around the trunk of the tree and, as the cable is cranked, the tree eventually bows under the pressure and falls. In order to ensure that the entire tree falls leaving only the tree stump and that it does not split halfway up its trunk, a forester will often carve into the base of the tree with a saw. This weakens the tree and means that less power will be necessary from the logging winch. The power necessary is significant as logging winches are priced according to their pulling capacity. Logging winches can be powered by gas, electricity or in some cases by water (in the form of water wheels etc).
Logging Tongs
Logging tongs are tools that allow the forester to lift logs that would otherwise be impossible or very difficult to lift manually. Logging tongs are composed of two hooks, or ‘dogs’, that are fastened around the log. These hooks are then attached to a steel ring, held in place by a tractor or a crane. Logging tongs are used to lift logs onto trucks or to drag logs out of densely wooded areas. One advantage of logging tongs is that they are inexpensive, though they are only useful if the user is able to attach them to a tractor or crane.
Logging Arches
Logging arches are similar to logging tongs except that, rather than simply dragging the log; they are designed so that the hooks lift the log into the air. Once the log is suspended there, a tractor can tow the logging arch. Because logging arches lift a log so that it is suspended in the air, there is less chance of the log getting caught on bushes or other trees as it is towed. Logging arches are, however, more expensive than logging tongs.