# Koller Yarder on Steep Ground



## 2dogs (Aug 10, 2008)

Here are a few pics from last week of our Koller yarder thinning eucs near Oakland CA. The yarder is ancient and a bit beat up but the Detroit in it runs well and everything works OK. The skyline didn't have much angle to it so this made using the mechanical-hydraulic carriage a pain but we got through it. This job will last 3 weeks or so. The area is where the Oakland Hills Fire burned in 1993 and the landowner wants the gum trees thinned and eventually removed entirely and the hills replanted an native vegetation. There is a steep drop from where the trees are to a major 2 lane road so all the trees have to be felled across the slope to keep them from sliding down hill. The falling part scares me to no end. The trees are small, maybe up to 18-20" DBH, but mostly in the 6"-14" range. They are also tall, around 80'-100', and the tops are braided together. Lots of hangers too.

The mornings are foggy and cool. The fog drip is like rain,






The yarder sits at the top of a saddle and the skyline runs across the slope we are cutting. There are many sensitive plant communities so yarder placement was up to the botanist.





The skyline was only about 20' above ground in some locations. This was across a swale.





It works better than it looks.









The carriage up close.





Uhmm. I guess we ran out of duck tape.





The ground. Pretty steep and lots of poison oak.


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## 2dogs (Aug 10, 2008)

This is a finished corridor. The customer is very happy.


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## slowp (Aug 11, 2008)

Did you use a tail tree? Or was the line hung off a stump? And what kind of trees did you have to use for a tailhold? Was the botanist better than the judge we had, at logging systems?  I have been pretty impressed by the Koller that worked up here. They put a tube extension on it. Here it is.


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## Ed*L (Aug 11, 2008)

Great pics!
I didn't know they made small yarders like that. Interesting.

Ed


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## redprospector (Aug 11, 2008)

Ed*L said:


> Great pics!
> I didn't know they made small yarders like that. Interesting.
> 
> Ed



Me either, that thing could make my life a lot easier. We just finished a job where I was taking my JD 440b off a 46% slope, wasn't much fun.

Andy


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## StumpSurgeon (Aug 11, 2008)

*got a K-300 also*

I love mine. Most guys make fun of it until it starts yarding logs. Then they're amazed. Best turn I ever had on mine was a 32ft x 19in sugar pine log, fully suspended over a draw. Another plus for this machine is you'd be hard pressed to burn 10 gal. of diesel a day. Mines got a 4 cylinder Perkins. Now if I could just find some work for it...?


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## slowp (Aug 11, 2008)

The biggest complaint that I hear, and the reason other loggers won't get a koller is, "There's no cab."


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## redprospector (Aug 11, 2008)

slowp said:


> The biggest complaint that I hear, and the reason other loggers won't get a koller is, "There's no cab."



Haha. It should fit right in with my stuff then. The only thing I have with an enclosed cab is my pickup.

Andy


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## Zodiac45 (Aug 12, 2008)

Great pix Two Dogs!

Thought I was only one working in the pea soup! Really cool little machine too!


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## 2dogs (Aug 12, 2008)

slowp said:


> Did you use a tail tree? Or was the line hung off a stump? And what kind of trees did you have to use for a tailhold? Was the botanist better than the judge we had, at logging systems?  I have been pretty impressed by the Koller that worked up here. They put a tube extension on it. Here it is.



We used a eucalytus about 18" DBH as the tail tree. It swayed a little each time the skyline was tightened but that was about it.


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## redlaker (Aug 14, 2008)

I dont work in logging, but that little yarder reminds me of a machine we call a slusher in the mining industry. instead of pulling logs, it pulls a small scraper bucket around using a series of cable blocks secured to the walls with eyebolts. its a pretty haywire operation. seems to have alot in common with yarding... but the slushers are pneumatic and are pretty much one of the loudest machines known to man. 

I found a couple pictures on a historic mining site


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## 056 kid (Aug 18, 2008)

I just got back from Cali.
Started in Solidad and went out to the Monterey penn. and up Hwy 1 to san fran.
Saw PLENTY of panda food!!


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## slowp (Aug 18, 2008)

And I goofed. Eucalyptus would be KOALA food. Pandas go for Bamboo. My bad.


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## 056 kid (Aug 18, 2008)

You are right slowp koala indeed ooops!


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## 2dogs (Aug 18, 2008)

056 kid said:


> I just got back from Cali.
> Started in Solidad and went out to the Monterey penn. and up Hwy 1 to san fran.
> Saw PLENTY of panda food!!



Started in Soledad? As in the prison? JK. Well you drove not a half mile from my house.


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## 056 kid (Aug 21, 2008)

cool!


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## hammerlogging (Sep 8, 2008)

What do ya'll use for clearign the chute under the Koller? Same for merchandising, decking, and loading?

I don't suppose you did a eucalyptus clearcut for the Golden Gate Nat. Rec. Area about 2001?

I like all the pictures and posts, thanks. Looks like plenty of work at that camp!


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## joesawer (Sep 9, 2008)

Dang I need one of those! 
It would be the ticket on these friggen fuel reduction jobs.


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## Gologit (Sep 9, 2008)

joesawer said:


> Dang I need one of those!
> It would be the ticket on these friggen fuel reduction jobs.



Looks like a real handy rig and I could sure find some use for it. Think I could fool the wife into thinking it's another piece of farm equipment? Naaaah, probably not.


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## John Ellison (Sep 13, 2008)

That is something. It would be a fun yarder. I see a long splice in what I am guessing is the haulback. How much line (haulback) can you run on it?


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## slowp (Sep 14, 2008)

hammerlogging said:


> What do ya'll use for clearign the chute under the Koller? Same for merchandising, decking, and loading?
> 
> I don't suppose you did a eucalyptus clearcut for the Golden Gate Nat. Rec. Area about 2001?
> 
> I like all the pictures and posts, thanks. Looks like plenty of work at that camp!



The guys here use a processor on the landing and do the limbing and bucking with it. Works nice and keeps the work in the family--they seem to always show up for work.


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## Humptulips (Sep 15, 2008)

John Ellison said:


> That is something. It would be a fun yarder. I see a long splice in what I am guessing is the haulback. How much line (haulback) can you run on it?



Actually I'd say that is the skidding line the long splice shows on. I worked on one of these things once and the skidding line is horribly small so easy to understand the mistake.

The Koller carriage is really an amazing piece of engineering but it'll make you pull your hair out trying to spot the rigging. If you have much lift it will screw you on getting the drop line down too. God, I hated that thing.


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