TimberJack's Walking Machine

[ranchjn]

What do you all think about TimberJack's new Walking Machine concept? I think its very cool, but might be complicated to operate (even though they claim it will be simple).

To further optimize machine operation, Timberjack's Total Machine Control system (TMC) regulates the functions of machine's loader and engine. All control systems are designed for easy of use. The operator-friendly controls are incorporated in a single joystick.

The fact that it causes very little ground disturbance is great. I also like the idea of walking over an obstacle instead of pushing or just simplying powering over it. Looking forward to having one of these things on my property in 10 years when I log again. Anyways, i just wanted to get your guys' 2 cents...

 

[Billy_Bob]

That is cool! Makes a lot of sense.

Does it do any better at steep hills?

 

[ranchjn]

That is cool! Makes a lot of sense.

Does it do any better at steep hills?

Ya it sounds amazing...

The walking machine adapts automatically to the forest floor. Moving on six articulated legs, the harvester advances forward and backward, sideways and diagonally. It can also turn in place and step over obstacles. Depending on the irregularity of the terrain, the operator can adjust both the ground clearance of the machine and height of each step.

It can lower its center of gravity and the 6 legs provide great stability so i would imagine that thing could just crawl up the side of a mountain like a spider walking up a shower wall search google for "TimberJack Walking Machine" and you will get a lot more information. Its a great concept, i hope it goes into production soon. Its amazing to study the change over the past decades that the logging industry has experienced. Even tractor logging is starting to become dated with the increase in cable logging and helicopter logging. This new harvester concept TimberJack built is great and hopefully will bring loggers and hardcore environmentalists closer together (although most of the loggers i know are HARDCORE environmentalists but whatever go figure...)

 

[Sizzle-Chest]

i kinda doesnt make sense. think about it, the thing can only fall tree's and maybe limb and cut them to size. but it obviously cant carry more than one log at a time, and even that would be ackward so it has to leave the logs on the ground to get skid out. i guess what Im saying is that one way or another those logs have to come out, so something bigger has to come in and get them. Consider this, a timber faller is much smaller than that machine, makes less impact on the ground and does all the same jobs. but, like that machine, a faller cant haul logs out on their own. so the earth is going to get tore up. I'de say that if you combine that with horse or helicopter logging you got a good deal.

 

[Thor's Hammer]

That machine is about 8 years old. I saw it at Elmia in '98. it was built purely as a concept machine, with no intention of putting it into production. Since JD bought up TJ, I suppose it will never see production.

Sizzle, you sort of expose a huge knowledge gap with that last post. I find it hard to believe that a logger knows nothing of modern timber harvesting techniques...
Ever seen a harvester / forwarder team working?

 

[woodfuels]

Hi Folks,
Probably the closest thing to the JD/TJ machine is a walking excavator such as the Menzi Muck or Kaiser Spyder with a feller/buncher or processer head. Highline extraction of the bunched material would be the least impact on the ground - it does however present viewshed issue due to sawing out the haul alignments...

 

[Sizzle-Chest]

That machine is about 8 years old. I saw it at Elmia in '98. it was built purely as a concept machine, with no intention of putting it into production. Since JD bought up TJ, I suppose it will never see production.

Sizzle, you sort of expose a huge knowledge gap with that last post. I find it hard to believe that a logger knows nothing of modern timber harvesting techniques...
Ever seen a harvester / forwarder team working?

sorry bud, im no logger, and where i live there is almost no mechanized logging. hills too steep, trees too big. work is still done by hand. i have seen feller bunchers in action, but i dont know what a forwarder team is. clue me in and also explain why that thing would be better than a person on the ground.

 

[jp hallman]

That machine is about 8 years old. I saw it at Elmia in '98. it was built purely as a concept machine, with no intention of putting it into production. Since JD bought up TJ, I suppose it will never see production.

Sizzle, you sort of expose a huge knowledge gap with that last post. I find it hard to believe that a logger knows nothing of modern timber harvesting techniques...
Ever seen a harvester / forwarder team working?

Yes indeed, These have been around for more than a decade, four legged and six ones. I've seen em' used for stream restoration and that sort of work. Cool machines.

 

[ranchjn]

i dont think that the point of the walking machine is to completely replace harvesters. They are just another tool to be used in special situations. Helicopter logging isnt done on a regular basis, and i dont think loggers would use the TJ walking machine unless they really needed to get to a hard to get to spot. I think it also depends on how skilled the operator is and the size of the trees being moved. I think you might be able to pick up more than just one tree with that thing, but i do see your point of not being very efficient. I also wonder how wide that thing is... you gotta be able to throw it on a trailer. Property owners (like myself) would love to have these in production in order to minimize the damage to our land. I think though that it would definetly be used as a specialty tool though...

sorry bud, im no logger, and where i live there is almost no mechanized logging. hills too steep, trees too big. work is still done by hand.

no one has tried cable logging or heli logging? i dunno how big "big" is but sounds like an ideal situation for cable logging or helicopter logging. The team who worked on my property this year set up a yarder and did a wonderful job removing the marked timber from deap in the forest while minimizing the damage to the forest floor.

 

[Thor's Hammer]

Ranchin', the harvester is purely there for cutting and processing the timber. the forwarder then carry's the cut to length pieces out of the wood. advantages over manpower? in europe its nigh impossible to get softwood sawmen, and a harvester will cut and process 100 - 200 tonnes a shift.

google cut to length forestry to find out more

 

[Thor's Hammer]

Oh yes, I've done a lot of small scale cable logging too.

 

[Thor's Hammer]

1 JD 759G HARVESTER
3 JD 1110D FORWARDERS
2 JD 953J FELLER BUNCHERS

Looks like a large chequebook has seen some use getting the above