Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2003

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design

Department

Wood Science and Technology

Committee Chair

Jingxin Wang.

Abstract

Cost and productivity are major factors when considering which type of harvesting system to operate. Observations were conducted on manual and mechanized harvesting operations in central Appalachian hardwood forest sites in order to obtain time study data. Production and cost analysis were conducted on the harvesting system data in order to compare the two systems. Chainsaw felling productivity was 363.4 ft3/PMH (2180.4 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.08/ft3 ({dollar}0.013/bdft). Cable skidding productivity was 289.4 ft3/PMH (1736.4 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.28/ft 3 ({dollar}0.05/bdft). Manual harvesting system productivity was 181.7 ft 3/SMH (1090.2 bdft/SMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.36/ft3 ({dollar}0.06/bdft). Feller-buncher felling productivity was 1266.6 ft3/PMH (7599.6 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.08/ft3 ({dollar}0.013/bdft). Productivity of top/delimbing with chainsaws after feller-buncher felling was 726.30 ft3/PMH (4357.8 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.04/ft 3 ({dollar}0.007/bdft). Grapple skidding productivity was 512.1 ft 3/PMH (3072.6 bdft/PMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.16/ft3 ({dollar}0.03/bdft). Mechanized harvesting system productivity was 716.94 ft 3/SMH (4301.6 bdft/SMH) and unit cost was {dollar}0.29/ft3 ({dollar}0.05/bdft). Results indicated that although hourly costs of operation were considerably higher for the mechanized system than the manual system, cost per unit volume was only {dollar}0.07/ft3 ({dollar}11.6/MBF) lower for the mechanized system.

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