The forwarder is mainly utilized for the
extraction of short logs with a maximum length of 6 m (so called crane length).
An integrated grapple loader lifts the logs
onto the forwarder, where the logs are held by stanchions. Since the load does
not touch the ground during the transportation process from the trail (buffer 32)
to the forest road (buffer 33), this type of extractions is assigned to the carrying
extraction.
The forwarder is
commonly used in combination with a harvester. The combination of both machines
is called “fully mechanized cut to length method” or short “cut to length method”.
A farm tractor
equipped with a forwarding trailer is also used in some cases as a substitute
for the forwarder.