Transport of Technical Roundwood by Forwarder and Tractor Assembly from Poplar Plantations

This article presents the results of a research dealing with operating efficiency of articulated and tractor assemblies in the plots of poplar plantations in which different means of work were used for felling and cross-cutting. The aim was to study the effects of the arrangement of wood assortments on the driving speed of the vehicle, the time needed to load and manipulate the vehicle and the overall working efficiency of forwarders. The research was carried out in Vojvodina, in the area of PE »Vojvodina šume«. Altogether 170 transport cycles were recorded and 2166.73 m3 transported. The research results show that the forwarder moved faster on the felling site where the felling and cross-cutting operations were carried out by a harvester. The speed was 10% higher and it took 5% less time to load the forwarder. The differences were considerably greater concerning the manipulation time (maneuvering and positioning the vehicle during the loading). The driving speed decreased with an increase in the load volume. Fuel consumption was lower in the felling site where a harvester was used for felling. Under the same working conditions, the tractor assembly achieved better productivity because it drove at considerably higher speeds. The differences in the average load volume were not so great, which significantly affected the productivity of the tractor assembly. The initial hypothesis that a forwarder achieves better working efficiency in the felling site, where a harvester has been used in the operations of felling and cross-cutting, was confirmed.