Highlead Winches
Due to improved drive systems, band tracks and traction aid winches, the limitations of machines that work in forestry is continually increasing. However there are still circumstances where high lead winches are necessary to extract timber.
My personal experience with high leads is limited, but I have witnessed the advantages of using them on very wet areas and steep ground.
A highlead is a much less complicated system than a skyline, as it requires only two winches, a mainline and a haul back line. Highleads are effective over shorter distances and are designed for extracting timber up to maximum distances of 250 – 300m. Two highleads I have seen recently working were both mounted onto excavators and manufactured by R J Fukes Forestry Services – one was in the Scottish borders and the other in South Wales.
Scottish Borders
This self-contained Highlead system was attached to the quick hitch of a thirty tonne Doosan DX 300LG excavator. It had an extension added to the dipper boom to give extra height.
It was being operated by a team from the Elliot Henderson Group and was clearing diseased larch trees, to help contain the spread of Phytophthora ramorum, from a narrow gulley with a watercourse at the bottom. Many of the larch trees had snapped off or had blown over and were blocking the flow of water.
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Kieran Anders is a forestry contractor working in the lake district. His work involves hand cutting and extracting timber using a skidder and tractor-trailer forwarder.
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The only point of access was following the gulley down towards the forest road as there was a young spruce plantation on either side of the gulley. The trees were being felled by chainsaw operators and then extracted by the highlead operator and chocker. It was surprising how effective it was, considering the two-man team were only taking one or two trees at a time and each tree was around 0.1m³ average.
Little and often was the secret and it worked well. This prevented any excess strain on the equipment which returned remarkable fuel economy and prevented downtime of the winch cables breaking due to overzealous chockering.
This was a good system as once the trees started piling up too high – they had a few areas like this to do in this block and once they were all completed a harvester would arrive to process and stack the extracted timber – all they had to do was lift the dipper boom and track along a few meters and start extracting again in a clear area.
The main and haul back line did not need re-positioning so this operation only took a moment.
I visited this site twice, at the start where it was a tangled mess, and towards the end where there was only a day or so left and the results spoke for themselves.
South Wales
This was the first highlead winch system John Fukes had mounted on an excavator. The two winch drums were mounted in line, on a solid platform above the engine, just behind the cab. The platform could be raised and lowered hydraulically to allow full access to the engine compartment. This highlead had an extended dipper boom for extra height but still had the excavator bucket for making platforms, removing stumps, or repairing extraction routes.
The highlead winch was owned by forestry contractors Coed Camddwr Ltd and was working at the top of a steep ravine about 3-400 meters away from the forest road. The trees were being extracted trees up a steep ravine where a Ponsse Ergo processed the trees into the desired lengths as they arrived.
This was an efficient system as the landing area was always clear and removing the chockers was a straightforward task for the highlead operator.
Dan Bulman, operator of the harvester, would switch to the Ponsse Buffalo forwarder as soon as the processed produce mounted and took it to roadside. The three-man team – a chokerman down the ravine, highlead operator and harvester/forwarder operator all worked well together. The highlead operator and chokerman were in radio contact with each other and their production rate was impressive as the harvester was kept busy.
I had the opportunity to operate the highlead and I couldn’t believe how simple it was to use.
My last experience was on a Forestry Commission Chapelhall Skyline. That was quite physical as you pulled on both clutch and brake levers on an Igland double drum winch to maintain the correct tension. Operating this highlead was idiotproof via a single joystick. Pushed forward it sent the chockers down the hill, pulled backwards, it brought the trees back up. One other button was to release the cable when chokering and that was it. The winches did all the work and had slack rope sensors keeping the cables at the correct tension so there was never any fear of tangling or damaging the winch ropes. Winch drum cameras with the onboard monitor means the operator always has peace of mind with visual contact of the winches.
I was mightily impressed with the speed of production and the minimal impact this system had on the soil structure. There was a fast-flowing river at the bottom of the ravine which found its way into a reservoir. This is a high rainfall area and there could have been severe repercussions if machines were used on the steep hillside.
Both teams in Scotland and Wales were extremely impressed with the quality, reliability, and performance of their highlead winches. Being mounted on an excavator allows them to travel off road thus reducing the extraction distance and increasing production.
The RJ Fukes Forestry Services highlead winches have a quick set up time of just 30 minutes, they are a non -invasive installation onto customers equipment and operator training is given with every purchase. Removal of the winch head is quick and straightforward allowing the base excavator to return to an unimpeded state. The system can be removed and installed onto another carrier at minimal cost.
RJ Fukes Forestry Services offer three sizes of highlead winches.
M3.1
Is the smallest with a single speed with a 3 to 5 tonne pull, the minimum excavator base size is fourteen ton. The working range is 200m maximum using wire rope with a steel core from 10mm to 13mm diameter. Wire rope sizes is dependent on winch force settings.
M3.2
This is a mid-size winch with variable speed motors with a 5-6 tonne pull, the minimum excavator base needed is seventeen tonnes.
The working range is 300m maximum using wire rope with a steel core from 11mm to 14mm diameter. Wire rope sizes is dependent on winch force settings.
M3.3
The largest model with variable speed motors with a 6-9 tonne pull, the minimum excavator base needed is twenty-five tonnes. The working range is 400m maximum using wire rope with a steel core from 12mm to 14mm diameter. Wire rope sizes is dependent on winch force settings.
M3 winch systems are specifically designed for track base mounting but can also be mounted to wheelbase machine bases. The hydraulic components are selected for their durability and long service life so that operating costs are kept to a minimum.
The winch drums are manufactured to give optimum storage and optimum bend radius for minimal rope fatigue and all winch drums also incorporate a split drum system for storage.
M3 rope sheaves are custom machined for low friction and low rope fatigue and are heattreated and fitted with the highest quality roller bearings to give smooth operation and a long service life.
Their hydraulic valve chests are specifically designed for optimum flow with minimal loses and minimal heat generation and quality valves are used with a proven history of reliability.
Safety features include
- Inbuilt fail safe, unmatched line speed and pulling force.
- Fully proportional remote controls
- Fully synchronised rope tension with infinitely variable control for operator from
- Cabin or remote-control unit
- Simple one lever control for ease of use and low operator fatigue
- Slack rope sensing
- Winch drum cameras.
- Base machine movement sensing
- Non-invasive fitment to base carriers
For more information, please contact. RJ Fukes Forestry Services on +44(0)1550721641, www.rjfukes.co.uk
Forest Machine Magazine is written and edited by a forest professional with over 40 years hands on experience. We are dedicated to keeping you informed with all the latest news, views and reviews from our industry.
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