Skidders are heavy machinery used to remove cut trees from forests. Cable skidders use cables to move logs, while grip skidders use a pincer-like gripping system. Skidders are versatile but can damage living trees and topsoil. Operators are protected by guards, but the risk of injury remains.
The logging industry has evolved tremendously over the years, and so has the equipment they use. A skidder is a piece of heavy machinery that removes cut trees from a forest and has also evolved since its early days. Whereas in the past, horses would pull a skidder and the log would hang below the machine, allowing the skidder to slide across the ground as it was dragged, today’s skidders are much more sophisticated, efficient, and heavier. Nearly all versions of today’s skidder have heavy-duty tires or tracks and can move larger numbers of trees faster than earlier versions.
There are generally two types of skidders in common use today: cable skidders and grip skidders. A cable skidder uses a series of cables that must be wrapped around logs in order to move them by hand. Therefore, cable skidders usually require a second operator outside the machine who can wrap the cables. While this is considered less efficient than other methods, the cable skidder has certain advantages: If the logs are in hard-to-reach locations or on slopes, it can be much easier for a second operator to wind the cables by hand rather than by hand. than to use a grapple skidder.
Grab skidders do not need a second operator. Instead, they use a pincer-like gripping system attached to an arm to lift and move logs. This method is faster and more versatile, allowing the operator to move logs in more directions more quickly. Also, skidders (both clamp and wire) are useful for selective thinning or removing some trees but leaving others. They are one of the few logging machines that are capable of removing logs from a forest without excessively damaging other trees, making them one of the most versatile logging tools.
Despite these advantages, skidders can also damage living trees as cut logs are washed away. They can also damage the topsoil, leaving deep holes or ruts where wheels or tracks press into the ground.
Both versions of the skidder have guards to protect the operator from injury. The operator is typically enclosed in a steel cage that protects from debris or falling limbs, and all operators in and around the machine must wear headgear and goggles. But due to the nature of the machine, the risk of injury is always present.
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