May 2021 Forest Focus - One 'L' of a skidder
Back in the day, woodlot crews typically ran the oldest, most worn out and least-efficient machines in the forest, but times have changed.
Many of the woodlot crews I visit now are equipped with gear that almost rivals their corporate colleagues as they seek to lift their professional standards, improve performance and safety. Like Hodgson Logging of Benneydale, which runs an impressive, up-to-date fleet of mostly CAT tracked machines in its tidy operation.
But a few months ago, a green interloper appeared amongst it...
NZ Logger Feature Sections May 2021
How much forest roading do we need for woodlots?
As an industry, we will be harvesting a lot more woodlots – and harvesting woodlot is typically more expensive than working in our larger plantation forests. One poten...
Bushman are born not made
Golden Downs near Nelson is an iconic piece of forestry estate that features in the family history of many loggers from around New Zealand, not just those from Nelson ...
Forest Talk
Expansion and acquisition for Niagara Sawmilling
Niagara Sawmilling Company recently began a $115 million expansion of its timber processing operations, marking the most significant growth phase in the comp...
Fungi-carrying “beetle taxis” could impact forestry plantations
Bark and ambrosia beetles are acting as tiny taxis for fungi across New Zealand, giving researchers valuable clues about how these organisms travel through f...
Log grapple shines through
Southland is the location for June’s Iron Test, of the CDL log grapple made by 3D Industrial Engineering in Rotorua, paired with a Caterpillar Next Gen 320.W...
New CEO at OneFortyOne
Andrew Leighton is OneFortyOne’s incoming Chief Executive Officer. He will join the company following a comprehensive selection process and will succee...
NRC says Fuel Response Plan hits the mark for freight
National Road Carriers Association (NRC) has welcomed the decision to prioritise freight carriers as part of the government’s updated Fuel Response Plan in t...
NZIF supports stronger focus on climate adaptation for forests
The New Zealand Institute of Forestry (NZIF) has welcomed the release of the Climate Change Commission’s 2026 National Climate Change Risk Assessment, partic...
The humble skidder
Over the last two decades, a lot of effort and research has focused on improving cable logging systemsThis has been driven by the need to mechanise both for ...
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