Feller buncher
| Feller buncher | |
|---|---|
Tracked feller buncher | |
| Classification | Wheeled or Tracked |
| Industry | Forestry |
| Application | logging |
| Weight | 13,910 kg (30,670 lb) |
| Fuel source | Diesel |
| Powered | Diesel engine |
| Self-propelled | Yes |
| Wheels | 4 wheels, some types |
| Tracks | Continuous tracks, some types |
A feller buncher is a type of harvester used in logging. It is a motorized vehicle with an attachment that can rapidly gather and cut a tree before felling it.
Feller is a traditional name for someone who cuts down trees, and bunching is the skidding and assembly of two or more trees. A feller buncher performs both of these harvesting functions and consists of a standard heavy equipment base with a tree-grabbing device furnished with a chainsaw, circular saw or a shear—a pinching device designed to cut small trees off at the base. The machine then places the cut tree on a stack suitable for a skidder, forwarder, or yarder for transport to further processing such as delimbing, bucking, loading, or chipping.
Some wheeled feller bunchers lack an articulated arm, and must drive close to a tree to grasp it.
In cut-to-length logging, a harvester performs the tasks of a feller buncher and additionally does delimbing and bucking.