Why Harwarders for Wood Harvesting?

Currently, the total number of harwarders in industrial roundwood and energy wood harvesting in Finnish forests is slightly over one hundred. Metsäteho Oy conducted a follow-up study of harwarders in industrial roundwood harvesting in Finland, and also investigated the transfers of the harwarders. In the study of Metsäteho, the possibilities of harwarder systems in wood harvesting in the near future in Finland were also evaluated. It was forecasted that the number of harwarders will significantly increase in the near future in Finland; within a few years, the number of harwarders engaged in industrial roundwood and energy wood harvesting may even be as much as 200–300. This development forecast is based on the following factors: I) Cost effectiveness in wood harvesting is being sought at the level of the stand marked for harvesting, as well as from the point of view of the forest machine business. II) The structural change in cuttings is setting new demands on the harvesting machinery. III) As a result of changes in the forest machine business field, the size of forest machine contracting businesses is growing and large regional responsibilities in contracting are increasing.