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Abstract
The timber harvesting sector plays a crucial role in the forest products industry. Previous studies often used outdated equipment or specialized practices, limiting their relevance to current whole-tree harvesting in the US South. The objectives of this study were to develop machine productivity estimates for whole-tree logging machinery for pine and hardwood harvests in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont of the US South and develop fuel consumption estimates for pine clearcuts and first thinnings. Time-and-motion studies were used to estimate machine productivity. Fuel consumption was estimated using onboard computers or a fuel meter with engine hours. On pine clearcuts, average productivity was 82.4, 27.1, and 36.7 t pmh⁻¹ for the feller-buncher, skidder, and loader, respectively. Fuel consumption was 0.39, 1.03, and 0.48 l t⁻¹ for the same machines. Productivity and fuel consumption estimates can be used to update cost estimates, emissions and life-cycle analyses, and help loggers improve efficiency.