Soil, Driving Speed and Driving Intensity Affect Fuel Consumption of Forwarders

Fuel consumption is one of the key parameters in mechanised forest operations, particularly on lower bearing capacity soils, as wheel chains or bogie tracks can have a strong effect it. This study aims to analyse fuel several individual wheeled cut-to-length forwarder set-ups with different types peatland using automatic recording data bus information. Two forwarders, 8-wheeled and 10-wheeled, three were tested Eastern Finland. A mixed-model approach basis function soil capacity, number passes machine same soil, section (curve straight) other variables related performance set-up, for total N=27,928 observations machines 33 plots (trail segments). The model results an R2=0.78; increases significantly, while did not affect consumption. There are, however, important differences between performance, which are addressed model. By contributing knowledge connection operational conditions consumption, contribute aim towards sustainable operation through minimizing negative environmental impacts providing necessary tools further research efforts.