There is a lot of talk these days about a ‘green economy’ and ‘going green’. For most people and businesses, that means finding ways to be environmentally responsible. Forest contractors have a unique position when it comes to such issues, because they are the ones working in the middle of the natural environment that others talk so much about protecting.

Logging contractors are stewards of the forest, implementing actions to sustain the health of natural environments and harvesting renewable resources at the same time. But loggers can do even more to be environmentally responsible: buy efficient, low-impact equipment that has the best interests of the forest in mind.

Fortunately with John Deere equipment, that does not mean sacrificing power and productivity. John Deere provides loggers with equipment that helps them to truly ‘go green’ – and lead the way in the logging industry at the same time. There are many ways that John Deere is accomplishing this; a few examples are by engineering highly efficient engines, on-demand hydraulics, and minimizing ground disturbance.

Going ‘green’ in the forest starts with reducing emissions. All John Deere forest machines are equipped with powerful fuel-efficient diesel engines, which deliver power on demand at low rpms. The power on-demand is the key; no energy is wasted. These powerful engines combined with top-engineered hydraulics give you all the power you need when you need it, and at minimal cost to the environment. All John Deere engines are designed to meet or exceed even the toughest emission standards.

You have your choice of powerful, fuel-efficient engines on the G-III and H-Series skidders. These powerful skidders can pick up a large load of trees entirely on the first pass, rather than having to go back and forth several times to get the job done. This not only reduces the need for excessive ground travel, but also saves on fuel.

The skidders can work this way because of how their engines work with impressive hydraulic sensors. The grapple skidders are designed with two hydraulic cylinders, one for each tong, so they adjust to each load with a secure grip. Closed-center, load-sensing hydraulics maintain constant pressure on the tongs from start to finish. The high torque motor drives the grapple through 360-degree continuous rotation. It’s all meant to make the machine more efficient, which saves on time and fuel consumption.

Load-sensing hydraulics are also part of what make the knuckleboom log loaders and the swing machines a pro-environmental choice for loggers. The load-sensing hydraulic system delivers power on demand, reducing fuel consumption and parts wear. Hydraulics on the knucklebooms also include better hose routings and ORS fittings, and faster boom and swing speeds pick up the pace at the landing.

Another advantage on the swing machines, knuckleboom loaders, swing-to-tree harvesters, forwarders, and feller bunchers is a long-reaching telescopic boom. The long boom allows you to do more from one position, and minimizes required ground travel. Ground disturbance is taken into consideration in other ways too: high-walker undercarriages on wheeled and tracked machines ensure excellent ground clearance. John Deere’s patented balanced-bogie system on the wheeled harvesters and forwarders also lighten the load and reduce ground pressure, as well as make travel over rugged terrain a little smoother.

Logging contractors can take environmental responsibility one step further with John Deere’s 1490D Eco-III Energy Harvester. It is the first machine of it’s kind, allowing you to turn a waste product into something both useful and profitable. The 1490D’s B380 bundling unit, integrated with Total Machine Control, is fully automated and continuous, efficiently compressing the volume of biomass material by approximately 80 percent without crushing it. The energy harvester is capable of producing in excess of 40 bundles per hour where the worksite has been properly prepared, and 20 to 30 plus bundles an hour in an unprepared site. It is a revolutionary way to clean up the forest and turn it into a profit at the same time.

All-around efficiency is a common theme across the board with John Deere forest machines, and environmental responsibility is the natural outcome. John Deere has many solutions to help loggers keep costs down and stay ‘green’ with respect to growing environmental concerns. These solutions are how loggers can ‘go green’, and truly be stewards of forest health.

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