“I grew up in logging. As a little kid, my father and grandfather would take me out to the woods to go timber cruising, which meant walking around and looking at the stands of trees,” said Carl Dyke, hydraulics expert and founder of CD Industrial Group. “Back then, it was much cruder. You’d drop the tree to the forest floor, hook up a skidder, drag the whole tree out of the woods onto a clearing, cut the branches off, and then take that whole log and put it on a truck to the sawmill.”

One of the challenges with this whole-tree harvesting method is the nonuniformity of the logs, which creates complications for sawmills. While many sawmills have adopted optimizing systems to maximize the value of each log, the quality still begins in the woodlot.

“Cut-to-length (CTL) is a technique that’s very popular in Nordic and Scandinavian countries, and it’s now gaining traction in North America,” Dyke explained. “If you pay attention to the types of logging trucks on the road, you’ll notice that instead of trucks carrying full-length logs—sometimes 60 to 70 feet long, tapering from very thick at the base to very thin at the tip—you now see trucks with bunks. These racks of steel forks contain logs that are much more uniform in size. The logs on these trucks have similar diameters at both the base and the tip, and they don’t taper drastically. So, cut-to-length helps optimize timber in the forest, ensuring that the logs are more consistent before they even arrive at the sawmill. That’s a huge advantage.”

Dyke highlights that the cut-to-length method brings significant benefits by streamlining the process from the forest to the sawmill, ensuring the logs are more uniform and ready for processing, ultimately enhancing the efficiency and quality of the entire operation.

Sophisticated hydraulics are key to making cut-to-length (CTL) logging possible

Harvesters and forwarders are the two primary mobile machines used in cut-to-length (CTL) logging, each playing a crucial role in the efficient and precise processing of timber.

Harvesters are highly specialized machines that can fell, delimb, and cut trees to specific lengths in a single operation. These machines consist of several key components: the chassis, powertrain, tracks or wheels, cab, and controls. Most importantly, they are equipped with a hydraulic boom, which extends the machine’s reach, and a harvester head that performs the heavy lifting. The harvester head is composed of multiple parts designed for log processing: a grapple to grab and hold the tree, a chainsaw to fell and cut it, feed rollers that move the tree through the head, knives that remove branches, and a measuring system that accurately calculates the length and diameter of the tree to ensure precise cuts.

Once the logs are cut, forwarders are used to transport them from the forest to the roadside, where they are sorted before heading to the sawmill. Forwarders also feature a hydraulic boom for lifting logs into their bunks, with a grapple that holds the logs during the loading process. Unlike traditional sawmills that use a merchandising deck to cut and sort logs, CTL allows for all of this to be done directly at the woodlot, streamlining the process and improving efficiency.

Carl Dyke explains, “What happens now, in many cases, is the operators of the harvesting equipment in the forest have enough data on their screens in the cab, along with instructions from their client who wants to buy the raw material, so they are already processing the logs with great precision.” Advanced cutting heads equipped with hydraulics and electronic sensors allow operators to cut the tree, turn it sideways, and immediately start sizing it as it moves through the feed rollers. These sensors detect the log’s rate of taper, providing real-time feedback on the log’s diameter as it rolls through the cutting head, while the branches are removed and fall to the ground.

In essence, sophisticated hydraulics and electronic systems make it possible to carry out highly efficient, accurate, and environmentally friendly logging, all while providing valuable data for the operators and their clients, ensuring that only the best quality timber is processed.

Operators in cut-to-length (CTL) logging are not only focused on cutting logs to precise lengths but also on identifying and removing highly unusable portions of the timber as they process it. For example, if a sawmill rejects logs with a 7-inch diameter at the tapered tip, operators monitor the screen and make the cut when the log reaches that 7-inch mark. The system may then prompt them to roll the log ahead by 20 feet and cut again, further optimizing the timber for the sawmill’s specifications.

Carl Dyke explains, “The sophistication in these advanced timber processing heads, the bundle of cables from the sensors that go back to the operator cab, and the hoses that supply an electro-hydraulic proportional valve for the head — that’s high-end hydraulics equipment right there. And the performance has to be quite high.”

As global demand for CTL quality and efficiency grows, manufacturers are continuously advancing their equipment and hydraulic components to meet these increasingly rigorous requirements. For example, Komatsu recently redesigned the valve block of its C124 harvester head to improve durability, reduce energy losses, and save fuel. The company also refined the pressure control of the front and rear knives, enhancing precision and allowing operators to adjust pressure settings directly from the cab via software.

Advanced length measuring has become standard on the C124, with an upgraded, stronger cylinder and a modified mechanical stop to reduce wear. Additionally, the tilt functions, hydraulics, saw unit, feed system, and hose routing have been improved for better safety, performance, and longevity.

These ongoing advancements in hydraulic technology and equipment design are vital for increasing the precision, efficiency, and sustainability of CTL logging operations, meeting the demands of both operators and sawmills while enhancing the overall performance and longevity of the machinery.

The company also introduced the new 205F forwarder, designed with enhanced lifting torque, a larger load capacity, and telescopic widening bunks. These upgrades not only improve the forwarder's ability to transport larger and heavier loads but also contribute to greater efficiency in the logging process. Additionally, the forwarder is equipped with advanced digital solutions that help optimize performance and productivity.

These improvements are part of the company’s broader strategy to reduce emissions and meet carbon neutrality goals by 2050. By incorporating these advanced features, the 205F forwarder helps operators work more efficiently while also reducing their environmental footprint, aligning with the industry's growing emphasis on sustainability.

As another example, Ponsse recently released new forwarder models, the Elk and Wisent, with improved load-carrying capacity, enhanced cabin comfort and visibility, and increased machine agility. These updates allow the forwarders to handle heavier loads more efficiently while offering operators a more comfortable and safer work environment. The improved cabin design ensures better visibility, crucial for navigating dense forests, while the increased agility enhances the machine’s ability to maneuver in tight spaces, making it more versatile in various forest conditions. These innovations further reinforce Ponsse's commitment to optimizing productivity and operator experience in forest harvesting.

The company also introduced the new H7 harvester head, featuring improved geometry, an enhanced power-to-weight ratio, and the Ponsse Active Speed function. This innovative function allows operators to adjust the harvester head speed based on the tree species and stem diameter, optimizing cutting efficiency and fuel consumption. The improved geometry and power-to-weight ratio enhance the harvester head’s performance, providing better balance and precision during operation. These upgrades enable operators to work more efficiently in a variety of forest conditions, improving productivity while reducing operational costs and environmental impact.

The H7 harvester head features an HH360 rotator, developed with Black Bruin’s radial piston technology. This advanced rotator allows the harvester head to rotate a full 360° without limitations, significantly enhancing the efficiency of wood processing. The unrestricted rotation helps expedite the handling and positioning of trees, while also reducing the likelihood of hose failures by minimizing strain on hydraulic systems. This improvement contributes to smoother and more reliable operations, ensuring greater uptime and reducing maintenance costs for operators.

The company’s High-Precision Positioning solution, available in Finland, Sweden, and Germany, enhances the productivity and safety of forestry operations by providing precise location tracking for harvesters equipped with the Active Crane control system. This system shows the harvester head’s exact location on a map, helping operators identify areas to harvest and avoid. Additionally, it saves the location of every stump in the production file, allowing forwarder operators to see the harvester trail and optimize routing. These features ensure more efficient logging and reduce the risk of accidents and operational errors.

In addition to safety, manufacturers place a strong emphasis on operator comfort, especially given the challenging environments and uneven terrain in forestry work. Inside the cab, sophisticated controls like CAN bus joysticks allow operators to precisely control various machine functions. These controls are ergonomically designed to reduce fatigue, ensuring the operator remains focused and productive during long shifts in demanding conditions.

For example, Sure Grip Controls’ LU Handle is specifically designed for forestry machines, offering a keypad that allows operators to easily select tree species, diameter, and cut length. Made with high-impact plastic polymers, the handle can withstand up to 10 million operations. It is compatible with various forestry equipment types and brands and supports a range of functions, including up to eight faceplate switches, two triggers, four sliders, four rockers, and two micro joysticks. Additionally, the LU Handle can accommodate extra keypads and expansion pods, offering flexible, reliable, and user-friendly controls for operators in the field.

Cut-to-length machines enable sustainable forestry

Along with advanced hydraulics and control solutions, the cut-to-length (CTL) approach is rapidly becoming the industry standard for more sustainable harvesting practices. According to Ponsse’s "The Perfect Cut" report, CTL operations increased from 46% in 2017 to 57% in 2021 across North America, South America, Europe, and Russia. The method requires fewer machine types than whole-tree or tree-length harvesting methods but often deploys multiple teams to ensure continuous operation despite disruptions. Additionally, CTL reduces the need for many operators, lowers fuel consumption, and minimizes waste by ensuring that every cut is precise and optimized for the best use of the timber.

The CTL method also promotes continuous cover forestry, in which forests are selectively thinned rather than cleared, allowing natural regrowth with minimal intervention. This practice supports biodiversity and nurtures nutrient-rich soil to encourage healthy tree growth.

“You leave quite a bit of fiber on the forest floor,” said Dyke. “It can become part of the humus layer, which is crucial for maintaining long-term soil health in a forest. Only the best parts of the log, suitable for merchandising, are harvested and sent to the sawmill. For products like plywood, the process is similar—cut to length, maximize uniformity, and leave behind the non-usable parts to decompose and enrich the soil.”

Furthermore, CTL harvesters and forwarders cause less damage to the forest compared to equipment used in whole-tree or tree-length methods. Companies like Komatsu, Ponsse, and Waratah highlight the improved weight distribution of modern machines, which not only enhances stability but also helps reduce soil erosion.

The growing adoption of CTL has also driven the development of more energy-efficient machine designs that reduce emissions. For instance, Kalle Einola, R&D manager of technology, product safety, and IPR at Ponsse, presented a paper on hydraulic-hybrid CTL harvesters at the 2023 Scandinavian International Conference on Fluid Power (SICFP). Einola and his team studied a hydraulic hybrid system installed on a Ponsse Ergo CTL harvester, testing it near Tampere, Finland. While further research and modifications are needed, the system demonstrated potential in optimizing the harvester’s powertrain and providing assistive power to the harvester head, contributing to greater fuel efficiency and lower environmental impact.

Thinking of future forests

“That cut-to-length approach has become more the rule than the exception. I notice it in the regions I travel when I see the logging trucks moving along the highway,” said Dyke, who is based in Canada.

In 2020, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimated that Canada had 347 million hectares of forest, accounting for 9% of the world’s forestland. According to Ponsse’s report, only 5% of Canada’s forest harvesting operations used the CTL method in 1990, but by 2021, that figure had surged to 65%.

As more loggers and foresters weigh the importance of productivity, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability alongside environmental considerations, the CTL method is expected to continue growing in popularity, driven by the development of more energy-efficient machines that meet both operational and environmental goals.