Track feller bunchers — sometimes called swing-boom or stationary feller bunchers — sit in one spot and use a hydraulic boom to reach out, grab, and cut trees within a working radius. The tracked undercarriage provides stability on slopes and soft ground that would be impossible for a
wheeled machine.
When to Use Tracked vs. Wheeled
If the ground is steep, soft, or uneven, a tracked feller buncher is the right tool. They are standard equipment in the Pacific Northwest, Appalachian hardwood operations, and any site where the terrain does not cooperate. The trade-off is speed — tracked machines are slower to reposition between cutting positions compared to
wheeled drive-to-tree models.
Applications
Track feller bunchers handle clear-cutting, selective harvesting, and thinning operations. In thinning applications, the swing boom lets the operator reach between standing trees without driving through the remaining stand.
Common Manufacturers
Tigercat (800 series), Caterpillar (500 track series), and John Deere (800 series) are the most common. The Tigercat 855E and Deere 853M are consistently among the best-selling tracked feller bunchers.
Browse used feller buncher - track for sale from Forestry First.