Overview
ISO 13861:2022 - Machinery for forestry - Wheeled skidders - Terms, definitions and commercial specifications establishes a common vocabulary and a commercial information framework for articulating the principal dimensions and features of wheeled skidders. Applicable to articulated wheeled cable and grapple skidders, the standard defines terms (masses, machine and grapple dimensions, grapple configurations, butt plate measures) and lists the required information that manufacturers, sellers and users should supply to identify and describe machines consistently.
This is a terminology and commercial-specification standard - it standardizes how to describe machines (dimensions, masses, configurations), not how they must perform. Note: not all terms apply to every machine; machines are characterized by the relevant dimensions and features.
Key topics and technical requirements
The standard covers clear, measurable definitions and the information that should be supplied, including:
- General term: skidder (definition sourced from ISO 6814)
- Masses: normal operating mass, maximum operating mass, axle load
- Main machine dimensions: total frame length, overall length, wheelbase, overall height, ground clearance, frame/axle oscillation, clearance circle, angle of articulation, blade dimensions (height, lift, lowest position, width)
- Winch and fairlead: winch height, main fairlead roller height and diameter, rear-axle to fairlead distance
- Grapple metrics: grapple reach and lift (defined for extended/retracted and highest/lowest positions), boom rotation, grapple height, maximum opening, area of opening, minimum log size, rotation capability
- Butt plate and load support: rear-axle to butt plate, length of load support, lowest butt plate position
- Tyre and inflation details: tyre size, ply rating, inflation pressure, hydro-inflation possibilities
- Variability reporting: maximum/minimum adjustable dimensions and asymmetrical dimensions (left/right or front/rear)
Clause 4 explicitly lists the required information manufacturers and suppliers should provide; Annex A gives illustrative figures.
Practical applications - who uses ISO 13861:2022
- Manufacturers: to produce consistent product data sheets and manuals
- Dealers and buyers: to compare machines on a like-for-like basis using standardized dimensions and masses
- Fleet managers and procurement teams: to match machine specifications to operational constraints (transport, terrain, load capacity)
- Technical writers, service organizations, and compliance officers: to ensure documentation and labels use standard terminology
- Regulators and standards bodies: for classification, reporting and interoperability of forestry machinery
Related standards and notes
- This second edition (2022) cancels and replaces ISO 13861:2000 and incorporates editorial and terminological updates (including adding the "skidder" entry and moving figures to an informative annex).
- The document contains no normative references; ISO 6814 appears in the bibliography as a source for the skidder definition.
Keywords: ISO 13861:2022, wheeled skidders, forestry machinery, skidder dimensions, grapple reach, blade height, operating mass, commercial specifications.