Preference data on 10 important machine functions pertaining to excavator-based yarders were gathered from five categories of respondents, including contractors, pre-contractors, operations managers, forestry authorities, and research and extension professionals. The analytic hierarchy process was used in ranking four representative excavator-based yarders in accordance with the preferences expressed and the ranked ability of each of the machines to meet them. The criteria being evaluated were accrued to three categories; economics, versatility, and productivity. The pre-contractor and contractor groups tended to express a similar ranking of preferences, as did the other three groups. At the individual-criterion level, the predominant preference wasfor a tower, followed by processing capability and extra stability. Initial capital outlay was the criterion of lowest common importance for all response groups. Matching the preference matrix with the machine performance matrix allowed for a direct ranking of contestant machines, where a larger tracked machine concept including a boom-mounted tower, long-range skyline, and fixed bucket was the most popular outcome (four of five groups), while the boom-tip-mounted integrated tower and winch was the least popular for all five groups.
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