This work aimed to evaluate a feller-buncher operationally and economically, under two eucalyptus forest harvest subsystems. The operational analysis included a productivity and motion and time study. The economic analysis included the parameters operational cost, production cost and energy consumption. Searching and cutting consumed most of the operational time, approximately 50% of the total cycle time in both subsystems. Empty displacement and unloading consumed together about 39% of the total feller-buncher cycle time. The feller-buncher operational cost was US$55.27/he. The production costs were US$1.69 and 1.55/m³cc in subsystems 1 and 2, respectively. The energy consumption rates were 4.45 and 4.09 g/kW*m³cc in subsystems 1 and 2, respectively.
Timber harvesting; logging cost; forest mechanization