Latest Case Studieswinch assist for tethered logging
tightline tl3021
URUS Tightline TL3021. Trusted on the slopes since ‘66
How We Started.
URUS stands for Universal Rigging Under Skyline, and we've been building winches since nineteen sixty-six. This is what we do day in, day out. The TL3021 was born in Chile, South America, where steep plantation slopes demanded a solution that didn't exist off the shelf. The concept was radical: mount a winch to a John Deere excavator and tether a John Deere 859 harvester, arresting up to thirty-seven tons on grades that would otherwise be untouchable. That Chilean genesis shaped everything — an excavator-mounted architecture chosen for control, adaptability, and safety.
Safety Systems. The TL3021 runs unmanned on the hill. Emergency e-stops on the machine and on the tethered machine below. Tensioning range selectable from one to twenty-one tons on the fly, with live drum fleeting visibility. Anti-tamper alarms alert the bottom-hill operator the instant anyone opens an operator door or interferes with the equipment. An anti-slip alarm triggers if the excavator's anchoring shifts. A maximum working angle monitor warns if the tethered machine exceeds thirty degrees left or right of center. A multitude of systems, all feeding one operator in control from the bottom of the slope.
Cable Analysis Block. Twenty-six millimeter six-by-twenty-six IWRC, nineteen-sixty grade, minimum breaking load approximately forty-eight tons. Twenty-one ton line pull equals roughly forty-four percent of breaking strain — well within the sixty percent working limit, with margin to spare even on lower-grade rope.
Proven Across the Industry. Successfully tethering major brands worldwide: Tiger Cat, John Deere, Ponsse, and TimberPro
Features and Benefits.
Because the TL3021 mounts to an excavator rather than being a purpose-built machine, it delivers unmatched flexibility. Washed-out roads, eroded embankments, unstable ground — the excavator's mobility and bucket work give you options no dedicated winch tractor can match. The bucket itself becomes a tool: anchoring, stabilizing, clearing, all from one platform. And when the forestry job is done, the winch comes off, the excavator returns to its original build, and it goes to work in mining or construction. That residual value is something no purpose-built winch assist can offer, and it's the kind of number that makes an accountant smile. The system also returns fifty-five kilowatts of cooling to the carrier — oil comes back not just filtered and cleaned, but actively cooled, eliminating overheating during the most demanding pulls.
TL3021 HOOKED UP TO A TRACKED HARVESTER
TL3021 HOOKED UP TO A WHEELED GRAPPLE SKIDDER
TL3021 HOOKED UP TO A WHEELED forwarder
