Small Machines and Their Role in Forest Management - From Their Introduction to the Present Day with Automation

Purpose of review This review traces the development of mini forestry crawlers (MFCs) from earlier small-scale skidding machines to modern remote-controlled tool carriers, and evaluates their current applications, technological characteristics, operational performance, safety, soil impact, ergonomics, and automation potential. Recent findings Recent studies show that MFCs have evolved from simple extraction-oriented machines into multifunctional platforms whose suitability depends on machine class, task–machine matching, site conditions, and work organisation. Field and bench studies report productivity, soil impacts, operator workload, remote-controlled felling performance, non-harvesting applications, and early automation functions. Summary Mini forestry crawlers are most effective in constrained-access settings and in tasks that align with their limited payload while benefitting from high manoeuvrability, remote operation, and multifunctionality. Their advantages are therefore conditional on careful deployment, particularly with respect to soil moisture, turning intensity, traffic frequency, and operator workload. Future evaluations should adopt integrated performance metrics that jointly assess productivity, soil response, and human workload under realistic operating conditions.