RESEARCH RESULTS ON THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF TRACTOR - MOUNTED HOLE DIGGER FOR FOREST PLANTING

Abstract

In afforestation, soil preparation is a labor - intensive and costly process. When being done manually, it is difficult to ensure quality and timeliness. A holedigging machine for forest planting was researched, designed, and manufactured with technical features suited to soil characteristics and forestry production conditions. The equipment operates on the principle of a drilling machine, and when combined with tractors of from 40 to 60 hp, it demonstrates good traction and stability, working effectively on reforestation sites with slopes up to 25%. The productivity of the Yanmar F535D tractor combined with the drilling device reached from 120 to 132 holes per hour for heavy soils with compaction above 30 kilograms per square centimetre, and from 129 to146 holes per hour for medium - textured soils with compaction from 20 to 25 kilograms per square centimetre. The hole diameter ranged from 43 to 48 cm, depth from 45 to 50 cm, and soil looseness in the hole exceeded 50%, fully meeting the technical requirements for afforestation soil preparation. The machine was designed using common materials, entirely manufacturable domestically at low cost. These advantages make it highly suitable for equipping and effectively applying in forestry production units in Vietnam.