Final drives of the excavator are positioned down the hill to the lowest point of the excavator. Hard dry ground provides easier access for machines but can limit ease of cultivation. The optimum window for plantation ground preparation is concurrent with the removal of the felled trees. Never exceed manufacturers recommendations or safety regulations. When working towards the limit of any machine safety become paramount.
Good operators are hard to find.
Distance between spots increases with slope allowance. If on flat ground, the target spacing was a row of 6 spots wide, then on steeper slopes this mathematically is reduced to a row 5 spots wide that can be reached with a 20 Tonne excavator. Furthermore stability on steep slopes decreases and mechanically you may only be able to reach 4 spots wide. In addition the excavator may lack the track power and may have to be pulled hydraulically by the mechanical arm up the slope. This again requires more time.