They most often have a cable winch attached to the rear end with several log choker chains attached to the cable. When the cable is winched in, the logs come together to form a hitch which is then skidded out to the log landing. The main advantage of crawlers is that they compact the soil less than rubber-wheeled skidders because their weight is spread out over a much larger tractive surface area. They are also able to do road construction work with their blades, and their manueverability can help avoid damage to residual stands. The main disadvantage for crawlers, as for draft animals, is the cost factor.
Tracks require more maintenance than wheels and they limit the speed of the machine.
Some land is too rocky to operate with crawlers because rocks can damage tracks and the low-slung undercarriages of crawlers. Rubber-Wheeled Skidders Skidders use winches in the same way as crawlers to haul out logs or tree stems. Their axles move independently in the vertical plane. They have high ground clearances so they can operate on all kinds of terrain. They can haul much faster than draft animals or crawlers.