%0 Research Notes %T The productivity, work quality and the operation costs of excavators in site preparation on peatlands %A Lauhanen, Risto %D 1996 %J Suo - Mires and peat %V 47 %N 4 %U http://suo.fi/article/9760 %X Four excavators were studied in site preparation in different excavation difficulty classes (1-3) during the unfrozen period in the central and the northern Ostrobothnia in western Finland. In mounding the mean productivity (per effective hour) of the excavators was 0.17 ha h-1 and in scarification 0.32 ha h-1, respectively. The work quality was acceptable. In mounding and scarification, the mean number of planting positions was about 3600 per hectare. The mean height of the mound was about 28 cm, the mean dimensions of the scarified surface being 330 cm x 75 cm. The operation costs were 268-388 FIM per hour, if the price of the excavator was 400 000-1000 000 FIM. Key words: excavator, mounding, scarification, work studies.