The ClimbMAX steep slope harvester is an excavator equipped with a felling head and a winch capable of felling trees on slopes of up to 45 degrees. The ClimbMAX will fell trees and bunch them for yarder extraction or, fell trees and shovel them to a ground based extraction point. It significantly improves safety and productivity. The ClimbMAX is not only able to fell trees but is also able to bunch them for extraction via grapple equipped hauler, thus also removing the dangerous job of breaker out from the crew, as well as improving safety.