In stands with small stems (<0.10 m³/stem), the two-machine cut-to-length harvesting system (a single-grip harvester paired with a forwarder) generally has low productivity. In this situation, a multi-stem head should be used to improve the system’s productivity. However, at high densities (>1800 stem/ha), even multi-stem heads may not be enough to make the two-machine system viable. This report identifies the conditions under which a three-machine system (a feller-buncher teamed with an at-the-stump processor and a forwarder) would be viable based on the results of four recent studies as well as on data from past FERIC studies. The report also discusses the productivity of processor operators as a function of their number of years of experience.