MACHINERY
SAMPO ROSENLEW HR46
Alternative harvester brands Andrew Smith, Forestry Lecturer at Scottish School of Forestry, UHI
W
ith the recent announcement that the APF will be back in September 2022, I’m sure many of you will be looking forward to the event. The biennial opportunity to meet up with old friends and to view the latest offerings from the various manufacturers and suppliers of forestry equipment. Some of you will no doubt go straight to your favourite brands, but how many will look at the alternatives with anything more than a cursory, and often derisory glance? Us humans can be a funny old species. Generally, we don’t like change. We can be suspicious of new ideas, alternative methods of working and a different brand. Our purchasing decisions can be based on a number of factors, not only price. These factors may include brand loyalty (and CONFOR.ORG.UK
snobbery!); our relationship with the sales person (remember that meal they bought you in the swanky restaurant); what the operator wants to drive (after all you want to keep them sweet, good operators are hard to come by) to name but a few. However, the glaring anomaly in my list is the machine being “the right machine for the job”. Just because we have used the same brand for years doesn’t necessarily mean it is the best option! This month, I’m going to look at some alternative harvester brands. Alternatives to what I would refer to as the big brands (the green; red; silver; blue and yellow brands), you know who they are. These alternative brands all have machines working in the UK with various contractors, so they are not completely new, and someone has shown enough faith in these brands to make a purchase. Hopefully something to whet all appetites here.
SAMPO-ROSENLEW Whilst being a relative newcomer to the UK forestry market, Sampo are no strangers to forestry and have been producing
forestry harvesters since the late 1990s. They currently produce both harvesters and forwarders for forestry alongside their range of combines for the agricultural market. There are currently two harvesters in the Sampo line up, the 4 wheeled HR46x and the 8 wheeled HR86. The design of the HR46x is what many of us consider as the traditional Sampo harvester. A small four wheeled machine, weighing between 8 and 9.5 tonnes and with a crane reach of 7.1 metres designed with thinning in mind. Harvester heads are normally sourced from either Keto (eg Keto 51) or Kesla (eg 18RH), but this can be tailored to accommodate the purchaser. Computer measuring and optimisation is provided by Technion. The HR46x is a fully hydrostatic, articulated machine, and is powered by a 4-cylinder Agco (formerly Sisu) producing 140kW (190hp). Operator comfort and convenience have been designed into the machine. The curved windscreen allows operators to view the treetops; daily checks and maintenance can be performed at convenient locations; the engine and the cabin are lo- >>
FORESTRY & TIMBER NEWS • October 2021 53
