FELLING HEADS

Deere’s new FL100 directional felling head for the steep slope market is a larger, more durable unit with increased grip strength, high grapple capacity, and excellent shoveling performance

Tracked Harvester 959MH Harvesting Head FL100

Deere’s new FL100 directional felling head for the steep slope market is a larger, more durable unit with increased grip strength, high grapple capacity, and excellent shoveling performance

John Deere’s new large-class directional felling head FL100 model provides customers with a more comprehensive, more durable directional felling head solution. The robust, durable design of the new FL100 makes it ideal for steep slope, shoveling, and traditional felling applications. Featuring increased grip strength, grapple capacity and shoveling performance, the FL100’s grapple arm effectively handles both small and extra-large timber. The increased durability of the FL100 reduces potential downtime in tough conditions, while allowing excellent access to maintenance and service points. “Our customers are continuing to tackle more challenging terrain, and we want to provide reliable, durable equipment designed to meet their unique needs. As they seek purpose-built equipment for their operations, the FL100 will allow them to efficiently and safely fall in both unique steep slopes and traditional felling applications,” said Jim O’Halloran, product marketing manager for John Deere Tracked Harvesters and Feller Bunchers.

John Deere FL100 Directional Felling Head is compatible with the John Deere 959ML Shovel Logger delivers outstanding grapple strength, arm durability, and rotate/tilt power, plus ease of daily and routine service. The FL100 improves productivity with enhanced flexibility in operation and more capabilities to properly position timber compared to previous models.

To learn more about the FL100 Felling Head, as well as the full line of John Deere Forestry equipment, visit a local John Deere Forestry dealer or www.johndeere.com Jim O’Halloran, product marketing manager for John Deere Tracked Harvesters and Feller Bunchers.

As with all Quadco attachments designed over the past 32 years, the most recent designs are always application-oriented and focused on reliability, low maintenance cost, and maximum productivity.

Nowadays, the needs of the forest industry are much diversified. Felling equipment and technology have to cover a wide range of applications like biomass harvesting, thinning, scheduled cutting of short cycle tree plantations, final felling of mature stands, exfoliated insects ridden or burnt forests, etc.

First and foremost, on high speed disc saw heads, Quadco remains an industry leader. Traditional logging in North and South America, Europe, Russia and Australia continue to make good use of the extended line of Quadco disc saws starting with each pair activated with only one cylinder with timing bar for faster accumulation and shorter cycles. Models are available for both boom-mount and front-end mount, ie. rubber-tyred feller bunchers.

For even greater small-stem accumulation, there is the 7000 Bunching-Series. From Eucalyptus plantations in Brazil and Blue Gum stands of Australia and Asia, to energy-wood shortcycle plantations in Europe, the 7000 bunching heads allow high productivity and lower operating cost per cubic meter.

The 7000 series comes either with a disc saw or with a shear for areas where the use of saws is limited due to fire hazards or extremely rocky conditions or very abrasive sandy soils. All 7000 series heads are equipped with the patented multi-junction accumulator arm to allow the optimal use of the tree accumulation area.

Quadco high speed disc saw with 360-degree lateral tilt

the 18C at 46 cm (18 in) cutting capacity, which can be mounted on 20 t excavators, to the larger 27B capable of single-cut capacity of 69 cm (27 in), suited to the largest feller buncher carriers.

All boom-mounted heads can be equipped with an optional 40° or 360° lateral tilt, allowing bigger tree piles to be made without compromising productivity.

The B-Series Disc Saw is designed for bigger stem diameters. Each of the four arms is activated by a cylinder as opposed to one per pair. The wide-arm spread works as a lever for better handling of heavy and tall timber.

On the other side, the C-Series Disc Saw is designed for accumulation. Four arms located higher in the head frame,

For smaller 12-15 t excavators, Quadco have Model 212 shear, best suited for pulp and biomass harvesting. It has a maximum cutting capacity of 30.5 cm (12 in) and can accumulate up to four smaller trees. A 260° lateral tilt is part of the 212 standard equipment.

Another category is the Intermittent Heads, models QU2400 and QU2900, equipped with a ring saw that starts and stops for better tree control and larger cutting capacity at 61 cm and 74 cm (24 in and 29 in).

For those preferring a ‘bar & chain’ over a disc, Quadco offers four fixed-mount bar saw models to choose from. From the QB3200, a thinner head well adapted to selective cutting, to the heavy duty ‘Power-Feller’ Series, the QB2500, QB3500 and QB4400. Those three models are true multi-functional attachments, ranging from 63 cm to 112 cm cutting capacity (25 in to 44 in), designed to fall, bunch, shovel, and load. Their high torque continuous rotation and grapple type arm design allow for highly controlled felling of large high

Quadco QB4400 “Power-Feller” fixed bar saw, showing front cut capability and large grapple type arm design

Quadco shear model 7320 in Eucalyptus

Quadco/Southstar FD750 directional bar saw felling head with continuous rotation and valves in the head

value hardwood and softwood, providing increased value recovery. The unique ¾-in saw bar system rotates 225° allowing for front cuts without having to reposition the carrier.

Continued on p48