EquipmentWorld

Stihl Plans Expansion At Virginia Beach

Stihl is investing $49 million to expand its chain saw guide bar manufacturing facility in Virginia Beach, Va. The expansion will add 26,000 sq. ft. of space to an existing building, totaling 86,000 sq. ft. upon completion. The project is also expected to create 15 jobs with an average annual wage of $60,000 to $100,000.

In addition to increasing its footprint in Virginia Beach, Stihl plans to invest in state-of-the-art equipment and add highly skilled positions to its team, including maintenance mechatronic technicians, process engineers, tool and die makers, project coordinators, and machine operators.

The expansion lays the groundwork for additional manufacturing activity to be moved to the company’s Virginia Beach location.

Morbark Selects Brandt As Dealer

Morbark, LLC, and its affiliated brands Rayco and Denis Cimaf have selected Brandt Tractor Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Brandt Group of Companies, as the authorized dealer for their tree care (brush chippers, stump cutters, articulated wheel loaders), forestry/biomass (whole tree drum chippers, Chiparvestors, flails), recycling (horizontal and tub grinders), and Rayco Forestry/Denis Cimaf (forestry mulchers and mulching attachments) equipment lines in Canada.

“For Morbark, it was an easy choice to sign Brandt as our exclusive dealer in Canada,” comments Michael Stanton, vice president of sales and marketing.

Brandt was founded in 1932 as a small electrical contractor in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. After nine decades of impressive growth, the company has become the world’s largest John Deere dealer, owning and operating 120 full-service equipment dealerships in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Husqvarna 2-Year Pro Saw Warranty

The Husqvarna Group recently launched a comprehensive two-year warranty program designed to provide extended protection for equipment used by commercial green space and tree care professionals. The two-year warranty is a significant benefit for professional chain saw customers, as the coverage is the longest commercial warranty in the market. Additionally for commercial zero-turn mowers and stand-on mowers, the first two years of ownership will be covered under warranty with no hour limitations on usage. Customers can immediately take advantage of this program and benefit from two full years of warranty coverage for Husqvarna 300 and 500 series professional handheld and wheeled products.

Husqvarna’s warranty services cover defects in machinery or workmanship that may occur under normal use during the Warranty Period. During this Warranty Period, Husqvarna will repair or replace any defective product or part because of a defect in material or workmanship, under normal use and maintenance, at no cost to the owner.

“Husqvarna’s revamped warranty program is another demonstration of our commitment to our commercial customers,” says Carlos Haddad, Vice President of North America, Professional Products at Husqvarna Group, adding that pro saw users “can continue to count on an exceptional level of coverage for tools being used as designed and can rest assured that their vital equipment is protected.”

Cat 558 Forest Machine

(-32˚ C) and high ambient temperatures reaching 126˚ F (52˚ C), the machine can work year-round.

The new Certified Forestry cab with its reinforced structure and thick polycarbonate windshield enhances operator safety. Available in a choice of rear or side entry, the cab’s interior space is 25% larger, allowing most operators to stand without hitting their head.

Falcon Slash Rake

The new Cat 558 next generation forest machine features several design upgrades for boosting production. Available in Log Loader and General Forest configurations, the new 558 is powered by a Cat 7.1 engine that generates 25% more power than the previous series. Add in the machine’s new electrohydraulic control system that produces 30% more swing torque and 15% more travel power and tough, and hilly work becomes easier to accomplish.

Smart mode automatically matches engine and hydraulic power to working conditions to help do that work with maximum fuel efficiency. Also, with cold-start capability of -25˚ F

Operators have multiple options for starting the 558’s engine, including an easy-to-reach push button, Bluetooth key fob, or unique Operator ID function.

Compared to the previous model, the 558 next generation will consume 50 fewer filters over the course of 12,000 hours, which contributes to lowering maintenance costs by up to 15%.

Fuel filters feature a synchronized 1,000-hour change interval – double the service life of the previous model. A new hydraulic oil return filter improves filtration and delivers a 3,000-hour service life, which is 50% longer than previous designs. Visit cat.com.

A new take on an old method of handling slash allows logging crews to more effectively manage skid sites and landings with the potential to increase productivity. The Falcon Slash Grapple Rake brings fresh thinking to slash control.

The rake fits around two of the most common sizes of Ensign grapple and can reduce the laborious task by as much as one hour a day.

DC Equipment has designed two versions in conjunction with a local engineering company—one to fit the Ensign 1530 and a larger model to fit the Ensign 1730. Fitting or removing from the host grapple takes around 3 minutes. E-mail: sales@dce.co.nz.