NZ Logger February 2018

February 2018 | $7.20

e l t t i L p m Cha

ISSN 1176-0397

The

Training tomorrow’s foresters

Small can be good for a crew

contents FEBRUARY 2018

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FOREST TALK Group set up to solve silviculture issues; new forest planting could start in 2018; international forest engineers eye New Zealand; nature of deaths in the forestry industry is changing; new chapter for NZ forestry; confidence high in latest FICA survey; new Waratahs built from old heads; Eltec harvesters headed for New Zealand; Jones steps in for Gisborne mill workers; training tomorrow’s foresters steps up a gear with changes to harvesting and forest managements courses at Toi Ohomai; Eastland forestry awards nominations open; Nelson Forests celebrates anniversaries alongside sale; studies support bio chain bar oil ‘green’ credentials.

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SHAW’S WIRE ROPES IRON TEST One of the most interesting swing yarders on the market, the Log Champ LC 550, has been working away, unheralded, in the central North Island. This size of swing yarder could be the answer to many of our issues in recovering wood from small, but steep sites. The NZ Logger Iron Test team visited Fast & Evans Logging to get an idea of its capabilities and see what others might be missing out on.

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BREAKING OUT Peter Stephens and his crew seem to be saddled with small blocks and plenty of moves, despite working for a corporate forest owner. But that’s just the way they like it. This ground base operation does an excellent job in these compact compartments around Kinleith.

DEPARTMENTS 2 editorial 47 fica 48 top spot 52 new iron 56 classifieds

February 2018 | NZ LOGGER 1

from the editor

A worrying safety trend

February 2018 | $7.20

Little Champ

ISSN 1176-0397

PHOTO: JOHN ELLEGARD

The

Training tomorrow’s foresters

Small can be good for a crew

The Log Champ LC 550 of Fast & Evans Logging is currently the only one in New Zealand.

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N SPITE OF THE OVERWHELMING FOCUS ON SAFETY IN THE FOREST, WE are seeing a worrying trend; a rise in the number of people being killed at work.

And what is even more worrying is that several of those deaths reported in the past year involved people in or around machines.

Isn’t mechanisation supposed to take people away from dangerous jobs and put them into the safety of a cab?

Yes it is. And it’s still the best way forward.

But there needs to be more emphasis on making sure people do not become lax or over-confident when they are in or around a machine.

Just because you are inside a steel cage doesn’t mean to say you are bullet-proof. If anything, the operator needs to be even more vigilant, because things can go badly wrong when a piece of equipment weighing up to 60 tonnes drops off a track or makes contact with another machine, or someone on the ground.

It’s all too easy to become distracted by a radio message, cellphone call or something happening outside and not be focused on the job in hand. A momentary lapse of concentration is all it takes for disaster to strike.

That’s easy to say, of course. In an average working day there will always be distractions and it is hard to stay fully focused for eight hours.

Sometimes you need to take a short break, just to clear your head, grab a breath of fresh air and step back from the constant pressures of the job. Have a snack and re-charge yourself. The boss will understand, in fact, they should encourage it, because it is in everyone’s interests.

But it’s not just around machinery we have to be careful. Probably the most dangerous part of the day is the journey into the forest at the start and driving out at the end. We’ve seen a few accidents on forest roads in recent times and it’s something we all need to be aware of.

The old adage of ‘driving to the conditions’ is never more true than when you are negotiating a forest road first thing in the morning. The road looks different in the dark and corners come up very quickly. You might be running late, so pushing to make the tailgate meeting. Similarly, at the end of the day you’ll be weary and wanting to get home. Both situations are fraught with danger.

We all want to live to see our loved ones at the end of every day. Keep that thought in the back of your mind and let’s all be careful out there as we get into another busy year. NZL

forest talk

New forest planting could start in 2018 THE GOVERNMENT’S ONE BILLION TREE PLANTING PROGRAMME could get under way earlier than envisaged.

When the plan was announced late last year, it was generally recognised that mass planting would not be able to get under way until 2019, because nurseries already had seedlings growing for the 2018 season.

However, Forestry Minister Shane Jones was able to coax his Cabinet colleagues to allow Crown Forestry to enter into new commercial arrangements to plant trees on privately-owned land and to provide $14 million of funding to support the planting of trees this year, as well as for purchasing seedlings for 2019.

Mr Jones says: “Quick action has been required by the government to ensure Crown Forestry can purchase seedlings from nursery stock and get planting during the winter season.

“While there are limited surplus Radiata Pine seedlings available for 2018, discussions with members of the New Zealand Forest Nursery Growers Association have indicated that nurseries have the ability to scale up significantly for the 2019 planting season.”

That means Crown Forestry new planting on suitable land could begin as early as this May, albeit in limited numbers.

“Crown Forestry has the capability and connections with landowners in the regions to get new forestry plantings underway immediately,” says Mr Jones.

“Work is also under way to develop a comprehensive afforestation programme that takes various issues into account, including the supply of labour, improving the Emissions Trading Scheme for forestry and afforestation and incentivising land use.

“This is the first in many milestones in the tree planting programme. As further work is progressed to establish a Forestry Service, I will take proposals back to Cabinet covering the more fundamental considerations on future funding for Crown Forestry, its role and governance structure.”

The Gisborne region is likely to be among the first areas to see new tree planting, with Crown Forestry already in discussions with local land owners to identify suitable sites.

The Forest Owners Association says the Crown Forestry mandate is the best way to start reaching the government’s goal of seeing one billion trees planted over ten years, with 500 million going on new sites.

FOA President, Peter Clark, says he is sure that the government will need to develop and work with other instruments and industry models over time, but it is a good first step for the government to use its own established business unit in Crown Forestry.

Mr Clark says: “Crown Forestry is a Forest Owners Association member. It is an instrument of government policy and has a considerable depth of experience and established relationships with landowners.

“A billion-tree planting programme is a challenge, but it is achievable.

Seedling stocks are just about all allocated for planting next winter, so the substantial start to expanding the current national forest estate needs to begin in mid-2019, which will be soon enough.

“I have no doubt plantation nurseries can gear up to producing the 100 million seedlings which will be required each year to meet the government goal. It is good to see the government has realised it needs to provide a substantial budget to enable Crown Forestry to secure seeding supply and make the arrangements on state and private land to get planting.”

Mr Clark says a government focus for assisting forest expansion should be investing in skills training and regional roading infrastructure in particular.

“The government could then get considerable leverage from private sector funding into forestry itself, through a positive operating environment,” he adds.

“This would especially be through making the Emissions Trading Scheme more attractive to participate in.

“The government has made it clear that it will not be buying additional land for forest planting. Afforestation of government land is important, but it will not accommodate a billion trees. Iwi, farmers and other investors, both domestic and overseas, will need to make a contribution, in partnership with the government’s regional and climate change goals. The government can’t do it all by itself.” NZL

Group set up to solve silviculture issues THE PROBLEM OF SUBSTANDARD WORK conditions and low pay in the silviculture sector is to be addressed by a pan-industry group representing contractors, forest owners and government agencies.

All sides have agreed to form a Silviculture Action Group that will look at how to improve the sustainability of silviculture businesses in New Zealand.

Silviculture has long been recognised as the ‘Cinderella’ group of the forestry industry, but little has been done to improve

4 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

the situation until now.

The Forest Industry Contractors Association (FICA) says the depth of the problems experienced by some of its members has “escalated into a social issue concerning our industry’s image and ‘social’ license-to-operate” as the media has now become aware of the situation.

The issue came to a head at a forum organised by FICA in Rotorua in November and attended by key silviculture contractors, along with representatives of leading forest managements companies, Work & Income

NZ and the Ministry of Social Development.

That meeting resulted in a formal approach being made to the Forest Owners Association and several government agencies to find a way to solve silvi’s problems. The FOA executive council met soon after and agreed to join the Silviculture Action Group.

While no timetable has been set for the Action group to find a resolution that will work for silviculture, there are expectations that it will need to be found soon. See the FICA column on page 47. NZL

forest talk

International forest Nature of forestry engineers eye deaths worrying New Zealand WorkSafe FOREST ENGINEERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WILL BE converging on Rotorua in April to discuss the latest industry trends.

The International Forest Engineering Conference is held every four years, always on a different continent and this sixth event is the first time it will have come to New Zealand.

One of the organisers, Canterbury University’s Rien Visser, expects to attract visitors from more than 20 countries with a strong background or interest in forestry. Around 150 people are expected to attend.

“This is a unique event and there will be a lot of interest from a New Zealand point of view because we don’t get this concentration of international expertise very often on a global basis, so it’s a real opportunity for locals to soak up knowledge first hand,” says Prof Visser.

There is a strong focus on research, he says, and the programme has been designed to be especially relevant to forestry in New Zealand, which is faced with a number of challenges, especially as more harvesting takes place on steeper ground in the future.

The conference kicks off on April 16 with a series of workshops across the day, showcasing some of the innovation taking place in New Zealand, from the development of harvesting and processing heads at Waratah to the winch-assist technology now being sold around the world by EMS and also the industry-leading research by Scion.

The main conference sessions will take place on April 17, with presentations from international and local speakers on a variety of forest engineering topics, followed the next day by field trips to various harvesting operations in the Bay of Plenty and a stop at the Port of Tauranga.

The conference concludes on April 19 with technical sessions on key forest engineering challenges, such as protecting the environment and how new machinery and systems are being employed on steep terrain.

Prof Visser says the organisers hope to facilitate the attendance of up to 30 students at the conference, as a way of engaging with foresters of the future. More details are at www.foresteng.canterbury.ac.nz/ FEC2018.shtml. NZL

THE NUMBER OF FORESTERS KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED AS a result of incidents involving machines is a worrying trend, says the Chief Executive of WorkSafe NZ, Nicole Rosie.

Her comments come on the back of six forestry deaths reported in 2017, an alarming rise in recent years.

Although the overall injury rate across forestry has been reducing, the number of deaths has crept up since the horror year of 2013, when ten people were killed. The 2017 toll is two more than in 2016 and three more than 2015.

But what is more worrying is that the move to increased mechanisation of harvesting tasks, which is supposed to improve worker protection, has not been effective in preventing some deaths. Half of the deaths in 2017 involved people being in or around machinery.

“Forestry has made notable improvements in health and safety performance since 2013, but WorkSafe is concerned at data showing a slowly rising incidence of fatalities, and in severe injuries,” says Ms Rosie.

“It is also apparent from the data that (in 2017), the causes of fatalities in forestry have changed, reflecting a change that’s evident across the health and safety system that all businesses need to focus on.”

Workers died after falling off a digger, after a log skidder rolled, and just prior to Christmas, when a bulldozer rolled down a bank.

It appears to be part of a trend across all industries, not just forestry, says Ms Rosie, involving people using or interacting with vehicles and equipment. The number of people killed in 2016 where machines were involved was 26, up from 12 the year before. Forestry needs to take account of this trend and act.

“For businesses working with heavy equipment and vehicles, these events are foreseeable critical risks in this industry,” add Ms Rosie.

“Every participant in forestry must focus on identifying and appropriately managing their critical risks which include vehicle and machinery operation.” NZL

New chapter for NZ forestry THE CREATION OF A NEW NATIONAL BODY TO oversee forestry in New Zealand will not see the Ministry of Primary Industries disappear.

Instead, four new, separately branded portfolio-based branches will be established within MPI – Forestry New Zealand, Fisheries New Zealand, Biosecurity New Zealand and New Zealand Food Security.

Forestry Minister Shane Jones says the move marks a new era for forestry in New Zealand, adding: “The refocusing of the ministry’s functions will put greater emphasis

on forestry, in line with the Government’s dedication to the sector.

“New Zealand Forestry will have a leading role in meeting our 1 billion tree commitment, as well as in training people, finding land for afforestation and working closely with the sector.

“We have a highly motivated forestry sector in New Zealand and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can achieve in partnership over the coming years.”

Mr Jones says the forestry division will

still look to have a base established in Rotorua. NZL

February 2018 | NZ LOGGER 5

forest talk

Confidence high in latest FICA survey

By Georgia Craig and David Evison, School of Forestry, University of Canterbury 1. Business confidence, December 2017 In December 2017, a total of 48 logging contractors were contacted on behalf of the Forest Industry Contractors Association. Participants were asked five questions relating to their business confidence over the next six months. Responses are shown below. a. Business conditions “Do you think conditions for your business are going to improve, stay the same or get worse over the next 6 months?”

c. Spending on capital equipment “Are you likely to be purchasing new machinery or equipment over the next six months, no plans to buy any equipment, or selling?”

b. Employees “Are you likely to increase, maintain, or decrease number of employee’s over the next six months?”

d. Feedback from customers “Do you receive adequate information from your major customers so that you can plan for change in your business?”

e. Recommendation “Would you recommend your industry as a good place to work?”

Commentary on the five business confidence measures • Overall business confidence is high, with 93% of respondents expecting business conditions to stay the same or improve.

• 89% of respondents expect to maintain or increase their number of employees over the next 6 months. However, there has been a decrease from 50% to 39% in participants likely to increase the employee numbers from the previous survey. Only 5 contractors are expecting to decrease the number employees.

• The majority of contractors surveyed are planning machinery or equipment purchases, in which nearly half of those purchases are for replacement, and the other half is for expansion. 18% of contractors surveyed indicated no intention to purchase or sell, down from 25% in the previous survey.

• Only 10% of logging contractors believe that they do not get enough customer feedback.

• 93% of logging contractors would recommend the industry as a good place to work, the same as the July 2017 survey. Only two respondents would not recommend the industry as a good place to work.

6 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

forest talk

2. Trends in logging contractor business confidence (June 2010 to Dec 2017)

Note: the % net positive response is calculated as (% of respondents giving an optimistic response, minus the % of respondents giving a pessimistic response).

Trends over time Business confidence has slightly declined for logging contractors since the July 2017 survey due to the decrease in net positive scores for ‘employees’ and ‘business conditions’ (13% and 11% respectively). Fewer contractors are expecting to increase their number of employees, with half expecting to maintain the current number. Similarly, ‘business conditions’ have declined in net positive score due to half of the respondents expecting conditions to stay the same and less are expecting things to get better. ‘Recommendation’ has remained the same since the previous survey remaining at 90% net positive, respectively. This is the highest value observed since June 2010.

We have seen a marginal increase in both ‘feedback from customers’ and ‘investment’. ‘Feedback from customers’ is the highest (73% net positive) it has been since June 2010 when the survey was first undertaken. More contractors are purchasing for replacement than the previous survey.

Acknowledgements Our thanks to all contractors who took the time to respond to the FICA survey.

NZL

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forest talk

New Waratahs built from old heads Right: A well-used Waratah 626 Bigwood head arrives at the Tokoroa factory for refurbishment.

Bottom left: The head is stripped down to the chassis, sand-blasted and after any repairs it is painted.

Bottom right: The newly refurbished Waratah 626, just before it heads back into the forest for its second lease of life.

CONTRACTORS WHO DON’T WANT TO SPLASH OUT ON A brand new processing or harvesting head can now get their old one rebuilt by Waratah.

The company has been quietly refurbishing heads for some time, but has now decided to actively promote the service to customers.

“Waratah has always done rebuilds, it’s just that we didn’t have the staff and resources to do as many as we would have liked in the past,” says Nelson Iliev, Division Manager for Waratah in New Zealand.

“We’ve been building up those capabilities and we are now at the stage where we have the manpower and can take on more rebuilds.”

Mr Iliev says contractors may want to opt for a rebuild, rather than a brand new head, for all sorts of reasons, but it mostly happens when work is patchy or there are uncertainties over future harvesting jobs and crew bosses want to reign in their outgoings whilst still ensuring equipment is up to scratch.

With those scenarios in mind, Waratah will tailor the rebuild to suit the budget and requirements of the customer.

“We offer a range of options to try and fit in with their needs and what they want to spend – it’s totally customer-driven,” adds Mr Iliev.

In most cases, the harvester/processor chassis is still in pretty good condition, since they are built tough to withstand years of harsh treatment. If there are any cracks or other damage, these can be welded and fixed to enable the frame to continue being used, but it is the moving

parts and components that suffer from constant use and either need refreshing or replacing.

When it arrives at their Rotorua retail facility, an old head is stripped back and sand-blasted down to the base metal, where its condition can be fully assessed.

Typical jobs will involve replacing pins and bushings, line boring and re-shimming all arms and the tilt frame, replacing various seals and hoses, as well as sharpening or replacing de-limb knives. Valve banks and cylinders often require re-sealing and occasionally the motors will need to be rebuilt.

The work usually takes from four to eight weeks, depending on what is required and the refurbished head emerges from their service department repainted to look like new.

Mr Iliev says that while a major rebuild of a head is not a cheap exercise it can still provide worthwhile savings and extend the working life of the harvester/processor for many years.

Crucially, the work is carried out by trained technicians equipped with the right tools for the job and using genuine Waratah parts, which enables the rebuild and all new parts fitted to the head to be provided with a 3-month warranty. NZL

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8 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

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forest talk

Above left: A new Eltec 317 harvester at work in Canada……..and soon in New Zealand.

Above right: Eltec has also started building a log loader model with a high-rising cab, which will also come to New Zealand, but with a 310 model cab on a 300mm riser and other modifications to suit our conditions.

Eltec harvesters headed for New Zealand A NEW BRAND OF HARVESTER IS TO BE launched in New Zealand this year – with capabilities said to be more than a match for our big trees.

The Eltec brand comes out of the French Canadian province of Quebec and is built by a family-owned logging business, which is apt, because the distribution rights for New Zealand have been picked up by a Northland logger.

Whangarei-based Steven Stokes, who operates a number of crews in the Northland region, says the Eltec connection arose when he began researching equipment to replace machines that were getting up in hours.

“I wanted to look at other options and try something different and that’s when I came across Eltec,” he says.

“They’re made by a family that’s been in logging for 80-to-90 years and they produce around 1.5 million tonnes of wood a year, so that impressed me for a start. They know what works and designed the Eltec machines from a logger’s viewpoint.”

Steven and his uncle, Murray, decided to Jump on a plane and head to Quebec to put these machines through their paces.

“One of the things that most impressed was the fact these machines were built by such passionate people, they make sure they build them right because their harvesting operations, which run 24 hours per day, are in extremely isolated locations up to nine hours’ drive from civilisation,” says Steven.

The Stokes pair also visited other contractors using Eltec and Log Set machines that had done between 15,000 and 30,000 hours and were still running 24 hours a day.

10 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

The Element family purchased the working drawings and rights to what was the Log Set brand of feller bunchers and harvesters from Volvo in 2011 and set up a manufacturing plant in Val-d’Or, Quebec under the Eltec brand (which stand for El from their Element name and Tec from the word technology). Their aim was to produce purpose-built equipment that would be the leaders in their respective classes.

Eltec produces three sizes of feller buncher/ harvester, ranging from the 27-tonne 220 and more powerful 29-tonne 270 models, through to the 34-plus tonne 310/317 models. Around 100 of the current models have already been built, mostly sold around Canada, although the company has just signed a big order for an ongoing supply of machines into Russia. Eltec has also developed a log loader model with a high-rising cab.

For New Zealand, Mr Stokes says he has worked with Eltec to create a 40-tonne model called the 417, which uses much of the 317 as its base, but with a heavier high and wide undercarriage and other heavy-duty components more suited to the weightier trees harvested in this country. That includes installation of a heavy-duty corner post and extra guarding specifically for our market.

A purpose-built cab, built to comply with New Zealand safety regulations and featuring a 32mm polycarbonate screen, provides good visibility and is about 300mm longer than competitors, making it a very spacious cab.

Power is supplied by a 330hp version of the Cummins QSL9, making it one of the most powerful harvesters on the market. Over-sized hydraulics provide exceptional operating

power, according to Steven, with slew torque alone rated at 15.2kNm. “Everything is built to handle our trees and the machine is big enough to run a Waratah 626 Bigwood on the end,” adds Steven.

Eltec is also developing its own levelling system to enable the machine to work on steeper slopes in greater comfort, which goes into production in August this year and will be available for all models. It also has the ability to operate as part of a winch-assist set-up.

The first harvester is due to arrive by late April and Steven says that while he is confident the new Eltec range will do a great job, it will be important to establish a service and repair network in New Zealand for contractor peace of mind.

“That’s going to be a priority for us, because I know the issues about back-up from a contractor’s point of view,” he adds. Initially the support will be provided out of the Metal Creations engineering workshop in Whangarei, but will soon be followed by the appointment of representatives in other locations starting in the central North island. The Eltec factory is sending technicians to train people in New Zealand.

Steven says he ran his own engineering business before getting into logging nine years ago and has an insight into what is required to make the Eltec brand succeed here in New Zealand. And he adds that he went to Canada with the attitude that he would not support a product that he did not believe in 100 % and what he has seen has exceeded all expectations and is something he is willing to stand by. NZL

forest talk Juken’s Matawhero Mill in Gisborne processes Radiata Pine from the company’s East Coast forests.

Jones steps in for Gisborne mill workers MINISTER OF FORESTRY, SHANE JONES, HAS ASKED JUKEN NEW Zealand to tell him what the government can do to help save any or all of the 100 jobs that are under threat at its Gisborne mill.

Mr Jones has described the news that JNL is considering halving its 205 workforce at the wood processing plant to make it more viable as a bitter blow to the community.

He says he understands the situation is a commercial decision but has asked for a proposal from the company.

“It’s a trying time for the families involved and until we have more information on JNL, I have no idea exactly what they would like the Government to do.”

Juken New Zealand announced late last month that it was consulting employees at the mill about potential changes to the products made there in order to return the plant to profitability and secure its long-term future.

The Matawhero mill opened in 1994 and processes Radiata Pine from the company’s East Coast forests to produce a range of solid wood and engineered wood products like plywood, LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) and SLVL (veneer), mainly for the Japanese housing market.

At the same time, the company is also making changes to its Wairarapa mill, increasing production of its ‘J-frame’ framing for the New Zealand housing and construction market and decreasing the specialist products made for the Japanese building market. These changes won’t result in job losses for any of JNL’s 222 permanent staff in Wairarapa.

General Manager of JNL, Dave Hilliard, says a significant drop in demand from Juken’s main export market in Japan for plywood and structural LVL building products in the past few years has seen these parts of the business operating at a loss.

“The Japanese housing market has been in decline and future demand for these products is not expected to improve because of the ageing population in Japan,” he says Mr Hilliard says the company’s plywood is also increasingly unable to compete in the domestic and international markets against product out of large-scale wood processing plants from the likes of China and South America.

“All of our people have worked hard over the last five years to stay competitive, including increasing our New Zealand and Australian sales to reduce our reliance on the Japanese market, invested in a form-ply plant, reduced costs and hours of operation,” he adds In spite of these efforts, the mill’s current plywood and LVL production capability and product mix doesn’t match the volume and price required by customers – which has led to increasing losses

from ply and LVL production.

Mr Hilliard says significant investment would be required to increase to a scale to compete internationally and there’s not the log or manufacturing volume of appropriate quality and price to justify that investment.

The JNL plan is to retain high-value wood processing jobs and investment in Gisborne and Wairarapa by refocusing on value-add products where there’s strong customer demand and the company has a competitive advantage, including its premium sawn clearwood products.

Mr Hilliard says: “One of Juken’s advantages is that we process timber from our own forests on the East Coast and the Wairarapa.

We’re one of the few forestry companies in New Zealand who grow and process our own timber.

“In Gisborne, we’ve invested to move from unpruned logs suited to plywood and SLVL (veneer) products to a greater proportion of pruned logs suited to higher value clearwood products used for high-end residential and commercial interior cabinetry, furniture, solid doors and feature walls.

“We’ve also increased our investment in kilns for the Gisborne and Wairarapa mills so we can increase production from the sawline producing these clearwood products.

“We’re refocusing on producing high-quality solid wood products from both mills.

“The solid wood saw milling and finishing lines in Gisborne would remain with increased investment over time to allow the mill to process all of Juken’s unique pruned logs from its forests.”

“This investment will likely initially be in log handling and sawmilling but could expand to include production processes that use the sawmilled lumber products.”

He says if the decision is made to go ahead with the changes in Gisborne the mill will stop producing plywood and LVL products and reduce the manufacture of SLVL (veneer).

Mr Hilliard adds: “The proposed changes in Gisborne, if implemented, will be difficult for our people. We’ll be working with Government agencies and Gisborne iwi, civic, community and business leaders, over alternative employment opportunities for our people should the changes go ahead.”

The consultation period in Gisborne was expected to run for two weeks and be completed in early February. After that it will consider feedback on the proposed changes before making any final decisions on the future structure and output of the mill.

The proposed changes will have no impact on Juken’s forestry operations. NZL

February 2018 | NZ LOGGER 11

forest talk

Training tomorrow’s foresters steps up a gear TOMORROW’S FORESTERS WILL NEED TO BE EQUIPPED with more skills and greater knowledge to enable them to do their job effectively……and a New Zealand forestry school is already ramping up plans to meet those expectations.

Rotorua’s Toi Ohomai – formerly known as the Wairakei School of Forestry – has been upgrading its technology and the way it delivers learning to prospective loggers

and forest managers.

The aim: to become the centre of forestry training excellence in the southern hemisphere. And the institution is already well down the road to achieving that goal on the back of support from the industry.

NZ Logger magazine sat down with Toi Ohomai’s Richard Stringfellow and James Broadley to see how their respective departments are rolling out the changes. NZL

Students master machines before hitting the forest THE DAYS OF TRAINING CREW MEMBERS TO OPERATE MACHINES on the job are fast disappearing.

Contractors don’t have the time or the resources to get novice operators up to speed, which is already creating a demand for (and poaching of) experienced people around the country.

The answer, according to Toi Ohomia’s Richard Stringfellow, who is Programme Manager for Forest Operations at the institution, is to train people outside the crew environment.

Over the past year, Toi Ohomai has been working with key equipment manufacturers and suppliers, such as John Deere/Waratah, Gough Cat and Woodsman, to create a sophisticated ‘lab’ where trainees can learn the basics of machinery operation on computer simulators.

And when they are proficient, they are put through their paces on a real excavator that was purchased by Toi Ohomai with assistance from PF Olsen and PPE provided by Stihl.

But that’s just the start. Though the institution already has a variety of forestry simulators used in the delivery of its programme, it is also looking into obtaining additional live machines such as a forwarder, wheeled loader and a processor.

Mr Stringfellow says there is more emphasis on providing practical skills, knowledge and experience for would-be loggers, so they are workready when they enter the workforce.

“Contractors are so busy running their business, they don’t have the time or manpower to do this type of training anymore,” he says.

12 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

“We’re going beyond the basics. We are teaching trainees to fully understand what they are dealing with in industry. For example, they can identify log attributes, understand customer requirements, and know the various cuts. Quality Control is vital and they will be taken through log sorts, so they understand the details of log making and know all the specs; they’ll be doing some log making, too. Then they can practice loading them onto a trailer that we have out at our Waipa campus in Rotorua.”

The Toi Ohomai approach is being aligned to closely resemble how forestry training schools are operating in Scandinavia, but with a Kiwi twist.

The Toi Ohomai model is designed to be more flexible as New Zealand’s logging systems are more diverse than Scandinavia, and to match the needs of logging contractors, as well as the students themselves.

The courses range from anywhere between 12 weeks to 21 weeks depending on what training is required, making it more flexible for contractors to send employees to undertake shorter, more focused stints when needed. But for novices, there is the full 21-week course covering the core study (health and nutrition, the environment, fire, first aid, etc.), followed by six weeks on machine skills, and quality control as well as traditional training to gain units on the chainsaw.

“We have a series of rolling intakes run over the course of a year, which is what the industry asked us to look at,” says Mr Stringfellow. “So we hope to have people coming out regularly in small numbers so we can

forest talk

Toi Ohomai’s Richard Stringfellow stands in front of the Cat 324 loader used for training students.

feed new employees into industry.

“The contractors seem to be happy with us taking people out of their crew for several weeks, judging by the feedback we’ve got. We’ve been told that a student training for nine weeks with Toi Ohomai is at the equivalent skill level of a worker training for six months on site in full-time employment. Due to current production targets, it is difficult for workers to get sufficient training time on a machine needed to gain the right level of skills. Having unlimited access to the simulators gives students a strong familiarity with the controls at their own pace in a safe environment. Then they only have to get used to the weight and feel of the live machine, which we provide for them.”

Mr Stringfellow says the new training programme is attracting interest from contractors outside of its main central North Island catchment and Toi Ohomai has also assisted Otago contractor Mike Hurring with the loan of an additional laptop-based simulator for his training courses.

The most exciting development is the possibility of creating a training crew programme.

“We would like the opportunity to harvest small woodlots that are too small for contractors to commercially log, so that students can work under strict supervision and put their training to good use in a practical way,” says Mr Stringfellow.

“It is something the industry has promoted and we are currently investigating how we can make this happen.”

Another focus for the Toi Ohomai team is to attract more students to attend its courses, to keep the industry fed with desperately needed new recruits.

Mr Stringfellow says the rolling intake structure of the courses will help because it means students can slot in throughout the year.

The institution is being more pro-active in planting the seeds of a career in forestry with future generations.

“We’ve kept in close contact with local schools and recently PF Olsen arranged a site visit for the day, introducing high school forestry students to a forestry crew for a day. We want to continue that,” says Mr Stringfellow.

“And when they came in and saw our simulators in here and our live machine and the drones – the technology that’s in forestry now – it really got them excited. We are trying to change the perception of forestry by doing that.

“We still get kids who say they have gone home and said to their parents they want to do forestry but have been told no, it’s too dangerous, because they don’t know what’s out there now. So, we need to get out and educate the mums and dads as well.”

Part of that process will include extending the outreach to intermediate school pupils and their parents, in addition to secondary schools.

“We need to sow some seeds early,” adds Mr Stringfellow. “By the time they get to high school they have often made up their minds.” NZL

February 2018 | NZ LOGGER 13

forest talk

A STICKS readout is displayed on the screen behind James Broadley (Toi Ohomai’s Forest Management Tutor, left), Ian Wilson (Harvesting Performance Manager at Interpine Innovation, centre), and Gordon Acres (Programme Manager for Forestry & Wood Manufacturing at Toi Ohomai, right).

Pick up STICKS at Toi Ohomai ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TECHNOLOGIES IN FORESTRY today is a piece of software called STICKS. This harvesting and woodflow cloud-based software system, developed by an Australian forester, uses data that is collected by harvesting equipment to be analysed by a forest manager, the logging contractor and even the machine operator, to get a complete understanding of machines at work.

The harvesting machines (processors, harvesters and forwarders) don’t need to be fitted with any additional software or hardware and STICKS is such a handy tool that every forester and contractor should know how to use it.

That’s why Toi Ohomai has now incorporated STICKS as a core subject in its harvesting and forest management courses.

Already, around 85% of all plantation wood harvested in Australia flows through STICKS on a daily basis and in New Zealand that

14 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

figure is about 70-75% and steadily growing, according to Ian Wilson, Harvesting Performance Manager with Interpine Innovation, which distributes and markets STICKS on behalf of its owner, ForestPHD (Jeremy Gibson).

Ian is a former graduate of the New Zealand Certificate in Forestry course at the old Wairakei Institute and after spending many years advancing Australia in the use of this technology, he is now helping Wairakei successor, Toi Ohomai, to maximise the use of this technology in teaching the next generation of forest managers and loggers to understand how they can fully utilise the information that harvesting machinery is capable of producing.

James Broadley, Forest Management Tutor at Toi Ohomai says: “We started teaching STICKS in 2016 and it has really worked very well, so now we have included it into our Plan & Monitor Production course in the NZ Diploma of Forest Management programme.”

forest talk

STICKS uses files (both Classic or SF2010) that conforms to the ’Standard for Forest Machine Data and Communication’ protocol (StanForD) that was developed in Sweden and has been used in virtually all forestry equipment around the world since the late 1980s. All of the leading forest machine manufacturers support the standard and for many years have had computer systems that meets the specifications. But it has only been in recent years, with the requirement of optimisation-enabled controllers on processing heads, that the wealth of data being produced by equipment has begun to be understood and appreciated.

Mr Wilson says: “The data we are able to get from every single log, it’s grade, it’s position within a tree, the location of that tree, the tree size distribution and if the cut was an automatic or manual cut, provides a major opportunity for the global forest industry.

“With the advent of mechanisation, we are now able to run our forests more like a factory and know what’s happening so that we can make proactive decisions rather than reactive ones.

“We can calculate harvested area and perform reconciliation on the fly. And if you know the area and you know the product, you can be updated daily, so you don’t have to wait to the end of the block and ask ‘how did we go’?

“For forest owners, it’s much more valuable for them to say to a contractor ‘spend 15 minutes each day and log on to STICKS and have a look at your sites/machines and see what the Key Performance Indicators are telling you and it’ll tell you exactly what is being produced and if there are any discrepancies’. A lot of contractors are already logging in because they now have access to this information, however, it should be said that there is no productivity type of information in the STICKS Forest Managers version, this can be viewed in the separate STICKS Contractor version that a number of leading contractors within New Zealand and Australia are already utilising (NZ Logger will be following this up at a later stage in a separate article).

“Having that information gives you confidence, instead of guessing, and both the forest owner and contractor can plan ahead for what is coming. That means the contractor becomes part of the woodflow planning process and they can provide much more accurate forecast information while monitoring progress. To do that, we need to be working with accurate and timely information and that’s what STICKS gives us.”

If everyone in the supply chain can understand and use that information, harvesting operations, woodflow logistics, stock management and value recovery becomes more efficient and more productive. That’s why the introduction of the STICKS software solution to the forestry course at Toi Ohomai has been such an important step, says Mr Broadley.

And the students have readily taken to the new technology and are lapping it up, he adds.

“For instance, in the supply chain taught in year two we had a whole lot of data (machinery files) kindly gifted to us by Rayonier from a number of harvesting operations in Canterbury and we got the students to analyse it,” says Mr Broadley.

“I drip-fed them the files, week-by-week, just as if the crews were harvesting and as the files were coming in, then they would analyse it in STICKS. On a Wednesday I said right, tell me how many S15 or pulp or whatever do you think you are going to have by Friday and they were all able to accurately figure out the right answer because the answer was in the data.”

Mr Broadley says the advantages of taking the guesswork out of forestry decisions was brought home to the students when he got them to analyse woodflow logistics.

He says: “In an exercise demonstrating the power of this harvesting data, the students were able to quickly and easily find answers to a lot of very common woodflow logistical questions that they would be asked or expected to be abreast of if working for a forest manager. Questions such as; How much of a particular grade do I have across the forest and for that grade, is the length mix distribution meeting the agreed customer target? How much A Grade has an SED greater than 40cm and could then be sold as A40 grade and return a higher price? Or will the A Grade average SED meet the sales agreement to fill an export order for a vessel arriving next week? How does this weeks’ production compare with last weeks’ production?

“It’s a lot easier to solve a supply chain problem when you actually know what you’ve got and the real key is to be managing production rather than delivery.

“When the information comes in and they can see it in STICKS, they know exactly what is going on and there is no more guesswork.

“Before Ian turned up we weren’t really using the harvester simulators for what they had been built for, we were focusing on the wrong things. All this data was automatically getting generated by the machines, but it was sitting there totally unused. Now we’re using it. So now when a student hops onto a simulator, they are learning more about the whole process, such as how a processor is driven, how to upload and edit an Apt file, how to generate a Pri file and email it to the forest owner rather than just what happens when the file has been received by STICKS.” That ‘whole process’ will become a special focus this year, adds Mr Broadley.

He says: “As part of the supply chain studies we are going to use the John Deere/Waratah Terrain Editor software where the students can set up their own harvesting blocks with different tree species, stocking rates, harvesting methods and topography – and I’ll give them a list of the grades from the wood buyer that they’ll cut and supply me. Each week they’ll be getting in there, cutting up trees (on a harvester simulator), saving the files and emailing them to STICKS, just as an operator would do and then they’ll analyse the production via STICKS to see if what we are getting is what we require and if not, why not. Do we need to adjust the harvesters Apt file? Or swap our harvester to a new block, just like you would in real life. It should be very interesting.”

The STICKS system will not only be taught to students on the forest management course, it will also be part of the machine learning programme for young loggers as they experience the simulators at Toi Ohomai.

Mr Wilson applauds the initiative by Toi Ohomai, adding: “This course is generating ‘work-ready’ people that are up to-date with the latest technologies for woodflow and value recovery.

“Time is money to the forest owner and the contractor, and delivering people who understand how to use it, then they’ll be making smarter decisions, be more productive sooner and that is definitely a win for everyone.

“You can see that it’s working already because the students are so enthused. They are getting an opportunity not just to work with the data, but to understand the whole process. And it’s the same thing with the operators who are spending more time training on the machines – it’s very important for them to understand their spot in the value chain and what happens to that file after they press the send button.

“Why is the data so important? This is what Scandinavia figured out a long time ago and they just bolted away from everybody else, but the good news is, we are catching up fast.” NZL

February 2018 | NZ LOGGER 15

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forest talk

Eastland forestry awards nominations open PROSPECTIVE ENTRANTS FOR THE 2018 EASTLAND WOOD Council Forestry Awards have less than a month to be registered, with nominations for the annual event closing on March 1.

For 2018 the number of award categories has grown by two, focusing on roading contractors with the Construction Excellence

Award and the Pavement Excellence Award.

Judging will take place over March and April, with the winners announced at a special awards dinner in Gisborne on May 18.

More details and on-line entries can be found at http://eastlandwood.co.nz/events/efa-awards/nomination-form/. NZL

Nelson Forests celebrates anniversaries alongside sale NELSON FORESTS CELEBRATED THREE SIGNIFICANT anniversaries that coincided with the sale of the business to OneFortyOne Plantations (OFO).

As the agreement was reached with the new Australian owner, Nelson Forests marked the 90th anniversary of the planting of the first trees in Golden Downs, the 25th anniversary of its departing owner, Global Forest Partners (GFP), becoming a 49% shareholder in the company, and the 10th anniversary of GFP becoming a 100% shareholder.

“Celebrating this cluster of anniversaries is really significant for us,” says Lees Seymour, Managing Director of Nelson Management Ltd (the management company for Nelson Forests).

“The Golden Downs planting anniversary, in particular, is not only a significant milestone for our company but for our wider community.

“I’m sure those who did the initial planting work could never have imagined what that forest estate would mean over the decades that followed in terms of generating jobs, but also because of the role it plays in providing habitat for native flora and fauna and as a great environment for recreational activities like hunting, mountain biking and Nelson Tasman’s Great Taste Trail.”

GFP’s Chairman and CEO, Peter C Mertz, travelled to Nelson from New Hampshire to celebrate the milestones with Nelson Forests’ staff, contractors and suppliers at a special event at the Rutherford Hotel.

“The Nelson team has demonstrated world-class leadership employing the very best sustainable forestry practices over the 25 years we have been invested in this enterprise,” says Mr Mertz.

“I am very proud of what they have accomplished establishing themselves as a preferred supplier of high-quality wood for manufacturing customers both in New Zealand and throughout Australasian markets.”

Mr Mertz says Nelson Forests has a strong culture of safety and a track record of environmental management and community involvement, which has been broadly used as the benchmark for performance in the New Zealand forestry industry.

He adds: “Lees Seymour and his team have shown leadership in safe work practices, community engagement, customer service and continuous improvement. We believe they are now ready for the next chapter of their success story as a part of the OFO family.”

Mr Seymour recognised the contribution of staff, contractors and suppliers for everything they do to embody Nelson Forests’ core values and to support the business’ success, adding: “We have a big impact across the globe. It doesn’t matter what job you do within the business, it’s important.”

Nelson Pine Industries’ Managing Director, Murray Sturgeon, also spoke at the event about the company’s work to support the domestic timber processing industry and the benefits that the Nelson Tasman region has enjoyed from having a stable supply of high-quality logs from well-managed forests.

The sale of Nelson Forests, which manages 78,000ha of forest in the Nelson/Tasman and Marlborough regions and the Kaituna Sawmill near Blenheim, is still subject to Overseas Investment Office approval, which is expected during 2018. NZL

Murray Sturgeon Managing Director of Nelson Pine Industries and Bim Rogers (recently retired from Nelson Forests) cutting the birthday cake celebrating 90 years since the planting of the first trees in Golden Downs forest.

February 2018 | NZ LOGGER 17

forest talk

Studies support bio chain bar oil ‘green’ credentials WITH A NEW GOVERNMENT PUTTING EVEN the bio-oil.

The crew is now experiencing less wear on more focus on the environment, foresters will come under increased pressure to use more bars, which can last almost a year, against ‘green’ products as part of their harvesting and using two bars per year, per saw previously.

The crew has reduced oil use (around 50% less silviculture operations in future.

Among these is a switch to using bio- chain bar oil), which means less oil is getting degradable chain bar oil in chain saws and into the environment. The gear isn’t getting as harvester/processing heads, to prevent soil sticky and clogged up either, resulting in fewer health problems (reduced rashes due to oil/ contamination.

As much as 2.5 million litres of lubricants is skin contact) for the crew members.

The price of the bio-oil doesn’t worry crew reckoned to be lost into the environment each year in forests around New Zealand from heads boss Fitzy, as the 50% reduction makes bioand chainsaws, or through accidental leakage oil comparable to standard chain bar oils. from hydraulic systems and other components. Against overall costs, oils only amount to Bio-oils have been used extensively in North around 1% of the operation’s total expenses.

American and European forests for many years Notwithstanding these factors, Fitzy is pleased and many countries (France, Germany, Sweden, because bio-oil is better for the crew, the environment and his machines.

Austria) have made it compulsory.

Up north, Wise on Wood’s Michelle and Nigel While our forest industry is often fast to adapt new technology, it hasn’t been as quick only recently made the switch to LUBECO’s bio to follow the lead of others in bio-oils, for chain bar oil, however initial performance and several reasons; perceived higher costs, and results have impressed them, especially after seeing the state of the air filters on Nigel’s past issues with some early bio products.

The quality of bio-oils has improved machine. His reaction was “if standard oils markedly in recent years and more crews are were flying off and adhering to his filters, what adopting them locally, encouraged by their were the oils doing to the crew’s lungs?”

Nigel started by running a series of tests forest managers.

PF Olsen strongly promotes the use against previously used premium grade mineral of bio-oils by its contractors and has been chain bar oil. Using LUBECO bar lube saw a working with bio-oil manufacturer, LUBECO, reduction in volume used by 10% on the same lubricant distributor, Oil Intel, and equipment oiler settings and up to 40% after adjustment of manufacturers to raise the profile and usage of the oil flow, whilst still maintaining satisfactory bio-oils amongst contractors. This has included oiling for bar and chain.

Wise on Wood also ran a temperature case studies with two crews; Olsen 80, working in the central North Island and Wise on Wood, trial whilst felling trees, checking the bar temperature in the same intervals and in Northland.

Olsen 80 was one of the first crews in New Zealand to start Summary of bio-degradable oil tests. using bio-oil products, back in 2012. In switching from predominantly chainsaw-based harvesting to mechanisation, the crew has continued with environmentally friendly chain bar oil, first using samples from Waratah.

The Olsen 80 team tried several brands to test consistency and performance, settling on LUBECO. Those first few years also saw the crew playing around with machine settings, as they wound back the amount of oil required and generally fine-tuned their machines to get the most out of

18 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

discovered that on average, the bio-oil bar temperature was 12% cooler than the premium grade mineral oil.

Wise on Wood is now running LUBECO chain bar oil 150 in its processor, feller buncher and chainsaws. Bar lube use has reduced considerably, yet chains are still well lubed.

One noticeable difference is that chains now look and feel to be better lubricated in the joints with the LUBECO bar lube. Wise on Wood puts this down to the bio bar lube being thicker and naturally adhering to chain and bar, thus penetrating the joints better. It is also due to extra high viscosity index of LUBECO chain bar oil, which maintains its thickness even when temperatures rise above normal/acceptable levels for longer than a mineral oil is able.

Key points to biodegradable oils: • Bio-oils are synthetic substitutes for traditional petroleum-based oils • Bio-oils are non-toxic, contributing to a safer and healthier work environment • Bio-oils are designed to provide maximum protection to high capital value equipment • Bio-oils are made from renewable sources and readily biodegradable, making them more environmentally acceptable • Use of bio-oils is claimed to have a positive effect on carbon (CO2) reduction • Not all oils are equal – when choosing bio-oils look for products with proven performance • Always look for the EU Ecolabel quality mark, the highest internationally recognised certification of product excellence for biooils. NZL

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A Sumitomo loader clears the chute for Fast & Evans’ Log Champ LC 550 swing yarder.

I

T’S THE DESTINY OF LITTLE BROTHERS TO STAND IN THE shadow of their older siblings, no matter how good they are, or how hard they try.

And that’s just how it is with the Log Champ LC 550 swing yarder here in New Zealand.

Most contractors only have eyes for the bigger model, the Log Champ 650, with several of these now working in crews around the country.

But there’s just one solitary LC 550 that has been doing its thing in the central North Island for the past year.

That ratio – heavily in favour of the bigger brother – will grow even further with the arrival of two more 650’s in a few months (including a second to Lew Prince Logging), yet I can’t, for the life of me, work out why the smaller machine isn’t selling in greater numbers.

The Log Champ LC 550 is lightning quick, shifts weightier logs than you might give it credit for, can operate from very tight locations, runs on the smell of an oily rag and it is easy to move between sites. And it costs hundreds of thousands of dollars less to buy.

What’s not to like?

It might be the New Zealand penchant for buying bigger equipment than is really necessary. You know, the ‘Big is Good’ theory.

Or it may be that some people have an aversion investing in such a high capital outlay on something brand new, when it’d better to spend two-thirds of the cost on completely rebuilding an old machine.

Whatever the reason, it’s a damn shame we don’t see more new yarders in New Zealand and, in particular, compact models like the Log Champ LC 550.

There’s enormous potential for lightweight yarders in view of the increasing number of smaller and steeper forests coming up for harvest over the next decade. Whilst the excavator-based Harvestline can cover

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the lower end of that spectrum, there’s also a need for a purpose-built swinger that is designed to work at the higher-production level.

Two contractors who saw that potential are Mike ‘Smiley’ Alexander and Jess Evans, both from Tokoroa.

They are in partnership in one of Smiley’s Fast Harvesting crews that specialises in small, steep blocks, going under the name Fast & Evans.

Sounds like the name of a Wild West TV show doesn’t it? But there’s no cowboys in this operation. It’s a thoroughly professional, forwardthinking outfit.

Fast & Evans is one of two yarder crews working in the Fast Harvesting organisation (the other runs a Bellis 85 tower), in addition to five groundbased teams scattered around the central North Island.

Until this time last year, Fast & Evans was operating a Madill 120, one of the first to be built. And then something happened during a visit that Smiley made to Canada.

“I was on a trip with AB Equipment and we went to the T-Mar factory (which builds the Log Champ yarders) and I was pretty impressed with what I saw and got to know the guys,” he says.

“I heard that there was a machine that a deal had fallen over on and it had only done two weeks work. I decided there and then to put my name on it and try and make it all happen, which we did and got it for a good deal. So I was pleased with how it turned out, even though it wasn’t planned.”

Before finalising the purchase, Smiley had to make sure that crew part-owner, Jess, was comfortable with the decision.

“The first I knew of it was when Smiley called and asked me if I was keen for us to purchase a new yarder and I just said OK,” says Jess.

“The old Madill was good, but the maintenance costs were high and you don’t get that with a new machine. I’d never heard of Log Champ

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Above left: The stems on this site are fairly small but the LC 550 has pulled up to 6 tonnes.

Above: The walking fairlead design is common to both Log Champ models, the larger LC 650 and this LC 550.

Left: Fast & Evans has been operating this Log Champ LC 550 for around one year. beforehand, so I jumped on the web to have a look and it seemed to be a pretty nice machine.”

Jess is happy with the decision, saying: “Maintenance on this (LC 550) is close to zero and it’s just as fast, if not faster than the Madill and it has all the updates with the electrics in the cab and it’s just a nicer machine to drive all round.”

The LC 550 went to work for Fast & Evans in February last year and has been almost totally reliable during that time, apart from some minor commissioning issues, says Jess. No sign of the problems with the gears suffered by some of the early LC 650 yarders that arrived about the same time. Both models share the same straight-cut gear teeth design. As it turned out, it was actually a problem with the type of grease approved for use on the gears, rather than a manufacturing fault. T-Mar’s Tyson Lambert told NZ Logger: “We’ve gone to grease with a better track record and have updated the design, based on what we learned, to make the gears more durable overall.” All good now then.

The LC 550 was actually the first of the Log Champ yarders to be designed and put into production by T-Mar on its Vancouver Island assembly line, primarily to service demand from crews in British Columbia. The LC 650 followed a little later.

NZ Logger magazine described how T-Mar decided to get into the yarder business after snaring ex-Madill and Cypress engineers, Jim Mantle and Ed Hughes, as part of its development team when we conducted an Iron Test on the Lew/Richard Prince-owned LC 650 in May 2017, so we don’t propose to go over that again.

You can’t, however, go past the similarities in concept between these Log Champ models and the way they work compared to their respective Madill counterparts. Just as an operator of a Madill 124 will immediately

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feel at home on an LC 650, so will someone who has experience at the controls of a Madill 120 feels comfortable on the joysticks of an LC 550.

And, naturally, vice versa.

That’s confirmed by Jess, who has been filling in on the LC 550 while awaiting the arrival of a new operator, and says: “When I got to drive it I was surprised by how similar it was to our old Madill, and how easy it was to drive – it’s like a much more up-to-date version really.”

You’d expect that, of course. It’s been more than two decades since the Madill 120 was conceived and first appeared in the bush, and technology has moved on in that time. But there are some things that haven’t really changed.

The old 120 was designed to operate in tighter and more fragile locations than the larger 124. With an operating weight of 45 tonnes, the 120 could be transported over poorer roads and work from much smaller landings.

That same philosophy has been adopted for the Log Champ LC 550. Although it’s slightly heavier than a 120, tipping the scales at just under 48 tonnes (and not far off 55 tonnes when the grapple, fuel and other items are added) it is some 20 tonnes lighter than an LC 650 and, importantly, it can be transported in one piece, without the boom needing to be removed.

But a couple of decades of new thinking has been applied to many of the working items in the Log Champ and you can see that in the latest technology pumps and electronics that are light years ahead of anything available in the eighties and nineties.

To see how this technology is being used in the 21st century Log Champ LC 550, NZ Logger has joined the Fast & Evans crew just after dawn in what used to be part of the Carter Holt estate on the northern

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Above: In spite of its relatively compact size, the Log Champ LC 550 has a voracious appetite for work (left); the Log Champ LC 550 is ideally suited to the smaller blocks and woodlots, yet only one has made its way into the New Zealand bush (centre); Another handy bunch of stems is hauled onto the landing (right). flanks of the Kaimanawa Forest Park, east of Lake Taupo.

Much of the plantation forest between the park boundary and the Napier-Taupo Highway has already been cleared and turned into dairy farms. The Fast & Evans crew is removing the last pines from what is now Poronui Station, where wealthy visitors use the nearby luxury lodge as a base for fishing, hunting and horse riding in this magnificent outdoor wilderness.

This is an ideal setting for a compact yarder like the LC 550, with short, yet steep spurs stretching out across the valley.

It’s not unlike many forestry blocks found throughout the North Island, which begs the question ‘if a compact yarder like the LC 550 can successfully harvest in these locations, why aren’t other people using it’?

Smiley concedes that “a lot of people like bigger toys and part of the thinking is if you’ve got a small machine you can’t do the bigger jobs, but I dunno, I think you can make most jobs work somehow”.

He goes on to say: “We had some big trees in the last job we did and to see how it handled that was pretty impressive – it was working hard, but it was doing OK.” That job was in the Whakamaru Forest, north of Taupo, where some of the trees were up to five times bigger than the Radiata Pines being pulled off the hillsides on Poronui Station.

“We had some decent P-size in there and it didn’t seem to bother it much at all – some of it was 5 tonnes,” says Jess.

“Fortunately, it was pulling that sort of stuff downhill. I never got to drive it in there – we had an experienced operator who knew what he was doing, so I let him get on with it. But it was obviously able to handle that much weight.”

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Since arriving at Poronui six weeks prior to Christmas, Jess has had plenty of time to get used to the LC 550, after the crew’s regular operator moved on, and he has been able to experience its true versatility.

It took a while, he says: “When I got into the seat I didn’t really have any instructions on how to use it, pretty much had to pick it up myself.

“I knew the basics of a Madill from filling in when the operator was away. I found my way through this one, I wasn’t fast to start with. I haven’t seen a 650 work to be able to compare it, but the 550 is quick and does everything we want.

“It has ¾” ropes, not 7/8” that are on the 650, so you have some limitations on weights, but that was the same with the Madill, which ran ¾” ropes, too.

“Even though you might be able to get a bigger payload with a larger machine I think you can make up for it in cycle speeds. The heaviest load this one has pulled is five or six tonnes. The wood here isn’t big, averaging around 0.75 piece size, I’ve filled that grapple, got six or seven stems in there in one go. It’s all pulp wood, gets trucked up to the Tasman mill at Kawerau.

“This machine has heaps of hydraulic power, you never run out of air with that compressor. With our old yarder you could drain all the air if you were working in close and grabbing lots of wood, whereas with this, it doesn’t matter how much you are doing, you’ve always got full air pressure. It’s another step up from what we had.”

The air is supplied by the same 60CFM rotary vane compressor used in the larger LC 650, which keeps the supply to the hydraulics at peak flow, regardless of the demands on the system.

Jess says the speedier hydraulic system has made a difference to the cycle times, compared to their old yarder, adding: “We are able to pull

more wood in a day.

“In here we’ve been doing around 270 tonnes a day, which isn’t bad considering the size of the wood. In Whakamaru on a good day we were doing 14 loads a day – in the high 300 tonnes.”

Jess agrees with Smiley’s assessment that the size of the LC 550 suits the sort of work this particular crew is called upon to do by Oji, who they are contracted to harvest and supply.

“Oji has five ground base crews and we are their only yarder crew, so we have a little bit of a niche in that respect,” he says. “It means they can pick up some hilly country for us, as well as the ground stuff. They don’t go looking for big hauler work with huge faces, a lot of it is small stuff like this, which is quite well suited to this machine.”

One thing that has really impressed Jess is how quiet the Log Champ is, adding: “The old Cummins M11 in the Madill used to scream, eh.”

Opening up the large barn-style doors to the engine compartment, Jesse says he doesn’t really miss the clamshell bonnet that exposed the whole area on the 120, because there is so much space around the Caterpillar C9.3B that powers the LC 550. Not as roomy as the LC 650 engine compartment, though and the doorway through from the steps up to the cab is certainly more of a squeeze.

The C9.3B is a Tier 3 unit, rated at 280kW (350hp), compared to the 350kW (475hp) peak power obtained from the LC 650. However, the smaller engine doesn’t have the same thirst as the LC 650’s C15 and it can go a week before the 860-litre tank needs to be replenished.

The gearbox is smaller, too, being a Cat CX28 powershift transmission, rather than the CX31 model used in the LC 650, but it still runs five forward gears through the lock-up torque converter.

On the left side of the body, two large opening panels provide

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excellent access to the large side-by-side drums, as well as the compressor and hydraulics.

As you’d expect, the drums on the baby brother are smaller. There’s 450 metres (1,500ft) of ¾” swaged rope on the main drum, with a maximum line pull of 31,818kg (70,000lbs), using a new generation Wichita 225 watercooled slip clutch. The haulback drum has 946 metres (3,100ft) of ¾” swaged rope and 30,455kg (67,000lbs) of line pull. The strawline drum has 1,370m (4,500ft) of 3/8” rope and 680kg (15,000lbs) of line pull.

All drums are lagged, which provides for easier and smoother wrapping and less danger of tangling the ropes. A nice change from the old 120, whose drums weren’t lagged.

T-Mar has provided a removable ladder so you can get up into this area and when not needed, it is stored on the inside of the right door, along with a spade. Attached to the other door is a manual greasing unit and a fire extinguisher.

And keeping everything cool when the big doors are closed is a large variable speed hydraulic auto-reversing cooling fan. There’s also a hydraulic constant speed cooling pump to help keep the fluid temperatures down.

The LC 550 sits on heavy-duty Caterpillar track frames and components, and runs two-speed motors to move around the pad. Connection to the body is via a heavyduty slew ring and swing drive motor that provides 139,649Nm (103,000ft /lbs) of swing torque.

The yarder is topped by a 10.97-metre (36ft) high walking fairlead gantry that connects to a 15.24-metre (50ft) boom – very similar dimensions to a Madill 120.

Three guy line drums sit within the gantry, which are automatically controlled through a wireless connection.

These lines are hooked up to a Komatsu D85 dozer that is dug in behind the yarder as an anchor.

All ropes feed through 20-inch diameter wide sheaves and the fairlead is staggered to reduce line wrap.

It makes a pretty nice package and when we climb up into the rear-entry cab it gets even better. T-Mar has used the same cab as on the LC 650, so there’s plenty of space for a trainer/observer to stand behind the operator’s seat when the door is closed.

It has the same fuss-free layout, with large floor-toceiling windows providing great views in every direction, even with the heavy steel bars out front, where we are currently looking over the deep gully across to where the Sumitomo digger has been set up as a backline on the opposite spur, around 250 metres away.

Anyone who has come off an older hauler will be surprised by the simplicity and lack of levers, switches and buttons. Everything to make the yarder work is on the joysticks and the operator can adjust the modes through the touchscreen in front. The display also has easy-to-read dials that provide a range of

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Left top: Spotter, Jerome Orangi, is on hand to assist the swing yarder operator locate stems in between moving the backline machine.

Left middle: The Fast & Evans team decided to swap the original grapple for this larger second-hand bunching grapple.

Left bottom: Drums on the Log Champs LC 550 or lagged, which avoids tangling the ropes.

Main: The Log Champ LC 550 can retrieve wood from as far as 400 metres.

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Above left: Access into the rear of the Log Champ LC 550 is via a rear entry cab and easy steps.

Inserts: 1. Neat cab layout with the camera screen to the right and switches / information screen on the left; 2. Iron Tester Stan Barlow ready to put the LC 550 through its paces. 3. The switch panel and display screen are compact, in keeping with the LC 550 theme; 4. Just two pedals on the floor for operating the brakes, instead of three. read-outs, from the temperature of the hydraulic oil to the engine oil pressure.

Iron Tester, Stan Barlow, is familiarising himself with the controls, having only spent a short time in an LC 650 a few months back. He’s operated a few yarders in his time, so it’s just a case of getting used to the nuances of this particular machine.

The excavator-style joysticks are electronically activated through a Parker IQAN electronic control system. The electric-over-hydraulic/air system delivers a very smooth and precise control of the winches and that’s just what you need when fishing for stems down in the gully with a grapple. Gear changing is simple, and these lighter stems mean the operator can make more use of the higher gears to conserve fuel. Stan elaborates more on that in his Iron Test column on page 32.

Like the Prince machine we tested last year, this machine is fitted with a camera just above the grapple, to give the operator a bird’s-eye view as it hovers above the ground. It sits in a heavy-duty housing, which is just as well because it gets a pounding out there on the hillside. Jess swaps over the battery every morning with a new one that he’s charged overnight at home.

The screen provides a distance read-out to assist the operator, along

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with an audible alert when the grapple gets close to the yarder on its return.

With that sort of assistance, it would be relatively easy to operate the LC 550 without a spotter, but Jess keeps a man out on the opposite ridge to provide a little extra guidance for the yarder operator and to do the regular backline moves. It all helps to keep wood moving off the slopes.

Even in this mechanised age, you can’t always get away from having people on the ground. As well as having a spotter on the hill, the Fast & Evans crew also undertake manual falling, because it’s just not productive to bring in one of the three winch-assist systems in the Fast Harvesting stable to harvest in some blocks.

“We have two manual fallers,” says Jess, adding that one of them is keeping an eye on the spotter today, as he’s under training.

“We do need two fallers to keep ahead of the yarder, this wood is nice and clean and easy to fall but it’s so highly stocked it would be too much for one guy and in these safety-conscious times two guys can do it comfortably so that is what we do.”

There’s plenty of stems on this setting to provide Stan with a good work-out in the LC 550 and as the early morning mist begins to clear, he’s starting to make inroads.

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IFICATION

SPECIFICATIONS – LOG CHAMP LC550 SWING YARDER - SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE

BOOM & GANTRY

6-cylinder, 9.3-litre, Caterpillar C9.3B ACERT common rail diesel, Tier lll, turbocharged & after-cooled Bore / stroke 137mm x 171mm Net power 260kW (350hp) @ 2,200rpm Transmission Cat CX28 5-speed Powershift

Height 15.24 metres (50ft) boom, 10.98 metres (36ft) gantry

HYDRAULICS

Fuel tank

Pumps Dual piston type (the air compressor is hydraulically driven and the pumps are mechanically driven) SWING L&S Planetary Drive Swing torque 139,649Nm (103,000ft/lbs) Bearing 310mm (75½”)

Shipping width Shipping height (cab folded) Operating weight (roped)

GRAPPLE Model n/a REFILL CAPACITIES (LITRES) 860

DIMENSIONS (MM) 3,811 3,607 47,727kg approx.

DRUMS Main Haulback Strawline

¾” swaged; capacity – 450m; pull – 31,818kg ¾” swaged; capacity – 946m; pull – 30,455kg 3/8” swaged; capacity – 1370m; pull – 680kg

In place of the standard T-Mar grapple that came with the LC 550 is a larger capacity second-hand bunching grapple that was purchased from Shaw’s Wire Ropes in Cambridge especially for this machine. The jaws open wider to allow several stems to be gathered at one time and it seems to be very effective for this job.

At this rate, by the time you read this Iron Test, the Fast & Evans crew will have cleared most of this block and be headed to another job in the

central North Island.

The next time they return to Poronui will be to clear the final plantation trees – a block of Douglas-fir, which will certainly pack more weight per stem than Radiata Pine.

“I haven’t had a look at it yet, but I think the Log Champ will handle it OK,” says Jess.

Judging from it performance to date, I’m sure it will. NZL

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February 2018 | NZ LOGGER 31

iron test: Stan Barlow

Small, but perfectly formed T

HEY SAY GOOD THINGS COME IN SMALL packages and that’s certainly the case with the Fast & Evans Log Champ LC 550 swing yarder.

If I had to sum it up in a single word it would be: Wicked.

Plenty of power on tap when you need it, easy to operate and very quick with the grapple – even when it has a weighty load on board.

I’ve had a brief drive of a 650 and everything felt the same, just in a smaller version. Much like the difference between a Madill 120 and 124. I quite like the size of this machine, compared to the 650. For where it is working and just looking at future blocks it will go into, it’s the right choice for what this crew is harvesting.

It can get into small areas that a larger yarder might not be able to. Where this one is now, in a bit of a gut and pulling over 200 or 250 metres, it’s just perfect country for it.

There is a similar feel to a Madill 120 on the controls, with only a bit of difference with the open and close grapple function. On the right joystick you have an all-functions control to lift all ropes that will drive all the drums to pick the grapple up so you would mainly use that in the chute or in the cutover. It would be good to have an all-down function, where you can hit a button and it drops the grapple rather than having to rely on the foot brakes.

With more time you would get used to it and

find a way to make it work for you.

Then you push forward for outhaul and pull it in for inhaul, which interlocks the drums.

You don’t need much pressure on the lever at all. On a 120 you are riding it harder but this one is really light and quite touchy, and it takes a bit of getting used to.

On the left joystick you’ve got your throttle, pulling it back and left/right for your slew and there is also the horn on this side.

For anyone coming off other yarders, they’ll have to get used to two foot pedals, not three. The one on the left is for haulback on the tailrope, and on the right, instead of two pedals, it is just one to operate the main drum and the slackpuller drum. This takes a little bit of getting used to because with a Madill 120 you can roll your foot to put more pressure on one and you can open your grapple with your foot. With this one you can’t do that – you open it on your joystick. Hey, it’s still good, it just takes a little getting used to a difference system.

Lots of power in the hydraulics. There was a couple of times when I was searching round and trying to double up logs and with previous yarders I’ve experienced you’d run out of air, but this system never struggled for air.

The power for the inhaul and outhaul is brilliant, and the slew power is something else – it’s just unreal how much slew power you’ve got as you increase the revs, it’s just effortless. I got a couple of big drags and it

Iron Tester, Stan Barlow. pulled them up easy and I wasn’t coming up full revs. Everything I wanted to do, it did very well. You don’t really need to use the lower gears much, unless there’s a lot of weight in the grapple.

Good that the drums are lagged and you don’t have to worry about how the ropes set onto them.

Although it wasn’t the original grapple, I did like this one. You get some grapples that pinch the log rather than gather in together, and this one gathers them in nicely.

The cab is a really good place to spend a day. Lots of vision out front and down to the landing on either side, good space for someone else to stand behind the seat and lots of storage places. The AC is brilliant and I’m with Jess on the quietness of the cab, I only had the music softly playing.

It’s a champion yarder alright. NZL

Below left: Jess Evans, of Fast & Evans Loggings is pleased with the performance of his Log Champ LC 550.

Below centre: A pair of barn-style doors open at the rear for good access to the Cat C9.3B engine.

Below right: Part-owner, Jess Evans, stands by the left side opening hatches, where the drums and compressor are housed.

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Movers & Shakers Story & photos: John Ellegard

34 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

breaking out

Change is as good as a holiday, they say.

So life must be one big vacation for Peter Stephens and his crew.

That’s because they are always on the move, getting to work in more forests over the course of a year than is the case with most corporate harvesting contractors.

Above: The Stephens Logging crew enjoy the good conditions here in Kinleith, after coming out of a soggy Mamaku Forest.

February 2018 | NZ LOGGER 35

breaking out

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AUPO-BASED PJ & DA STEPHENS LOGGING TENDS TO specialise in small blocks in forests around the central North Island. Not by choice. They’re just so good at what they do Hancock Forest Management keeps them on hand to tackle the jobs that don’t suit larger outfits. Sometimes that means just a few weeks before shifting again.

Take the block they are currently clearing at the southern end of Kinleith Forest. The Stephens team had been in there a month when NZ Logger dropped in for this Breaking Out feature and they’ll probably be gone two months later, which includes a three-week break for Christmas/New Year.

“It’s a typical block for us,” says Peter, who owns the crew along with his wife Debbie. “We do tend to get a lot of the smaller blocks.”

Because you’re good at it? I ask.

“I don’t know, we must be doing something right,” he answers.

“Hancock has got a few double crews – large production crews – and they get into the larger blocks and we get the little nitty, gritty bits. Not complaining. That’s what we do and I like to think we are bloody good at it, which is probably why Hancock keeps putting us in places like this.”

Far from complaining, he’s revelling in this work, especially in such an easy block like this and in weather that has been much kinder to them compared to the constant rain and wind over much of 2017.

Their last forestry job was in Mamaku, which is renowned for being one of the most difficult to work in during wet weather.

“That was challenging,” says Peter. “It was just so wet. Luckily the block was flat, but it was still a challenge, plenty of slash going

onto the tracks and corduroy.

“This block is a dream, by comparison. We’ll be in here until February. I’m not sure where we are heading next. Even though Hancock plan their blocks 12 months in advance you can still get chopped and changed around, depending on what wood they want, or other issues.”

With so many location changes, the Stephens crew has become adept at packing up and moving on without losing much production time.

It helps that they’re a fully mechanised ground base crew, which makes it easier to load the five machines and container/office onto transporters and get on the road. No cumbersome swing yarders or towers to sweat over.

Peter has been in ground based operations most of his forestry career, starting off in 1980 in Lake Taupo Forest, working in thinnings with NZ Forest Products in a crew run by Harry Amrein.

Then came a big salvage job following a wind-blow event in 1982.

“We were salvaging all these fallen, thinning-sized trees, around ten or eleven years old,” he says. “That was interesting. Everything was done manually then, of course, so we were cutting them with saws.”

Not long after that, Peter began his long-time working relationship with John McDermott, interrupted by four years as a self-employed screen printer, producing T-shirts.

“I didn’t make a lot of money out of screen printing, so I sold that business and went back into the bush, working for John McDermott again,” adds Peter. “And he was into thinnings in Lake Taupo Forest, too. Thinnings was pretty well where it was at during that time.

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breaking out

“It was production thinning and we had a target of 50-to-60 tonnes per day. We had three or four cutters per crew usually and one skidder or a tractor with ten strops on it.

“And then when Archie Moffatt got his first processor, a Waratah, the first Bigwood they ever made, Johnny Mac put in a bid to do the extraction for Archie, it was up here in Kinleith. So we moved.”

The McDermott crew still felled the trees manually and dragged them out behind a pair of cable skidders, a Cat 518 during the dry weather and a D4 tractor in wet conditions. But it was hard work keeping up with the processor, and Peter says John McDermott had a vision of wanting to mechanise the falling as well. But many of the blocks they worked were too steep for a standard excavator fitted with a felling head.

Peter decided to get some experience of forestry with other crews for a while and by the time he returned John McDermott had purchased a levelling cab Timbco feller buncher to realise his dream of mechanising tree falling.

“I think he had the second one in New Zealand, Ray Brunton just beat him to the first one,” says Peter.

“He also purchased a Ranger G67 grapple skidder and got a D5H with a grapple on it, which was good in terms of mechanising because you didn’t have to get out and pull the rope.

“Then he ended up getting a couple of 527 tractors with a swing boom on them and they were quite a tool. They couldn’t pull a massive drag but if you could get up the hill you could just about get anywhere with them. Even if it was manually felled you could swing the boom out to it.

In the winter you could still drive around with them, that’s the advantage of having a tractor and you had a blade so you could also do track work.”

By that stage – the mid-90s – Peter was off the saws and operating one of the McDermott machines, first the 518 skidder and then a D5H. When Archie Moffat decided to add another processor, John McDermott was forced to start up a second crew, which necessitated the purchase of another Timbo and Peter was put into that machine.

“It had a Timbo fixed head, not a dangle mount,” he recalls. “It was a big learning curve, slowly working out how to operate that thing because if you don’t read the tree right and it wants to go one way and your head is fixed, then you could pinch the bar and bend or break things.

“But I tell you what, once you got the hang of it, it was a good tool.

It was so stable on the hills with that light head. They were so ahead of

Above: The John Deere 848H is one of the last H-series sold in New Zealand and is a great workhorse, according to Peter Stephens.

Below: The Stephens Logging crew went fully mechanised three years ago when this Cat 336D and SouthStar 630 processing head arrived.

Bottom: Peter Stephens is always happy to see this big Pacific log truck arrive on site – it’s one of the last working in Kinleith Forest and is being loaded here by Joe Taylor in the new Cat 538LL.

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38 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

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breaking out

their time with the levelling cab. The stability and the hills you could climb was just amazing. I loved them, eh.

“I hadn’t operated an excavator prior to that and when I got on this Timbco it was like being in a different world, it was scary where you could go. On a steep hill you’d slew around and you’re 20 feet above the ground!”

Sadly, John McDermott was struck down by cancer and died, forcing Peter to hire an operator for the Timbco while he took on the role of Operations Manager for John’s widow, Glenna. He ran the business for her for a year before she decided that logging wasn’t her thing, and it gave Peter the opportunity to buy the McDermott crews.

“At the same time, Archie renewed his contract for a further five years and with that amount of work ahead of me it made it easier getting the loan from the bank – I was buying two crews, not just one, so I went in at the deep end,” says Peter.

“It was tough at first. I was buying basically second-hand equipment and some of it was getting high in hours, so there was a lot of maintenance and stuff was wearing out.

“Sometimes I look back and think I should have just bought the business and got rid of all the old stuff and bought brand new. But at the time it was a way of getting into logging with your own crew.

And I’ve been here ever since – that was around the year 2000.

I’ve now had my own harvesting business for 17 years and always worked in or near Kinleith.”

When Archie Moffatt downsized his operation, it forced Peter to slim down to a single crew as well, keeping the newer of the Timbco machines. Eleven years ago, they parted company and Stephens Logging began working for Hancock in its own right.

Without the Moffatt operation, Peter was forced to process manually on the skid to begin with, even though his crew was falling with a harvester, which dictated the type of forests his crew was assigned to.

To make life a little easier Peter purchased a Komatsu with a SATCO 630 felling head and matched it to Harvestec static de-limber.

“It’s funny, we look back on static de-limbers as being old technology, but it was good in the day and we were doing around 200 tonnes a day back then,” says Peter.

“And then we ended up getting a fall and trim head on the Komatsu. That was brilliant because you could fall and delimb at the stump.”

The move to purchasing a processor on the landing was always on the cards and was hastened by the spike in deaths across the industry in 2013, which led Hancock Forest Management to dictate that all the crews working in its estates must become fully mechanised.

The Stephens Logging crew has been fully mechanised for almost three years, following the arrival of the Cat 336D with a SouthStar 630 processing head.

“It’s been good,” says Peter. “As well as being our first processor,

Top left: Ian Cameron stacks logs with the oldest machine in the fleet, a Cat 320D. Top right: Jason Tayler clears these trees along the roadside with the Cat 541 and SATCO 424.

Below: The electronic SATCO 424 head on the Cat harvester makes a nice job of trimming the stems.

Bottom: All but one of the machines in the Stephens Logging fleet are Caterpillars, which Peter Stephens has a personal preference for.

40 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

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breaking out

it was our first experience with optimisation and that was a steep learning curve, too.

“Even though I was subbing to Archie all those years I never took any notice of the processing side of things or how they worked. I have to say it’s worked well for us, and the guys at SouthStar are just a phone call away and now they have a centre in Rotorua they’re pretty handy.

“We send the production file in every day using the app off a phone. I wouldn’t want to go back to processing manually again.”

The key to making a processor work well is to ensure it stays within specification, which means keeping on top of calibration.

“We don’t have to calibrate it that regularly,” according to Peter.

“We still QC all the wood and he keeps in touch with the processor operator and if the calibration is going out he’ll let the operator know.

“You could go weeks without touching it, although we make checks all the time, but it’s not very often we adjust it. The wood here is good, the form is pretty nice. I suppose that helps.”

42 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

Much of the lower grade wood is shipped off to nearby Kinleith mill, while the best grades are offered to local sawmills and the rest goes to the port for export.

To keep the processor fed with wood, Peter now has a Cat 541, which has an electronic version of the SATCO 424 head to fall and trim at the stump.

The stems are pulled to the skid behind a John Deere 848H, one of the last H-series models to arrive in the country and the only non-Cat machine that’s now in the Stephens Logging fleet. He likes

Above: The skidder still runs chains in the dry summer months because the extra 1.8 tonnes over the front axle helps with traction during heavy drags Below left: Cat harvester operator, Jason Tayler, is one of the longest serving members of the PJ & DA Stephens Logging crew.

Below right: There’s no manual falling today for Dylan Duff, so he’s on the skid doing QC.

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the John Deere skidders, after having a good run with them over the years, but he is a big fan of the Cat swing machines and the Gough back-up that comes with them.

A Cat 320D is employed sorting and stacking on the skid, while the most recent arrival is the shiny Cat 538LL, which is mainly used for loading trucks and in between it will assist on the skid.

“I’ve had a go in it (the 538) and it’s beautiful inside, so quiet – I’m hoping they put the same quiet technology into the 541, because for a purpose-built machine it seems to make a lot of noise,” says Peter, pointing out that the harvester operator has to wear earmuffs when falling.

“That’s the only thing that lets it down. Everything else about it is good. In terms of oil flow and cooling the 541 never runs hot – the operator never has to get out and clean the radiator.”

What really impresses Peter is how the compact harvesting machine is able to cope with a reasonably heavy fall/de-limb head, even on steepish slopes (it’s not a levelling cab model) “It is pushing it for the head we’ve got on it, but it’s doing the job,” adds Peter. “Would probably be a much nicer machine with a smaller felling head, but because we want to trim at the stump we need that capability and it’s pushing to the limit in terms of stability.

“At times it’s easier to fall as you are trimming as it will fall into the stand and then you are delimbing it out and then as you are working it into the stand any shorts that drop in front of you are picked up as you go and put into the bunch. Falling only, you are dropping into the open and you do have to go over your cut-over when you’ve finished and bunch all the heads up. But on steeper country it’s not ideal and there are some sections where we push it in here.”

Peter doesn’t think they’ll ever get to the stage where a winchassist harvesting set-up will be required, adding: “We’re a ground based crew and we’ll probably stay that way. There’s plenty of blocks that we can still cut without having to go high.”

Inevitably, there are some sections that are just too steep to fall with a non-levelling harvester, so there is still a certified manual

44 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

Above left: Faller/QC Dylan Duff has been on a saw much of his working life, starting off in silviculture before getting into harvesting.

Above right: Rob ‘Hogie’ Hogarth moved from Northland recently to take over the Cat 336D/SouthStar 630 processor.

Below: Skidder driver, Dacey Rhynd, is another longer serving crew member.

faller retained in the eight-man crew.

The faller, Dylan Duff, alternates between doing QC on the skid and then heading out into the bush to clear any pockets left by Jason Taylor in the Cat 541.

Dylan has been with the Stephens team for six years, but is a seasoned bushman, having been in the industry for more than 17

breaking out

Above: Crew owner, Peter Stephens, has been in ground base harvesting operations for much of his 33+ years in forestry. years, originally in silviculture near Turangi. Then he headed north to work with Rikki and Leane Kuru in forests around Gisborne before moving back to the central North Island.

Dylan is glad the bulk of the falling is done by the Cat, as it takes the pressure off his shoulders of having to meet high production targets.

The hardest thing, he says, is keeping his fitness and skill levels up to scratch due to the big gaps between manual falling jobs.

“When you haven’t done it for a while, man, your body aches for a few days and you have to build up that fitness, so I make sure I take it easy at first and not push it,” he says.

With no falling scheduled for a while, Dylan is happy to fill in on the skid as QC and help out wherever he can.

Out at the cut-over, Jason Tayler is keeping the wood flowing at the controls of the Cat harvester. He’s one of the longest-serving members of the crew, having joined Peter 11 years ago.

Jason, who lives in nearby Tokoroa, has always worked in this region, starting out in earthmoving before swapping over to forestry and doesn’t intend to go back. He’s always been falling for this crew and is enjoying the Cat/SATCO combo, saying the electric head makes the job easier.

Whilst the 541 doesn’t have a tilting cab, Jason says there are only a few places in this block where it would be very handy to be working on a more level platform. When it gets too steep he’ll call in Dylan.

One thing Dylan isn’t able to do when he goes out to fall with his chainsaw that Jason can do with his machine, is to bunch for the grapple skidder. He tries to fall trees as close together as possible, but it doesn’t always happen.

With the trees being nicely bunched by Jason today, skidder driver, Dacey Rhynd, is a happy camper, grabbing anywhere up to eight stems in the grapple of his John Deere 848H. It’s got a tonne of power to deal with the heavy central North Island wood and Peter says it’s doing a good job.

“I like the John Deere skidders, we’ve had a good run with them,” he says.

Dacey has also been with him a while, arriving just over ten years ago though he’s only recently got into the cab, having worked on the skid previously.

“Love the skidder – it’s my dream job,” Dacey says.

Although the ground conditions have dried out considerably in recent weeks, the skidder still has the Clark chains fitted to the front wheels. Dacey says it makes a big difference, even on dry soils, and it helps him pull more wood, compared to running on rubber only, as it adds another 1.8 tonnes over the front axle.

The skidder is fitted with a small winch that can be used to pull wood off the hills if it is too difficult to get a tracked machine to shovel, but the winch doesn’t get use much. Shovel logging is the much preferred option.

The Cat 336/SouthStar processing combo are at the heart of this tidy operation and up in the cab is the most recent arrival, Rob ‘Hogie’ Hogarth.

He’s been working in the Far North until recently, moving down to the central North Island to be closer to family.

‘Hogie’ has been in forestry for more than 20 years and enjoys being on machines. He especially likes the power and performance of the Cat and SouthStar.

“It’s great when you’ve got nice wood like this,” he says.

It’s even better when the optimiser is making most of the decisions, ‘Hogie’ adds. The head decides most of the cuts and he’ll only intervene if the knots are out.

Right next door, fleeting and stacking the logs cut by the processor is the Cat 320D operated by Ian Cameron.

Ian is another who has been in the bush for more than 20 years, after starting off in farming. Ian originally worked for Archie Moffatt, so he knew Peter Stephens during his subby years before eventually joining up with Peter 18 months ago.

At first Ian was only going to be working part-time, but the work kept on building up and he’s now a full-timer in the crew.

The final member of the crew is Joe Taylor, who gets to control the newest machine on this site, the Cat 538LL loader.

Joe has been with this crew for four years and previously managed a camping ground. He was going to retire, until his son, harvester operator, Jason, mentioned that they needed someone part-time on a loader. He started on the old 324 that is now being used as a training machine by the Toi Ohomai forestry school in Rotorua and ended up becoming another full-timer.

“I can’t complain, I’ve got a new machine and I enjoy loading the trucks,” he says.

This morning, Joe is loading one of the last big Pacific off-highway log trucks still working in the forest.

The arrival of this truck is welcome news when you are producing around 450 tonnes a day from a relatively small skid site, comments Peter.

He goes on to say: “We don’t have much room to move, so when one of the big off-highway trucks comes through like this, it will take 70 tonnes in one go, and there is a bigger truck again that will take up to 100 tonnes if they can get the right grades onto it. That certainly cleans you out. If they do three trips a day, it’s pretty good and then they top it up with highway trucks.”

It’s all running like clockwork, no fuss, and that’s that way Peter Stephens likes it: “We like to operate under the radar, just hide away here and do our thing, keep my nose clean.”

Just the sort of operation that does forestry proud but rarely gets anyone to sing its praises. So we’re glad to be doing it for Peter Stephens and his team. NZL

February 2018 | NZ LOGGER 45

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NZ LOGGER – THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF FICA

Focus on contractor certification for 2018 C

ONTRACTOR CERTIFICATION WILL be a major focus for our industry this year and with a lot of enquires about how this will work, now is a good opportunity to bring everyone up to speed with the latest information.

To date, 186 companies have expressed interest in joining the contractor certification scheme and from that total 95 companies have moved onto the next stage, with 28 of them at the field audit stage.

If contractors have applied but not heard anything back, don’t panic – BraveGen, which is contract managing the system, is in the process of following up with all companies that have expressed interest.

Why become certified?

For contractors, certification demonstrates their professionalism to clients. It provides a benchmark that their health and safety systems can be designed to and means everyone is held to the same standards.

For forest owners and managers, using certified contractors provides an assurance that the companies they hire are competent to do the job.

For workers, the scheme will lead to improved health and safety and employment conditions. The scheme was designed in consultation with the regulator, WorkSafe, and with extensive input from the industry.

What’s involved in becoming certified?

To become certified, contractors need to complete a web-based assessment and a field audit. The criteria in the assessment and field audit are based on industry good practice.

Contractors get support to do the web assessment from BraveGen, which runs the online assessment. The field audit is done by an accredited Safetree auditor of the contractor’s choice.

The field audit focuses on observations of the work environment and questioning of workers in the field. The auditor will identify any improvements that should be made at the time of the audit. Certified contractors will be added to a searchable register on the www.safetree.nz website.

How are contractors assed?

The online assessment covers: • Insurance certificates • Incident statistics • Employment advice.

The Field audit covers: • Risk management • Competencies • Leadership and engagement • Employment conditions • Critical risks • Health risks • Forest practices.

What is the investment?

To become certified, contractors will need to pay an annual subscription fee of $695 (ex GST) for the web assessment and maintenance of the scheme.

The cost of the field audit is variable depending on the auditor selected and their travel expenses. But an indicative cost for a full day is between $800 and $1,000. The audit is required every two years.

For more information on contractor assessment see the Safetree website https:// safetree.nz/certification/. Or info@safetree.nz Addressing workforce challenges – Industry forms Silviculture Action Group As covered earlier in this magazine, FICA is taking a leading role in improving the working conditions of silviculture contractors.

Certification demonstrates a contractor’s professionalism.

Following FICA’s proposal to the Forest Owners Association (FOA) board in November, presented by two silviculture contractor members on behalf of FICA, FOA has confirmed its agreement to work together to form an industry Silviculture Action Group.

The purpose of the group is “producing a financially viable, sustainable, compliant and professional silviculture contracting workforce for growing New Zealand’s forests”.

Over the past 18 months a focus on forestry workers by labour inspectors found clear evidence of working conditions that did not comply with employment legislation. The response from industry is that commercial market rates being paid in some cases contributed to this. The practice could not continue for forest planting to be sustainable, let alone meet the challenge of growing tree-planting massively in coming years.

It was clear to industry leaders that a response was required from both forest managers and contractors. This group has accepted the challenge to make positive change with the support of the right people from government employment agencies.

The first meeting of 20 participants took place on December 19. It included representatives from FICA, FOA, FISC, Competenz, key government agencies and First Union. Plans were discussed to address the key challenges and the group will tackle a series of key issues initially. At this meeting, all parties expressed their strong support for the working group.

The support of key people from operational departments is critical to solving the issues.

Their early indications of support are promising.

One working group member, Chris Denley of the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) was a shining example, explaining that her organisation covers 11 regions and they are currently having difficulty in attracting people into forestry work.

So, she simply asked, “where can I help?” Given the people being encouraged into jobs by MSD, this agency’s practical support is vital.

Nathan Fogden of Inta-Wood Forestry in Te Puke and Robin Thompson of Action Forest Management in Nelson are representing FICA’s interests in getting a solution to these problems.

Northland’s Kevin Ihaka is also involved in the group as a FICA board member. NZL

S

45 p.m.

CONTACT FICA: phone 0800 34 22 69 | email to: office@fica.org.nz

February 2018 | NZ LOGGER 47

top spot

Safety/performance/quality

Tight finish WHAT A CRACKER OF A YEAR 2017 WAS IN the Top Spot competition.

The competition was so fierce that any of the crews in the top six could have won it going into the final days. It was that close.

In the end, one of Blue and Donna Balle’s two crews, Moehau Logging 99, pipped Fraser Logging 740 to the top Harvesting Crew title, while Heslip Forest Contracting was the winner of the silviculture division, just edging out last year’s winner, Otautau Contractors. The competition was equally as fierce for the individual disciplines, even between colleagues in the same crew. The full results are all here, with some photos of our successful people, with more pictures to come next month So now we look forward to 2018 and the signs are that it is going to be even more competitive this year, with Earnslaw One crews undertaking assessments for the full year, not just part of it.

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They believe in what we do and what you do.

So, a big ongoing thank you to our Strategic Partners – STIHL and NZ Logger and sponsor SWAZI. The best way to keep our industry working is to get out and support those businesses that support New Zealand.

Participating Companies This competition wouldn’t be what it is without our participating companies.

We understand the commitment it takes from them to be part of Top Spot and value their ongoing support and feedback.

Our ongoing thanks to Rayonier /

48 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

Services, Mangoihe Logging, Kohurau Contracting, Tohaia Forestry Harvesting, Kuru Contracting, Dennis E Hayes Logging, Swain Logging, Lumberjack Logging and Ernslaw One. Into safety?

Into performance?

Into quality?

Matariki Forests, Nelson Forests, Wenita Forest Products, Port Blakely, Crown Contact Shane Perrett on 0274 781 908, Forestry, Fraser Logging, Brand Logging, CMH Logging, Phillips Logging, Hauraki 07 3483037 or at primefm@xtra.co.nz. NZL and Moehau Logging, Griffin Logging, Roxburgh Logging, Thomassen Logging, Top Crew Results Te Waa Logging, Lakeland Cable Logging, Logged on Logging, Pa k i ri Lo g g i n g , HARVESTING TOP CREWS 2017 Rosewarne Cable Loggers, Inta-Wood CREW PLACING Forestry, Otautau MOEHAU LOGGING 99 1 Contractors, SAW FRASER LOGGING 740 2 Contra ting, Heslip Silvicuture, Waikato Forestry Services, WASTE THINNING TOP CREWS 2017 Hodgson Silviculture, SF NL, Makerikeri CREW PLACING Silviculture, NJ Simns HESLIP FOREST CONTRACTING LTD 1 Forestry Services, OTAUTAU CONTRACTORS LTD 2 SAS Forestry, X-Men, Central Forestry

The top harvesting crew for 2017 was Moehau 99, pictured here with their colleagues from Hauraki 91.

top spot

Safety/performance/quality

The Fraser 740 crew from Nelson pushed the Bay of Plenty crew hard but had to settle for second place in 2017.

Top Individual Results

Top silviculture crew for 2017, Heslip Forest Contracting, back row, from left, Gary Makihi, Neil Gardyne, Sakenasa Rugu, Warren Heslip, Naipolioni Qasevaigatini, and front row, from left, Gabriel Phillips and Vuniyani Qoro.

RESULTS - HARVESTING FULL YEAR 2017 FUNCTION BREAKING OUT CABLE TREE FELLING

GROUND BASE EXTRACTION

SHOVELLING

MECHANICAL PROCESSING

MECHANICAL TREE FELLING

MACHINE OPERATION ON THE LANDING

POLEMAN / SPOTTER SKID / QC

YARDER

ESTATE RAYONIER / MATARIKI RAYONIER / MATARIKI ERNSLAW ONE DENNIS E HAYES LOGGING NELSON FORESTS NELSON FORESTS NELSON PINE INDUSTRIES NELSON FORESTS NELSON FORESTS NELSON PINE INDUSTRIES NELSON FORESTS NELSON FORESTS NELSON FORESTS NELSON PINE INDUSTRIES RAYONIER / MATARIKI WENITA FOREST PRODUCTS NELSON PINE INDUSTRIES NELSON FORESTS NELSON FORESTS NELSON FORESTS RAYONIER / MATARIKI MANGOIHE LOGGING NELSON FORESTS RAYONIER / MATARIKI NELSON PINE FORESTS MANGOIHE LOGGING WENITA FOREST PRODUCTS RAYONIER / MATARIKI

PARTICIPANT HAYDN DISKIN COREY TAMAKA LES TIDY

CREW MOEHAU 99 MOEHAU 99 PAKIRI 26

PLACING 1 2 1

DUSTY WALLIS

DENNIS E HAYES LOGGING

2

JASON DUFF JASON HOLLYMAN

FRASER 740 FML 820

1 2

CODY MCCARRISON

FRASER 03

3

WAYNE HILLL KEVIN WILLIAMS

FRASER 740 FML 820

1 2

SCOTT FRIEDRICH

FRASER 03

3

CHARLIE THOMSON STEVE WAGHORN CRAIG HOCKING

FML 820 FRASER 740 FRASER 740

1= 1= 3

KANE RUDOLPH

FRASER 03

1

SAM DIXON

BRAND 102

2

DAMIEN MIKAERE

ROXBURGH 1

3

NIGEL GIBSON

FRASER 03

1

RUSSELL MOORECOCK SAM CULLEN STU JARY IZAAC DAVY SEAN O'DONNELL HUGH COLLIGAN CHARLIE BALLE TONY FRASER ROB HANCOCK

FRASER 740 FML 820 FML 820 HAURAKI 91 MANGOIHE 5 FRASER 740 HAURAKI 91 FRASER 03 MANGOIHE 3

2 3 4 1 2 1 2 3 1

BLAIR MCCOLL

ROXBURGH 2

2

ADAM DIAMOND

HAURAKI 91

3

RESULTS - WASTE THIN FULL YEAR 2017 ESTATE

PARTICIPANT

CREW

PLACING

RAYONIER/ MATARIKI

ROSS MARSHALL

OTAUTAU CONTRACTORS

1

RAYONIER/ MATARIKI

PAUL WOODS

MAKERIKERI SILVICULTURE

2

PORT BLAKELY

NICK SIM

NJ SIM FORESTRY SERVICES

3

RAYONIER/ MATARIKI

JADE PAPWORTH

MAKERIKERI SILVICULTURE

4

February 2018 | NZ LOGGER 49

top spot

Safety/performance/quality Paul Nicholls, from Rayonier / Matariki Forests (left), presents Marius Vergeer, of Otautau Contractors, with a certificate for runner-up crew in Waste / Thin for 2017.

Ross Marshall, (right), is presented with his certificate and prize pack for placing first in the Waste / Thin individual results for the 2017 full year and fourth period, by Paul Nicholls of Rayonier / Matariki Forests.

RESULTS - WASTE THIN PERIOD 4 2017 ESTATE

CREW

PARTICIPANT

PLACING

RAYONIER/ MATARIKI

OTAUTAU CONTRACTORS

ROSS MARSHALL

1

RAYONIER/ MATARIKI

MAKERIKERI SILVICULTURE

PAUL WOODS

2

PORT BLAKELY LTD

NJ SIM FORESTRY SERVICES

NICK SIMS

3

ERNSLAW ONE LTD

X-MEN

RUSSELL TE NGAHUE

4

RESULTS - HARVESTING PERIOD 4 2017 FUNCTION

ESTATE

PARTICIPANT

CREW

BREAKING OUT CABLE

ERNSLAW ONE

HARLEM HAWIRA

LAHAR 4

1

GROUND BASE EXTRACTION

TREE FELLING

MECHANICAL PROCESSING

SHOVELLING

MACHINE OPERATION ON THE LANDING

MECHANICAL TREE FELLING

SKID / QC

POLEMAN / SPOTTER

YARDER

50 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

PLACING

ERNSLAW ONE

GEORGE HINANA

LAHAR 4

2

ERNSLAW ONE

SIMON KATENE

LAHAR 4

3

ERNSLAW ONE

JACK TANA

X-MEN 23

4

ERNSLAW ONE

JOSH TEKAHU

KIMBERLEY 22

1

RAYONIER/ MATARIKI

MARK TOSI

LOGGED ON LOGGING 4

2

MANGOIHE LOGGING

BRENDON HAWKINS

MANGOIHE 3

3

ERNSLAW ONE

KIMBERLEY 22

1

RAYONIER / MATARIKI

TEMOONO JOHN MARSTERS DAVID SWAINE

BRAND 101

2

ERNSLAW ONE

DEVON STEWART

BLUEWOOD THINNING

3

CROWN FORESTRY

SHAUN FIELD

LCL 38

1

RAYONIER/ MATARIKI

CLINT NEWLAND

LOGGED ON LOGGING 4

2

CROWN FORESTRY

DES CHURCH

THOMASSEN 13

3

ERNSLAW ONE

NIGEL HUTCHINSON

BLUEWOOD THINNING

1

ERNSLAW ONE

RICHARD BOOTH

DEWES 3

2

RAYONIER / MATARIKI

ADAM BRAND

BRAND 102

3

RAYONIER / MATARIKI

SIMON BRAND

BRAND 102

1

ERNSLAW ONE

CODY SEATON

BLUEWOOD 5

2

MANGOIHE LOGGING

HARRY KEMARA

MANGOIHE 5

3

ERNSLAW ONE

CLINT MCIVOR

BLUEWOOD 5

4

ERNSLAW ONE ERNSLAW ONE

BEN HOHEPA LES TIDY

KIMBERLEY 22 PAKIRI 26

1 2

DENNIS E HAYES LOGGING

DUSTY WALLIS

DENNIS E HAYES LOGGING

3

ERNSLAW ONE

STEVE HAWERA

LAHAR 4

4

ERNSLAW ONE

KEVIN HENRY

X-MEN 23

1

ERNSLAW ONE

SHAYDYN SKUDDER

DEWES 3

2

ERNSLAW ONE

MATTHEW KATENE

LAHAR 4

3

ERNSLAW ONE

SHANNON TODD

BLUEWOOD 5

4

MANGOIHE LOGGING

SEAN O'DONNELL

MANGOIHE 5

1

MANGOIHE LOGGING

MICHAEL WILSON

MANGOIHE 3

2

ERNSLAW ONE

THOMAS KINGI

STORM 10

3

MANGOIHE LOGGING

ROB HANCOCK

MANGOIHE 3

1

MANGOIHE LOGGING

HAMISH THOMPSON

MANGOIHE 5

2

ERNSLAW ONE

SMILER KATENE

LAHAR 4

3

On Chains With 28� Single Grousers On Idlers and Sprockets On Full Set of Rollers and Slides On Track Adjuster Pistons and Seals On Mounting Hardware LIMITED OFFER PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW WHILE STOCKS LAST AND SAVE ON INDENTED PARTS PRICING

Order now from your local AB Equipment Branch or call AB Equipment 0800 30 30 90 or visit www.abequipment.co.nz For further information contact: Mark Hill 027 503 0483 Kelvin Thurston 021 820 763

new iron

KOMATSU FORWARDER FOR SINCLAIR

JOHN DEERE FOR SHERWOOD

Russell Sinclair, of Sinclair Logging, has taken delivery of a new Komatsu 895 for his harvesting operations in and around Geraldine. Sinclair Logging owns two Komatsu forwarders and operator, Zana Sinclair, says “we are very impressed with both of them”. Pictured, from left, are Jake Wynne, Zana Sinclair, ‘Tiffer’ the dog, Russell Sinclair, John Kosar (Komatsu Forest NZ) and Peter Scott (Komatsu Forest NZ).

Sherwood Logging, of Ngakuru, has taken delivery of its first John Deere forest machine, a 948L grapple skidder, which is now earning its keep in the Kaingaroa Forest

WISE DOOSANS

CAT FOR CASHMORE

When it was time to upgrade their shovelling machine, Nigel and Michelle Harrison of Wise on Wood continued to put their faith in a familiar brand, with the delivery of the fourth new Doosan DX300LL for their ground base crew in Northland. Spec’d with 600mm single bar shoes, Ensign 1730 grapple, factory live heel and straightened forestry boom, the DX300LL is purpose-built for shovelling and it hasn’t disappointed after being let loose on the broken and difficult terrain in the North. Pictured with their Doosan line-up is the Wise on Wood crew of Dobby, Kane, John, Nigel, Michelle and Mark.

Wanganui-based Cashmore Contracting has a new Cat 538LL Forest Machine working in their operation. Operator, Sam, is very impressed with the new purpose-built forestry unit’s lift capacity and how comfortable and quiet the cab is, plus the great view of the skid it affords. The Cat 500-series FM range features outstanding performance, fuel efficiency and optimised work tools, while increasing horsepower, swing torque and reach, and improving stability through wider, heavy-duty track frames. Carl Southee, from Gough Cat, sold the machine.

52 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

T

Forest Industry Contractors Association FICA GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES THE SUPPORT OF OUR PARTNERS AND SPONSORS

ACCOUNTANCY & MANAGEMENT SERVICES

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TO JOIN, CALL JOHN STULEN ON 027 275 8011

www.fica.org.nz

new iron

SATCO FOR MARSHALL Cathy Marshall has taken the step to go fully mechanised with a SATCO 325T fitted to this existing Cat base. The head features Dasa5 optimising, main saw auto tensioning and chain shot flashing lights when saws are in use. Jeremy, foreman and operator, has been looking forward to the challenges of mechanical processing on the landing.

GARLAND SOUTHSTAR Davy Garland has taken delivery of a Southstar QS600 harvester mounted onto a John Deere 909MH, which is working in the hills above Wellington. Pictured, from left, are Blair Adamson, Ben Addenbrooke, Davy Garland and Kirk Thomson.

CARTER VOLVO Andrew and Sue Carter have put this new Volvo EC250DL into their central North Island crew, where it is performing shovelling, fleeting and loading duties.

The new EC250DL is another factory built machine in the region and has been fitted with an Ensign 1530HTC grapple. The machine has impressed the crew with its track power and smooth operation. The sale was made by TransDiesel's Timber and Material Handling National Product Manager, Ewen Satherley

BBL SATCO & KOMATSU Tony (Irish) and Julie Shanahan, of Gisborne-based BBL Contracting, has taken delivery of a new Komatsu PC 300LC-8, which is equipped with an Active guarding package and fitted with a SATCO 630HA felling head and SATCO boom and stick with live heel. Matt Mackintosh, the operator, is felling and shovelling for the Harvestline and ground base crew and has been looking forward to seeing what this beast can do. It hasn’t disappointed. “We are in big wood, but the Komatsus I have operated always have a ton of power,” he says. In the main photo, from left, are Warren Nolan (SATCO), Mark Graham (Heavy Equipment Services), Matt Mackintosh, Tony Shanahan and John Kosar (Komatsu Forest NZ). In the other shot, the SATCO head is being put to good use.

54 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

new iron

HITACHI FOR BEARD

CAT FOR DG GLENN

Kerry and the team at K and S Beard Logging have taken delivery of a new Hitachi ZX400L-5, coupled with a Waratah HTH626 Bigwood and extensive Pro-steel guarding package. The big processor combination is right at home in the Tangoio Forest, north of Napier. Pictured, from the left, are Tony Coker, Shane Beard, Kerry Pritchard, Stuart Thomas and Rewiti Andrews. The machine was sold and is supported by CablePrice Hastings.

This Cat 552 Series 2 harvester is a new addition for DG Glenn Logging, and is now working in one of the Pan Pac forests in the Hawkes Bay. The Cat harvester impresses with its excellent ground clearance, long reach, great stability and tractive power and features a Woodsman 1350 felling head. The unit was supplied by Gough Cat in Napier.

TRIMAX KOMATSU Alan and Shirley Saunders, of Trimax Logging, have taken delivery of a new Komatsu PC 300LC-8 for their harvesting operation in Matahina Forest. The new PC 300LC-8 has an EMS guarding package and is fitted with an Ensign 1730IH log grapple. Tyrone, operator, reckons it’s a “pleasure to operate”. Pictured, from left, are Scott Saunders, Casey Saunders, ‘Gee’, Tyrone Keenan, Alan Saunders, John Kosar (Komatsu Forest NZ) and Tinus Barnard (Komatsu Forest NZ).

SATCO FOR TAYLOR Richard Taylor Contracting has put this new SATCO 630H felling head onto a Hyundai 250LC-9 for felling and bunching duties.

Richard is operating in woodlots in the Blenheim area and with summer in full swing he’s putting the SAT630 to good use.

February 2018 | NZ LOGGER 55

new iron

VOLVO FOR WARD

JOHN DEERE LOADER FOR WILD HOG

Shane and Chantelle Ward from Rotorua have taken custody of their new Volvo EC300DL, which replaces Shane’s EC290CL that gave him a faultless service. The new machine is fitted with an Ensign 1730 grapple and Ensign quick hitch. With the factory Volvo extra auxiliary hydraulics, the EC300DL is able to run different bucket and grapple hydraulic pressures at the flick of a switch. This machine has the first new generation Volvo forestry cabin with the taller front window for increased visibility. TransDiesel's Timber and Material Handling National Product Manager, Ewen Satherley, made the sale.

Josh and Vicki Williams, from Wild Hog Logging, have taken delivery of a John Deere 2156G purpose-built log loader. The new G-series John Deere is well spec’d with high rise rear entry cab for outstanding visibility and coupled with an Ensign 1730 grapple. The machine is hard at work on the East Coast, with operator ‘Willow’ enjoying the roomy cab and long reach. The Wild Hog crew is pictured, from the left, Luke, Hamish, Willow, Adrian, Josh and Paul from CablePrice Gisborne, which sold and supports the machine.

NZ LOGGER classified

STRONG & RELIABLE GRAPPLES STRONG && RELIABLE RELIABLE GRAPPLES GRAPPLES STRONG Made in NZ

• M SERIES 852 AND 864 – STRONG & RELIABLE GRAPPLES

Grapplesand andall allspares sparesinin Grapples stockwith withovernight overnightdelivery delivery stock

• GRAPPLES AND ALL SPARES IN STOCK WITH OVERNIGHT DELIVERY

LG27145

•SERIES PROVEN AFTER 852 and864 864 MMSERIES 852 and SALES SERVICE STRONG&&RELIABLE RELIABLE STRONG GRAPPLES GRAPPLES

56 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

ProvenAfter AfterSales Sales Proven Service Service ContactMarty MartyororBruce Bruce Contact Ph027 027324 3249091 9091 Ph 79Chambers ChambersStreet, Street,Tokoroa Tokoroa 79 enquiries@cdlloggrapples.co.nz enquiries@cdlloggrapples.co.nz

A DIVISION OF

NZ LOGGER classified

HEAVY EQUIPMENT REMARKETING CONTRACTORS PLANT NZ LTD 59 Broadlands Rd - Taupo

EQUIPMENT SALES

NEW STOCK

BROKERS

HIRE

REDUCED PRICE Cat 545C Grapple Skidder: 35.5 tyres, 9,400 hrs. Very tidy machine. $220,000 plus GST

Hitachi ZX450 Waratah 626: Full forestry guarding, straight fully operational and measuring machine.

POA

ROTORUA

Daewoo 220 Log Loader: Purpose built LL, Logger boom and arm, high-wide, Ensign. $75,000 plus GST

PALMERSTON NORTH

E: philt@heavymachineryservices.co.nz

Caterpillar 330DL Processor: Full guarding, Logmax 12000 head 12,000 hrs.

In stock Taupo $255,000 plus GST LE

MP O CONTACT: SA HOT PHIL TODD

M: 027 595 0019

P

P: (07) 345 4343

LG27645

John Deere 2154D Log Loader: Volvo L90F Wheel Loader: L5 tyres, radiator guard, Thunderbird TMY70: Purpose built LL, high-wide, Ensign grapple, only 8,500hrs. full mudguards, Ensign Log Forks, auto-grease.

5 guyline, new Nov 2017 ropes and rigged ready for work. $P.O.A $85,000 plus GST $P.O.A

Harvestech S3000: Dealer rebuilt units.

$28,000 plus GST

John Deere 648GIII Grapple Skidder: 30.5’s, dual function, winch.

Cat 325CL Log Loader: Full guarding, Ensign grapple.

$P.O.A

$65,000 plus GST

Trades Considered – Finance Available (normal lending criteria applies)

Contact: Peter Wilson Mobile: 0274 948 742 or 07 378 6844 Email: cplnz@xtra.co.nz Contact: Phil Todd Mobile: 0275 950 019 or 07 345 4343 Email: philt@heavymachineryservices.co.nz February 2018 | NZ LOGGER 57

GEAR TAC 300 / 380 / 460

The Ultimate Replacement for Black Tac

415 Lower Queen Street, Richmond, Nelson Mobile: 021 811 057 sales@drdiesel.nz | www.drdiesel.nz

HAULER PARTS NZ

GT-

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AIR VALVES / CONTROLLERS

1003 WILLIAMS WM318-G VALVE & REPAIR KITS

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1007 REXROTH HD-2-FX CONTROLAIR

1058 HUMPHREY 70 CONTROL

BRAKE AIR VALVES / TREADLES

1027 REXROTH HD-2-FX CONTROLAIR SERVICE KIT

1158 WILLIAMS SB90 SERVICE KIT

1173 WILLIAMS 104774 CAM FOLLOWER

1178 WM 305 SINGLE TREADLE DUAL VALVE & REPAIR KITS

1047 WILLIAMS 472 & REPAIR KITS

1177 1176 BENDIX DUAL WILLIAMS ACTION BRAKE WM352F TREADLE MODULATING VALVE

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1179 WILLIAMS AIR DUMP VALVE & REPAIR KITS

1172 BENDIX T-240004-D DUMP VALVE

ED E 82

AIR RAMS

1187 QUINCY 325, 350, 370

1021 MADILL 122/124 GUY WINCH AIR RAM

1022 1153 MADILL 122 THUNDERBIRD GUY WINCH AIR TSY 155 RAM

1 EATO EAT

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HYDRAULIC PUMPS / MOTORS

1078 BELL V20 HYDRAULIC PUMP FOR BELL MAIN LIFT RAM

1077 ENSIGN HYDRAULIC MOTOR

1077 MADILL 123/124 GUY WINCH HYDRAULIC MOTOR

www.drdiesel.nz

1080 BE85 GUY MOTOR

1154 WARATAH 626 MAIN DRIVE MOTOR

1202 SATCO 630 SAW MOTOR

sales@drdiesel.nz

WAT 90

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GT-460 ULTRA GOLD

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1164 POWERUP GEARMAXX

20% OFF 22 X 5 BFG OIL TUBES DEUBLIN VALVES

1009 DEUBLIN 1” NPT

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1129 DEUBLIN

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1013 DEUBLIN WICHITA CLUTCH 18”, 19”, 21”

1057 WICHITA CLUTCH AIR TUBE BLANK ADAPTER

1159 DEUBLIN THUNDERBIRD WATER UNION

1014 DEUBLIN 1” NPT

1156 WICHITA LONG WATER UNION ADAPTER

SWITCHES / BUTTONS

E YL ST

1201 EDWARDS 820 BUTTON (NEW STYLE)

1023 MADILL 122-123HI-LO TRANS SWITCH

1024 1101 MADILL 122-123 DETROIT 60 TRANS SERIES ENGINE F-REVERSE THROTTLE SWITCH SWITCH

1008 POTENTIOMETER 4 POLE TERMINALS

1031 KOBELT 124 CONTROLLER REBUILD KIT

SEAL KITS

1167 EATON 218 / 224 NEW AND OLD STYLE SEAL KIT

1169 MADILL 122, 123, 124, CENTER JOINT SEAL KIT

1168 TMY 50 70 OUTRIGGER SEAL KIT

1134 MADILL 122/124 180MM MADILL NITROGEN TRACK ADJUSTER SEAL KIT

1143 WARATAH HYDRAULIC MOTOR SEAL KIT

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1170 WILLIAMS R472 SERIES KIT

1061 ENSIGN 1500 GRAPPLE RAM SEAL KIT

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1203 WATER PUMP 90252008

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Large range in stock to suit Harvesters, Forwarders & Skidders HEAVY DUTY MULTI TERRIAN TRACK (FX) Available for Tigercat Skidders & Forwarders n Dual Wheel Track 750/55-26.5 (to suit FKF Tyres) n Dual Wheel Track 750/55-26.5 (to suit TRS Tyres) n Dual Wheel Track 780/50-26.5 (to suit TRS Tyres)

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Call 0800 654 323 now to secure your set & get better productivity from your machines

18/01/2018 10:12:51

Truckers & Loggers FISHING TOURNAMENT Put yo u chair rself in the for th e Truck ers & 2018 Logge rs

22nd - 24th March 2018 Paihia, Bay of Islands Hosted by the Bay of Islands Swordfish Club (Inc)

REGISTER ONLINE NOW:

www.nztruckanddriver.co.nz/truckers-loggers.html

2018 TEAM NAME:______________________________________________________________

BOAT NAME: ____________________________________________

MOB NO:

VHF RADIO:

______________________________________________________________

YES

NO

ANGLER: 1. _________________________________________________________

4. _________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________

5. _________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________

6. _________________________________________________

IF MEMBERS OF YOUR CREW ARE NOT MEMBERS OF A CLUB AFFILIATED TO NZ SPORT FISHING INCORPORATED A TOURNAMENT MEMBERSHIP OF $25 PER ANGLER IS REQUIRED. PLEASE TICK BOX IF TOURNAMENT MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED FOR ANGLERS.

TOURNAMENT MEMBERSHIPS REQUIRED No: __________________ @ $25, TOTAL: $ _________________ (Tick Box Alongside Anglers Name) $125 PER ANGLER, No: ___________________________________________ TOTAL: $ _________________ GUEST ENTRY (non anglers) $50 each, No: ___________________________

TOTAL: $ _________________

WE WILL BE FISHING FROM ANOTHER AREA ON THURSDAY MORNING:

YES

NON-REFUNDABLE 25% DEPOSIT with entry to Tournament. Balance payable no later than Wednesday night briefing. Cheques payable to: Truckers & Loggers Fishing Tournament.

DEPOSIT: $ ____________________________

NO

TEAM CONTACT NAME: ______________________________________________________________________

PH:________________________________________

ADDRESS: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EMAIL:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ VISA

MASTERCARD

CARD HOLDER NAME: _______________________________________________________

EXPIRY DATE ________/ _________ AMOUNT: $ _______________

SIGNATURE: _______________________________________________________________

SECURITY CODE ________________

TOURNAMENT SPONSORS: TD27171

CHEQUE

NZ LOGGER classified

"A name you can trust" www.forestryfirst.com We ship world wide!

YARD FULL OF WOODS READY LOGGING EQUIPMENT Excellent selection of refurbished/serviced equipment Consistent/accurate written condition reports on all equipment New Nokian Logger King Tires at great pricing

in the 2018 gers

07 Valmet 475FXL 9300 hrs Quadco 24" 360 saw - $210K

16 Tigercat 870C 2100 hrs Logmax 12000 - $489K

10 Morbark 25/36 400HP 1300 hrs. - $109K

16 Caterpillar 522B, TC 5702 Saw 400 hrs - Warranty - $469K

13 Caterpillar 535C 8,448 hrs - $109K

11 Deere 748H 12,496 hrs - $69K

08 Deere 848H 7,952 hrs - $69K

15 Tigercat 620E 4,697 hrs - $159K

11 Tigercat 635D 4,309 hrs - $275K ,

*pricing in USD

Lexington SC USA (P) 001.803.708.0624 - sales@forestryfirst.com February 2018 | NZ LOGGER 63

MUFFLERS INDUSTRIAL

EARTHMOVING

NZ LOGGER classified

E L A S R FO

QUALITY REPLACEMENT

MUFFLERS

We Have INDUSTRIAL

EARTHMOVING

Moved

QUALITY REPLACEMENT

MUFFLERS

ble for:

ufflers availa

Over 1500 m

CATERPILLAR Sending us We Have SUMITOMO a sample?

Moved KOMATSU INDUSTRIAL

Sending us TO SEND IT We Have a sample?

LG27607

2011 PC300 LC-8 Komatsu Forestry guarded, Purpose Cab 13,500hrs. Full service history Single bar grousers. Track gear 90%

EARTHMOVING

KOBELCO HYUNDAI DOOSAN HITACHI VOLVO SATCO

602 602

Moved SEND IT TO

Sending us a sample?

Tremaine Tremaine Avenue Avenue 602 SEND IT TO

PALMERSTON NORTH PALMERSTON NORTH Tremaine CATERPILLAR Avenue 100% 06 754HITACHI 7460 CATERPILLAR PALMERSTON NORTH KOMATSU $250k + GST HITACHI sales@musket.co.nz KOBELCO CATERPILLAR VOLVO KOMATSU HITACHI www.musketmufflers.com Ph Alan @ 027 534 9440 YANMAR PROUDLY KOBELCO MADE CASE 100% NZKOMATSU KOBELCO ISUZU VOLVO VOLVO HINO YANMAR YANMAR PROUDLY CUMMINS First NZPROUDLY MADE CASE 100% TIMBERJACK CASE NZ MADE ISUZU edition ISEKI HINO ISUZU & MORE CUMMINS HINO 602TIMBERJACK Tremaine Ave ISEKI CUMMINS Palmerston & North MORE Well known forester and hunter Lance Duncan retired from the forestry TIMBERJACK 06 75 47 460 industry then sat down and wrote a book. It’s the tale of his life and is fullPh 602 Tremaine Ave of yarns from many years of working in forestry and hunting and those people Email ISEKI

LG27557

PROUDLY NZ MADE

LOUIE AND HIS HARD 100% CASE BUGGERS

Palmerston North sales@musket.co.nz Ph 06 75 47& 460MORE Its full of humour, our proof reader was in stitches when she worked on this manuscript. www.musketmufflers.com It hasn’t been sterilised it’s written as Lance tells it and anybody who knows himEmail will know 602 sales@musket.co.nz you will get it straight.If you are easily offended then it’s probably not for you. Tremaine Ave he met along the way.

Palmerston North Ph 06 75 47 460 ORDER FORM: LOUIE AND HIS HARD CASE Email BUGGERS sales@musket.co.nz MY DETAILS $50 INCL GST & POSTAGE (NZ PRICE) Post PO Box 112062 Penrose, Auckland 1642

Ph 09 571 3544 Fax 09 571 3549

NAME:

www.musketmufflers.com

Email accounts@trucker.co.nz

*OVERSEAS PURCHASES-POSTAGE PRICING WILL www.musketmufflers.com DIFFER, PLEASE CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION

ADDRESS:

PHONE (day):

FOR ME

A GIFT

SEND AS A GIFT

EMAIL: PAYMENT

VISA

MASTERCARD

AMEX

CHEQUE

RECIPIENT DETAILS NAME:

SECURITY CODE:

64 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

EXPIRY DATE: SIGNATURE:

PHONE (day): EMAIL:

AP27732

ADDRESS: CARD HOLDER NAME:

W M N C Ja AU C B

2015 Tigercat 615C Log Skidder 20152015 Tigercat Tigercat 615C615C Log Skidder Log Skidder

4,000 hours, large fuel tank & 19ft grapple.

4,0004,000 hours,hours, large large fuel tank fuel &tank & 19ft grapple.

19ft grapple.

Ex Taupo

Komatsu PC300LC-8

3,800 hours, Satco 223T processor, high 20152015 Hyundai Hyundai R290LC-9 R290LC-9 3,800 hours,full hours, & 3,800 wide, Processor Processor Satco Satco 223T 223T guarding package including processor, processor, high hydraulic bonet.high & wide, & wide, full full guarding guarding package package including including Ex Dunedin hydraulic hydraulic bonet.bonet.

Ex Hastings Ex Hastings

Ex Dunedin Ex Dunedin

Ex Taupo Ex Taupo

$250,000 + GST

$420,000 + GST 1996 Thunderbird TSY355 Yarder

$420,000 $420,000 + GST + GST Has had various

modifications over the years 19961996 Thunderbird Thunderbird Has had Has had various tovarious bring to modifications modifications TSY355 TSY355 Yarder Yarder spec. Comes TSY6355 with Grapple over the overyears the years and camera. Available early December. to bring to bring to to TSY6355 TSY6355 spec.spec.

Comes Comes with Grapple with Grapple Ex Napier and camera. and camera.

Available Available early early December.

December.

CAT 545C

Skidder CAT 545C CAT 545C

Skidder Skidder

$850,000 $850,000 GST + GST 8,500+hours, with

$250,000 $250,000 + GST + GST 5,200 hours,

winch & boxed section grapple.

5,2005,200 hours,hours, winchwinch & boxed & boxed section section grapple. grapple.

Madill 172

Yarder MadillMadill 172 172

YarderYarder

Log Skidder

$260,000 $260,000 + GST + GST 1126 hours, winch,

“OBO”, available immediately.

“OBO”, “OBO”, available available immediately. immediately.

Ex Cambridge Ex Cambridge

$260,000 + GST 2017 Tigercat 635G

$360,000 $360,000 + GST + GST

Ex Cambridge

Ex Taupo Ex Taupo

$850,000 + GST Log Skidder

$360,000 + GST

Ex Taupo

Ex Napier Ex Napier

2010 Tigercat 630D

2015 Hyundai R290LC-9 Processor

14,500 hours, EMS guarding/ hi/wide fitted Komatsu Komatsu PC300LC-8 PC300LC-8 14,500 14,500 hours,hours, with Woodsman EMS(2,500 guarding/ EMS guarding/ Pro 800 hours) hi/wide hi/wide fitted fitted with Woodsman with Woodsman Pro 800 Pro(2,500 800 hours)hours) Ex(2,500 Hastings

$1,000,000 + GST 1997 Madill 3200B

Processor

$1,000,000 $1,000,000 + GST + GST with 424c Waratah,

19ft grapple, 35.5 tyres, does not 2010 2010 Tigercat Tigercat 630D630D come with bandwith 8,500 8,500 hours, hours, with tracks, straight & tidy, available lategrapple, January.

19ft grapple, 19ft 35.5 35.5 Log Skidder Log Skidder tyres, tyres, does not does not come come with band with band Exlate Christchurch tracks,tracks, straight straight & tidy,&available tidy, available January. late January.

25ft grapple, 780mm rear tyres, 2017 2017 Tigercat Tigercat 635G635G rearhours, bandhours, trackswinch, & 1126 1126 winch, tethering blade package.

Log Skidder Log Skidder 25ft grapple, 25ft grapple, 780mm 780mm rear tyres, rear tyres, rear band rear tracks band tracks & & Dunedin tethering tethering bladeEx blade package. package.

base has 22,500 hours, head has 19971997 MadillMadill 3200B 3200B anWaratah, estimated with 424c with 424c Waratah, 15,000 hours.

Good service history. base has base22,500 has 22,500 Processor Processor hours,hours, head has head has an estimated an estimated 15,000 15,000 hours.hours.

Good Good service service history. history.

Ex Taupo

Ex Christchurch Ex Christchurch

Ex Dunedin Ex Dunedin

Ex Taupo Ex Taupo

$200,000 + GST

$660,000 + GST

$160,000 + GST

$200,000 $200,000 + GST + GST

$660,000 $660,000 + GST + GST

$160,000 $160,000 + GST + GST

WHANGAREI HAMILTON WELLINGTON/PALMERSTON NORTH INVERCARGILL Marcus Bourke 027 241 6126 Tony Hennessy 027 839 8153 Mardi Pritchard 021 335 873 Dean Cousins 021 932 246 NORTH HARBOUR TAUPO NELSON WHANGAREI WHANGAREI HAMILTON HAMILTON WELLINGTON/PALMERSTON WELLINGTON/PALMERSTON NORTH NORTH INVERCARGILL INVERCARGILL Charles Dryden 021 751 158 Steve Mellar 027 565 3956 Chris Jones 027 574 1712 Marcus Marcus Bourke Bourke 027021 241 027 6126 241 Hennessy Tony Hennessy 027 839 0278153 839 8153Mardi Mardi Pritchard Pritchard 021 335 021873 335 873 Dean Cousins Dean Cousins 021 932 021246 932 246 James Maunsell 937 3046126Tony MT MAUNGANUI CHRISTCHURCH NORTH NORTH HARBOUR HARBOUR TAUPO TAUPO NELSON AUCKLAND Andre Muller 027 550 1729 Nic NELSON McLennan 027 275 6252 FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA! Charles Charles Dryden Dryden 021 751 021 158 751 158 Steve Steve MellarMellar 027 565 0273956 565 3956 Chris Jones Chris Jones 027 574 0271712 574323 1712 Colin Saunders 027 593 2661 HASTINGS Steven Varcoe 021 969 James James Maunsell 021 937 021 304 937 304 MTBen MAUNGANUI MT MAUNGANUI CHRISTCHURCH CHRISTCHURCH Byren WareMaunsell 027 287 8902 Kendrick 021 658 554 DUNEDIN AB EQUIPMENT AUCKLAND AUCKLAND Andre Andre Muller Muller 027 550 0271729 5509216 1729 NicCory McLennan Nic McLennan 027 0276252 275 6252FIND US Richard Walker 027 553 Hellyer 027 275 288 1952 FIND ONUS SOCIAL ON SOCIAL MEDIA!MEDIA! Colin Saunders Colin Saunders 027 593 0272661 593 2661HASTINGS HASTINGS StevenSteven VarcoeVarcoe 021 969 021323 969 323 Byren Byren Ware 027 Ware287 0278902 287 8902 Ben Kendrick Ben Kendrick 021 658 021554 658 554 DUNEDIN DUNEDIN AB EQUIPMENT AB EQUIPMENT Richard Richard WalkerWalker 027 553 0279216 553 9216Cory Hellyer Cory Hellyer 027 288 0271952 288 1952

t

super tough

seat covers

F

Trucks • Utes – Vans – Commercials • Construction Machinery • Agriculture Machinery • Quad Bikes

Valuation Services Include:

SEAT COVERS

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Forestry Civil construction and contracting Transport Mining Quarrying and extractive industries Any heavy plant & machinery Valuations for financing Valuation for financial reporting Valuations for insurance purposes Sale and purchase advice of assets Asset management Company acquisitions Lease provision Equity position Market Values Liquidation Transfer of assets into company or trust

Contact: James Peacocke 0274 222 476 Email: james@mountmachinery.nz Mail: PO Box 4254, Mt Maunganui, 3149

• Over 3000 patterns available • Protect your vehicle investment • Overnight delivery available on most products

0800 158 479

sales@blackduck.co.nz

0 158 479 - sales@blackduck.co.nz - www.blackduck.co.nz www.blackduck.co.nz

W

LG27096

• Genuine high quality 12oz canvas • Manufacturing for over 25 years • Water & rot proof • Easy to fit - easy to clean • Side airbag compatible • Genuine high quality 12oz canvas • Tailored specifically to fit each type of seat • Manufacturing for over 20 years • Water & rot proof • Over 3000 patterns available • Easy to fit - easy to clean • Protect your vehicle investment • Side airbag compatible • Tailored specifically to fit each delivery type of seat • Overnight available on most products

LG27731

manheim.co.nz

Trucks & Machinery

ASSET SALE SPECIALISTS Manheim is the market leader for Truck, Trailer & Machinery Sales.

Offering Tenders, Online & Onsite Auctions or Buy Now Options, we take the hassle out of Fleet & Asset Disposals.

WHAT WE DO FOR YOU

TENDERS CLOSING WEEKLY & ONLINE AUCTIONS FORTNIGHTLY. PLUS A SELECTION OF ASSETS ON BUY NOW. Ian Ramsey Phone 022 466 1825 Ian.ramsey@manheim.co.nz

66 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

Karl Taylor Phone 027 204 3840 Karl.taylor@manheim.co.nz

- Valuations - Remarketing Consultancy & Advice - Tenders - Onsite & Online Auctions - Buy Now Retail Sales - Finance arrangement

Brad Gardiner Phone 027 242 1709 Brad.gardiner@manheim.co.nz

EG27348

UPER OUGH

NZ LOGGER classified

Waratah Forestry Services For more information contact:

0800 4WARATAH or 0800 492 728

FL85 SERIES 2

Designed for 20-25 tonne carriers or where a mid-class size felling head can add value through not compromising larger carrier base stability and reach, such as tethered applications. Our FL85 series II has substantial cutting capacity together with auto-tension mainsaw which increases daily uptime and a low overall cost to run- and like all of our heads, when you put one to work, our Waratah support team goes to work – to get you going and keep you productive.

Waratah FL95

25-35 tonne carrier class felling head. The new Waratah FL95 is a heavy duty, fixed saw box directional felling head that is specifically designed for steep slope felling, handling oversized trees and shovel logging.

With its massive 1580mm grapple opening and 45” mainsaw bar the FL95 is your felling head solution for all applications.

Price $69,000.00 + GST Waratah H415X

Waratah H415X harvesting head features a rugged main saw box with heavier steel plating, extra component guarding, hose protection, and increased drive arm durability.

Our four roller feed arm geometry ensures rollers grip solidly in all diameters, improving responsiveness with unprecedented tree-processing performance with best in class delimbing quality – Ideally suited to thinning or post and pole applications.

Price $85,000.00 + GST Waratah 626

Waratah 626 harvester, Well proven constant producer in large timber. Featuring Hi Flow Parker valve, Alpine feed rollers, 3/4 auto tension main saw, Laser find end, side entry full rotation and paint marking.

Price $240,000.00 + GST

Price $151,000.00 + GST

Less automation

EXTENSIVE HARVESTER REBUILDS At Waratah Forestry Services we offer extensive rebuild options to cater for your needs and to fit within an allocated budget to have your machine operate in the most productive manner.

BEFORE

AFTER With our rebuilds: • Only Waratah genuine parts are used in the rebuild • All new parts fitted and work conducted by WFS carries a 3 month warranty • Completion time between 6 – 8 weeks

All our work is carried out by our trained service technicians who have the tools and expertise to make your head built to work.

We offer the following rebuild options: • Chassis structural repair and line bore • Tilt frame, delimb knives and feed arms repairs • Sand blast/repaint chassis, feed arms, delimb arms, hanger bracket, topsaw box • Complete harvesting head re-hose • Rebuild MS18 motors • Major and minor pin replacement • Reseal OMV 800 motors • Cylinder Reseals

• Valve bank reseals • Saw motor shaft seal replacement • Feed roller replacements • Saw swing arm rebuilds • Cylinder and link bush replacement • Measuring arm bearings and wheel replacements • Replace bushes and reshim all arms and tilt frame • Replace buffer stops • New valve guards • Replace front knife guides

NZ LOGGER classified

Alpine Grapples

IFS Growth is seeking expressions of interest for Roadlining crews

Price $80,000 + GST Two models available AGC-3 suited to skyline operations (1.3 tonne) AGC-2 suited to running skyline operations (1.1 tonne) One AGC-3 Now in Stock

4 Year Contract Close of applications 28 February, 2018

• Full continuous rotation grapple • Power opening grapple • New strengthened grapple • No engine • Simple construction • Reliable

LG27626

LG27698

Interested parties can contact Liss Troedel or Jonien Botha on 022 415 9451 or email liss@ifsgrowth.co.nz to register your interest.

www.ifsgrowth.co.nz

Call for more info Spencer Hill 022 348 5833 or +31 612 400 898 or Matt 027 551 1836

Forestry Insurance Solutions LG23616

0800 55 54 53 info@stal.co.nz

Forestry Insurance Solutions

68 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

LG27722

www.sweeneytownsend.co.nz

YC230-8LCF YC310-8LCF

• • • • •

POWER BY CUMMINS HYDRAULICS BY KYB & KPM HIGH + WIDE OPTIONS STRONG • SMOOTH BASE WEIGHT 22360KG I 31300KG STRONG COMMON COMPONENTS • VALUE • RELIABILITY • POWER

SD16F 17000 KG 160HP / 120KW

• BULLDOZERS • LOADERS • WIDE FORESTRY RANGE • STRONG & RELIABLE • OUTSTANDING VALUE

0800 344 425 LG27722

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: John Giltrap 0274 329 921 john@diggalink.co.nz

www.diggalink.co.nz

Steve Scott Taupo 021 708 008 taupo@diggalink.co.nz

NZ LOGGER classified

www.chains.co.nz

Haulers for lease

ENGINEERED WITH EXPERIENCE....

LG27634

• 50 & 70 foot towers available for hire • Full Maintenance and insurance covered by log lease

If you are interested please ring Ross 0274938460 or Sarah 0273072848 / sarah@loglease.co.nz

LG27699

Clark Grouzer Super Grip with 28mm links for 30.5x32 Firestone tyres is the single wheel track that delivers maximum climbing capability for 6-wheeled machines.

GSG’s give exceptional traction and require less maintenance than tyre chains. $10150.00 + GST per pair while stock lasts. Chain Protection have been Clark Tracks NZ agent for 20 + Years.

Chain Protection Services Ph: 03 338 1552 • E: chainpro@xtra. co.nz • www.chains.co.nz

NOW AVAILABLE FOR HIRE

www.facebook.com/RWFSfieldservice

LG26859

visit us on

70 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

LG23949

Ph: 07 348 0501 Email: Info@rwfs.co.nz Mob: 027 817 9448 Workshop 41 Riri Street, Rotorua

MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.

COMPLETE UNDERCARRIAGE SOLUTIONS FOR ALL APPLICATIONS. SPECIALISING IN FORESTRY & CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY: • SUPPLY OF NEW UNDERCARRIAGE FROM STEEL TRACKS TO RUBBER TRACKS • FULL TRACK SHOP FACILITIES FOR PIN & BUSH TURNS AND FITTING NEW PINS AND BUSHES • SUB ARC WELDING FOR RELUGGING AND IDLER REBUILDS • FULL WORKSHOP ENGINEERING AND ONSITE • SUPPLYING AND FITTING OF TRACK GUARDS • REMOVAL AND REFITTING OF DRILL AND EXCAVATOR SHOES • 100T PRESS AVAILABLE FOR FIELD REPAIRS AND JOINING OF CHAIN

FOR A LG23949

QUOTE

07 849 3811 MOB: 0274 727 741 PH:

jim.keaney@trackweld.co.nz

www.trackweld.co.nz

72 NZ LOGGER | February 2018

LG25750

NZ LOGGER classified

FOR SALE: Clark F665, 666, F667, Cat 525B Grapple Skidder, JD648G, TJACK 460, 560.

DOZERS: Caterpillar, D4H, D6C, D6H, Komatsu D65 + D85, tie back dozers, D85/21.

Excavators: Caterpillar 320, 322, 325, 330, B,C & D. Hyundai 250/9 Volvo 240C log rigged.

Teebar manufactured and sold. Wheeled loader WA470/3.

Lakeland Heavy Machinery Ltd

Branches now in the NZ LARGEST RANGE OF SKIDDER FOR SALE: Clark 664, 666C, 666B, F67 Grapple Skidders No rth & South Island CHAINS, HEAVIER AND BETTER Komatsu D65/6 and D85/21 log rigged, CAT 936, 950B and Komatsu WA470/ wheeled loaders, buckets or forks.

Forestry Tyre Chains NZ largest raNge Of skidder

Branches noNZ w in LARGEST the North & South IslSTOCKS and

Super Heavy Dutyheavier aNd Better ChaiNs, 35.5x32 - Weight 10000kg 30.5x32 - Weight 950kg 29.5x32 28L Super Heavy Duty 23.5x26 30.5x32 - Weight 950kg

Forestry Tyre Chains

OF DOZER

NZ largest + DIGGER stOCks CHAINS, OfROLLERS dOZer + digger IDLERS, ChaiNs, SPROCKETS rOller available Roller rebuilding/reshells Track press service idlers, Mini Excavator tracks sPrOCkets

35.5x32

Heavy 29.5x32 Duty

30.5x32 -23.5x26 Weight 650kg Heavy Duty Machines

30.5x32 - Weight 650kg

Zaxis 270Standard with teebar. Teebars in stock.

D7H with30.5x32 winch - Weight 365kg Machines

Roller rebuilding/reshells available Track press service available Mini excavator tracks also available

PC350/6 with teebar or grapple DYH with winch

Cat and Komatsu Pumps Komatsu Pumps

WE QUOTE HEAVY TRACK CHAINS We DUTY QuOte heavy duty traCk ChaiNs BONING OUT DISMANTLING 525 CAT 518,CAT 525A B & C, Clark, WRECKING, SKIDDERS, John Deere TJack.

BULLDOZERS, LOADERS, Excavators all makes, CAT EXCAVATORS All Models, 3x 33OD Cat, FOR SALE: Dozer parts

NYLON / FIBRE DRIVE GEARS NYLON / FIBRE DRIVE GEARS

CAT D5B, D6D, D7H D65 & D85 KOMATSU POA TRY US WE ARE FOR WORTH IT! SALE: More Machines On Our Website NEWParts PARTS, CAT, KOMATSU, New Clark off the shelf MACHINES $2476-$6884 + gst.

Grouser Bar From $36 per 3 EXCAVATORS metres HITACHI & SUMI ADJUSTERS DOZERS + DIGGERS Scrap Handling units also 32.5x32 FIRESTONE available Used Tyres RECOIL SPRINGS AVAILABLE 126-136 View Road, PO Box 1976, Rotorua Email: info@heavy-machinery.co.nz • Phone: 07 347 0765 • Fax: 07 349 2325 • Mob 0274 945 886 ROTATING GRAPPLES TO FIT 1 TO 40 TONNES ROTATING GRAPPLES MACHINES $2476 to 30K + gst.

TO FIT 1 TONNE TO 15 TONNE Shears, dredge buckets

126-136 View Road, PO Box 1976, Rotorua Email: info@heavy-machinery.co.nz

• Phone: 07 347 0765 • Fax: 07 349 2325 • Mob 0274 945 886 Check our website for more info www.heavy-machinery.co.nz

Check our website for more info www.heavy-machinery.co.nz

EXCAVATOR WORLD

Hokitika South Island BuLLDOzERS EXCAVATORS SkIDDERS

All NEW Stock

orS ExcAVAt for SAlE

er in 0/3 30 tonn Hitachi EX30 et or grapple. ck bu r de or nice + GST $39,000

LG25750

• • • •

Buckets Cabins final drive Parts grapples

• • • •

Pump Parts ram seal kits rOPs slew drives

ALL MAKES, NEW WINDOWS, NEW DOORS + PANELS, NEW RADIATORS AND COOLERS, ENGINE KITS + GASKETS, COMPUTERS, FINAL DRIVES AND PUMPS

SWAGED 6X31 Are bend fatigue issues causing you frequent rope changes and slowing production?

Our high performance swaged 6x31 rope provides improved flexibility and increased bend cycles that will boost your productivity and efficiency.

SPEAK TO THE TEAM THAT REALLY KNOWS THE ROPES Northland Lana Power 029 773 0744

Tauranga Lance Godfrey 027 480 9589

Upper South Island Mike Beleski 027 479 6806

Auckland/Waikato Andy Palmer 027 474 6032

Rotorua/Lower North Island Dave Caulfield 027 474 2809

Canterbury/Lower Sth Island Steve Marshall 027 434 7148

www.cookes.co.nz