NZ Logger Magazine

March 2018 | $7.20

It’s a

i w i K ial

c e p s

wood in Z N h it w e d a 0DL m

ISSN 1176-0397

Volvo EC38

Mahoe mills – a cut above

How to make woodlots pay

mind

contents MARCH 2018

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FOREST TALK Juken confirms Gisborne mill changes; Kiwis join with Aussies to fight for forestry future; Prime sawmill deal eases Gisborne woes; Crown Forestry offers tree planting deal to farmers; FICA appoints new CEO; SouthStar unchanged after Komatsu purchase; Australian forestry company targets NZ growth; first BIG Tigercat forwarder arrives; Tigercat launches mid-size six-wheeled skidder; new boss for Rayonier / Matariki; forest fires contributed to record global tree cover loss; US ‘bull market’ for lumber predicted to continue; ex-logger heads TransDiesel forestry sales; DIY drug testing not the answer; 70 international forest engineers confirmed for NZ

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38 Mahoe portable sawmills. Developed in Kerikeri more than 30 years ago, these mills are ideal for use on woodlots where access is limited.

conference; foresters praised for protecting nesting birds.

16

30

SHAW’S WIRE ROPES IRON TEST Volvo’s return to factory-built forestry carriers has been capped with the arrival of the EC380DL, which is ideal for harvesting and processing our bigger wood. But it wouldn’t have happened without the tenacity of ex-logger-turned-salesman Ewen Satherley. Our Iron Test team sampled the first one to arrive, working with Mike Harris Logging near Taupo.

NZ TIMBER Our quarterly focus on the New Zealand milling and processing sector goes mobile in this issue to see the latest developments with

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BREAKING OUT It’s hard to make money in woodlots, but one Northland logger seems to have found an answer – or more correctly, a series of answers. And it is working for both Rob Leslie, his crew and the woodlot owners.

DEPARTMENTS 2 editorial 50 fica 52 top spot 56 new iron 60 classifieds March 2018 | NZ LOGGER 1

from the editor

March 2018 | $7.20

It’s a

Kiwiial

spec

ISSN 1176-0397

PHOTO: JOHN ELLEGARD

Volvo EC380DL

Mahoe mills – a cut above

made with NZ

wood in mind

How to make woodlots pay

Mike Harris’ Volvo EC380DL wouldn’t be working in the central North Island if it wasn’t for a persistent ex-logger.

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Official Magazine of

The wisdom of Solomon I

T

DON’T ENVY THE TASK OF WOODCO CHAIRMAN, BRIAN STANLEY, WHEN HE gives his keynote address on the future of New Zealand’s forest industry at this month’s ForestWood conference in Wellington.

He’s going to be walking a tightrope of opinion that has seen tensions rising between forest owners on one the hand and wood processors and manufacturers on the other with regard to the tight supply of logs in some regions.

You see, Mr Stanley is not only Chairman of WoodCo, which represents all facets of the industry, from growing and harvesting trees to milling and processing, he is also Chairman of the Wood Processors & Manufacturing Association. So he has a foot in both camps.

Towards the end of last year, the situation almost reached boiling point as some mill owners vented their frustrations at watching shipments bypass their doors on their way to the wharves instead of being offered to local processors.

In spite of meetings between forest owners and millers, the issue continues to simmer under the surface, even though it has been recognised that the problem mostly lies with farmers, woodlot owners and independent exporters, not the corporates.

However, it’s going to take the wisdom of Solomon to extract a solution.

Future wood supply is the single biggest issue facing our industry and it seems incongruous to be discussing it just as we are hitting the Wall of Wood, with harvests increasing year-on-year for the next decade.

The underlying problem is China’s insatiable appetite for our logs, which has seen trees harvested as young as 18 years of age – too young to be any use to sawmillers and wood processors in New Zealand, even though the Chinese still manage to make something from them. Many of those trees are coming from woodlots, not corporate forests, and the buyers are often based overseas and not part of the main forestry structure, so they’re hard to deal with.

But the problem goes even deeper.

For the past 10-to-15 years we haven’t been planting enough new forests to maintain increased supplies of wood for the future. Worse, there has been wholesale deforestation in key areas like the central North Island. So the resource has actually been shrinking, especially in areas where the wood has been very accessible to major mills and wood processors. And by the late 2020’s, when the Wall of Wood has gone, it will shrink further due to the lack of new planting.

In the wake of the last ForestWood conference, a report into the future growth of the industry and the direction of the much-vaunted Strategic Action Plan was commissioned to see if the goal of doubling forestry exports by 2022 was still on course. The conclusion made depressing reading. The 2022 target depended on more wood being processed in New Zealand, particularly in the pulp and paper sector. But without surety of future supply, few seem willing to make such huge investment calls. And who can blame them.

We’ve now got a government that is prepared to help us expand our future wood supply, but the results are at least 25-to-35 years away. Much can happen by then.

In the meantime, the two sides of our industry are going to have to learn to co-exist better and be more supportive of each other. They’ll need to. China may not always be the big market it is now. NZL

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Komatsu Forest Pty Ltd 15C Hyland Cres Rotorua, New Zealand John Fisken M: 0277 715 254 E: john.fisken@komatsuforest.com John Kosar M: 0274 865 844 E: john.kosar@komatsuforest.com

forest talk

Juken confirms Gisborne mill changes JUKEN NEW ZEALAND HAS CONFIRMED IT is going ahead with changes to the products made at its East Coast Mill in Gisborne to return the plant to profitability and secure its long-term future, which will lead to job cuts.

The company told staff in January that is was considering stopping production of Plywood and Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) products and reducing the manufacture of Structural Laminated Veneer Lumber (SLVL) at its East Coast Mill because those parts of the business had been operating at significant losses for a number of years.

The mill will continue to make highvalue solid wood products used for highend residential and commercial interior cabinetry, furniture, solid doors and feature walls and, overtime, this side of the business will expand.

Juken General Manager, Dave Hilliard, says the final number of roles to go at the mill as a result of the changes wouldn’t be known after NZ Logger went to press.

But he adds: “Now that we have made the decision to go ahead with these changes, we will be working through a process to confirm exactly which roles and how many will go as result.

“There are around 100 roles impacted by the changes, but we anticipate that the final number of redundancies will be less than this, as a number of staff have applied to take voluntary severance and we also have some roles in our sawmilling side of the business that we’ll look to redeploy people into.”

Mr Hilliard says that during the consultative period alternative proposals

were explored, including a suggestion to produce plywood for affordable housing in New Zealand, but the age of the machinery and investment required ruled this out.

He adds: “We have started work onsite with staff, unions, WINZ, Ministry for Social Development, local MPs, iwi, community and business representatives to support our people through this difficult process and to make sure they are supported into new jobs or re-training if their roles go.”

The company is also talking to other employers, including Far East Sawmills who have come forward to offer jobs (see story opposite).

Juken is talking to the Government on how the industry is adapting to keep local processing and manufacturing competitive in the international market place. NZL

Kiwis and Aussies join to fight for forest industry future NEW ZEALAND WOOD PROCESSORS HAVE JOINED WITH THEIR counterparts in Australia to fight for the future of their respective industries in the face of unfair competition from overseas.

The aim of their joint approach is to target the “unfair” subsidies and market distortions used by other countries to support their timber industries, which they claim are harming sawmills and wood processors in New Zealand and Australia.

“We’ve joined together because we face the same trade distortions,” Brian Stanley, Chairman of New Zealand’s Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association told NZ Logger.

“We’re trying to level the playing field because at the moment it certainly isn’t level. The timber and wood processing industry in China is massively subsidised and so is India. Even Canada has policies that allow sawmills to gain favourable log purchasing rates that are 60% below true value.

“Both our industry, and that in Australia, have to compete globally with our wood products and if we want to expand in future we cannot do that unless there is a level playing field. We are on the same path.”

Mr Stanley says he and other members of the WPMA leadership group joined with their counterparts across the Tasman recently to meet Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, Forestry Minister, Anne Ruston and Trade Minister, Steven Ciobo, to voice their concerns and encourage them to back efforts to stamp out trade subsidies and non-tariff barriers.

That has resulted in New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade working with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade to coordinate their approach.

4 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

Mr Stanley adds: “Working together we are more likely to achieve success than tackling it on our own.”

The subsidies and non-tariff trade barriers will be among the issues raised by Mr Stanley when he addresses the bi-annual ForestWood conference in Wellington later this month.

His speech, entitled ‘What is the Future of Forestry in New Zealand?’ will also cover what he describes as “the elephant in the room” – log supply, which has led to commercial tensions among some sections of the forest industry.

Mr Stanley says the issue of logs bypassing sawmills in some regions on their way to ports to be exported has created some commercial tensions amongst sawmillers, wood processors and forest managers, and all parties need to sit down to resolve it in the context of processors asking a legitimate question relating to unfair trade and market distortions.

But there is a wider issue at stake, he adds. The lack of new tree planting and large-scale deforestation, coupled with China’s voracious appetite for our raw logs, has created a long-term shortage of wood that is preventing investment in new processing in New Zealand.

And we need more processing, particularly in the pulp sector, to boost forest industry earnings in the future. That won’t happen without more trees in the ground.

Mr Stanley goes on to say that those attending the ForestWood conference this month will be keen to hear about progress on the government’s initiative to plant 500 million new trees in the next decade, which will be outlined by Forestry Minister Shane Jones.

The conference takes place at Te Papa in Wellington on March 21. NZL

forest talk

The former WPI Prime sawmill near Gisborne is to restart soon.

Prime sawmill deal eases Gisborne woes A LIFELINE IS BEING THROWN TO SOME OF THE 100 WORKERS who may lose their jobs at the Juken NZ mill in Gisborne.

Up to 60 new jobs are to be created at the Prime Wood Processing Centre of Excellence following the sale of the Prime Sawmill by Activate Tairawhiti and Eastland Community Trust to New Zealandowned Far East Sawmills And Far East Sawmills says it is already in direct discussions with Juken over staff recruitment for its new venture.

Juken is looking to make changes at the mill in Matawhero, just outside Gisborne, so that it can shift from producing plywood and structural LVL building products for the shrinking Japanese market to make higher value clearwood products from pruned logs that will be used for high-end residential and commercial interior cabinetry, furniture, solid doors and feature walls. Such a move would mean halving the 200-strong workforce.

While the announcement jolted the forestry community on the East Coast, the news about the Prime deal softened the expected blow Eastland Community Trust Chairman, Michael Muir, says the sale signals a new era for the Prime site, which it took over in 2015, following a decision by Winstone Pulp International to close the mill in 2010.

Mr Muir says: “We are delighted to welcome Far East Sawmills to Tairawhiti. We’re thrilled to have such a respected operator on-site and that we can go some way to saving local jobs.

“This is a massive win for our community. And it must be said – there is no way we could have done this without the foresight of the community in establishing the Eastland Community Trust with a mandate to focus on the region’s economic growth.”

Eastland Community Trust CEO, Gavin Murphy, agreed stating: “The region should be proud it has the resources to deliver these sorts of results.”

Far East Sawmills is a subsidiary of Spectrum and is a fully integrated forest products business. The company owns the Tregoweth Sawmill in Te Kuiti, forests in Northland, a forestry harvesting company and a transport fleet.

Managing Director, Wade Glass, considers the investment in Prime and the Tairawhiti region a strategic one, citing log supply, skilled labour and a proactive business network as contributing to their decision.

He says: “We’re excited to enter a region with such a supportive and well-resourced economic development capability. We’re optimistic that our proposed improvements to the mill will result in a sustainable business and employment for locals.”

The company intends to produce around 60,000 m3 of timber per annum and will likely invest a further $9 million in the sawmill, initially upgrading ageing technology to improve efficiencies.

Ultimately, Mr Glass says it is the company’s goal to run multiple shifts, which could see up to 100 staff employed, although it will initially need between 50 and 60 people.

Far East Sawmills will be replicating the product mix from its existing mill in Te Kuiti, targeting high-value appearance grade lumber for export to European and USA markets. It will also partner with secondary processors who intend to incorporate their processing into, or adjacent to, the mill site in Gisborne.

Though the sawmill itself is sold, Eastland Community Trust still retains ownership of all the land (22 hectares) and can now move forward with its phased masterplan, unlocking further jobs on site and improving the value of the region’s forestry stocks.

Activate Tairawhiti Chairman, John Rae, confirmed that it is in advanced discussions with a second wood processor interested in establishing its business at Prime. He says securing an operator for the sawmill will now fast-track those conversations and, he expects, others.

This is the second investment at the Prime site, with the Wood Engineering business currently employing 15 staff and working to prove its technology.

“Until ECT and Activate Tairawhiti got involved, Prime lay dormant,” says Mr Rae. “But, thanks to the hard work of our team and the contractors on site over the past 18 months, we are continuing to realise the potential of the wood processing centre of excellence as a strategic community asset.” NZL

March 2018 | NZ LOGGER 5

forest talk

Crown Forestry offers tree planting deal to farmers OFFICIALS WITH THE MINISTRY OF Primary Industries’ Crown Forestry unit have started approaching landowners in key parts of the country to discuss becoming part of the government initiative to plant one billion trees over ten years.

They are looking to identify those with unproductive farmland suitable for converting to commercial forestry.

The government target is actually 500 million new trees, as the other 500 million consists of existing forests being replanted after harvesting. It will still require 500,000 hectares of additional land for new trees. And because there is insufficient Crown-owned

land available, it will have to come from landowners, such as farmers and Maori.

Farmers and others with at least 200ha suited to growing trees are being asked by Crown Forestry to consider signing up to the plan, championed by Forestry Minister, Shane Jones.

They are being offered a lease or jointventure option, with Crown Forestry paying all establishment and management costs, paying rent to the land owner and allowing them to retain any carbon credits under the ETS scheme.

The land will need to undergo scrutiny to ensure that there is good access for planting

and future harvesting and trees can also be grown on it successfully.

Crown Forestry General Manager, Warwick Foran, says it is hard to say just how much land fits the criteria, although studies show that there is a “fair bit of marginal sheep and beef country that is eminently suited to forestry”.

The 200ha minimum block size is based on Crown Forestry experience in managing leases, says Mr Foran. And when carbon returns are taken into account, forestry emerges as a good land use in comparison to traditional high-country farming, particularly as the value of carbon credits continue to rise. NZL

FICA appoints new CEO SouthStar PRUE YOUNGER IS TAKING UP THE ROLE OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE FOR the Forest Industry Contractors Association (FICA).

Ms Younger will commence this role on April 1, 2018 in a part-time capacity for the next 12 months, as she will continue as Eastland Wood Council CEO until a new appointment is made.

She has an extensive background in marketing, promotions and event management, along with several governance roles and chair positions in sport, health and community trusts. As director of Public Impressions Ltd, she has also been instrumental in the establishment of several forestry award campaigns around the country.

In welcoming Ms Younger to the role, FICA says it expects there will be some significant changes to the operation of the organisation and it looks forward to her taking it to another level. NZL

Prue Younger is the new CEO of FICA.

unchanged after Komatsu purchase IT’S BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR THE TEAM AT SOUTHSTAR IN New Zealand following the purchase of the company by Komatsu.

Komatsu Ltd, which owns the Komatsu Forest division, acquired the Quadco and SouthStar forestry attachment operations of Quebec-based Prenbec Equipment Inc in a surprise move last month.

The agreement, which excludes the forestry equipment businesses of Tanguay and Forespro de-limbers, sees the Quadco felling heads and SouthStar large harvester heads added to the existing lines of Log Max and Komatsu small and medium-sized harvester heads.

In a statement, Komatsu says the move will make the company an industry leader in forestry attachments, enabling it to offer customers a full range.

Quadco and SouthStar will continue to operate as independent companies within the Komatsu group following the completion of the acquisition and will maintain their existing sales networks.

This was confirmed to NZ Logger magazine by Jeremy Disher, SouthStar’s Design Engineer, who is based in New Zealand.

“The purchase by Komatsu doesn’t affect the day-to-day operations of SouthStar, it’s very much business as usual,” he says.

SouthStar was originally formed nine years ago in New Zealand by a group of investors, including former Waratah founder, Dave Cochrane, before being sold to the Canadians. With increased investment, the product line was overhauled and the new SouthStar heads captured a large part of the North American market, using castings made in New Zealand and shipped to Canada for final assembly.

Since last year, final assembly of SouthStar heads sold in both the New Zealand and Australian markets has been carried out at the company’s recently completed factory in Rotorua.

While no outward changes have taken place, a forestry attachment division within Komatsu Forest AB will be formed to manage the Quadco, SouthStar and Log Max brands. NZL

6 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

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forest talk

The first Tigercat 1085C forwarder has arrived in New Zealand.

First BIG Tigercat forwarder arrives THE NEW, TOP-OF-THE-RANGE TIGERCAT 1085C FORWARDER HAS arrived in New Zealand, boasting a 25-tonne log carrying capacity.

Although it was first released a couple of years ago in North America, as the 1085B, these big boys were largely reserved for the home market until now.

In launching here, the 1085 skips the B-series and goes straight into C-specification for the New Zealand market that sees a longer and wider bunk available to provide improved visibility when the forwarder is fully loaded as well as a larger working envelope for the boom.

The boom was also upgraded as part of the C-series moves, to give more lifting power and greater slewing torque.

The first of the new Tigercat 1085C forwarders has gone to work for Dean Dalhenburg, who is carting Eucalyptus not far from Invercargill, in Southland.

Tigercat refers to the 1085C as a “severe-duty forwarder” and the only one produced by a major industry player with a 25-tonne capacity. The base weight of the machine is 27.3 tonnes.

The 1085C is built for carting such loads over long distances and is especially well matched to steep slopes, thanks to the Tigercat bogies that are well proven in severe-duty six-wheel drive

skidder applications. Tigercat’s unique WideRange™ transmission allows travel at speeds up to 7 km/hr (4.6 mph) with tractive effort sufficient to carry 20-tonne loads up 60% slopes.

While Dean has opted for the conventional flat bunk, contractors can specify the optional low-wide bunk system that expands up to 7.6 m2 in the new 1085C, which is fed by the Tigercat hooked F195T85 crane and choice of either the standard FG43 grapple, or larger FG53. Tigercat says the new crane and grapples have increased production in some applications more than 30% over competitive machines.

The 1085C centre section is based on the Tigercat skidder design and is built for long life through the use of pre-loaded, tapered roller bearings in the articulation and oscillation joints.

As with all Tigercat products, components are laid out for easy access to service points, making for quick and painless daily maintenance routines. The operator station is large and comfortable with optimised sightlines and ergonomics, while sound levels are under 66db at full 2,200rpm engine speed.

Power is derived from a Tier 2 version of the Tigercat FPT 230kW (308hp) engine for markets like New Zealand, driving through the WideRange®, infinitely variable speed, hydrostatic transmission. NZL

Australian forestry company targets NZ growth AUSTRALIAN FORESTRY COMPANY, NEW FORESTS, IS LOOKING TO add more plantations in New Zealand to its portfolio.

The company is reported to have raised $873 million from investors to expand its forestry holdings and has indicated that a large slice of that money will be spent here.

New Forests already has four Radiata Pine plantations in New Zealand, totalling 18,800 hectares spread from Southland up to

8 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

Taupo, along with a mill in Blenheim that is currently undergoing a $10-to-$15 million upgrade.

With the new Labour-led government promising to expand forestry in New Zealand by an additional 500 million trees over the next decade, New Forests says it is encouraged by this move. However, the challenge will be to find suitable land at the right price for planting. NZL

forest talk

The first Tigercat 625E six-wheeled skidder in New Zealand is now working in Southland.

Tigercat launches mid-size six-wheeled skidder A NEW MID-SIZE SIX-WHEELED SKIDDER HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE Tigercat range and the first of these new models have now landed in New Zealand.

Slotting in between the big 635G at the top-end and the 615E at the lower end, comes the all-new 625E that is reckoned to ideally suit the ground and operating conditions in many of our forests.

The first 625E has already gone to work with Bluewood Logging in Southland and three others are about to be commissioned in the central North Island.

Tigercat’s six-wheeled skidders have gained popularity in our market since the 635 was first launched more than a decade ago, as the extra driving axle provides more traction during the wet winter months when many four-wheelers are parked up. The third axle also adds to the stability on steeper land and uneven surfaces.

A few of the 615 skidders have gone to local customers, too, since this model broke cover four years ago, as contractors searched for similar traction and stability qualities, but in a more lightweight package.

But now New Zealand Tigercat distributor, AB Equipment, believes there is potential for the 625E to become the most popular of all the six-wheeled variants.

That’s because it is still relatively compact and light but is built from heavier-duty components and features sufficient power to be well suited to high volumes, challenging terrain, demanding duty cycles and long-distance skidding.

The 625E is derived from the Tigercat 620E and features the heavy-duty components from this model, as well as the same FPT N67 Tier 2 engine that puts out 172kW (231hp) @ 1,900 rpm of peak power at 1,900rpm (also fitted to the 615E). The new 625E offers the option of the standard variable speed hydrostatic transmission or the EHS (Extra High Speed) option, which optimises performance through clever use of a pair of variable displacement motors.

The third axle on the Tigercat RIB17 bogie, is offered with a choice of 14-hole pattern or 18-hole pattern outboard planetary, barrel differentials.

The additional weight of the 625E allows contractors to opt for a larger 1,95 m/2 (21 ft/2) grapple, in place of either the standard 1,58 m/2 (17 ft/2) version or slightly bigger 1,76 m2 (19 ft/2) grapple.

Inside the cab, the grapple, arch and steer functions are all controlled with armrest mounted joysticks and the driver is pampered by the Tigercat Turnaround® seat, with two-position rotation so they can fully face the rear. NZL

March 2018 | NZ LOGGER 9

forest talk

Forest fires contribute to record global tree cover loss A SHARP INCREASE IN FOREST FIRES STOKED RECORD LOSSES IN global forest cover equivalent to the area of New Zealand in 2016, according to a report just released by forestry watchdog Global Forest Watch.

The alarming pace of destruction – 51% higher than the prior year with a loss of 29.7 million hectares, according to data from the University of Maryland – was partially due to climate change that has increased the risks and intensity of wildfires by triggering temperature rise and drought in some places.

The 2015-2016 weather phenomenon El Nino, one of the strongest on record, also played a role, having created particularly dry conditions in the tropics.

Many of those tropical areas are not naturally prone to catching fire, but vulnerability increased due to poor management and was exacerbated by El Nino.

Deadly blazes in Brazil and Indonesia were among those contributing to the loss. Last year, deadly blazes have again devastated regions of Portugal as well as California and Canada.

Brazil’s Amazon region lost 9.1 million acres of tree cover –

New boss for Rayonier / Matariki US-OWNED RAYONIER MATARIKI FORESTS HAS a new Managing Director, after Paul Nicholls decided to step aside following 25 years of service to the company.

He has been replaced by Brendan Slui, who has held a series of roles during his 18-years with Rayonier Matariki Forests. Mr Slui joined as a Senior Forester, before progressing to Resources Manager, Regional Manager and most recently, Director of Operations. He also spent six months in the USA working with Rayonier’s operations there.

Mr Slui says: “I’m thrilled to be taking over the reigns. It is an exciting time to be leading Rayonier Matariki Forests and working towards the continuing success of the New Zealand operation.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to recognise the huge contribution that Paul has made to both the company and the industry. His ongoing commitment to improve our industry has been tireless and we wish him well for his future.” NZL

Brendan Slui.

10 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

more than three times that of 2015. And Portugal saw some four percent of its forests go up in smoke in 2016, the highest proportion of any other country.

Nearly half of all forests burned in the European Union in 2016 were in Portugal, where fire-prone eucalyptus and pine plantations along with poor soil encouraged the deadly flames.

That pattern was repeated this year when deadly fires during June killed dozens of people in central Portugal.

2016 saw one of the largest fires ever recorded in Central Africa, destroying 15,000 hectares of forest in the Republic of Congo.

Last year’s Fort McMurray fire in Canada ravaged more than 607,000 hectares, causing US$8.8 billion in damage.

Deforestation resulting from agriculture, logging and mining also contributed to the losses.

The Global Forest Watch report urges improved fire and forest management, including early warning systems, fire bans during dry seasons and more augmented investment in forest protection and restoration. NZL

US ‘bull market’ for lumber predicted to continue ONE OF THE REASONS BEHIND THE high international prices for timber is the buoyant situation in the US and a leading forestry industry commentator says the ‘bull market’ run is set to continue.

Vancouver-based Russ Taylor says in his latest Wood Markets update that the US market has been red-hot in 2017, based on a combination of supply, demand, trade and climate factors that have come together to create a ‘one-of-a-kind’ year.

And he believes it isn’t over yet.

He writes: “We have been predicting a timber supply crunch in Canada since 2007, when we first analysed the impact of a diminishing timber base in the BC Interior (mountain pine beetle-related) and Eastern Canada (mainly in Quebec, due to government timber policies).

“The effects of reduced timber supplies and, by default, lower lumber production, were expected to show up ‘in the middle of the next decade’, with the timing subject to US lumber demand, key export-market dynamics, and supply from major offshore exporters.

“This scenario began to show up in 2016 as rising global demand propelled prices higher in most markets, with many all-time US price records being achieved (last) year.”

Offshore imports have seen a

substantial jump, says Mr Taylor, with rises up 130 million bf in the first seven months of last year (+32.8%) driven by high lumber prices and reduced Canadian supplies.

Throw in massive forest fires in BC and the US Pacific Northwest, along with hurricanes in the US South, and we have all the components of a ‘perfect storm’, he adds.

With uncertainty around Canadian import duties that started in early January 2018, we are already setting up for another volatile year in North America, Mr Taylor adds, which could see prices rise higher in the US. Other outside trends will also add to ongoing supply and demand pressures in both log and lumber trading, according to Mr Russell.

The global log supply is increasingly constrained, changing competitive positions of some regions/countries, he says, adding that China is facing a growing timber-supply deficit. He also predicts more growth in India, which he likens to the Chinese market of five or six years ago.

European wood suppliers, along with Russia, will step into the gaps, but Mr Taylor says sawn wood inventories are currently low in Europe for the first time in many years. NZL

forest talk

Ex-logger heads TransDiesel forestry sales FORMER LOGGER EWEN SATHERLEY is now heading Volvo and Sennebogen equipment sales in the New Zealand forestry sector for TransDiesel.

The newly created position of Timber & Material Handling National Product Manager at TransDiesel, which distributes Volvo and Sennebogen, signals the company’s strength and commitment within New Zealand’s forestry market.

Mr Satherley will continue to be based in Taupo, servicing his customers in the central North Island, but will now oversee the company’s sales of products into the forestry and timber handling sector across all regions. These products include Volvo log loaders, excavators and forestry carriers, as well as the Sennebogen range, such as the high stackers used at various ports and mills

across New Zealand.

“We’re looking to increase Volvo and Sennebogen forestry sales around the country beyond the areas where they’ve been traditionally strong. My job is to provide greater knowledge and support for the Territory Managers – spending time out in the regions on a regular basis,” says Mr Satherley.

“We have a strong product line-up with Volvo, especially now the forest carriers have been introduced and the newly launched EC380 is going to be a big help in that respect.”

Mr Satherley comes from a family with extensive forestry, earth-moving and transport experience and has built his credentials in the industry throughout his entire life. This includes 30,000hrs and 11

Ewen Satherley is the new forestry Product Manager for TransDiesel.

years operating a harvester for Willie Tutaki in the central North Island, before joining Titan Plant in a sales role in 2008 prior to TransDiesel taking on the Volvo product line seven years ago. Ewen holds two NZQA national certificates in forestry, one for log loading and one for mechanised harvesting, adding to his wealth of knowledge and expertise in this area. NZL

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forest talk

More log-carrying rail wagons are planned over the next two years.

Forestry a success story for KiwiRail KIWIRAIL IS REAPING THE BENEFITS OF AN innovative growth strategy for its forestry business designed to make the best use of its wagon fleet.

Its latest financial results show an 8% revenue increase in overall forestry business in the six months to December, which is being driven by strong growth in the volume of logs.

“We have been working closely with the industry to maximise our ability to meet the wall of wood now coming on stream, as the result of the large volume of trees planted in early 1990s,” says KiwiRail Chief Executive Peter Reidy.

“Our log wagon fleet has grown by 40% since 2011. We have some very clever thinkers on our team and have been able to do this in an innovative and cost-efficient way by

converting wagons retired from our container fleet.

“This is happening as fast as possible, and we are running trains up to seven days a week in all our key forestry routes. However current demand is so strong we could be doing more.

“There are more than 130 additional log wagon conversions coming on stream over the next six months, which will allow us to meet further demand this year, and a further 200 wagon conversions are planned for the 2019 financial year.

“In the Bay of Plenty alone KiwiRail runs 60 forestry trains each week to the Port of Tauranga, from Murupara-Kawerau and Kinleith. Those trains are taking the equivalent of up to 340 trucks a day off eastern Bay of

Plenty roads.

“KiwiRail is continuing to work with the industry to identify further opportunities to take more logs off the road and onto rail.

“We have already worked successfully with industry to develop log hubs in key locations on the network where local forests are not directly served by rail.

“This sees significant volumes of logs now moving to Napier Port and CentrePort from log hubs in Masterton, Whanganui and Palmerston North, rather than travelling by road.

• As NZ Logger went to press, government announced plans to reinstate the Wairoa rail link, upgrade the Whanganui link and study projects in Kawerau, Southland and Taranaki. NZL

Get the inside story on robotics in forestry AS FOREST OWNERS AND CONTRACTORS LOOK TO GREATER USE OF robotics and technology to improve safety, increase productivity and make up for the shortage of workers, the biggest issue facing them is knowing which direction to take.

We’re not alone.

Technology development and the pace of change in recent years has been rapid and exciting for many, including the forestry industry.

Research suggests that by 2019, around 35% of leading businesses will be exploring the use of robots to automate operations.

Forestry is already using new technology in ways that wouldn’t have been thought possible a decade ago, with remote operation of equipment, robotic felling and extractions systems all being explored.

New ideas, such as the use of virtual reality goggles for operators working log loading cranes remotely from the relative safety of a truck cab are already in use.

“Advancements in robotics and automation for forestry companies, everything from planting, silviculture, wood harvesting, extracting the wood from the forest site and transporting logs to the port or processing plant are moving at a fast pace,” says Grant Dodson, Chairperson of the Southern Wood Council (SWC).

To provide local operations with an insight into just where the

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technology is heading, both internationally and locally, and the opportunities for using remote controlled and autonomous machinery, the SWC is running a meeting for the forest products industry in the lower South Island.

Rien Visser, Forest Engineering, School of Forestry, University of Canterbury will be presenting his findings to local companies from just completed research undertaken for the Australian forest products sector in late 2017. It looks at remote control, tele-operation and automation of forest operations, both inside and outside the forestry industry.

“There are some clear near-future opportunities, including operating extraction machines such as skidders and forwarders without an operator,” says Prof Visser.

“This will not only increase efficiency but allow good operators to work on more complex machines and provide a unique opportunity for new equipment design.

“Advanced robotic systems are already commonplace in controlled workspaces, such as factories. The future of wood harvesting systems is most certainly going to be robotic. The SWC meeting will be exploring the use of remote controlled or autonomous machines in these more complex environments like forestry operations,” says Mr. Dodson.

The meeting take place in Balclutha on Wednesday, March 14. NZL

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forest talk

Foresters praised for protecting nesting birds THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION IS praising a Nelson forestry company for temporarily halting operations around a Kea nest to protect the endangered birds.

The Kea nest, with two chicks about 2 ½ months old, was found in a disused culvert at a Tasman Pine Forests skid site in the Motueka Valley.

DOC Operations Manager, Chris Golding, thanked the company for suspending operations near the nest until the chicks were able to fly and leave the nest a month later.

He says: “Work with vehicles and machinery around the nest might’ve damaged the nest or caused disturbance to the kea family that could be detrimental to their welfare.

Tasman Pine Forests Ltd Health, Safety, Environment & Risk Coordinator Rebecca Sharp said the company takes its environmental stewardship responsibilities

TH

S Kea is an endangered species. seriously.

“The chicks were reported to us and the Kea Conservation Trust by a harvesting contractor,” she says. “We’re really pleased that these chicks were found in our estate, and that we can contribute to the conservation of this unique, nationally threatened species.

“This has been a great working example of the successful implementation of the Kea Guidelines for Plantation Forestry, developed by the Kea Conservation Trust and the New Zealand Forest Owners Association.

“We will retain the disused culvert that

the chicks were found in, in the hope that the kea nest there again next year.”

Kea Conservation Trust Conflict Co-ordinator Andrea Goodman said many forestry sites were in areas where there are kea and the Kea Guidelines for Plantation Forestry included advice for preventing kea damage to forestry equipment and for protecting kea.

The New Zealand Forest Owners Association has provided the Kea Guidelines for Plantation Forestry to forestry companies so they can incorporate them into their environmental practices. NZL

70 international forest engineers confirmed for NZ conference NEXT MONTH’S FOREST ENGINEERS CONFERENCE 2018 IS shaping up to be a major international event, with more than 70 overseas experts heading to Rotorua.

“Interest from both overseas and local forest engineers has been building in recent weeks and we are expecting to host a very high quality conference,” says Prof Rien Visser, from the School of Forestry, University of Canterbury, who heads the organising committee.

The conference is held every four years in different countries around the world and this will be the first time it has been hosted in New Zealand, running from April 16-19.

Among the high profile international guests is Court Stanley, President of Forestry at Port Blakely, who will be discussing steep terrain harvesting experiences in the Pacific North West, which has very robust management systems as well as expectations for meeting very high standards, especially around waterway protection One of the conference sponsors, Brazilian forestry pulp manufacturing company, Fibria, with a turnover of $5 Billion is sending Development Manager, Angelo Moura, from its aptly named ‘Operational Intelligence’ section, to provide an update on the industry in South America, including innovation and research highlights.

Another high-profile speaker will be Prof Karl Stampfer from Austria, who will highlight the new winch-assist technology from

14 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

central Europe.

Local speakers will include Brendan Slui, from Rayonier, who will open the conference by providing an insight into what it takes to be successful in our current forestry environment, Pat Kirk from the Port of Tauranga will speak to what forest operations can learn from port operations and Keith Raymond from FGR will provide an overview of NZ research.

The Workshops are being supported by a number of local companies, for example attendees can choose from eight options that include spending a day reviewing machine design and production at Waratah or EMS. Other options include advanced roading operations with the experts at PF Oslen, or visiting the Timberlands Kaingaroa Processing Plant (KPP). The field trip will travel to the Port of Tauranga via the Kajavala log making yard at Kawarau, as well as both a ground-based and cable logging operation.

The event is spread over four days to make the long trip worthwhile for those coming from overseas.

John Deere has joined with fellow conference sponsor, Fibria, to enable New Zealand and Australian tertiary students to attend for minimal cost.

For more information visit www.foresteng.canterbury.ac.nz/ FEC2018.shtml or contact Prof Visser at rien.visser@canterbury. ac.nz. NZL

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The Volvo EC380DL puts the Swedish brand back in the reckoning for big processing and harvesting jobs.

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ON’T YOU JUST LOVE A NEW ZEALAND GOOD NEWS STORY. Here’ one with a twist, because it doesn’t involve anyone conjuring up a revolutionary concept using Number 8 wire and selling it off to the world.

It’s about a persistent Kiwi who badgered a big corporate equipment manufacturer into building a harvester/processor specially to suit loggers in our little corner of the world. Oh, and the Canadians, too.

Got to give the Canucks credit, because if they hadn’t jumped on the bandwagon, we wouldn’t be doing this Iron Test on Mike Harris’ Volvo EC380DL in a corporate forest not far from Lake Taupo.

The story goes back four or five years ago, a little while after Volvo decided to ditch its earlier purpose-built forestry carriers, leaving New Zealand loggers and the local distributor, TransDiesel, scratching their heads.

They’d been good machines. Produced as both log loaders and processors, they garnered an excellent reputation for doing an exceptional job, but at much lower fuel use than comparable machines.

Blame the GFC (Global Financial Collapse) for their demise, when big companies hunkered down and concentrated on core business and core products.

That meant if a contractor wanted a Volvo for forestry work, they’d have to wait while a standard excavator was beefed up with local guarding, a forestry cab and high and wide undercarriage before it could go to work. Not ideal.

But we don’t like giving up on a good thing.

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So, along comes ex-logger, Ewen Satherley, who vacated his cab to start selling Volvo equipment in 2008 and gets into the Swedes about resurrecting the forest carrier range.

Like a dog with a bone, he didn’t let the subject go until they wilted under pressure and we saw the first of the new forestry range arrive three years ago, in the shape of the EC250DL and EC300DL models. They land here as purpose-built machines, with heavy-duty undercarriages and boom/arm, a forestry cab and guarding. All that’s needed is the implement on the end.

We tested the first EC250DL to arrive, which went to work for the Brolly crew in the Wairarapa and it was jolly good.

Job done? Absolutely not.

“It took us a while to get those machines built for our market and they’ve been good for us – but they are more suited to having a grapple or smaller head on the stick,” says Ewen Satherley, who has recently been promoted to the position of Timber & Material Handling National Product Manager at TransDiesel.

“When the Volvo guys came out after we got the Brolly machine working, as an off-the-cuff comment I said ‘when we’re done you’re going to build me a 380 version’. They all had a chuckle and laugh and said ‘yeah, whatever’.”

Or whatever they say in Swedish.

Ewen continues: “The reason we wanted a machine like that was for harvesting and processing.

“When I came off a 40-tonne base with a harvester on it, that was the

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Facing page: Using the heavier base from the EC480D model, plus an extra-large counterweight, gives the new EC380DL the weight and stability to deal with really big wood.

Above: New meets old; the first Volvo EC380DL in New Zealand went to work with Mike Harris Logging near Lake Taupo and is seen here feeding the crew’s Timberjack 1710 forwarder.

Above right: The new Volvo EC380DL arrives with all guarding (including that hefty corner post), forestry cab and high and wide undercarriage fitted at the factory in South Korea.

Right: Mike Harris deals with one of the really bent Douglasfir stems in a forgotten gully.

size you needed and a 300 is not big enough – if you want a big harvester or processor you need the extra weight in the base.

“Outside of the central plateau they would be more of a skid machine sitting under a pole with lots of power to pull up stems and process them. Round here, you’ll get a few of them in the cutover and doing a variety of work.

“There’s no substitute for a machine of that size. This area is littered with shallow gullies and if you can sit on the edge and reach into them from both sides and grab the majority of trees, once you’re at the point where you couldn’t reach any more then the gully is clear enough to get into it. You can do that with a big machine, but a smaller machine can’t reach into the bottom. The bigger machine also has the power when you are inside to push trees up and out.”

Ewen says there was a fair bit of conversing back and forth over the following 18 months about whether it could be done and it only got serious when Canada said it would take the EC380DL, too.

“It wouldn’t have happened without the Canadian market – ours is just too small,” he says. But the discussion were still protracted.

“There was always the components issue, and they’d say ‘we don’t build a forestry undercarriage for a 40-tonner’,” says Ewen.

“My suggestion was the 50-tonne high and wide carriage that goes under our 50-tonne construction machine – the Volvo EC480D. It’s strong enough to go into the forest and the track frame’s long, it’s got three top rollers and forestry guards and a belly pad. It’s about 700 off the ground and the advantage is it’s flat and doesn’t have legs sticking down, which

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makes it a true high and wide.

“Even though we bring the 480 in we never narrow them up and they get transported as they are. They are slightly wider than a normal 50-tonner so it works perfectly for the 380 because by the time you put on the catwalks and things, she’s spot on. The only other thing we specified was for the guarding to be carried over to make sure it was heavy enough.

“We continued with our theme of putting longreach counterweights on these machines so there’s an extra 1.5 tonnes on the arse end. It weighed 47 tonnes when it came off the boat, so it would be a little over 50 tonnes with the head.”

On top is the body from the standard EC380D construction model, but with a first-generation forestry cab, which looks like a harvester cab because it’s flat, but there will be a new cab soon with a slope to provide a larger front window and more upwards vision.

“That was one of the issues that took a little bit of getting through,” says Ewen. “I wanted a new cab with a bigger front window, especially for the log loaders, because operators don’t like the grapple disappearing out of sight.”

Power comes from the standard EC380D model, because it’s got sufficient grunt to drive the hydraulics for both the machine and any of the big harvesting or processing heads available. It’s a Volvo engine, naturally, in this case the D13H-D unit built to Tier 3B for our market.

It delivers 218kW (305hp) at 1,700rpm and torque is a very impressive 1,580Nm, peaking at just 1,300rpm. Recognising that some contractors

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want more power, Ewen is in discussions with the factory to bump it up to the EC480D output, which peaks at 260kW (350hp), with torque jumping to 1,800Nm. The hydraulics didn’t need to be upgraded because the EC380D construction model already has a set of large capacity pumps that provide sufficient flow for the toughest work, including a separate rotator pump for any implements. The pumps need to be good, because there’s lots of fluid in the system that needs to be driven – a total of 500 litres of hydraulic oil, of which, the tank only accounts for 220 litres.

“When it rolls off the boat it’s ready to go,” says Ewen. “It’s fully guarded, we don’t have to put corner posts on and all you do is install whatever harvester/processor you want. It will take any head, there’s no restriction.”

The only addition that was requested of the factory was an extra oil cooler, on recommendation from SATCO for the Mike Harris machine, “we weren’t sure we would need one because it has sufficient cooling capacity, but we’ve fitted it just to make sure”.

All Volvo machines are brought in with a heavy-duty boom and arm, featuring heavier, reinforced sidewalls, and TransDiesel says it hasn’t seen any cracking issues on those that are already working here.

No worries with the base in this machine either, it has 50-tonne track components, including chains, roller sprockets, final drives and hydraulic motors. They are geared down to give more pump, or motor, angle, which means they are slightly lower in first and second gear than a normal excavator, so the top speed reduces from the standard model’s 5.53km/h to 4.3/km/h. On the upside, the drawbar pull goes up to 366kN from 276kN. Double bar 700 grousers are standard.

Contractors eyeing up the versatility of this new model might be interested to know that Volvo is even looking at the option of building a

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knuckleboom version of the EC380DL, but it’s predicated on demand – the Canadians are sure to go with it.

“We haven’t ordered any yet as we want to see how they work,” adds Ewen.

Most of these machines are likely to be used for processing and harvesting here in New Zealand, like the one purchased by Mike Harris, which sports a SATCO 325T optimising head, which we are keen to see.

And right on cue, he emerges out of a gully near the skid site and parks up.

It’s funny how they look a lot bigger when you see them in the workshop, but the EC380DL still has an imposing presence.

Actually this machine is not much bigger than the one it replaced, a Volvo 460, which Mike fitted with a Waratah Bigwood. He bought the machine secondhand from Gisborne, where it had a grapple for clearing stems from the chute under a yarder and put another 5,000 hours on it before deciding to change.

“I had a good run so decided to stick with Volvo,” says Mike. “It’s very economical, this thing does 27.9L/hour. The old one was running about 33L/h. Other machines around this size can be doing anything up to 40, so this compares really well.” Not bad for an engine of almost 13 litres capacity.

His timing was just right, because when he rang Ewen to discuss a possible replacement it put him at the front of the queue for the first EC380DL to come out of the factory.

“It fitted the criteria regarding the size machine I needed, was a similar weight to what I had before and it came within budget, so I said put my name down,” adds Mike.

That very first machine was working in the forest shortly after arriving late last year and Mike hasn’t regretted his decision.

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Iron Tester Shaun Field finds no issues with stability as the Volvo EC380DL brings down this Douglas-fir.

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K • • • • • • Above: The close proximity of the knives to the rollers means that even this boomerang shaped stem won’t jam in the SATCO head.

Right top: The factory boom and arm on the EC380DL are a heavy-duty design, which is standard fitment for Volvo forestry machines sold here.

Right bottom: Vovlo has equipped a right-hand-side and rear camera on the EC380DL to provide views to blind spots.

“The 460 had a standard base so it was a bit of a mission out in the cutover – this one has a lot more clearance,” he says. “And it’s purposebuilt so I didn’t have to wait for guarding or anything like that.

“It operates in a similar way to the old one, might have a little bit less reach, I think the dipper is a little shorter but it handles the wood fine and when you’re falling you don’t need reach. It also does a fair bit of processing, either out in the cutover for the forwarder to bring back, or it will sit under our Harvestline, so it covers all bases.

“It’s a good falling machine, it’s got plenty of weight, handles the bigger trees here, and is nice and fast. Very stable with that longreach counterweight on the back.”

As we walk around, Mike points out the big, clear piece of glass on the front and says: “I like that it hasn’t got bars on the windows and there’s so much vision, you can’t beat it – well there is that one bar in the middle, so I can put my feet up on it.”

After we stop laughing, Ewen chips in that the polycarbonate is thick enough that the bar probably wasn’t necessary, but it has been specified to make the operator feel a bit more protected.

Mike says the LED lights, which include four on top of the cab, two either side of the boom and two in the big, beefy corner post, “are great, it’s just like daylight on early morning starts”. There are a further four LEDs perched on the rear of the cab roof, two pointing directly to the rear and one to each side.

Mike also relishes the additional height that comes from the taller undercarriage and the little riser beneath the cab, which houses spare chains, bars and a few tools.

As he proceeds to open up all the doors and hatches, Mike points out the Bro-Lube auto-greasing system sitting inside the right-hand compartment, adding: “I like that, all I’ve got to do is grease the head.

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Nice and easy, and it makes it simple for someone else to operate.”

The filters can be reached from the ground on the other side, where barn door-style doors also open up access to the radiator.

Clambering up top, Mike opens the hatch above the 6-cylinder Volvo engine and says the original fibreglass one was replaced with a steel bonnet by SATCO when it was in Tokoroa to have the head fitted and plumbed. Makes sense for a machine that spends a lot of time out in the cutover. The engine looks very snug in its compartment, although any major repair work would require the panels either side to be removed.

Perhaps the only thing missing for a machine that spends a lot of time under the canopy is a plumbed-in fire protection system, but it does have a couple of handily placed extinguishers.

A peek at the cab confirms that it is identical to the one fitted to the Brolly machine we tested back in the winter of 2015, including the rear window designed to be an escape hatch in addition to the skylight built into the roof. The only difference being the SATCO controls, which today’s Iron Tester, Shaun Field, will cover in his report on page 28.

Jumping back down to the ground, I join Mike, Shaun and Ewen gathered around the SATCO head. Mike says: “I’ve never had a SATCO head, so that was new experience. I like it. They look a bit more robust than some of the others on the market, but the main reason I went with this one was because it is cheaper. And they fitted it for me.”

This one has the full Dasa 5 optimisation system, which makes life much easier for managing the wide variety of log sorts that can crop up in some of the forests they tackle.

But it’s not being taxed that much with this particular job. Mike and his crew are clearing up old patches of Douglas-fir at the southern end of Kaingaroa Forest and they’re only doing 4m and 6m lengths in whatever grades they can salvage – a lot is pulp. They were left when the original

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Douglas-fir forest was harvested and then surrounded by a new Radiata Pine forest. Now, more than 60 years old, they have to come out to make way for Radiata to be planted during the winter.

“These little pockets have kind-of been forgotten,” says Mike. “This southern end of the forest all used to be Douglas and they were huge.

A guy I know used to cart logs out of here to Napier and they would only have 7-to-8 pieces of 12m on for a load. The stuff we’re cutting, the P-size varies from 0.3 to 7.3. Some of it’s really nice, but a lot is very ugly, and we’ve got to hurry with it because Douglas dries out quickly.”

Scanning the broken country that Mike Harris and his crew are currently clearing it’s obvious why there is such a variation in the size of the trees they’re recovering.

It’s criss-crossed with deep gullies that aren’t easy to access or negotiate and there wasn’t much, if any, thinning done because of the difficult access. The same reasons they were left by previous harvesting crews.

Just as well Mike was an earth-mover in a previous life. His former work experience has taught him how to create access to these “pockets” to make life easy, because it’s just not cost-effective to bring in their Harvestline on such small patches. The Harvestline, which came from Kerry McCormick, is employed in a more productive block an hour away, pulling wood for when the rest of the team complete this area.

Peering over the edge I ask Mike if he has problems climbing the steeps sides to get at some of the trees and he says: “Not really, it’s very stable. It can climb and get around alright. I haven’t found a hill I can’t get up yet.

“It’s sitting on big feet, so it can be a bit hard in the cutover and walks on the links

a bit. Otherwise, it’s fine.”

Time to put those attribute to the test, so Mike fires up the Volvo and heads down the long slipway created into the gully while we grab a vantage point that is safely out of the chain shot firing range.

The first job is to get rid of some spindly stems down on the floor of the gully – well, spindly for Douglas-fir trees, because a couple of them are quite meaty, although others have definitely been starved of growing space.

The Volvo takes them all in its stride, including the largest stem, which much be close to P5 in size, without even a flinch.

Then Mike gets into processing mode, cutting most into 4m lengths because of their form. Some trees are so bowed they almost form a perfect semi-circle. No wonder previous crews shied away from them.

The SATCO head doesn’t seem to be bothered by such ugly trees and Shaun mentions that it’s because the knives and rollers are so close together and he can’t wait to experience it himself.

After watching Mike demonstrate the prowess of the EC380DL, Shaun gets his opportunity to try the SATCO head on some of those bent stems. He’s been given a patch of downed trees a short walk away to process for the Timberjack 1710 forwarder, before trying his hand at falling.

This is meat and potatoes to Shaun, who has been harvesting and processing with another crew in this region, so knows his way around a setup like this, even though he’s nervous about being let loose on an unfamiliar machine.

The stems in this stack are much bigger, so they are putting the

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Left top: Access to the hydraulics and some of the filters is very good.

Left middle: There’s also good access to the radiators and some more filters on left-side.

Left above: A pair of cubby holes in the riser under the cab are useful for keeping spare chains, bars and tools.

Right: The Volvo EC380DL and SATCO 325T combination is equally suited to falling as it is to processing.

stability of the Volvo to a really good test and, so far, it’s remaining perfectly balanced, even when Shaun grabs hold of one that must be around seven tonnes. Impressive.

As the SATCO’s main saw chews through this huge stem there is no sign of any power drop off or sluggishness in slew or lift when Shaun drops the logs into a pile.

He even tries his hand at cutting a couple of bent stems, but discretely overlooks an incredibly deformed tree. Better to let Mike loose on that one later.

The SATCO is more-than matching the capabilities of the Volvo.

It’s three rollers grip the stems well, regardless of size and the three knives take care of branches and bark very nicely. And with 360-degree continuous rotation, Shaun doesn’t have to worry about repositioning the head.

Now for the real test. Falling.

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Right at the end of this gully is a stand of Douglas-fir clinging to the sides that Mike indicates to Shaun are the next target. Some are growing very close together, which means our Iron Tester will need to take care selecting the direction of fall because of the likelihood of a hang-up.

Picking out the smaller ones first, Shaun isolates the larger trees before tackling them, because he’s going to need as much space as possible to drop them. Using the full 50-tonne weight of the EC380DL he’s able to guide them to the floor easily once the saw has done its job.

A good test of the stability, which it passes with flying colours.

While Shaun continues to test the harvesting credentials of the Volvo and SATCO, which you can read more about in his report, I talk to Mike about this type of work and he says it’s much more enjoyable than the earth-moving he used to do, even scrappy clear-up jobs like this.

And that’s just been made more enjoyable again with the arrival of the Volvo EC380DL. NZL

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IFICATION

VOLVO EC380DL HARVESTER/PROCESSOR – SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE 6-cylinder, 12.8-litre, Volvo D13H-D, Tier IIIB Bore / stroke Power (Gross) Max torque Drawbar pull Max travel speed

131mm x 158mm 218kW (305hp) @ 1,700rpm 1,580Nm @ 1,300rpm 366kN 4.3km/h

HYDRAULICS Travel Swing Main pump flow Pilot pump flow Swing speed Swing torque

2 variable displacement axial piston motors 1 axial piston motor 300Lpm x 2 25.5Lpm 10.2 min (rpm) 91.5kNm

BOOM Model Reach Counterweight

Volvo 11,780mm 7.5 tonnes

HARVESTIN/PROCESSINGHEAD Model Drive motors

Driver rollers Delimbing knives Max Opening Main saw Weight

3 alpine rollers 3 1,016mm ¾” chain, 43” bar 4,100kg

REFILL CAPACITIES (LITRES) Fuel tank Engine coolant Engine oil Hydraulic system

620 60 42 500

DIMENSIONS (MM) Shipping length Shipping height Shipping width Ground clearance Tail swing radius Track length Track shoe width Operating weight (minus head)

11,330 (boom/arm folded) 3,935 3,590 700 3,365mm 5,370 700 47,000kg

SATCO 325T 4, synchronised

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March 2018 | NZ LOGGER 27

iron test: Shaun Field

You little Kiwi beauty E

ASY TO SEE EWEN SATHERLEY’S influence in this new Volvo EC380DL. Only a Kiwi logger (or ex-logger in this case) would insist on things like the Swiss Cheese effect in the ram guard so you can see through it to where your right-hand drive track is. And other things, like the corner box and the siting of the cab, being pushed back further, rather than being proud. It takes an operator’s insight to get these details right.

They add a bit more spice to what is already a very impressive machine.

There’s lots to like. It’s smooth and really responsive, has heaps of power, even running it in the G mode.

It’s got a lot of track power with those 50-tonne drive motors in it, so it doesn’t struggle at all. Visibility on the track is awesome, too.

It’s definitely stable on that big track gear.

With the big counterweight it does sit back a bit, but you don’t really feel it, because it balances the head weight. Without that counterweight the machine wouldn’t be as stable. It’s more than capable of handling the bigger Douglas-firs they are working with.

Inside the cab, everything is at arm’s reach, real comfy seat, very good visibility, A/C is good, stereo is good and all the switchgear is easy to locate and use. The computer screen for the processor is in a good spot, just out of the main sight line where you can still see it, but it doesn’t interfere with the view. And maybe Mike is right

about that bar in front of the screen, as it was handy to put my feet on when cutting big piles.

The SATCO controls are a bit different to a Waratah. When I jumped on I thought ‘Oh there’s a few buttons missing, I’m going to have to get used to something new all over again,’ but it didn’t take long to learn and get into a good work flow. On the left-hand side at the top is harvest-down and harvest up, then two steer buttons, then your main saw and topping saw toggle below that. On the right-hand side is the optimiser with increase length/decrease length and feed back and feed forward. And then the rest is just your grade buttons. Basic, but very operator friendly. Then the normal controls for the machine itself.

I did have to override the optimiser sometimes, just because of the nature of the wood, some were really bent and ugly, but if they were all uniform stems you wouldn’t have to touch it much. I was only cutting two lengths, and mostly 4s, so not much to worry about.

There’s plenty of power across the whole machine, especially in the slew. It only bogged down a little bit when I got a couple of those big stems in the harvester, which you would expect, but no more than any other machine I’ve operated. It would be hard to have it set up perfect for the range of wood Mike has to deal with, because if you have a short SED you want to feed in fast and that wouldn’t work for a larger log.

Iron Tester, Shaun Field.

I kept it in the top range of G mode, the general work setting, and that was enough. I didn’t need to put it into high horsepower mode, because Mike said I wouldn’t need it. Having said that, it would be really interesting to see what that machine is capable of if it was put into full power mode to work on a big pile. But that would spoil the very impressive fuel economy.

Even though it’s got the standard Volvo boom and arm the reach is good for the type of work it’s doing and there’s enough lift.

This is the first SATCO I’ve operated and for the size, it’s very light, with the valve bank down inside the boom, which makes it pretty nimble. Both saws are fast and I was especially impressed with the topping saw. Very impressed, too, with how the head handles bent wood – because the knives are so close to the roller it can get around the bends and doesn’t have a tendency to jamb.

Another thing I like are the side and rear cameras. Being able to see pass the blind spots in those tight gullies is very handy. NZL

Below from left to right: 1. Virtually unobstructed view out of the front screen – that small bar in the middle is handy for operators to rest their feet! 2. The steel cover over the Volvo 6-cylinder engine was made by SATCO to replace a fibreglass one. 3. Mike Harris is delighted with the auto-greasing system on his new Volvo, seen here just behind the door-mounted fire extinguisher. 4. Mike Harries started out earthmoving but is much happier with harvesting these days.

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Above: The new Thode Knife & Saw headquarters in Rotorua has more space for its latest manufacturing and sharpening machines.

What do you do when you can’t get the wood to the mill?

Simple. Bring the mill to the wood.

A

ND THAT’S LIKELY TO BE THE BEST OPTION FOR SOME farmers and woodlot owners around New Zealand in the future, as access and transport costs affect the economics of harvesting forests in very remote locations.

What better way to cut those trees into saleable, or just usable, wood than by employing the New Zealand-developed and manufactured Mahoe portable sawmills.

These robust Kerikeri-built mills have been used in woodlots and forests in New Zealand and around the world for more than 30 years and they’re as popular as ever.

But Mahoe might never have come about if not for a lucky find.

Company principals, John and Ben Bergman never set out to be mill manufacturers. It just happened.

The Bergman family, originally from Wellington, had a house

30 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

Story: John Ellegard Photos: John Ellegard & Mahoe Sawmill

re-piling business and purchased a farm in the Bay or Islands where they found some old Kauri logs in the bush while pig hunting. They applied to the Forestry Department to salvage and mill it on site, sometimes travelling 1-to-2 hours on rough forestry tracks and later heli-logging to recover inaccessible logs There were no portable sawmills on the market, let alone any that could be easily transported or broken down and flown to the inaccessible salvage kauri logs.

Although there was an old mill at the farm, which is still in use today, they had a small, portable twin-saw unit custom-built to mill the huge Kauri logs in the bush, which John then re-built over the following years, improving on the design as they toyed with the idea of producing their own one day.

The Bergman’s also had a cheese-making business, using milk

timber profile

March 2018 | issue 40

Above left: The Mahoe Supermill is the bestselling of the company’s portable mills.

Above right: Once set up at the factory, a Mahoe sawmill should stay in spec and provide the perfect cut for many years.

Below: Kerikeri-made Mahoe sawmills are sold throughout the world.

March 2018 | NZ LOGGER 31

Left: Powerful 3-phase electric motors are popular with Mahoe sawmills sold into African countries.

Centre: Former Sky City chef, Martin Riegger, inserts a bandsaw blade that is used for cutting steel.

Right: Laurence Bergman with some of the range of saw blades that can be fitted to the Mahoe.

from the family dairy farm, and it was whilst Ben was giving a sawmilling demonstration to a group of Russians who had come to see the Mahoe Cheese Factory that things took an interesting turn. The Russians were so impressed with the portable sawmill, they ordered two on the spot and Mahoe Sawmills was born.

Today, Mahoe is a thriving business, exporting sawmills around the world, from our nearest neighbours in the Pacific and across the Tasman, to Canada and the United States, as well as Africa.

And the range has grown, with the two sawmill models – the Supermill and the smaller Minimax – recently being joined by the trailer-mounted Whoppa Choppa wood splitter that is proving to be another winner with both local and export customers.

“We’re very busy,” Ben told NZ Logger magazine when we dropped in to see Mahoe Sawmills in its modern factory on a corner of the farm, off Oromahoe Road, which gave the business its name. As if to underline that point, the big whiteboard on the wall in his office identifies the orders currently on hand. The board is full.

Ben concentrates on the sales and management of the business, assisted by John’s wife Stephanie, while John oversees the design and technical side.

Out in the production facility they employ six people to do the manufacturing of various components for the mills and wood splitters, with George Anderson, the foreman, in charge of final assembly.

The basic design of the original Mahoe sawmill hasn’t changed a great deal over the years. All Mahoe sawmills are a lever-

32 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

operated twin-saw design, with a horizontal and a vertical blade that cut on the way down the log and return the cut board, producing a finished board with every pass. The Supermill and Minimax both a have cut-to-taper feature, which wasn’t necessary back in the Kauri log milling days but is a requirement now with most logs harvested today having some sort of taper.

John says: “Using the cut-to-taper I can line the mill up to the log and cut the second grade core wood out in a tapered board.

With this method, I retrieve full length boards from both sides of the log.”

Mahoe sawmills have cross members on each end, a boom and a bow head that runs up and down with the saws. But each one is subtlety different, built to suit the customer and can vary in length and width. Typically, a Supermill measures 8.3m long and 3.5m wide and 2.5m high.

The original mill used in the Kauri recovery days was powered by a VW motor, and had inserted teeth blades to produce a maximum 12” x 8” cut.

Nowadays, the engine on the Supermill is a Kubota diesel, with Deutz powering the wood splitter and driving the Minimax is a fuel-injected Briggs & Stratton petrol engine. Mahoe also offers an electric option and, interestingly, all the African mills currently on order have gone down this route, using big 3-phase motors In the beginning, much of the fabrication was out-sourced to local engineering shops, then mated to imported parts at the Mahoe factory on the final assembly line.

Apart from the engines, gearboxes (from Italy) and key

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Quadruple Quadrupleyour youroutput outputfor forhalf halfthe thelabour labour Quadruple Quadruple Quadruple your your your output output for for for half half half the the the labour labour labour when when when compared compared compared tooutput to to a amanual amanual manual chop chop chop saw. saw. saw. when when compared compared to toaamanual manual chop chop. saw. saw.

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March 2018 | NZ LOGGER 33

Above: This log wouldn’t fit into an ordinary sawmill, but it’s no match for a Mahoe.

Below: The recently introduced Mahoe Whoppa Choppa firewood splitter.

components, such as bearings, pulleys, chains etc, almost everything is made at the factory now, explains John’s son Laurence Bergaman, one of the production staff, on a brief conducted tour of the manufacturing process.

“We have two guys here doing welding full time; two guys who cut steel and drill holes full time; plus another who floats between various jobs and helps me with the assembly,” he says.

There are three different parts to the fabrication process to produce a Mahoe mill; the cross-members, the boom and the power head. Laurence says they usually build a run of five to maximise production efficiency, meaning the fabricators will cut five different sets of cross-members for the welders to make up. Then one of the fabricators will build the boom.

Then the power head is fixed in place, followed by a trip to the paint shop, and the final assembly can start.

Among the most difficult tasks in the assembly is ensuring the blades run perfectly. Setting it up in the factory is all well and good, but these mills spend their lifetime working and sometimes just sitting in harsh conditions, so they have to be made to stay true and accurate over a lifetime.

The work put in by the Mahoe team is focused on making sure that it will provide the perfect cut every time.

34 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

This Mahoe Supermill is operating in Papua New Guinea.

Laurence goes on to say: “The biggest issue is when people change the saw bearings.

“We use stoppers and if they wind it back properly, in theory it should be perfect or if they put the right shims back it should go back perfectly, but that doesn’t always happen.”

Mahoe Sawmills offers a back-up service with some customers choosing to bring their sawmills back to Kerikeri for an overhaul. Most sawmillers do their own maintenance like changing belts, wire rope bearings, rollers and scrapers but checking blade alignment and cutting patterns is more technical.

Fixed, large-scale sawmills are usually set up to produce boards from one type of wood, but the Mahoe is very versatile and, in theory any type of wood can be run through it, from softwoods such as Radiata Pine, to hardwoods like Eucalyptus. The blades will cut through knots and wandering grain without difficulty.

The blade size is 700mm and can cut a maximum of 12 inches in the old parlance, or 300mm x 200mm. There’s no computer, it’s all mechanically operated and governed.

Blade maintenance is minimal and just require regular sharpening. Weld-on tipped blades are usually sent away for re-tipping when they get worn but the optional inserted tooth blades can easily be replaced on site by the operator.

And because it is set up at the factory to be accurate, the cut is reckoned to be among the best of any portable sawmill produced anywhere in the world, thanks to the rigid mounting, the centrifugal force and torque.

There’s practically no finishing or edging required, either, because Mahoe produces a finished board ready for use.

Levels of Protection

Chain speed (m/s)

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Top row - from left to right: Shane Craven welding part of the sawmill frame; Kerry Ashby uses the forklift to position these components; Ben Land makes a blade to go onto the Whoppa Choppa wood splitter.

Left : Fabricator, Jacob Kingdon, puts the finishing touches to one of the cross members.

The amount of wood that a Mahoe mill can cut depends on who is running it and what sort of wood is being cut. It will happily produce 12 cubic metres of Radiata Pine in a day, says Laurence, who spent time on the road with school friend Kerry Ashby (who also works for Mahoe) running one of their portable mills.

“We were cutting native and used to do at least 10 cubes a day and that was on one of these older style boxed (Minimax) mills,” he says.

Mahoe sawmills are designed and built with several safety features. Both the horizontal and vertical blades have riving knives so the operator is not working near the blades. The

36 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

built-in timber return eliminates the task of removing the cut boards from the mill and, being lever-operated, leads to reduced physical effort at the end of a busy day milling.

When each Mahoe mill is completed, John Bergman puts them through a practical test run, cutting up pine to make the packaging for mills being exported.

Mahoe sawmills are built to last and it’s not uncommon to see 20-year-old models working hard in a paddock somewhere around New Zealand. In fact, on the drive into the Mahoe site was a well-used mill that has probably clocked up 20,000 hours in little more than ten years and is still going strong.

Who buys them? The larger Supermill tends to be purchased by those who do a lot of milling and is the model mostly sold to overseas customers, whilst the Minimax is often the choice of farmers, or arborists who want to cut logs that are too good to go into firewood or mulch.

Sitting outside the factory is one of the latest wood splitters that Mahoe introduced to the market in 2014.

Like the sawmills, the Whoppa Choppa wood splitter – there’s just one model – is a thoroughly good-looking piece of kit and is built to perform and last for ages. It is aimed at professional or semi-professional firewood suppliers or arborists wanting to establish a sideline.

Powered by a 42hp Kohler industrial diesel engine with the option of the Deutz 48hp diesel and fitted with a pair of powerful hydraulic pumps, the Whoppa Choppa has an 800mm wide main knife to make the first cut, along with either three or four cutters to produce smaller blocks of firewood logs from the one press It has an in-feed elevator to bring rings from the ground onto the cutting table and the split firewood falls onto a conveyor for loading into a static pile or trailer. It can cut two cubic metres of firewood in less than 10 minutes.

After appearing at the National Fieldays at Mystery Creek, the Whoppa Choppa garnered considerable interest and orders started to flow from customers in New Zealand and Australia.

Looks like the Mahoe team might need to consider an extension to the factory. NZL

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38 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

breaking out

k es woodlots pay Story & Photos: John Ellegard

Woodlots can be fraught with dangers for the unwary logging contractor.

I

’VE HEARD THEM DESCRIBED VARIOUSLY AS “money pits” and “crew breakers” because of the way they consume resources, effort and finances, but give little back in return.

It takes a special type of contractor to make woodlots work. And it takes a very special contractor to make a proper living from them across 12 months of the year.

Someone like Rob Leslie, from Northland, whose approach to woodlots is quite unusual. Well, in New Zealand it is.

Rather than just being hired by landowners to harvest their wood, Rob takes a more entrepreneurial approach and will often go for stumpage.

That can range from buying the land and the trees that are on it, or just the trees, to opting for an ‘open book’ where he’ll organise everything and take a cut at the end of the job.

Stumpage is quite a common way for logging contractors to obtain work in the United States, but I’ve not come across it much in this country. Most woodlot harvesting is conducted through a third party, usually an independent forestry manager/consultant or an exporter, with the contractor being the ‘hired gun’.

There are good reasons why many contractors steer clear of stumpage. It can be littered with unforeseen problems, especially if the contractor pays too much to the woodlot owner and the market price drops, or demand dries up and there is no outlet for the wood when it’s cut. Or the quality or size of the logs don’t meet expectations when harvested.

Talk about a minefield.

Rob Leslie knows the pitfalls, but he’s still prepared to back himself to make a buck at the end of the job, based on his experience in the bush.

March 2018 | NZ LOGGER 39

He was operating bulldozers at age 13, spending holidays and spare time helping out his father, who was an agricultural contractor in this area. The Leslie family are among the early European pioneers of the north who arrived from the Shetland Islands in the 1800s.

Rob has only been logging since 2004, but he’s been working in forestry for much longer, starting in 1989 doing silviculture.

“I was working for someone else, and within six months I was a silvi contractor in my own right for Carter Holt, doing everything; planting, pruning, thinning, controlled burnoffs in Topuni Forest, just out of Kaiwaka,” says Rob. At the height of the silviculture game, Rob employed up to 30 people across three crews from Woodhill Forest, west of Auckland, up to Kaikohe and by 1999 they were planting 1.5 million trees per year.

But then Carter Holt introduced the key supplier regime and Rob says he “backed the wrong horse” and lost out.

“I still had some private woodlot stuff, so I kept a crew going in pruning for another two to three years,” he adds.

He also took up an opportunity to work for Skywork helicopters between 2000 to 2002 as their Operations Manager, mainly involved with spreading agricultural fertiliser. But there was still a forestry connection, including the removal of wilding pines off the side of Mt Pohataroa at Arapuni.

“I hung on the end of a 300ft chain with a chainsaw – that was a very interesting job,” says Rob. “We also took all the pines off Rangitoto Island. A team of five guys, three on the harness, a live line under the helicopter and he just picked you up and put you under the next bunch of trees.”

Then Rob moved on to manage an avocado orchard near Mangawhai, which inadvertently led him back to forestry.

“They had some shelter belts they wanted to get rid of, so I bought a digger, an old 20,000-hour Hitachi EX200 with a grapple and started doing that,” says Rob.

40 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

“And then I got lots more requests. Once people knew I had a machine, they’d ring me up, just little jobs at first. It was all word of mouth.

“The jobs started getting bigger and it became forestry blocks, woodlots. So I got a Hitachi ZX200 and a rope skidder – I’ve still got that skidder – to drag the trees we were cutting down with a chainsaw.

A couple of silviculture guys who had worked for me in the past came along and gave me a hand.

“Seven years ago, I bought my first processor, an old Timberjack 950 with a Waratah on it from my cousin who was getting out of logging. With that I decided to build up the business into a fully mechanised operation.”

There were several reasons for going down the fully mechanised path and top of the list was safety. Rob had been involved in safety audits with Carter Holt a few years ago and was one of the original founders of the Top Spot competition. He’s continued to be involved with Top Spot to this day, as an assessor, mainly for silviculture crews and the odd harvesting crew.

“Initially Carter Holt was getting me to go around through ITW (Industry Training Works) and audit all their engineering crews, bulldozers, trucks, silviculture and just ticking and crossing boxes and that wasn’t making any difference – every time you’d go back you’d have the same crosses in the same boxes,” he says.

It was decided that a scheme to incentivise people to behave in a

Opening spread: Few woodlot operations can afford to purchase a Komatsu PC300-8 processing base brand new and then fit a top-performing head like this Waratah 625C. Below: This woodlot is handily placed on a farm just off State Highway 1, near the Mangawhai turn-off.

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safe manner would be more likely to succeed, and so Top Spot was born.

Rob says: “The difference from when we were auditing to when we started incentivising and not penalising people as part of a competition, so they could see how they were progressing against other people, was quite something.

“Crews like Otautau in Southland went from being pretty ordinary, with good skills run by a very good contractor, to become the top silvi crew in the country and they have been for the past three years. And Makerikeri Silviculture in Canterbury was the same.

“It was a carrot instead of a big stick and it made a huge difference.”

Mechanising a woodlot operation poses a different set of challenges, compared to a crew that is working in a corporate forest. There’s no long-term contracts or security to show the bank manager when you want to buy a new digger. And even if you do manage to purchase machines, the short-term nature of woodlots can play havoc with cash

42 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

flow, especially in the slower winter months.

For many woodlot contractors, including Rob, the answer is to go for second-hand equipment, which comes with its own set of issues.

A machine with 10,000-to-15,000 hours on the clock is usually well worn and out of its warranty, so break-downs become a fact of life and maintenance costs are inevitably going to be high. The cumulative effect of lost production through break-downs and higher operating costs has a far greater effect on woodlot crews because of their lower turnover and earnings. It doesn’t take much to drive these small operations out of business.

Rob is very conscious of these issues, but he has one advantage over most other contractors in his position; he’s a qualified mechanic, having done his trade certificate training straight out of school. It means he can fix pretty much anything that goes wrong on his own machines, adding: “That’s why it doesn’t bother me about having older gear.”

Left: Conditions are dry today, but this hill was a challenge for the skidder when rain soaked the track a few days earlier.

Top: With trucks lining up to take logs, two loaders are pressed into action Below: This Tigercat 620D is one of three skidders on Rob Leslie’s books.

For a woodlot specialist, he’s got quite a collection of older gear, plus his one star-turn, a Komatsu PC300-8 processing base bought brand new in September 2016. But then, in true Rob Leslie style, he adds that the Waratah 625C on the end of the arm is a second-hand unit that Komatsu got from a machine it brought in from Australia.

“It had done 6,000 hours but it is still a really good head,” says Rob, adding: “I don’t mind bargains, you’ve got to manage your money fairly well in woodlots.”

Indeed, you do. Which brings us to the question of how does a woodlot contractor manage to raise enough funds to be able to buy stumpage, in addition to forking out big money for machines?

Have a very understanding bank manager, is the answer. Not to mention a very understanding wife when it’s the family house that gets offered up as security for upfront payments made to woodlot owners.

Not every stumpage job demands upfront payments, he explains.

It depends on what the land/tree owner is most comfortable with, as well as what he is prepared to accept.

Rob says: “Stumpage is what I’ve always done, so I haven’t really known too much different. We’ve got four methods of doing it: “The Open Book. I put in a price to the landowner for the harvesting, transport, roading, engineering, all that sort of thing, and marketing.

The owner doesn’t have to do anything and I pay them the difference between what I get from my exporter – sometimes I pay a small lump sum up front, though not usually in an open book method. I am not taking any risk because I am just getting a logging rate. So Open Book means they see what I get from my exporter and what my costs are, and they get the difference. So they are taking most of the risk. I don’t do that very often.

“Then there’s the Price Per Tonne option. The price per tonne I give them is guaranteed across all grades. So all I have to worry about is tracking how many tonnes have gone off the block. I’m still responsible

March 2018 | NZ LOGGER 43

Des Hansen’s Komatsu PC220-LC loads another of the MTS Transport log trucks.

for the roading and everything else. I have to build all of those costs into the price per tonne. I’ve developed an Excel spreadsheet that I put in all of my costs, what I think the grades of wood are going to come out. I just walk the block, but I don’t take any measurements as such.

I put a few plots in just to see stems per hectare “Another option is the Lump Sum. You go to the owner and say, right this block has got 15,000 tonnes and I’ll give you, say one million dollars for it. So I am taking even more risk then, as I usually pay ten percent up front. You need to have a good bank manager. For this block I gave the owner $100,000 up front, although I’ve done this one on a per tonne option and I’ve taken a fair bit of risk on the market going up or down.

“The last option is Buy Land and Trees. I have a partnership at the moment in a 17-hectare block that we bought at Ruawai, which is just sitting there ready to harvest. It’s all grass underneath, like a paddock.

The farmer planted it and kept it grazed and sprayed and clean, so we will put it back into grass. It’s worth more money as a lifestyle block.

Then we sell the land on. We’ve done one block like that so far. We borrow against the land or current assets. We’ve owned that for six months, with the idea of harvesting it this summer.”

Sometimes Rob doesn’t even get to see the site or the trees himself when he puts in a bid for a block, such as the one he’s currently harvesting. Rob assures me this is not the norm and he usually inspects the blocks himself, but didn’t want to miss an opportunity.

“This block here I got when I was on holiday, I was in Singapore and the owner rang up on my cellphone and said I want this block priced in two weeks,” says Rob. He got long-time friend and crew member Steve Robinson to run his experienced eye over it and when the answer came back that it was “do-able” for the Price Per Tonne Rob had in mind, the bid was sent in from Cape Town, South Africa (where Rob spent the next part of his trip) and he got it.

As anyone who has worked woodlots will know, the biggest risk is in gaining access to the trees and being able to transport them out easily.

Every block is different and needs to be fully appreciated when submitting a price. This particular forest that we are in today is just off State Highway 1, not far from the turn-off to Marsden Point, where

44 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

The newest addition to the Rob Leslie stable, this Tigercat 855 is felling with a SATCO 424m that can also be used for processing when required.

the Northland Port is situated – a ten minute trip for logging trucks.

The site itself is on a rolling hillside, but still accessible with ground based machines.

The road to the edge of the forest is well formed, and fortunately, there was already a track into the trees since the owner has a bach at the top of the hill. Rob and his crew do most of the roadlining but they usually call on Mark Wilson, of Wilson Contractors, to form the road itself – Mark does the Hancock forests in the north, so comes with a good reputation.

But even with straightforward tracks like this, it can cost around $30,000 to provide proper access for log trucks to be able to get in and out. On more difficult jobs, the price is even higher. And occasionally, it’s not possible to build an access road at all.

“That’s why I’ve got a forwarder, for going over tracks that we can’t make into proper roads,” says Rob. “For woodlots it’s invaluable. The last job we did was 1,200 tonnes in seven little patches around the farm and you can’t afford to put in a proper road around a job like that, so you just process it and take it out to where the truck can get to.

“I imported it (a Cat 574) out of Canada. Forwarders don’t come onto the market very often here and there was nothing around at the price I wanted to pay and what was around were old Timberjacks that were giving people trouble.”

The forwarder isn’t needed today, so it’s parked up in a nearby paddock. But most of the other machinery in the Leslie stable is hard at work keeping up with the constant flow of trucks from Whangarei cartage company MTS Transport. Rob says they’ll get ten loads out today and on a really good day they can hit 14.

We’re leaving the skid site for the moment to clamber up the hill to see another recent arrival in action at the cut-over, a levelling Tigercat 855 that Rob purchased from AB Equipment, ex-Steve Yeoman, only five weeks earlier “so we’re all still learning on it”.

“It replaced the Timberjack harvester, which had clocked up 19,000 hours when we sold it,” says Rob. “It was well used, but it was a purpose-built machine and a good piece of kit.

“This one has a SATCO fall and delimb, a 424M that can process as well, because it has a measuring system on it.”

Rob makes the point that he can use the Tigercat/SATCO combo for

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Top row, from left to right: • Tigercat 855/SATCO 424M operator, Kerry Fishlock, is enjoying his first stint on a levelling cab harvester.

• Driving a skidder has been a big change for Shel Lloyd, who was previously the chef and owner of the Smashed Pipi café and bar at Mangawhai.

• Des Hansen, whose Komatsu PC220-LC is sub-contracted to Rob Leslie to work on the skid.

Second row, from left to right: • Jordie Robinson, the youngest member of the crew, is learning the basics of forestry, starting with QC-ing.

• Simon Ripley was working in corporate forests until recently and is enjoying the shift into woodlots.

• Steve Robinson has been working with Rob Leslie on and off for more than 20 years and operates the processor.

Left: • After starting off in silviculture, Rob Leslie now specialises in harvesting woodlots in Northland.

46 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

Simon Ripley (left) is giving young Jordie Robinson (right) a hand with QC-ing while waiting for more trucks to turn up.

processing on smaller jobs and keep the big Komatsu/Waratah for the big stuff to save moving machines around.

But that’s not all. On the way up the hill we pass a Hitachi ZX280 with a SATCO 630 fall and bunch head purchased second-hand last year that Rob will often jump into himself to put more trees on the ground when needed, just as he aims to do later today.

“Basically, I’ve got three machines that fall if I want to send the processor out to the cutover as well,” he remarks, then adds. “Even having two dedicated falling machines in a single woodlot crew is quite unusual.

“This one (ZX280) I bought because I needed to rip the trees out by the stump on the sand in the job I was doing on the coast for a development at Mangawhai last year. The trees were too ugly to cut so we just grabbed them and ripped them out of the ground. The stumps went out on the forwarder to a burn pile.”

Rob then points to yet another machine parked up in the trees next to the track, a Komatsu 290-8, fitted with a quick-hitch that can either have a grapple or bucket on the end, which also came in handy for that rip-and-burn job. At other times it will be used for track and skid construction.

“Got a few Komatsu machines, I quite like them,” he says. “That old 200-7 (one of two loaders down on the skid), I bought that second-hand at 11,000 hours and it’s done nearly 16,000 hours now.

“The learner drivers get on that, although we don’t have one on it at the moment. It was pretty rough when I got it and it’s not worth tidying it up, but it does a good job. It can go out into the cut-over and I’ve got those track-grip things that bolt onto the tracks if it is wet. And it can get very wet up here, although we’ve been lucky the last few weeks has been very nice.”

At the top of the hill we finally catch up with Kerry Fishlock, who has shut down the Tigercat briefly for a chat.

Kerry has been with this crew for just over 18 months and was in

between jobs when Rob picked him up. Prior to that, he was with a thinnings operation in Topuni and is a seasoned logger, having been in forestry for much of his adult life.

He’s enjoying the camaraderie of the Leslie crew and the challenges that come with woodlots. It’s Kerry’s first experience in a levelling machine, but he’s got the hang of it and appreciates the ability to work on steeper slopes without the cab being on an angle.

“It’s nice – when I remember to hit the buttons to make it level, because it doesn’t do it automatically,” he says.

Kerry is bunching the felled pines for the Tigercat 620D grapple skidder, which is another of Rob’s second-hand purchases. It’s one of three skidders that Rob has on his books – the others are an older 630C grapple skidder that is currently on hire to another logging crew and the original Valmet F67 ropey.

In the driver’s seat is a man who is enjoying his first taste of forestry, having switched from a career in the kitchen. Shel Lloyd was the chef and owner of the Smashed Pipi café and bar at Mangawhai for 13 years, which was Rob’s local for much of that time. When he got tired of the late nights and running his own business, Rob hit him up for a chance to try logging.

He’s been with Rob for 18 months and doesn’t regret the move one bit, although he is still trying to get used to working at the other end of the day, with the early starts.

“It took the body a while to get used to the different sleep patterns, but I’m enjoying the work – it’s different alright and I don’t have the responsibilities of being an employer anymore,” says Shel.

He’s still learning the tricks of the trade, including how to grab all the stems in the grapple and not drop them on the way to the skid, where we are now heading.

Down there it’s all go, with trucks queuing up to grab a load of wood, which pleases Rob: “We’re so close to the port they can squeeze us in between longer trips.”

There’s a pair of Komatsu loaders servicing the trucks, as well as

March 2018 | NZ LOGGER 47

fleeting and stacking on the skid. The nicest looking of the two is a 220-8LC, which is owned and subbed to Rob by Des Hansen, brother of another logging contractor, Phil.

Des is a veteran of the bush, with more than 32 years’ experience under his belt and he’s been with Rob for three-and-a-half years.

He still enjoys logging and is full of praise for the way Rob runs the crew, adding: “And he pays well, no middle man to siphon off the money – he is the middle man.”

Over on the other Komatsu loader, the well-used 200, is Simon Ripley, who is the newest member of the crew, arriving just a month earlier.

Simon was working with Mark Ewers, brother of Nelson’s Dale Ewers, who moved his crew down to Wellington recently. Simon didn’t want to shift and managed to find a job here through the processor operator, Steve, who he knew from other work.

We’ve met Simon before when we conducted an Iron test up this way on the Tigercat 880 after it was first introduced to the market a few years back. This machine is a bit of a let-down from such a primo piece of equipment but he doesn’t mind.

“I like it here, haven’t done woodlots for a while, but this is good,” he says.

The king of this site is the Komatsu PC300-8, which still looks like a new machine even though it’s more than 18 months old and has done 1,800 hours.

That’s down to long-time friend and employee Steve Robinson, says Rob. Steve started with Rob in silviculture around 20 years ago and then went farming for a while before getting back into logging.

“He was working for some crews up north and had learned how to drive a processor,” says Rob. “He told me if I ever needed a processor driver to give him a call.

“We didn’t have one at that time, so he started on an old Komatsu

Being handy to Northland Port means the Leslie crew is never short of log trucks – in addition to these two, there’s another just off the skid waiting to be loaded.

48 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

300 that had done 30,000 hours and didn’t complain, kept it nice and then when the chance came I managed to buy a new one. You have a look at that, in 1,800 hours it’s hardly got a scratch on it.”

Steve is just as complimentary about Rob, telling me he’s good to work for and they are more like old mates.

He’s spent most of his life up here after his coal miner father shifted the family north following an accident in the mine.

Steve likes the variety that comes with working woodlots and says every job is different and comes with its own challenges. And being able to churn out the wood with a top-notch processor is the icing on the cake.

Down on the skid is his 18-years-old son Jordan, who joined the crew four months earlier after going through the Gateway programme to give him an idea about what life in logging is really like. Back in March he got experience working in the Leslie crew as part of Gateway and it was enough to decide this is where his future lies.

Jordie is currently doing QC and eventually wants to progress into one of the machines.

“Getting people to work for you can be an issue, but I’m lucky with the guys I’ve got here,” says Rob. Being fully mechanised helps, but when trees need to be felled by hand they have Colin Aitken, a solo father who has been with Rob for seven years but is working part-time at the moment, who comes in to lay them down – and also drives the forwarder/skidder/loader when needed.

“We have several who are level 4 on the chainsaw, including me, but it’s good to have one guy doing it mostly who is younger and fitter than the rest of us,” adds Rob. “It’s important to have versatility when you work in woodlots. it’s a different game to corporate forestry. With the corporate stuff they have to pump big numbers every day and while we should do close to 400 tonnes a day in this block, we don’t have the same pressures.”

But then again, working in woodlots demands a completely different approach. One that Rob Leslie seems to have mastered pretty well. NZL

FICA is wiping the slate clean and starting with a fresh new look next month.

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top spot

Safety/performance/quality

More Top Spot high achievers IN THIS ISSUE WE CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE the Top Spot participants who excelled in 2017, with more photos of our high achievers.

Plus, we need to make a correction to the Full Year Waste Thin results that appeared in the February issue. After re-checking the scores, the results had not translated correctly and Simon Austin, from SAS Forestry, has now been promoted to second equal placing.

Congratulations to Simon on this achievement.

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.

Sponsors – They don’t have to do this but they choose to!

Awesome companies, awesome people and awesome support!

They back you and your workmates to succeed as professionals, so why wouldn’t you support them.

They believe in what we do and what you do.

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/ Matariki Forests, Nelson Forests, Wenita Forest Products, Port Blakely, Crown

Les Tidy, from Pakiri 26, was first in Tree Felling for 2017.

52 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

Terry Collier, from Eastside Logging, was presented with the Top Spot Assessors Award for 2017 for his impressive tree felling skills.

Forestry, Fraser Logging, Brand Logging, CMH Logging, Phillips Logging, Hauraki and Moehau Logging, Griffin Logging, Roxburgh Logging, Thomassen Logging, Te Waa Logging, Lakeland Cable Logging, Logged on Logging, Pakiri Logging, Rosewarne Cable Loggers, Inta-Wood Forestry, Otautau Contractors, SAW Contracting, Heslip Silvicuture, Waikato Forestry Services, Hodgson Silviculture, SFNL, Makerikeri Silviculture, NJ Simns Forestry Services, SAS Forestry, X-Men, Central Forestry Services, Mangoihe Logging, Kohurau Contracting, Tohaia Forestry Harvesting, Kuru Contracting, Dennis Hayes Logging, Swain Logging, Lumberjack Logging and Ernslaw One. Into safety?

Into performance?

Into quality?

Contact Shane Perrett on 0274 781 908, 07 3483037 or at primefm@xtra.co.nz. NZL

Simon Katene, of Lahar 4, was third in Breaking Out Cable for Period 4 in 2017.

top spot

Safety/performance/quality Ben Hohepa, of Kimberly 22 was first in Mechanical Tree Felling in Period 4 of 2017.

X-Men 23’s Kevin Henry (left), who was first in Skid / QC in Period 4 of 2017 and Jack Tana, who was fourth in Breaking Out Cable in Period 4, too.

Celebrating with Russell Te Ngahue (second right), who was third in the second round of Waste Thin assessments are, from left, X-Men colleagues Lenny Pullan, Ernslaw One’s Trevor Tidey, Kalib Te Ngahue, JR Te Ngahue and Russell Kerr, of Ernslaw One.

Harlem Hawira, of Lahar Logging, took out first place in Breaking Out Cable in Period 4 of 2017.

Matthew Katene, of Lahar Logging, was third in Skid / QC for Period 4 of 2017.

Steve Hawira, of Lahar Logging, was fourth in Mechanical Tree Felling for Period 4 of 2017.

March 2018 | NZ LOGGER 53

top spot

Safety/performance/quality

Russell Kerr, of Ernslaw One (far left) with the Bluewood Logging 5 team of Clint McIvor who finish fourth in Machine Operation on the Landing in Period 4 of 2017, Codie Seaton, who finished second in the same category and Shannon Todd, who was fourth in Skid / QC.

Josh Te Kahu, of Kimberly 22, was first in Ground Base Extraction in Period 4 of 2017.

Ernslaw One’s Paul Hart stands between Bluewood Thinnings colleagues Nigel Hutchinson, who was first in Mechanised Processing in Period 4 of 2107 and Devon Stewart, who was third in General Machine Operation.

Dewes Log 3 colleagues Richard Booth (left), who was second in Mechanised Processing in Period 4 of 2017 and Shayde Skudder, who was second in Skid / QC.

54 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

A happy Storm Logging pair Dan (left) and Thomas Kingi, who, respectively, won an Assessors Award for 2017 and placed third in Poleman / Spotter for Period 4 in 2017.

top spot

Safety/performance/quality

The FML820 crew, from left, Sam Cullen, who was third in Machine Operation on the Landing for the 2017 full year, Jason Hollyman, who was second in Ground Base Extraction, Kevin Williams (at back), who was second in Shovelling, Stu Jary, who was fourth in Machine Operation on the Landing and Charlie Thomson, who was first-equal in Mechanical Processing.

Fraser 03’s Kane Rudolph (left), who was first in Mechanical Tree Felling for the full 2017 year and Nigel Gibson, who was first in Machine Operation on the Landing in 2017.

Hugh Colligan, of Fraser 740, was first in Skid / QC for the full 2017 year.

Russell Moorcock (left), of Fraser 740, who was second in Machine Operation on the Landing, with crew owner, Mike Fraser.

Fraser 03 crew members, from left, Scott Friedrich, who was third in Shovelling for the full 2017 year, Tony Fraser (crew boss), who was third in Skid / QC and Cody McCarrison, who was third in Ground Base Extraction.

Fraser 740 colleagues, from left, Wayne hill, who was first in Shovelling for the full 2017 year, Craig Hocking, who was third in Mechanical Processing and Steve Waghorn, who was first-equal in Mechanical Processing.

March 2018 | NZ LOGGER 55

new iron

CAT FOR THOMPSON Fraser and Doug Thompson, from Reporoa in the central North Island, have a new addition to their fleet of Cat machines after purchasing a new Cat 330. And after a good winter (even though the region had some of the highest rainfall since records began) they also to upgrade to a new Cat skidder. A demo of a Cat 525D with joystick control impressed with its power and quiet operation and while most woodlot operations would go for a mid-size unit, Fraser and Doug went big with a new Cat 545D. Fraser says it is pulling significantly more wood and does it at idle, great for fuel economy!

A good market and a professional job and good gear mean the work should keep coming in. The machine was sold by Paul Roche of Gough Cat.

HITACHI FOR KIMBERLY Warrick, Annie and the team at Kimberly Contractors, Log 6 crew have put this new ZX330LC-5 shovel logger to work near Te Araroa.

Spec’d with a high and wide undercarriage, live heel and a Trinder guarding package, the big loader is a great match for East Coast conditions. Pictured, from the left, are Tahu, Pati, Eddie, Karauria, Jay, Dave, Rob and Jacko. The machine was sold and is supported

by CablePrice Gisborne.

KOMATSU FOR GRAHAM

DAVAAR SUMITOMO

Chris and Melissa Graham, of C & M Graham Logging, have taken delivery of a new Komatsu 895 for their harvesting operation at Te Kaha. Ethan and Fatta (operators) both reckon the Komatsu 895 is “a pleasure to operate”. Pictured, from left, are Jake Graham, Piwe, Ian Knight, Fatta, Ethan Graham, Rocky, Chris Graham, John Kosar (Komatsu Forest NZ) and Tinus Barnard (Komatsu Forest NZ).

Allan Nichols, of Davaar Logging, based in Greta Valley, Canterbury, has taken delivery of the crew’s first new Sumitomo SH240TLFS, a forestry-built machine with a purpose-built cabin and guarding package. The new Sumitomo is working in and around north Canterbury, shoveling for the skidder and also fleeting and loading.

Operator, Simon Nichols (photographed), is blown away by the traction force and overall power of the new Sumitomo.

56 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

new iron

FERRIS TIGERCAT & SUMI Jimmy Ferris, from Ferris Logging in Southland, has taken delivery of a pair of new machines from AB Equipment, a Tigercat 620E Skidder and a Sumitomo SH250-6. The changes in the new E-series skidder, including the larger grapple, larger extreme service heavy-duty axles, Tigercat FPT Engine, high-speed EHS transmission, load-sensing hydraulics, re-designed cabin and turnaround seat are ideally suited to Jimmy’s operation, as seen here with crew one. His other newcomer is also his first Sumitomo. Jimmy contracts for Log Marketing and specialises in the ever-growing woodlot sector. He purchased this new SH250-6 as an excavator configuration for his second crew and had it fully guarded at Bulleid Engineering in Winton, with an Ensign 1530 grapple completing the package. Pictured, from left, are Jimmy Ferris and crew foreman Kyle Blyth. AB Equipment’s Dean Cousins made the two sales.

VEHICLE’S, MACHINERY AND ATTACHMENTS

Smarter, Stronger, Longer....

Active VMA Forestry Grapple Package

Active VMA Forestry Harvester Package

Active VMA Shiploader Packages

LG26961

FAE Excavator Forestry Mulcher with Active VMA Hitch’n’Heel option

3-7 McCloskey Road, Rotorua 3015 New Zealand PO Box 7264, Rotorua 3042 New Zealand Office: 07 345 5609 Email: admin@activevma.co.nz ACTIVEVMA.CO.NZ

March 2018 | NZ LOGGER 57

new iron

NEWTON SATCO

SOUTHSTAR FOR FOREST VIEW

Rotorua-based Newton Logging has taken delivery of its first SATCO SAT325M fell and trim, which is attached to the crew’s lowhour Cat 552 leveller. SATCO also made the track extensions on the Cat. Willie, the operator, is impressed with the holding power of the head when he’s felling.

James Brown, owner of Forest View Logging, has mounted a SouthStar QS600 harvester onto a Doosan DX300LL, which is operating in Whangapoua Forest, overlooking Mercury Bay, near Whitianga. Pictured, from the left, are Pete Edwards, Ben Addenbrooke (SouthStar), James Brown and Chris Dowzall.

KOMATSU FOR RAZORBACK FALCON FOR AR LOGGING DC Equipment’s Nick Andrews along with AR Logging’s owner Arana Kuru standing next to Arana’s new Falcon Winch Assist in Gisborne.

Arana’s Falcon is the first of the brand-new Falcon Winch Assist builds on a Hitachi ZX280 base.

58 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

Shane and Janice Humblestone, of Razorback Logging, have put this new Komatsu PC 400LC-8 to work in their Gisborne operation.

The PC 400LC-8 has an Active Engineering heavy-duty forestry guarding package and is fitted with a Waratah HTH 625C. Shane shares the operating of the machine with his daughter, Amy Lee, and says “sometimes it’s a race to see who can get in the cab first”.

Pictured, from left, are William Payne (Heavy Equipment), Tinus Bernard (Komatsu Forest NZ), Mike Lepper (Active Engineering), Amy Lee Humblestone (operator), Shane Humblestone, John Kosar (Komatsu Forest NZ) and Brent Cudby (foreman).

new iron

SIKA JD SKIDDER Sika Logging’s new 848L John Deere skidder is seen here working in the Kaingaroa Forest, pulling stems to the roadside. Roger and his family travelled to Davenport Works to see the new machine roll off the production line. Dale, who is the operator, was able to join in on the trip and just to make sure it was his machine on the line, Dale, along with Bree (Roger’s daughter), got a hold of a paint pen and managed to ‘Tag’ it in a couple places! The tags were there when it arrived.

JOHN DEERE FOR LEALAND Dave Lealand, of Lealand Harvesting, has taken delivery of a new John Deere 2156G XD swing machine. The 2156 is spec'd with a rear entry, high-rise cab giving plenty of vision and comes factory standard with the straight logger boom. The Lealand crew is working in the central North Island and on delivery day was in the Pureora Forest. Terry Duncan of CablePrice made the sale.

MOUTERE SATCO Moutere logging has taken delivery of a new SAT630H, fitted to a Hitacho ZX290, which is working near Dannevirke. The SAT630H comes standard with auto saw tensioning.

SOUTHSTAR FOR RENNER RME KOMATSU Allan and Donna Gibberson, of RME Logging, have taken delivery of a new Komatsu PC 270LC-8, which has an Active guarding package and an Ensign 1730 IH grapple. Allan is very impressed with the PC 270LC-8, especially the “great track power and very smooth hydraulics”. Pictured, from left, are Austin Underwood (Komatsu Forest NZ), Rob Olsen, Ryan Brooks, Hika Curtus, Greg Brooks, Allan Gibberson and John Kosar (Komatsu Forest NZ). Photo taken

by Marc Amos (Komatsu Forest NZ).

Peter Renner, owner of Renner Logging, has taken delivery of a new SouthStar 4X4 QS600 harvester processor fitted to a Tigercat H855C in north Canterbury. This is the second of a run of SouthStar attachments to enter the South Island. Pictured, from left, Ben Addenbrooke (SouthStar Equipment), Shane Hubbard, Blair Adamson (SouthStar Equipment), Mike Quigley, Peter Renner, David King (Diesel and Hydraulics), Kevin Jones and Scott (AB Equipment).

March 2018 | NZ LOGGER 59

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

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AIR VALVES / CONTROLLERS

1003 WILLIAMS WM318-G VALVE & REPAIR KITS

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1189 KOBELT CYPRESS

1018 VERSA VUH4304 VALVE CONTROLLER

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

AIR DUMP VALVES

1174 WILLIAMS QUICK RELEASE VALVE

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1052 FAIRCHILD MODEL 20 HIGH CAPACITY VOLUME BOOSTER

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1172 BENDIX T-240004-D DUMP VALVE

ED E 82

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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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1078 BELL V20 HYDRAULIC PUMP FOR BELL MAIN LIFT RAM

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1080 BE85 GUY MOTOR

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HAULER PARTS NZ

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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

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

Valuation Services Include:

• Manufacturing for over 25 years • Water & rot proof

SEAT COVERS • Easy to fit - easy to clean • Side airbag compatible

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0800 158 479

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

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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

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

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

,09 Cat 330DFM

,07 Cat 324DFM LGP

,08 Tigercat T250B 14,831 hrs - $93,500

,16 Tigercat 630E

12,500 hrs - $189K

*pricing in USD 64 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

9,297 hrs - $138,500

2,592 hrs - $215K

,16 Tigercat 870C 2100 hrs.

Logmax 12000 - $489K

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

Lexington SC USA (P) 001.803.708.0624 - sales@forestryfirst.com

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

LG27096

• Genuine high quality 12oz canvas

LG27852

UPER OUGH

NZ LOGGER classified

NZ LOGGER classified

CONTRACTORS PLANT NZ LTD 59 Broadlands Rd - Taupo

EQUIPMENT SALES

NEW STOCK

BROKERS

HIRE

REDUCED PRICE

Cat 525C Grapple Skidder: Dual function boom, bunching head, 30.5 tyres. Only 6,700 hrs. $P.O.A.

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

ROTORUA

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

Daewoo 220 Log Loader: In stock Taupo Purpose built LL, Logger boom and arm, high-wide, Ensign.

POA $255,000 plus GST $75,000 plus GST PALMERSTON NORTH CONTACT: PHIL TODD

E: philt@heavymachineryservices.co.nz

M: 027 595 0019

P: (07) 345 4343

LG27845

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, Detroit engine, some ropes and rigging available. $P.O.A $85,000 plus GST $P.O.A.

Cat 545C Grapple Skidder: John Deere 648GIII Grapple Skidder: 35.5 tyres, 9,400 hrs. Very tidy machine.

30.5’s, dual function, winch. $220,000 plus GST

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 March 2018 | NZ LOGGER 65

NZ LOGGER classified

For First Thinnings in Far South Coast NSW Australia.

We are looking for a 2 Person Team that work well as a unit, or Individual submissions are also accepted.

Potential Assistance for Relocating will be discussed.

Harvesting Experience Essential

LG27832

• Log Cartage Multi combination truck driving position also available

Please email CV jodi@mclog.com.au or phone +61 2 649 61433

ENGINEERED WITH EXPERIENCE....

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.

35.5x32 tracks also in stock.

Chain Protection have been Clark Tracks NZ agent for 20 + Years.

LG27833

Harvester & Forwarder Positions

www.chains.co.nz

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

66 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

AP21327

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Tick boxes NZ TRUCK & DRIVER 1 year (11 issues) for $80 incl. GST NZ LOGGER 1 year (11 issues) for $70 incl. GST

FOR ME

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Terms and conditions: Subscription rates and a free copy of Equipment Guide are for NZ orders only and only for NZ Truck and Driver and NZ Logger subscriptions. Rates include GST and postage. For overseas prices please enquire.

NZ LOGGER classified

Madill 122 Grapple Swing Yarder

F

Build: November 1988.

Haulers for lease

Approx. 12,000 engine hours.

Several spares with machine; grapple and slack pulling carriage.

Location: Tasmania, Australia.

LG26849

$POA

Contact: Kevin Muskett +61 428 144 984 musketts@bigpond.com

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

W

LG27840

Mechanically A1, very well maintained machine.

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

NOW AVAILABLE FOR HIRE

www.facebook.com/RWFSfieldservice

Ph: 07 348 0501 Email: Info@rwfs.co.nz Mob: 027 817 9448 Workshop 41 Riri Street, Rotorua 68 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

LG26859

visit us on

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

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

70 NZ LOGGER | March 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

YC230-8LCF

• • • • •

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

SHANTUI SD16F - 17000 KG / 120KW

SHANTUI SL50-3 - 16600 KG • 162KW

• WIDE • STRONG & • OUTSTANDING • SOFT • PRICED • LOG • SMOOTH FORESTRY RELIABLE VALUE SHIFT FROM FORKS & STRONG RANGE TRANS $125,000 + GST AVAIL

0800 344 425 LG27858

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

STAYS ON THE JOB. Nokian understands the cost of downtime for a busy contractor.

That’s why the entire Nokian foresty tyre range is built to stand up up to the harshest of conditions and heaviest of applications. To get the best from your gear, choose Nokian.

Call 0800 NOKIAN (0800 665 426) or email info@nokian.nz to find a dealer.

of the

Equipment MONTH TIGERCAT 620C

2014. Excellent example of a late model 630D Tigercat Skidder. Winch & grapple. 3,699 hours.

Tigercat 620C Grapple Skidder. 13,700 hours.

LD SO

TIGERCAT 630D

Finance Available 0800 346 275

Hastings #0118001

Invercargill #0917063

$385,000.00

$120,000.00

$385,000.00 VOLVO FC3329C

VOLVO EC360CL

JOHN DEERE 909KH

Tidy log processor, Logmax 12,000 processing head, Satco boom and arm, double bar grousers with extension, Active Engineering purpose built cab. 8,100 hours.

Log Processor, with Waratah HTH626 Big Wood head. Devine engineering ROPS, FOPS, OPS and forestry guarding. Estimated 11,000 hours.

One owner. Has SATCO 630 And 424 piping and controls, fire suppression, tow hook for tethering. 8,780 hours.

Hastings #0917070

$292,000.00

Hastings #1217095

$250,000.00

Nelson #0218012

Contact your local CablePrice sales representative for all enquiries Northland: Phil McKenzie 0276 202 505 | North Shore: Luke Larsen 0275 884 064 | Auckland / Coromandel: Malcolm Pascoe 0275 949 941 Auckland / Hamilton / Taranaki: Simon Birchall 027 809 6211 | Central North Island: Terry Duncan 0275 943 550 Hawke’s Bay / Gisborne: Paul Laird 0272 047 289 | Lower North Island: Cameron Wait 0275 427 250 Nelson / Marlborough: Todd Blackwood 0275 223 445 | West Coast / Canterbury: Andrew McCoy 0275 320 238 | Otago / Southland: Daryl Highsted 0275 771 264

72 NZ LOGGER | March 2018

$390,000.00

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 HEA 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

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

Swaged Swaged 6x31 6x31 offers offers proven proven performance! performance!

Our Our Swaged Swaged 6x31 6x31 high high performance performance rope rope provides provides improved improved flexibility and increased bend cycles that will boost your flexibility and increased bend cycles that will boost your productivity productivity and and efficeinecy efficeinecy SPEAK SPEAK TO TO THE THE TEAM TEAM THAT THAT KNOWS KNOWS PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE ROPES ROPES Northland Northland Northland Lana Power Power Lana Lana Power 029 029 773 773 0744 0744 029 773 0744 Auckland/Waikato Auckland/Waikato Auckland/Waikato Andy Palmer Palmer Andy Andy Palmer 027 474 474 6032 027 6032 027 474 6032

Tauranga Tauranga Tauranga Lance Godfrey Godfrey Lance Lance Godfrey 027 027 480 480 9589 9589 027 480 9589 Rotorua/Lower Rotorua/Lower North North Island Island Rotorua/Lower Dave Caulfield Caulfield North Island Dave Dave Caulfield 027 474 474 2809 027 2809 027 474 2809

Upper South South Island Island Upper Upper South Island Mike Beleski Beleski Mike Mike Beleski 027 027 479 479 6806 6806 027 479 6806 Canterbury/Lower Canterbury/Lower Sth Sth Island Island Canterbury/Lower Sth Island Steve Marshall Marshall Steve Steve Marshall 027 434 434 7148 027 7148 027 434 7148

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