28 minute read
SHAW’S WIRE ROPES IRON TEST
by nzlogger
KFT Logging’s Hitachi ZX290L-5G arrived from the factory partially set up for the forest.
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BACK ON TRACK
Story & photos: John Ellegard
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The Hitachi ZX290L-5G displays good stability on steep ground.
TIMES HAVE BEEN TOUGH FOR KFT LOGGING AFTER
crew boss, William ‘Hoot’ Knowles, died suddenly during a wood chopping tournament in Australia two years ago.
But they’re a resilient lot over in Gisborne. Instead of selling up,
Hoot’s wife Sharon was determined to keep the crew going and, together with eldest son, Steven, and a core of loyal employees, they got things back on track.
It’s not been easy. Sharon had to sell some of their best gear, including a levelling harvester and key road building equipment, to keep the business afloat, since they weren’t able to hang onto their road lining contract. And then COVID hit.
“It was really tough but we didn’t want to lose what we’d worked so hard to create,” says Sharon.
The turning point came when son Steven, who had been running his own small forestry operation, pitched in to help. Through his connections with Logic Forest Solutions they secured a contract to harvest an 8,000-hectare woodlot behind Wairoa, an hour-and-a-half south of Gisborne, putting the team and their remaining equipment back to work.
It’s here that NZ Logger met up with Sharon and the KFT crew to celebrate a milestone in the revitalisation of the business – the arrival of their brand new Hitachi ZX290L-5G loader/shoveller.
The purchase marks what has been a fairly rapid revival, as KFT only started work on this site last December and the new Hitachi was BANNER 4BANNER 1BANNER 1 delivered just five months later.
Sharon explains that once they got into the job they realised the Hitachi ZX330 that is now doing the job of harvesting on the hill was too busy to do the shovelling as well – a task it was previously doing when the crew had a John Deere levelling harvester.
“We definitely needed a shoveller and I discussed it with mum,” says Steven. “We did look at second-hand but thought ‘bugger it, there’s not much in it, we’ll just get a new one, better reliability’. We just wanted something simple. And these are partly set up for the forest and come with solid bits on them.”
Although other brands were considered, the Hitachi decision made sense, based on their positive experience with previous and existing tracked equipment from the Japanese manufacturer, which also happens to own CablePrice.
With the well-publicised changes in the CablePrice stable, there’s plenty of incentive for Hitachi to step up in the forestry segment in New Zealand.
Hitachi has always had a strong presence in the local construction sector as well as a long history in the forestry industry in New Zealand, with the development of 30-tonne excavator base UH09 and UH053 feller bunchers in the late 1970s.
The changes of the past 18 months have seen CablePrice refocus on the Hitachi ZXL-5G to spearhead the forestry range, boasting a number of factory-supplied features, such as high-and-wide undercarriages, heavy-duty track frames, reinforced booms and uprated performance.
The 5-series first appeared in New Zealand back in 2012 and it’s largely
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Above left: KFT Logging wanted a simple and robust machine for shovelling and they’ve got that in the Hitachi ZX290L-5G. Above right: Iron Tester Tony Brightwell grabs onto a stump to help pull the Hitachi shoveller up the hill.
been unchanged over that time apart from some minor upgrades, but CablePrice wants loggers to know that there are compelling reasons why they should be considered for today’s harvesting environment.
“We have an opportunity to focus more on the one product rather than splitting our attention,” says Andrew Crane, National Product Manager – Equipment at CablePrice.
“We are definitely pushing forward into forestry with the 5G, focused on working with the factory to develop the model for our market and also working closely with local engineers to build the machines to suit our customers’ applications and what they require in the finished product.”
Three models
And that’s the reason NZ Logger has travelled to Wairoa, in order to reacquaint ourselves with the latest 5-series model and see how it matches up as a capable, productive forestry option. It’s been eight years since we last sat at the controls of a Hitachi tracked carrier, so the timing is well overdue.
CablePrice offers three models aimed specifically at forestry customers; the ZX250L-5G and ZX290L-5G, which are both powered by the same 6.5-litre Isuzu 6-cylinder CC-6BG1T engine developing 132kW (177HP) of peak power; plus a ZX400L-5G that utilises the 7.8-litre Isuzu AA-6HK1X to produce 184kW (246HP) of peak power.
Andrew goes on to say these Tier 2 direct fuel injection engines have proved to be well-suited to forestry applications, “being very durable and they can cope with variable fuel quality – we’ve got machines working in the forest from 2012 still on original engines. They don’t have a lot of issues at big hours.”
All three models come partially prepped for the forest from the factory, including high-and-wide undercarriages beefed up with stronger components such as rollers, track drives and track chains derived from the next size model. Thus, the 250 uses the track gear from the 280, the 290 uses those from the 350 and the 400 benefits from the 450’s.
“The undercarriage components are all highly durable and there’s a lot more tractive effort, which is increased on each model for working on steep slopes,” says Andrew.
“Each of the three models has a heavy-duty boom with increased steel plate thickness ex-factory with the higher lift boom bracket for increased lift capacity.”
Andrew also points out that while there is a factory track under cover available as an option, most of the machines going into the forest here are fitted with a local under cover that provides much heavier duty protection.
In addition to those three models, CablePrice is now offering the ZX300LC-5A with the larger horsepower 6HK1 engine, which Andrew reckons will appeal to contractors looking in the 30-tonne log loader market, although it doesn’t come on a factory high-and-wide base. Similarly, the ZX360LCH-5B is offered as a processor, featuring the Trias (three pump) hydraulic system delivering more than 800 litres per minute total flow. Andrew says “it performs extremely well too, allowing the operator to slew and multi-function while running a processor at the same time”, though it doesn’t have a factory highand-wide base either.
All Hitachi tracked machines arriving in New Zealand come with the standard civil construction-style cab. If they are going into a logging crew, these are swapped for a reinforced forest cab from a local supplier, like the Active VMA cab we are currently inspecting on the KFT machine that operator, Liam Kake, has now brought down off the hill for us to inspect.
We’ve always liked these cabs. They’re not only built strong, they’re also stylish, roomy and provide plenty of visibility for the operator. This one is no exception, with plenty of space behind the seat for storing gear and only a couple of slim bars across the front screen that hardly mask forward vision.
Professional finish
The exterior and interior finish is excellent, with the installation of the seat and controls from the original cab looking very professional. An interesting addition to this machine is a white vinyl cover across the top of the roof, which reflects the sun’s heat from the largely black-painted cab to help keep it cool in summer.
The rest of the guarding package has a similar professional finish, including the wrap-around ledge that provides a place for the operator to stand and clean the exterior glass. The Active VMA team has also provided good access to the Isuzu engine through a decent sized topopening bonnet, along with bolt-on panels that can easily be removed if more access is required. And in a nod to the latest technology, an LED light bar is neatly incorporated into the roof, just above the front screen.
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Plenty of stability when slewing sideways on this hill.
Other nice touches include a slide-out drawer designed to fit under the cab floor, below the door. Access to pumps and other daily checks is facilitated by top hinged doors along the sides of the body that pivot up on hydraulic stays. A large storage space in the main body, next to the boom is capable of holding several containers of spare oil and hydraulics.
A rear-facing camera is standard, but although Hitachi has missed a trick by not making an auto fan standard, the parallel arrangement of the radiators keeps the engine cool and allows the operator to easily check and clean dust and debris.
But there’s no criticising the high-and-wide base and associated track gear. It’s very solid and well protected, which it needs to be when scurrying across slopes littered with lumps, stumps and branches. Behind the heavy-duty guards, the upgraded track motors deliver 298kN of tractive force, which is more than enough to propel the 290L-5G over this sort of terrain.
Initially, I was surprised that only standard-size single grouser tracks had been spec’d, but guest Iron Tester, Tony Brightwell pointed out that
bigger tracks or even welded lugs would actually be a disadvantage on slippery slash. We’re all impressed with the 770mm ground clearance, which is better than on some purpose-built forest machines, though Tony is wondering how the extra height will affect stability when he puts it to work on the steep slope above us. We also like how the hydraulic hoses for the Ensign 1730 grapple are neatly carried along the back of the boom and arm and then plumbed through the rotator to keep them out of harm’s way. And while the piston that operates the arm is still placed on top, for digging rather than underslung for lifting, Steven and operator Liam say this layout doesn’t affect the shovelling performance. Tony touches on this in his Iron Test column on page 30. Another point of interest is that although the boom has been strengthened at the factory to cope with the lifting forces experienced in forestry, it’s not a straight design and still looks like a standard digging boom. - Extended chain life of over 30% Superseal® The Award Winning Forestry ChainSuperseal® The Award Winning Forestry Chain - Extended chain life of over 30% Superseal® The Award Winning Forestry Chain - Extended chain life of over 30% Superseal® The Award Winning Forestry Chain Superseal® The Award Winning Forestry ChainSuperseal® The Award Winning Forestry ChainSuperseal® The Award Winning Forestry Chain Superseal® The Award Winning Forestry Chain - Zero seizing - Zero seizing - Zero seizing- Extended chain life of over 30% - Extended chain life of over 30% - Extended chain life of over 30% - Reduced internal wear maintaining original chain pitch - Reduced external bush & sprocket wear - 50% quieter throughout chain life - Reduced internal wear maintaining original chain pitch - Reduced external bush & sprocket wear - 50% quieter throughout chain life - Reduced internal wear maintaining original chain pitch - Reduced external bush & sprocket wear - 50% quieter throughout chain life - Zero seizing - Reduced internal wear maintaining original chain pitch - Reduced external bush & sprocket wear - 50% quieter throughout chain life - Zero seizing - Reduced internal wear maintaining original chain pitch - Reduced external bush & sprocket wear - 50% quieter throughout chain life - Zero seizing - Reduced internal wear maintaining original chain pitch - Reduced external bush & sprocket wear - 50% quieter throughout chain life
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Steven says they decided not to go for a longer, purpose-built straight boom and arm for stability reasons. The same thinking was behind the decision not to fit a live heel.
“Let the falling machine do the hard yards and allow this machine to do its own work,” reckons Steven. “You’re putting extra weight out at the end, which we didn’t want and we don’t need a heel to make occasional tracks, we’ve got a bucket on a 16-tonner that is heaps quicker.”
Two factory-set modes
Time to test how the new Hitachi shoveller copes with the slope that rises steeply from the skid site. It looked precarious when we first arrived and saw Liam working at an angle that looked well outside anyone’s comfort zone – in excess of 30-degrees and no tether to anchor it.
Tony gets strapped in – surprisingly just a lap belt, not a full harness, considering the angle the machine will be operating on – and needs only a brief chat with Liam to discuss the controls as he’s had plenty of Hitachi experience in the past. All the tracked machines in the KFT fleet have the Hitachi control pattern, which can only be changed through swapping a valve, unlike some of the latest purpose-built machines where it can be quickly switched over via the touch-screen in the cab.
In that respect, Hitachi remains a bit oldschool. It retains a fully hydraulic operating system, instead of adopting the air-overhydraulics that purpose-built competitors
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Right: Quick grapple speed is one of the features of the Hitachi ZX290L-5G and Ensign 1730 combo. Main: A 6.3 tonne counterweight helps balance the Hitachi ZX290L-5G – and that camera on the tail is standard.
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ALWAYS SWING A BIG STICK
offer these days to facilitate greater use of electronic control functions.
That means the operator only has the choice of two factory-set modes to change the hydraulic settings – Power and Eco – via a switch on a panel to the right of the seat. In contrast, the operator in some purpose-built competitors can make micro adjustments to the speed and sensitivity of each control function to infinitely vary the slew, lift and grapple. Tony has come from a levelling harvester that does offer those infinite adjustments, so his take on the Hitachi will be interesting.
For Liam, it hasn’t made any difference because it’s the same as the Hitachi 330 he was operating before the 290 arrived.
“Yeah, the Eco and Power modes are pretty much as before,” he says.
“When you are on the slope in Power mode you are pushing too much and your tracks start spinning. So I kind of let it craw itself and do its own thing, instead of trying to force it. Slew is awesome, the hold motor especially, it’s like it has its own braking system and once you let go it stops pretty good. On some machines the boom will carry on with the momentum and that can be annoying.”
Steven chips in: “Not having the ability to fine-tune the controls doesn’t really worry us – even our 909 was like that. You can play with them all day but there’s not much in it and you get used to how it works. And the electric-over hydraulics can be hard to get to work smoothly.”
Hitachi does make use of modern electronics in other ways, such as the Global E-service GPS system fitted as standard, that
Far left: Roomy forest cab from Active VMA with the seating, controls and trim transferred over from the factory cab. Left: Those bars across the front screen make handy footrests when the cab is on a steep angle, especially without a full harness. Below: You need steady nerves and good machine control to work effectively on slopes like this.
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Regular Hitachi ZX290L-5G operator, Liam Kake. The high-and-wide base is factory standard on this model and provides more ground clearance than some purpose-builts.
enables remote monitoring of the machine’s performance, hydraulic oil temperatures, cooler temperatures and any alarms.
CablePrice’s Andrew Crane says: “We can also go into the machine to make sure the pump pressures and engine rpm settings are all at the correct level before the machines are at optimum speed and performance. We’ve also got an hydraulic oil monitoring system so if there is any change in oil condition it sends an alarm through the GPS system, so instead of waiting for an oil sample we can measure that straight away.”
Such remote monitoring is essential for a machine that spends much of its life operating at acute angles.
While the KFT 290 is mostly used for shovelling on the hill, Liam has done some loading on the flat and says “it’s good… lifts the trailer real easy. No sluggishness and no rocking. Grapple is responsive and fine control is good.”
Firmly planted
It’s equally stable on the slopes, he adds: “It’s real good, like you can hold a large stem right out and swing round and you don’t feel it.”
But the steepness of the hill can provide some interesting moments: “Working up there it’s touch and go in places, especially when your tracks dig in.”
Tony is currently experiencing some of his ‘touch and go’ moments as he coaxes the Hitachi further up the slope to reach a bunch of stems that need to be shovelled down to where Rick Te Whiu in the Hitachi ZX400-5 is waiting to grab and run them through the Waratah 626 Bigwood. The rain has set in and it’s making the already dicey conditions even
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dicier, demanding all of Tony’s skills to keep the 290L-5G firmly planted on its tracks… even if they are sitting at a precarious angle. At one point,
Tony uses the grapple to latch onto a stump to drag the Hitachi up the slope when the grousers have difficulty latching onto a firm surface. On reaching the downed stems, he wastes no time grabbing two or three at a time, slewing them around and pushing them down the hill, making good use of the 10.3rpm slew speed.
Occasionally, he is forced to test the full outstretched capabilities of the boom and arm to grab a stem on the limit of reach without having to reposition the machine – good job there’s 6.3 tonnes of counterweight on the back to maintain balance. Tony does well to make the most of the modest 9,150mm of reach before eventually running out of stems. So he’s forced to return to flat ground as another of the eight trucks that call each day on average, is being loaded by KFT’s only surviving purpose-built tracked machine, a John Deere 2154. As we huddle in the container out of the rain, both Sharon and Steven seem happy with the way the whole operation is going, not just the new machine. Regardless of the weather, things are certainly brighter now.
“It was tough at first, a few hurdles to get over but we’re getting there,” sums up Steven. “Shame we had to sell some of the newer gear, especially when you jump into the old girls and you’re ‘Ohhhhh, this is not much fun…’
“We’re very happy with the new 290, but we definitely want to get a tether machine and another leveller, especially with all the steep work that’s ahead. And I need to buy mum out and take the stress off her. I’m happy running it and mum can go on holiday.”
Steven originally started with his father straight out of school before setting up his own business, but you sense that he’s happy to be back helping his mother make the most of the situation. He’s got some wise old heads around him, like skidder driver Alby Reedy and Rick Te Whiu. Sharon and Steven are fortunate to have retained their services.
“I’ve been with these guys 10 years. I really wanted to hang around after Hoot went so I could help this lady here out,” nods Rick.
It’s all about getting the business back on track for Sharon and Steven. And that’s exactly how CablePrice is viewing the role of Hitachi in the forest following its own upheavals. If our experience with the 5G series is anything to go by, that approach will certainly help. NZL
KFT Logging’s new Hitachi shoveller has plenty of lift.
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A surprising performer
A LOT OF CONTRACTORS SEEM TO GO
for purpose-built gear these days, even for simple loading and shovelling jobs… but do you really need to go that far?
This ZX290L-5G proved to me that you don’t. And I operate a purpose-built machine (an Eltec levelling harvester). What can a purpose-built shoveller do that this Hitachi can’t? It’s well set up and it costs a lot less, even with the local cab and guarding.
The Japanese build good gear and with an Isuzu engine, it’s going to go forever. My dad had a pair of 270s that got to 30,000 hours. Never touched them, except oil changes when needed.
I really like this machine. It’s stable, has good power and I found it very comfortable and quite refined. It’s what you come to expect in a digger – they’ve done a nice job transferring the nice original things from the factory cab.
The stand-out feature for me is the highand-wide, and it seems to have a lot more track power than other diggers of the same size that I’ve driven.
At 30 tonnes, it’s getting up there but on the hill it was very stable, just sat there and didn’t rock. Even bringing the logs around you expect it to lift a track but it didn’t. Just as well it wasn’t fitted with a higher cab. I was more worried about sliding on the greasy surface and ending up down on the pad.
It seems to have plenty of control. I know most people prefer the Cat control layout but for me, it is the right-way and that’s how I would have set it up.
Iron Tester, Tony Brightwell.
1: No auto reversing fan, so the operator needs to make regular checks to clean debris from the radiator. 2: Good access to the pumps and filters – note that all side doors are raised by hydraulics stays. 3: Handy sliding storage tray built into the bottom of the cab. 4: The Isuzu engine has been a reliable mainstay for many years. 5: This white vinyl sheet on top of the cab reflects the heat and is aimed at keeping the black cab cooler in summer. BANNER 1BANNER 1BANNER 1
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SPEC IFICATION S HITACHI ZX 290L-5G SHOVEL LOGGER - SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE
6-cylinder, 6.5-litres, Isuzu CC-6BG1T common rail diesel, Tier 2, turbocharged & after-cooled Bore / stroke 105mm x 125mm Net power, SAE 132kW (177hp) @ 2,150rpm
Torque 637Nm @ 1,800rpm
HYDRAULICS
Main pumps Swing pump Swing torque Swing speed
UNDERCARRIAGE Variable displacement piston type 2 x 236 L/min Axial piston type 90.5 kNm 10.3rpm
Travel Tractive effort Max travel speed
BOOM / ARM
Model Max reach 2-speed travel motor for each track 298kN 4.1km/h (in high)
Hitachi 9,150mm GRAPPLE
Model Rotation Max clamp opening Capacity Weight
REFILL CAPACITIES (LITRES)
Fuel tank Hydraulic system
DIMENSIONS (MM) Ensign 1730 continuous 1,700mm 0.47m2 1,180kg
510 290
Shipping length Width Height (top of Active cab) Ground clearance 10,420 3,390 3,760 770
Track length Track shoe width 5,010 600, with single grousers
Tail swing radius
3,140mm Counterweight 6,300kg Operating weight 32,400kg (with Active cab & guarding but no grapple)
The machine answers the controls very nicely, feels just right. I did notice the grapple was faster than I expected. Not being able to fine-tune the speeds and sensitivity means you have to accept what’s available in the two modes.
I had it in Eco first as I got used to it and then once I got up the hill I switched over to Power. There’s plenty of slew effort, because it was slewing uphill on a pretty mean angle. There’s plenty of lift. I would have thought it would have struggled a bit with the weight of some trees, but it didn’t, so it’s got plenty of power.
Overall, I found it very nice to drive. Smooth, no jerks in the hydraulics. Good vision, even with a couple of bars on the front screen, which I found a boon on the hills because you need something to put your feet on or you’ll slide out of the seat. That begs the question of whether it should have a harness seat belt. However, the balance is fine, even on the angle I was working.
Very quiet in the cab – I noted that Liam wears earmuffs but I don’t think they’re needed.
Final verdict? One of the better diggers I’ve experienced. I’ve driven most brands and this one is up there. NZL
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