KOMATSU 845 FORWARDER | NEW PRODUCT
REACHING NEW HEIGHTS
Experienced forwarder operators immediately appreciate the benefits brought by a newly introduced model. Eoghan Daly reports on the early experiences of O’Dwyer Timber Contractors with Komatsu’s 2021 model 845 forwarder IMAGES EOGHAN DALY
Experienced operator Keith Hanniffy with the new 2021 model 845, which recently joined the O’Dwyer fleet.
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omatsu’s 845 forwarder has recently been upgraded to 2021 spec. Capable of hauling 12 tonnes, the machine occupies a very interesting size class and thanks to a broad selection of options can be tailored for a wide range of applications. O’Dwyer Timber Contractors Ltd recently took delivery of the first example of this new model in Ireland. Running a considerable timber harvesting operation, this County Kilkenny-based company has become one of Ireland’s largest Komatsu users and, as a result, has considerable experience of running the machines in typical operating conditions. Working across a wide area, O’Dwyer Timber Contractors encounters various forest conditions and this makes all-round
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AUTUMN 2021 FORESTRY MACHINERY
machines particularly important. Previous generation Komatsu forwarders have served the company well, but the latest 845 has taken the concept of an all-round extraction machine to a whole new level. Purchased from Irish dealer McHale Plant Sales and delivered in June 2021, the machine went straight to work on a challenging thinning extraction assignment close to Aughrim in County Wicklow. Following the thinning of this Douglas-fir
“EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE ONLY HAD IT A SHORT TIME, I CAN ALREADY SEE THAT IT IS A BRILLIANT CLIMBING MACHINE”
stand, the severity of the terrain was immediately apparent, as the thinned racks ascended sharply from the forest road. Fortunately, ground conditions weren’t too bad in this mineral soil-based area, although they can deteriorate rapidly with the rainfall that often falls in this mountainous area.
IN AT THE DEEP END Consequently, the first working role for the 845 could be described as a ‘baptism of fire’, but on the flipside it provided an ideal opportunity for O’Dwyer to see what the machine was made of. In the hands of long-serving forwarder operator Keith Hanniffy, the machine’s capabilities were soon established as he got to work on extracting material on the most difficult terrain first, based on the favourable
