Forestry Machinery Issue 11

EDITOR Kyle Molyneux kyle@sundialmagazines.co.uk

ART DIRECTOR David ‘Spike’ McCormack

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WELCOME

to Forestry Machinery, the magazine dedicated to modern forestry equipment.

In recent years, the forestry industry has gained substantial importance due to a con uence of factors, including climate concerns and government policies promoting sustainable practices. This growing signi cance is driven by an increasing realisation of the forestry sector’s potential bene ts. What was once considered a modest venture for those with underutilised land, or heirs with limited farming knowledge, has now become a focal point for substantial investments, spurred by ambitious goals and opportunities. And backing them are a wealth of equipment manufacturers and dealers.

One example of a player in this evolving landscape is the forestry equipment distributor, McHale Plant Sales based in Ireland. The company has experienced growing sales of timber harvesters and forwarders since becoming an of cial distributor of Komatsu Forest equipment. The boost in forestry activity and a growing willingness among contractors to invest in equipment upgrades have led to the inclusion of McHale’s equipment in contractor eets, speci cally Komatsu 901/931XC harvester models and 845/855 forwarders. Notable clients include Cuddy Timber, Willie O’Dwyer, Tony Codd, Foley Timber, Pat Doyle, Camross, McKelvey Harvesting, and Pat Neville.

The forestry sector’s growth trajectory underscores its pivotal role in the evolving landscape, driven by environmental imperatives and ambitious agendas. McHale Plant Sales’ presence in this dynamic ecosystem re ects broader industry trends and opportunities.

Kyle Molyneux, Editor

– A trailer for forest owners who demand a high degree of productivity

ROBSON DRIVE 4WD

HUB DRIVE 2WD, 4WD

FORESTRY MACHINERY NEWS

FORESTRY EXCAVATOR

Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) has launched a new ZX135USL-7 forestry excavator designed for logging, log felling, loading and digging. Assembled at HCME’s factory in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, the excavator is equipped with a robust undercarriage and offers more ground clearance (560mm) than standard models. The short rear swing radius of 1,490mm makes it ideal for working in compact environments, says Hitachi. Operating weight is rated at 15.9 to 16.9 tonnes, and maximum digging depth is 5,760mm.

The impressive fuel economy of the ZX135USL-7 forestry excavator means that it delivers up to 9% less fuel consumption than the previous model. This is achieved with the help of Hitachi’s HIOS V hydraulic system. Fuel ef ciency can be further controlled by using the new Eco gauge, clearly visible on the cab’s multifunctional 8-inch monitor.

For added versatility, the ZX135USL-7 forestry excavator has a reinforced arm with piping for breaker or crusher, quick-coupler, as well as assist piping. A front blade is also available. Life cycle costs are reduced with the new Stage 5-compliant, 74kW engine,

which does not require an SCR system. This eliminates the need for AdBlue, lter replacements and associated maintenance.  The state-of-the-art, ultra-spacious cab should make a pleasant working environment. One of the quietest in the industry, Hitachi says the ZX135USL-7’s cab reduces vibrations by 16% compared with that of the previous generation machine. The latest cab also boasts a combined seat/ console that takes up less space. Extra safety features include a xed laminated front window and OPG level 2 front guard, plus additional lights on the cab roof.

GREEN CHIP

Danish manufacturer Green Chip has taken over the rights to a woodchipper concept from Silvatec Skovmaskiner and has put the machine into production. The Green Chip CH 838 is a self-propelled chipper designed for chipping directly in the cut rows in the forest stand. The machine is equipped with a Stage 5 emissions-compliant Mercedes diesel engine rated at 230kW. There’s also a Logmer US 6-7 crane and HSM Harvester cabin. The chipper can take trees from 1 and 2 thinnings with a maximum diameter of 38cm. It has a 20m3 container with high tip up to 5m, and can tip directly into 40m3 containers. The working capacity of the chipper is up to 120m3 per hour, depending on tree size.

LIEBHERR LOGHANDLER

Liebherr has revamped its L 580 LogHandler XPower, improving the lift arms and the associated grabbers developed for log handling. A model of this latest generation has now been in operation for six months at the family-owned company Rubner Holzindustrie in Rohrbach an der Lafnitz, Austria. The new features of the L 580 LogHandler XPower were first tested at Liebherr’s Bischofshofen plant over a period of several months. The Liebherr special wheel loader was so convincing that Rubner Holzindustrie decided to buy it right away.

The new lift arms feature manipulation heights of up to 7m and a reach of almost 4m. Meanwhile, the 360-degree rotatable grabber with a capacity of up to 4m2 enables versatile and time-saving transportation from the storage location to the company’s own sawmill, says Liebherr.

SATELLITE POSITIONING

Komatsu’s new satellite positioning technology can be retrofitted to its forest equipment. Able to show a machine’s position to within just a few centimetres, the new system uses several satellite systems – including Galileo, the European GNSS system – to determine precise positions with precision reduced from several metres to a few centimetres.

As a result, operators can mark exact boundaries with a new ‘geofencing’ feature – a digital fence that is added when planning an area to mark out ground to be harvested from protected areas such as a neighbour’s trees, ancient monuments or charcoal pile remains. Eliminating the need to walk the forest and mark trees for felling, boundaries and specific trees can be marked digitally based on map data collected from drones or scanning.

In addition, the exact position of each felled log is available with greater precision – beneficial in the dark or when ground is covered with snow –making it easier to see the assortment found in each log pile or at the roadside.

APF 2024

Exhibitor bookings for APF 2024, the UK’s largest exhibition for the forestry, woodland, arboriculture, fencing, trees and timber sectors in the UK, are now open. The 2024 show will take place once again at Ragley Estate in Alcester, Warwickshire on September 19th to 21st.

In 2022, 320 exhibitors and over 23,000 visitors attended the event and the organisers hope to exceed that total in 2024. APF organisers say last year’s exhibitors have first refusal on their 2022 site provided they book and pay for their stand by September 30th. The remaining sites will be made available to all new exhibitors from October 1st.

SPECIALIST WACKER NEUSON

GEM Plant Sales, a construction plant and equipment supplier based in Kent, has delivered a specialist Wacker Neuson wheeled excavator to The Upper Medway Internal Drainage Board. This customised EW65 will be involved in some pioneering works on watercourses this summer.

Typically, a large, tracked machine would be used to carry out such jobs, but the decision was taken to seek a more exible tool for major excavator works, which led to the use of a wheeled excavator. The requirement was for smaller pro le machine, with large reach, and a double- jointed boom section, which while being more compact in size, did not compromise the ability to reach far sides of the banks.

In 2022, the Board’s Works Supervisor, John Davis, began speaking with GEM Plant Sales about what Wacker Neuson could offer. After several site visits to see both the larger wheeled offerings and the tracked variants, the 6.5-tonne EW65 wheeled excavator with a double boom, extended dipper, and additional Steelwrist omni-hitch was considered the best option.

After that, West Country attachment specialist Exac-One provided a tree shear and mulcher head. The tree sheer can cut up to 300mm and retain cuttings using a unique gripping arm. The mulcher head

features a xed teeth drum that activates on the use of the rotational circuit, allowing for high impact debris and brash clearance and excellent control during minor tree grinding. Completing the order was a 2m Bradshaw type bucket from Flails Direct to allow for weed and reed clearance works to be carried out. Due to the system requirements of the bucket however, additional low ow circuits had to be installed, representing a technical challenge to the build as it required multiple settings, hook-ups, and limiters.

FORESTRY TYRES

Global tyre manufacturer CEAT Specialty will debut a comprehensive range of forestry tyres at Agritechnica 2023 (November 12th to 18th). The CEAT Specialty Forestry tyre range will cover the two key segments: log skidder and forwarder harvester.

SLOPE MOWER

McConnel has unveiled the Robocut S300e, an allelectric, remote-control slope mower. Building upon the capabilities of the S300, the new S300e retains that model’s features, including 55-degree slope operation, a 150m range, and bi-directional cutting. However, with the integration of electric power, it now o ers the same high-performance level while ensuring zero emissions and reduced noise.

The Robocut S300e is powered by two Vanguard 48V lithium batteries, providing a runtime of up to 4 hours for uninterrupted operation on a single charge. Recharging the batteries typically takes around 8 hours. For added convenience, a fast-charging option is available, reducing the charging time to just 4 hours.

The Robocut S300e has a new 1.1m rotary mulching deck that has been specifically designed for electric operation. The new machine enters production later this year, with delivery of new orders expected in early 2024.

VIMEK UPDATES 870 FORWARDER

Vimek, the Swedish manufacturer of light machines for forestry thinning, has revealed an updated version of its largest and most powerful forwarder. The 8-wheeled 870.2 receives an updated colour scheme, a larger load area (increased from 2.4m to 2.6m without a ecting vehicle dimensions) with more flexible bank locations, plus three Cranab crane options. Power comes from a Cat C2.2 engine with 55kW of power.

“SEAN BEGAN WORKING IN FORESTRY IN 1998 WHEN HE PURCHASED HIS FIRST EXCAVATOR”

BACK FOR SECONDS

Sean Ryan Forestry explains to Eoghan Daly its continuing faith in veteran Silvatec Sleipner 8266 TH harvesters, both of which are equipped with Ponsse H6 heads

IMAGES EOGHAN DALY

When building a timber harvesting operation with used equipment at its core, every effort must be taken at the evaluation stage to ensure that the potential for problems is minimised. Guided by this philosophy, Irish harvesting contractor Sean Ryan of Sean Ryan Forestry believes that his choices when it comes to timber harvesters and replacement harvesting heads strike the right balance of affordability, reliability and performance.

From Sean’s base near Silvermines in North Tipperary, he has built a successful timber harvesting enterprise with vast experience attained through many years of

COVER STORY

working on afforestation and reforestation projects through his original plant hire venture, giving him valuable insight into the forest industry.

Sean began working in forestry in 1998 when he purchased his rst excavator. His interest in such operations was fostered by his father Martin’s engagement in plant hire, with a high percentage of his work already coming from forestry operations. Nevertheless, despite building a successful business around forestry ground preparation, Sean felt that a more secure future could be offered by diversifying into harvesting.

Pursuing harvesting interests led to the

purchase of a used Timberjack 1070D harvester with a 752 head, purchased privately from an Irish contractor who was in the process of upgrading in 2012. To minimise costs, it was decided to focus exclusively on harvesting, with the necessary extraction catered for by other owneroperators, currently ful lled by County Galway-based Thomas Conroy.

Before putting his 1070D to work on its initial assignment, the machine underwent a thorough appraisal and any areas identi ed as needing attention were comprehensively addressed. Deciding from the outset on the importance of maintaining a manageable scale and

Sean Ryan diversified into timber harvesting back in 2012.

High-flow hydraulics get the most from the crane and head.

Mountaineer model uses larger hubs to deliver tractive forces.

SEAN RYAN FORESTRY

resisting the temptation to expand unsustainably, this methodology is paying dividends as Sean returns to thin many of the forests he originally established through his ground preparation input, as he explained. “With the amount of ground preparation we had done for private growers, it showed the future potential for harvesting on these sites. This drove diversi cation into harvesting, with the rst harvester going well for me, and I then upgraded to a Valmet 901 before getting the two current Silvatec Sleipner machines.”

The common denominator of all machines run to date has been knowledge of their past history, with all being of Irish origin. With Silvatec harvesters being particularly popular among Irish contractors before the untimely demise of the manufacturer, this level of appreciation has now transferred to the used forest machine market. Despite having already worked signi cant hours, the two Sleipner 8266 TH Mountaineer harvesters sourced by Sean Ryan continue to deliver admirable productivity and satisfactory levels of reliability.

TECH SPECS

Silvatec Sleipner

8266 TH

DURATION OF PRODUCTION

2003 to 2012

WEIGHT

17,000 without head

ENGINE Mercedes-Benz

OM906 6-cylinder turbo

POWER 205kW

TRANSMISSION

Hydrostatic, based on Rexroth system

TRACTIVE FORCE 146kN

HYDRAULICS Load sensing Rexroth system

• 1x130cc crane pump

• 1x195cc head pump (2x93cc on models before 2006)

CRANE

Loglift 220V parallel 8.3m or 10m reach;

Mesera 280 as option on later models

BASE MACHINE CONTROL

IQAN

Having long since shed their original Silvatec harvesting heads, both machines now use Ponsse H6 harvesting heads, with the measurement and control computer system also changed to the Ponsse Opti system, along with the in-cab control pads,

HARVESTING

which are now of Ponsse speci cation. The initial machine was tted with a Ponsse H6 head by its previous owner, and Sean purchased the machine from Ponsse Ireland. Based on its impeccable mechanical and cosmetic condition, he put it straight to work. Running on 700mm TRS thread pattern tyres, the machine may be marginally wider than a standard Sleipner running on 600 tyres but can still work effectively in thinnings.

WORTHYUPGRADES

More recently, an opportunity arose to procure a second Silvatec Sleipner 8266 TH Mountaineer when a unit of Irish origin was offered for sale as part of the used forest machine inventory of John Deere Ireland. Identical in speci cation to the original machine with the exception of tment with narrower 600mm tyres, Sean considered the machine an ideal opportunity to acquire a second unit with a high degree of suitability for thinning operations.

To ensure his latest harvester had the same opportunity to emulate the productivity of the existing unit, it was decided to t the same harvesting head. As Sean emphasised, “Ponsse sourced an almost new H6 head for me, which had

been taken off a harvester after the customer decided he needed a larger model. This made the head more affordable and capable of delivering the performance you’d expect from a new harvesting head.”

This level of performance is a major endorsement of the Silvatec base units, which are powered by Mercedes-Benz 906 engines with a power rating of 205kW. Hydraulics are provided by Rexroth pumps, which yield 130 and 195 litres per minute of oil ow from the crane and head pumps, respectively. The machines utilise Loglift L220V parallel cranes, with later models offered with the improved performance Mesera 280 variant.

“These two machines are from 2008 and 2009, and have worked 15,000 and 16,000 hours respectively, but they still have plenty of work left in them,” Sean explained. “The main components aren’t showing any signs of wear, and so far I have only replaced the fan belt in one and an oil cooler in the second machine. Apart from a few hose replacements and normal routine servicing, they just keep going. Some of the machines had reinforcement of the centre section, but these two are still original.”

Concentrating mainly on rst and second thinnings, primarily for private forest owners, the machines are the ideal solution for these harvesting applications and still possess the operational capability to engage in clearfelling operations when required.

Nevertheless, for an owner-operator running older machines, thinning represents a far more lucrative prospect without placing the machines under undue strain, as Sean believes. “Even though I have done some clear-felling, I have no interest in

“PURSUING HARVESTING INTERESTS LED TO THE PURCHASE OF A USED TIMBERJACK 1070D”

Ponsse H6 head fitted to both Silvatecs run by Sean Ryan Forestry.

Sean’s original 8266 in first thinnings at Toorlougher, N’port.

THE

STAGE

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Silvatec’s chipper is reborn

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“THESE TWO MACHINES ARE FROM 2008 AND 2009, AND HAVE WORKED 15,000 AND 16,000 HOURS RESPECTIVELY”

pursuing this work exclusively as it takes its toll on machines when working on rough ground with larger tree sizes. Often, less is more, and it applies in this case as thinning on private forestry sites is our main focus.

“These machines are still capable of harvesting 50 cubic meters per day in rst thinnings, which is as much as is possible with even a new harvester,” Sean added. “With the reliability they provide, they have low running costs, which is all I can ask for, and overall I am very happy with them and hope they continue to deliver long into the future.”

JOBSELECTION

Drawing its name from the Norse mythical eight-legged horse, which was the mount of Odin, the King of the Gods, Silvatec clearly saw the machine’s eight-wheeled design as one of its chief attributes. In contrast to the current offerings from competing forest machine manufacturers, the Sleipner would have been among a minority of 8-wheeled harvester choices at the time of its introduction in 2001 when it made its rst appearance in an eye-catching pink livery at Elmia Wood.

Ultimately, production of the new machine commenced in 2003 and ran until 2012, with approximately 100 units produced. Of these machines, 20 were shipped to Russia between 2007 and 2008, with three of these remaining unsold, while one was ultimately returned to Denmark and reworked to meet European market standards.

As the successor to the 896 TH, the Sleipner took the Silvatec harvester concept forward by a number of signi cant steps, and while visually the large curved cabin with increased glass areas was the most obvious change, a host of other features made it a much-enhanced harvesting machine. Offered in a number of distinct variants, Sleipner was available in Light, Standard, Mountaineer and Boss con gurations, with each having speci c appeal to different markets and working conditions.

However, the common denominator of all four versions was the engine, hydraulics, and crane, all of which were already very well proven. Machines sold in the UK and Ireland were of the Standard and Mountaineer con gurations, with the latter units favoured because of their heavier hub assemblies and greater tractive power, which suited use on steeper terrain. Few, if any examples of the Sleipner Boss model made it to our shores. It used a hydraulic cylinder on each bogie, which pressed downward to maintain ground contact and apply the highest level of traction. The hydraulic cylinders locked completely when the machine was stationary, ensuring unrivalled stability.

L220V parallel crane has stood up well to the test of time.

Mercedes engine totally original despite 15K hours.

Some Sleipners had centre joint issues but not this one.

“PRODUCTION OF SLEIPNER-BADGED MACHINES WAS NOT RESTRICTED TO HARVESTERS, WITH A FORWARDER MODEL ALSO OFFERED”

Seen as a premium harvesting base unit, the Sleipner had many positives, including its terrain friendliness, stability, sheer power and oil ow. When it comes to negatives, there were clearly few. The failure of the Silvatec heads to evolve made them somewhat outdated when contrasted with those of the competition at the time.

Nevertheless, new heads were in development but unfortunately did not make it to market on time to save the nancially ailing manufacturer. In 2007, Silvatec was taken over by Russian owners

Concern Tractor Plants, and attempts to stabilise Silvatec’s nancial woes continued. A working alliance was struck up with Gremo, where the Sleipner was offered in Gremo livery and designated 1350H, with up to 10 such machines sold. Modi cations to the electrics and hydraulics by Gremo made obtaining detailed information for subsequent troubleshooting and repairs of these variants challenging. This was further complicated by the later takeover of Gremo by Ecolog. The changing ownership and partnerships in the industry added

complexity to the maintenance and servicing of Sleipner machines, making it more dif cult to access comprehensive information and support.

THESILVATECSPIRIT

Production of Sleipner-badged machines was not restricted to harvesters, with a forwarder model also offered and designated Sleipner 814 TF, available as early as 2012. Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Silvatec, the latest generation Sleipner 8324 TH prototype was presented in 2014. It furthered the initial variant by offering more power, a revised cooling system, and the addition of a rotating cabin function and a more powerful crane. However, by then, Silvatec had come under acute nancial strain and the machine did not reach completion before they ceased trading in 2016.

Ultimately, the machine was completed by Euromatics, which continues to offer spare parts and technical support for Silvatec machines. The company also ensures the Silvatec concept lives on through its commitment to bringing the latest generation 561 harvesting heads to the market. This product is now available, with the company run by Pol and Timmo Tuesen also working on the manufacture of a modern generation Sleipner scheduled for completion in autumn 2023.

Cab’s large glass area provides a high level of visibility.

SEIZING THE MOMENT

Exploiting demand for estate maintenance, Alun Hughes soon found himself establishing ALH Forestry Limited and has recently added a high-performing Sany SY155U to his fleet, as Paul Argent reports

IMAGES PAUL ARGENT

OWNER-OPERATOR | SANY SY155U

Whilst working for a contractor in North Wales, Alun Hughes saw an opportunity to offer his services to landowners requiring estate maintenance, something his employer at the time didn’t do. The purchase of a used 8-tonne machine saw Alun undertake several jobs before taking the full-time leap into running his own company.

With the estate management work decreasing and an increase in jobs asking him to cater more in forestry works, Alun looked to replace the 8-tonne machine he was running with a small timber grab and upscale to a JS130 with a larger attachment. Once this step was taken, there was no looking back and eventually ALH Forestry Limited was born.

Over the past six years, such has been the demand for his services that he now has a healthy regular client list and clients willing to wait for his services. “We started off looking to put the timber we were felling and handling in for logs or fencing, this has rapidly changed with a huge demand for biomass chips,” he commented. “This has now pushed us down the path into supplying large quantities of biomass chip almost exclusively for Jenkinsons, the largest dealer in the UK.”

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

Whilst many companies look for the easy-to-harvest timber, Alun and his team very rarely get any of these jobs. Instead, they concentrate on the more awkward projects that demand a little more skill, thinking on their feet for ultimately higher returns. With his 13-tonne machine starting to show its age, Alun looked to the market for an upgrade. “We wanted a larger, compact tail swing machine that will allow us easier access into some of the regular sites we work on,” he explained. “I looked at several makes but some dealers never even bothered coming back to me, and if they did, they quoted ridiculous lead times and eye-watering prices even for a base machine. We weren’t asking for huge additions just proportional rollers on the joysticks and the hydraulic lines to allow us to use a grab or a tree shear.”

THIS HAS NOW PUSHED US DOWN THE PATH INTO SUPPLYING LARGE QUANTITIES OF BIOMASS CHIP”

Visiting the Arb show in Warwickshire last year, Alun happened upon the Sany stand. Looking at the SY155U on display, he enquired about a deal but was told he would have to speak to the Welsh dealer Fitzgerald Plant Services. A call to Fitzgerald put him in touch with Mid and North Wales Salesman David Rollinson who invited him up to the company’s new of ce in Corwen, just 20 minutes from Alun’s base near Denbigh. “I had the chance to try the machine out there and then, and found it to be a huge improvement over the old

ALH’s saw men Tryfan Gri ths and Arthur Cummings.

JS,” he con rmed. “It was specced as we wanted it and was available within a week or so. We looked at the components and they were the same or similar to what you nd on almost any other machine of this size. What really impressed us was the structural warranty Sany gives you. We had total con dence in both the mechanicals and the build quality to sign on the dotted line.”

The SY155U is one of the latest additions to the growing Sany product range. With an operating weight close to 16.5 tonnes, it sits above many of its peers in weight, but also in its performance in the eld. Powered by a tried and tested 4-cylinder Isuzu engine kicking out 105hp, and mated to a Kawasaki hydraulic system, Alun says the excavator has more than enough grunt for undertaking their excavation or tree handling operations. The components, like any compact tail swing machine are squeezed into the curve upper structure and whilst access is OK, any daily checks are all carried out either from ground level, or via the touchscreen in the cab.

Alun’s machine was supplied with a dozer blade, an addition that he nds incredibly handy for keeping the machine planted in some of the poorer sites they work on. “We often work with a loth of wood or greenery under the tracks and whilst the weight increase over the last machine helps, having the blade just to dig into the ground stops the machine from sliding.”

The Sany’s standard front-end equipment 20

THE SANY SITS ABOVE MANY OF ITS PEERS IN WEIGHT, BUT ALSO IN ITS PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD”

The Sany SY155U was selected for its tidy footprint.

OWNER-OPERATOR | SANY SY155U

allows a potential dig depth of over 6m, but it is the pin height of over 9m that has impressed Alun. “We sometimes encounter trees that need holding while we saw cut them. Being able to hold them higher up the trunk makes the operation far safer for us,” he explained.

ON SITE

We caught up with Alun as he and his two-man saw team were undertaking clearance works for a regular client at their pheasant shoot. The small copse had been damaged in 2021 by Storm Arwen leaving several of the large poplars and oaks either on the ground, partly broken or worse still leaning into other trees. The ground

surrounding the trees also threw up tricky issues as it required attening before the saws could enter.

Grabbing a felled tree with the Intermercato grab, Alun was able to bend over the cover plants enough to forge a path through the undergrowth. This allowed access to the trees earmarked for clearance and also revealed fallen timber which had been quickly covered by greenery and also revealed the overgrown drainage channels crossing the site.

With access gained and an area cleared to stock timber, Alun was able to start pulling the fallen timber into place allowing it to be assessed and cut into a variety of lengths depending on its nal use. “We have some

TECH SPECS

SANY SY155U (STANDARD)

ENGINE Isuzu, 78.5kW/375Nm @1,800rpm

HYDRAULICS

2x adjustable pumps, 110L/min flow

OPERATING WEIGHT 16,170kg

LENGTH 8,015mm

WIDTH 2,690mm

TRACK WIDTH 1,990mm

BLADE HEIGHT 480mm

GROUND CLEARANCE 425mm

TAIL SWING RADIUS 1,500mm

MAX. GROUND LEVEL RANGE 8,338mm

MAX. EXCAVATION

DEPTH 6,020mm

MAX. DUMPING HEIGHT 6,756mm

SWING SPEED 12.5rpm

MAX. TRACTION FORCE 124kN

CLIMBING ABILITY 35 degrees

Left: Geith hitch and grapple by Intermercato.

reasonable timber in here, especially the oak that can be sawn instead of chipped,” he commented. “We’ll pile up the material and assess whether it’s worth bringing our chipper in or transporting the material back to the yard.”

The chipper in question shows Alun’s commitment to the job and the fact that if you are going to do something, do it right. Alun has recently invested in a Heizohack chipper mounted on a Mercedes 6x6 truck. A rare site across North Wales and Cheshire (the areas within which Alun and his team regularly operate), adding this huge production machine to the eet has opened up massive opportunities for the company and now enables them to handle large

THE SANY STAYS SOLID AT FULL STRETCH EVEN WITH A GRAB FULL OF A 4M-HIGH OAK TRUNK”

diameter timber with ease. “We used a smaller chipper before, and this required the excavator to be loading it and therefore taking it off production. If we are on a large job, we now produce and chip at the same time, making the job quicker and more productive.”

Whilst handling timber on the ground is one thing, putting it there is another. Using the Intermercato grab to stabilise a tree whilst it is cut ensures there are no surprises for the team. On the softer ground, the Sany stays solid at full stretch even with a grab full of a 4m-high oak trunk. “We have been very impressed with the way the Sany handles some of the larger timber,” Alun pointed out. “It is very strong on the slew which helps us out massively when moving timber out of the undergrowth.”

TREE TACTICS

One of the large poplar trees damaged during the storm was leaning against the canopy of another tree and for the uninitiated, a quick cut with the saw would have dropped it. On closer inspection, the

trunk could be seen to have cracked vertically and could potentially have exploded when cut with devastating effect.

Alun and his team decided to push the tree back to its vertical position before putting in a wedge cut at its base. This allowed the Sany to push the tree over yet still resulted in it splitting uncontrollably, but now in total safety for the lads on the ground and Alun in the excavator.

Alun’s drive to mechanise his operations, in the process making them safer and more

productive, has seen the company expand massively in just a few short years. The Sany has performed far beyond his expectations and has opened further possibilities. “We have been impressed with the response from David and Fitzgerald,” he said. “They are very proactive, with David calling on a regular basis just to make sure everything is OK. Having their depot right in the centre of our operational area gives us peace of mind that if anything did need looking at, they’re not too far away.”

Alun Hughes, founder of ALH Forestry and his top-performing Sany.

WITHOUT LIMITS

David Wylie reports on the latest PowerBully high-mobility tracked dumpers, for which the German manufacturer is currently seeking dealers in the UK & Ireland

erman-based Kässbohrer

GGeländefahrzeug is the global market leader of snow groomers and beach cleaning equipment, sold under the PistenBully and BeachTech brands. The recent Plantworx show saw the of cial UK and Irish launch of a new generation of Kässbohrer machines, the PowerBully range of heavy duty tracked dumpers.

In 2014, Kässbohrer purchased Soft Track, a well-respected American manufacturer of specialist all-terrain, low

IMAGES DAVID WYLIE

ground pressure tracked carriers/dumpers.

Production of these machines was later moved to Kässbohrer’s main factory at Laupheim in Southern Germany, located close to their Alpine customer base.

The top-of-the-range PowerBully 18T model offers a payload of 16.6 tonnes and is powered by 310hp Cummins engine, with a separate PTO to power attachments. These large machines usually act used as a base unit to mount specialist equipment, for example a crane or an access platform. They are used extensively by utility companies in

Chassis pictured at the factory in south Germany.

South-eastern USA, to repair and erect powerline poles across sensitive wetland areas.

Of more interest to UK and Irish users are the two new smaller models, with the PowerBully 9D offering a rated payload of 7.5 tonnes and a capacity of 5.0 cubic metres. This, together with the 11.5-tonne/6.4cu.m capacity 12D model, were introduced at the bauma show late last year. They are powered by an ultra-low emission, 6-cylinder Cummins engines, with the 14.5kph Bosch Rexroth hydrostatic

transmission driving rear sprockets on an over-sized undercarriage.

The undercarriage is best described as resembling the bogie wheel track system of a military vehicle, rather than an item of construction equipment. These allow

“THE TOP-OF-THE-RANGE POWERBULLY 18T MODEL OFFERS A PAYLOAD OF 16.6 TONNES”

PowerBullys to safely tackle 60% slopes, both uphill and downhill, or navigate across a 40% side slope. It is even possible to cross trenches and, with a wading depth of 1.3m on the 18T, the PowerBully range can also operate in swampy or ooded areas. Rubber tracks up to 750mm wide offer a large contact surface area, resulting in extremely low ground pressure.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Next to the Laupheim factory is an impressive test track, with a PowerBully

Right: Various configurations are available.

Above right: Power and traction by the bucket load.

9D dumper being available on the day of our visit. This was a pre-production model, back at the factory for an upgrade, before returning to eld trials with potential customers.

Access to the cab is via a step conveniently located on the front idler wheel, both the 9D and the 12D models share the same cab. This example of a 9D was con gured with a steering wheel, which moves just a half of a turn left or right to provide smooth and accurate steering of the tracked undercarriage. A joystick steering system is available as an option.

At 6ft tall, I found the cab had plenty of legroom to reach the single throttle pedal. Despite the engine being located just to the rear of the cab, the manufacturer claims that these dumpers have a signi cantly lower internal noise level than their nearest competitor. During my time in the cab, the Darlington-built, 6.7-litre Cummins engine was unobtrusive.

The parking brake is controlled by an easy-to-use rotary switch, with travel direction selected by a column-mounted

“THE UNDERCARRIAGE IS BEST DESCRIBED AS RESEMBLING THE BOGIE WHEEL TRACK SYSTEM OF A MILITARY VEHICLE”

control lever. With a hydrostatic transmission, there is no need for a brake pedal. Letting off the throttle a little progressively slows down the dumper, quickly coming off the throttle makes the machine rapidly decelerate. To operate the dump body, one simply presses the

unlocking button on the top of the righthand joystick and then pull it back, the two hoist cylinders raising the body quickly. To lower it, one simply nudges the joystick forward once. The options list includes a mechanical tailgate for better load retention on steep ground.

Although this example did not have the optional air suspension seat, the 9D provided a remarkably smooth ride across the ground. The cab itself is suspended, but it is the unique undercarriage, which features the largest diameter bogey wheels on the market, that must take most of the credit. Fully loaded, a PowerBully 9D dumper exerts a ground pressure of just 0.35kg/sq.cm – just under 5psi – which is around half the force of a ground worker in boots. In other words, this tracked

Left and above inset: Simple controls; nice touchscreen.

Flatbed version would be ideal for forestry.

All service points are o ered up at ground level.

Spec it as a goanywhere crane with hooklift.

POWERBULLY 9D

BASIC SPEC

ENGINE STAGE 5 CUMMINS B6.7

POWER 173KW/235HP

MAX. TORQUE 949NM@1,500RPM

TRANSMISSION BOSCH REXROTH HYDROSTATIC

MAX. SPEED 14.5KPH/9.0MPH

PAYLOAD 7,500KG

HEAPED CAPACITY 5.0CU.M

GROUND PRESSURE (EMPTY) 0.22KG/SQ.CM (3.12PSI)

GROUND PRESSURE (LOADED) 0.35KG/SQ.CM (4.97PSI)

FORDING DEPTH 1,200MM

GRADEABILITY 60% UPHILL/DOWNHILL, 40% SIDE

dumper can operate on ground that no one could walk across.

There is a 10.4-inch LCD touchscreen, in its default view this all the usual machine information, together with a graphical representation of the live vertical and side to side angles of the machine, together with the angle of the tipping body. This screen automatically displays the output from the rear camera, part of a 360-degree multicamera system, when reverse gear is selected. The monitor can also be cycled through different screens to show machine settings and service data.

The PowerBully range is tted with a telematics system as standard, providing a remote service diagnosis function as well machine location data. All the daily service check points on the machine are accessible

from ground level with the main items, such as the oil, fuel and air lters grouped together. The cluster of fuel, AdBlue and hydraulic oil ll points are located at ground level on the front nearside of the machine.

SPECIALIST APPLICATIONS

Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug, the global market leader in snow grooming machines, is taking a long-term strategic view of the impact of climate change. The company is

“THIS LATEST DEVELOPMENT COMES AT A TIME WHEN THERE IS INCREASING DEMAND FOR TRACKED CARRIERS/DUMPERS”

using its considerable experience to diversify into sectors of the market that are not winter sports related, including its well-established BeachTech range and the new PowerBully dumpers – a atbed version of which would be particularly suited to forestry applications.

This latest development comes at a time when there is increasing demand for tracked carriers/dumpers across Europe. In carrier con guration, the PowerBully range can be con gured to meet a bewildering range of specialist applications. As a dumper, it ensures that muck-shifting can continue all year around, no matter what the ground conditions.

Kässbohrer has recently appointed the rst PowerBully dealer in Europe, 4Me Machines, the Netherland-based Komatsu dealer.

Optional winch driven by its own PTO pump from the PB’s powerpack.

7.5-tonne and 11.5-tonne models debuted at bauma.

HELPING HAND

Paul Argent pays a visit to a Timberpak material processing facility in Tyne and Wear, where a new Liebherr L550 XPower is used to move chips in a warehouse

IMAGES PAUL ARGENT

“EGGER OPERATES 20 PLANTS IN 10 COUNTRIES ACROSS THE GLOBE”

The UK’s waste wood market processed more than four million tonnes of wood in 2021, according to industry body the Wood Recyclers Association (WRA). The association’s annual statistics show that the amount of waste wood processed in the UK rose from 3.82 million tonnes in 2020 to 4.17 million tonnes in 2021, with the total amount of waste wood collected returning to pre-pandemic levels of 4.5 million tonnes.

While biomass continued to be the biggest user of waste wood in 2021, representing 61% of the total amount of waste wood processed, there was also a slight increase in the quantities of waste wood being repurposed through board manufacture. One of the UK’s leading exponents of recycling waste wood back into a useable product is Austrian manufacturer Egger. The company operates 20 plants in 10 countries across the globe and produces in

excess of 10.5 million cubic metres of board products on an annual basis, which is split between building materials, ooring, and furniture production. The company operates two production plants in the UK at Auchinleck, East Ayrshire and Hexham, Northumberland where raw and melamine faced chipboard is manufactured. Whilst the material produced at both plants requires some virgin timber, a large portion of the material is produced using

high-quality, graded timber taken from the waste industry. Reliance on a steady ow of correctly graded and suitable waste material led Egger to establish its own facilities under the Timberpak banner to receive, process and distribute material to both plants.

LONG-TERM PARTNER

Gavin Ball, Sales and Operations Manager for Timberpak in the North East and Yorkshire takes up the story. “As a recycling and reprocessing company, we have sourced the recycled material required for Egger UK’s chipboard production for over 20 years. Egger UK is the largest consumer of recycled timber in the UK wood panel manufacturing industry, so we never turn waste wood away from our recycling sites.

“THE 19-TONNE L550 XPOWER REPLACES A SIMILAR SIZED COMPETITOR’S MACHINE WITHIN THE WAREHOUSE”

“We champion the segregation of wood at source of production,” Gavin added. “This ensures we can recycle the maximum amount and protects the valuable resource of waste wood. We aim to lock carbon into the lifetime of another product and can guarantee that nothing we process goes to land ll.”

To handle the ever-increasing quantities of material being processed, Egger UK is continually investing in new material handling equipment designed to allow the material to be unloaded, graded and processed as quickly as possible. The Timberpak facility at Washington, Tyne and Wear is one of the company’s busiest plants. Material is tipped on the yard for pre-processing and segregation with lower grades of timber kept aside from the higher grades required by the Egger manufacturing plants. The material is then fed into a large chipper that quickly and effectively reduces the material to a standard grade of chipped wood. The chip is dropped from the conveyor into a dry warehouse where a new Liebherr L550 XPower wheeled

Above: XPowers are said to o er enhanced performance e ciency.

Above right: A full complement of lights aids safety/visibilty.

Below: Small camera on quick coupler sends image to display located in L550’s cabin.

loader is used to manage the storage and loading of the chips.

The company already runs several Liebherr wheeled loaders across its recycling plants and has added the 19-tonne L550 XPower to replace a similar sized competitor’s machine within the warehouse. The Liebherr has been speci ed speci cally to handle the large amounts of material being produced at the plant. Running on foam- lled tyres to prevent any punctures, the loader has been supplied with a typical material handling speci cation comprising 3.1m, straight high-lift arms carrying a high-capacity Ulrich toe-tip bucket with an 8m3 capacity.

SPECCED TO PLEASE

The design of the warehouse allows the artic trucks to sit below oor level, which requires Paul Smith, the Liebherr’s regular operator, to load each trailer with minimal lifting of the loader arms. The outgoing loader was only equipped with a standard loader arm con guration and whilst suitable for the loading of the trucks, stockpiling the material to the eaves of the building was an unachievable task meaning the building could easily ll to capacity in a very short time. The addition of the longer arms and toe-tip bucket on the L550 allows the material to be pushed into taller piles giving

more room for manoeuvre around the building.

The warehouse contains two large storge areas where material can be stockpiled in readiness for loading on the steady ow of walking oor trailers which frequent the site delivering raw materials. Whilst the area when empty of material and machines seems to be a big space, this can easily diminish, especially with the new Liebherr running around. The XPower design of the wheeled loader allows for a shorter rear overhang compared to many competitor’s machines. Combining the shorter overhang with the loader’s impressive traction and climbing ability, Paul says he is able to push material almost to the eaves with little effort.

LIGHT IT UP

During extremely dry periods, the material coming off the chipper’s conveyor can create a very dusty atmosphere within the shed. Timberpak has speci ed a full array of LED lighting to both the front and rear of the machine. The high-capacity lights easily cut through the dust in the shed and have been bolstered by several additional safety features including a reversing radar and proximity sensor system to alert Paul of any personnel within the shed when the machine is operating. “We take the safety of anyone working on our sites extremely seriously.” Gavin commented. “A rear-view camera and a separate Liebherr Skyview 360-degree camera system adds to the safety features on the loader.”

As with any machines working in such a dusty environment, the risk of re is an issue the company doesn’t want to have to deal with, and to mitigate any potential risks the Liebherr not only has a reversable fan to blow any dust out of the cooling pack, but a substantial Ardent re suppression system has also been installed.

Paul Smith has been operating wheeled loaders at the site for several years and said that the Liebherr is by far the nicest machine he has operated here. “The cab is so quiet and comfortable, and so well laid out. Everything just falls to hand. I’ve operated the L580 XPower on the yard and that is a phenomenal machine. The L550 is just a smaller version of it. The power delivery, ease of operating, everything about it is designed to make the driver’s life easier.”

WASTE WOOD RECYCLING | LIEBHERR L550

“I thought the machine had a puncture the rst time I heard the air blow out!” Paul laughed “It’s a brilliant idea and seems typical of Liebherr to think of something like that. It’s all about the details.” The loading shovel and others in the eet have impressed the management team at Timberpak with their class leading fuel consumption, which averages between 10% and 20% lower than the competition.

EFFICIENT PERFORMANCE

Like the other Liebherr loaders and material handlers in the eet, regular servicing and maintenance are carried out by the manufacturer, which suits the Timberpak team as they are informed prior to the machine reaching the service interval and are able to plan suf cient times into their schedule for Liebherr GB personnel to attend site. “Overall, we have been very happy with the products we are taking from Liebherr. We do have some small niggles and issues which are being ironed out, but we expect these as with any manufacturer’s products.” Gavin commented.

One small but quite important addition that has really impressed Paul is the inclusion of a small camera mounted in the bottom of the quick coupler. The image is relayed to a separate screen inside the cab and is invaluable when loading the walking oor trailers allowing Paul to see inside the body at all times. An additional feature of the camera is the inclusion of a high-pressure air jet to blow dust away from the lens, allowing Paul to stay in the cab at all times.

Right inset: Paul Smith is very fond of these Liebherr XPower wheeled loaders.

Right: L550 XPower can tip loads of up to 8,300kg to 12,500kg.

Over the years, various approaches have been taken to the harvesting of small diameter material and clearance operations in forest management, with each having their own advantages and disadvantages.

Finnish company Reformet Oy is one of the latest manufacturers to develop an energy wood harvesting solution, and newly formed contracting operation TMI JJ Iivonen – run by owner operator Jarkko Iivonen – has put one of Reformet’s earliest production models into service.

Having worked as an operator before deciding to establish his own business, the potential to engage in wood energy harvesting, early forest management and small diameter material clearance appealed to Jarkko. With a new mechanical solution developed and tested in real life working conditions by Reformet, the ideal attachment to serve the new venture was presented by this innovative company.

BESPOKE BUILDS

Unlike most other manufacturers, Reformet designs, builds and tests equipment for speci c forest applications, initially in response to the company founder’s personal working requirements at forest level. When it came to developing the Risupeto head, Jani Karvanen created a number of working prototypes before Jarkko Iivonen put the production model into service.

The rst prototypes appeared in 2017 and 2018, and these were mounted on a New Holland E200SR reduced-swing- radius excavator. Despite being quite effective, the concept needed further re nement; the second prototype received grant aid from the European Regional Development Fund and succeeded in bringing the idea forward by a number of important steps. The nal version of the concept emerged soon after.

Deciding to base his new business around the use of one of the rst Risupeto energy wood heads, Jarkko’s initial expectations of the unit have proven correct based on the level of work he has successfully completed, something which bodes well for the future of his venture.

Jarkko considers the range of material that the unit can harvest and accumulate as being one of its main advantages. In addition, achieving impressive work rates in smaller diameter dense material is one of

UNLEASHING THE BEAST

Eoghan Daly reports on Reformet’s newly developed Risupeto energy wood harvester in the hands of Finnish owner-operator Jarkko Iivonen IMAGES EOGHAN DALY

Jarkko set up his business with an excavator-mounted energy wood head.

“THE FIRST PROTOTYPE APPEARED IN 2017, MOUNTED ON A NEW HOLLAND E200SR EXCAVATOR”

The infeed rubber paddles are driven at the same speed as the cutting discs.

The positioning of the Risupeto head’s saw discs ensures low stump heights.

“I HAVE NEVER SEEN A HEAD WORK SO WELL IN SUCH A WIDE RANGE OF MATERIAL SIZES”

HOW IT WORKS

The Risupeto energy wood head succeeds in addressing the shortcomings of other working approaches, which can be time consuming. The key objective of the design was to achieve viable clearance rates in smaller material and still have an ability to handle larger diameter stems. This explains the head’s working range of 1 to 30cm diameters.

Attached to the excavator boom via a tilt-rotator hitch, the unit draws power from the machine’s hydraulic breaker

circuit. The ideal hydraulic oil flow to ensure maximum output is 260L/min; a base line figure of 130L/min quoted as the absolute minimum oil flow output from the host machine.

As the unit is swept through material, the wafer blades at the base of the attachment conduct the cutting action. Unlike a saw bar and chain, or standard circular saw arrangement, the wafer blades are not as susceptible to damage from contact with stones and as a consequence can achieve a low cutting height. Another positive is their cutting action, which does not leave a straight cutting edge on the harvested material, accelerating drying of

the energy wood while the stumps on the forest floor are left in a serrated and fractured fashion, inhibiting regrowth of unwanted invasive species.

As the cutting action is being performed, the rotating action of the upper rubber infeed flaps draw the material into the head, where it is held until a complete haul of material is attained. By tilting down the attachment towards the ground and reversing the direction of the infeed flaps, the material is quickly and e ortlessly discharged in an unbound bale on the forest floor from where it can be retrieved by the pursuing forwarder on extraction duties.

Another important feature of the attachment is the telescopic extension arm within its main structure. Even through the extension’s stroke is relatively short, it greatly enhances the head’s ability to be moved through the stand and remove material from behind remaining trees while keeping the excavator boom a safe distance away from the action and eliminating the possibility of ‘barking’ these stems through accidental contact.

While the unit is obviously most e ective in operation, the use of rubber feed paddles may be questioned by some observers. However, there is a perfectly good explanation for their use. Other

means were explored at the prototype stage but in some cases these resulted in stem breakages especially in smaller material. The rubber feed paddles provide a more gentle handling action, while still succeeding in sweeping stems into the unit. Service life is obviously dependant on the working conditions, but the rubber feed paddles should last 1,000 hours, at which point they are easily replaced.

the unit’s specialities, as he emphasised. “I have never seen a head work so well in such a wide range of material sizes. It really has a fast work rate even in smaller material, and since there is no placement on individual stem with the blades and infeed doing the whole task, I can concentrate more on moving the head and boom through the remaining trees.”

Thanks to its compact dimensions and range of movement provided by the SMP tilt-rotator, plus the hydraulically extending mid frame of the head, accessing smaller material in between remaining viable trees is eased considerably. As Jarkko and his Kobelco worked in a delayed rst thinning of a Scotts Pine stand during the time of our visit, the round logs from the thinning action had been harvested by a timber harvester in advance, with Jarkko then commencing his contribution to the management of the stand.

Running along the edge of a main highway, the stand had become engulfed by smaller diameter birch and other species which had regenerated naturally. Advancing rapidly through the material, which presented a broad range of size classi cations, the taller material was taken down in a multiple section approach that eased the process and also eliminated the possibility of damaging the crowns of the remaining trees.

GOOD FOUNDATIONS

“An excavator base machine from 16 to 20 tonnes is recommended for this head, and with the skis tted this Kobelco SK140SRLC-5 is ideal for use here, explained Jarkko. “It is not too large for manoeuvring through the forest, it can drive the head very well, and it is stable enough to work at the maximum amount of reach.”

Placing additional ballast on the machine is the obvious way to enhance stability, but the Reformet Undercarriage Skis are a novel solution. As well as adding additional weight low down in the machine’s structure, these skis make the undercarriage more forest friendly while reducing undercarriage wear. Elsewhere, the host machine remains very much original with the exception of some steel frame guarding to the kick-out glass coupled with additional lighting for work in dense stands.

After six months deploying the new Risupeto energy wood head, Jarkko is incredibly positive about the product with it living up to his expectations and then some. Reformet’s concept is a viable alternative to previous approaches and is thoroughly deserving of its ‘Risupeto’ name, which translates from Finnish as ‘bush/twig beast’.

SMP tilt-rotator provides maximum movement for the Risupeto head.

Above and right inset: The hydraulically extending frame design eases the head’s movement through the stand.

ONE

C4 FOR ALL

For years, the market for mulchers has been in two distinct sectors – large, cabbed models, and smaller pedestrian machines. This has recently changed with the introduction of the TMU40 from Italian manufacturer C4 Meccanica, explains Paul Argent

IMAGES PAUL ARGENT

Meccanica is no stranger to the forestry market, having already established a healthy line-up of brush cutters, shredders and mulchers designed for mounting on small agricultural tractors. The Italian company also produces a range of augers, sweeper collectors and a multi-tool system designed for use with an excavator. However, it is the company’s rst foray into producing a compact tracked carrier for use with its attachments that caught the eye of experienced dealer Arbforest, based in South Wales.

Sean Reilly, Arbforest’s Managing Director, explained, “Our initial meetings with the

team at C4 were centred around their mulching heads, but on seeing the prototype of their self-propelled unit, we knew that there was a potential market for it in the UK. The build quality is rst-class and the idea behind the ability to use is as both a pedestrian unit and a ride-on unit made our decision to bring these machines into the UK a no-brainer.”

We caught up with Sean and his team as they were undertaking machine familiarisation works with a customer on a large country estate in the Midlands. The site had been left to grow wild for several years with small saplings, laurels, rhododendron, and other fast-growing plants gaining a foothold around the large established trees and immature trees.

“Our client’s remit was to remove as much of the undergrowth as possible to allow the

Below: Working weight of 2,080kg.

Right: High and protected seating location.

Remote control has a 100m range.

C4’S FIRST FORAY INTO PRODUCING A COMPACT TRACKED CARRIER FOR USE WITH ITS ATTACHMENTS CAUGHT THE EYE OF DEALER ARBFOREST

smaller trees to ourish.” Sean commented. “The site also contains several large shing lakes and part of the project includes removing the overgrown material away from the track sides allowing for easier access, and also do the same to the banks around the lakes to allow for safer and easier access to the shing stands. Our client was originally looking at a small tractor with a mulcher along with handwork for all of this project until we showed them the TMU40V.”

The TMU40V is essentially a compact tracked tool carrier capable of carrying a variety of C4 Meccanica’s powered attachments, but what sets it apart from other machines is its ability to swap from being a ride-on machine to an even more compact radio-controlled machine within a couple of minutes.

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With an operating weight of just under 2.1 tonnes without a tool, the tracked carrier is powered by a 40hp Yanmar 3-cylinder engine meeting Stage 5 emissions regulations and which is mounted inside the machine’s sturdy frame. Anyone who has used an oil-hungry attachment whilst trying to manoeuvre a machine will know that usually one of the functions dies away unless there is suf cient oil ow throughout the machine. C4 has addressed this potential issue by tting four pumps into the hydraulic circuit. One solely controls the oil to the drive system, whilst the other three all deliver a constant ow of oil to the PTO drive and auxiliary system.

A set of heavy-duty rubber tracks sit on the high-drive undercarriage and allow the machine to travel at up to 11km/h, The undercarriage design allows the TMU40 to

work on slopes of 20 degrees with an operator, and at 55 degrees in radiocontrolled mode with its tracks extended out. The 55-degree working angle is only achievable thanks to the engine being set in the chassis at an angle and having been equipped with an extra large oil sump to stop engine starvation. A variable pitch and reversible cooling fan has been tted to reduce fuel consumption and also ensure the cooling pack is regularly cleaned of ne particles to prevent overheating and potential res.

As a radio-controlled machine, the TMU40 operator has a lightweight control unit with easily identi able switches, a tough LCD screen and a pair of joysticks. This allows the operator to use the machine under low hanging branches of established trees or in situations were keeping people

OUR CLIENT’S REMIT WAS TO REMOVE AS MUCH OF THE UNDERGROWTH AS POSSIBLE TO ALLOW THE SMALLER TREES TO FLOURISH

away from potential harm is paramount. With the collapsible canopy closed, the operator station is kept clear of damage too, and ultimately this reduces the height of the machine down to just under 1.5m.

Putting the fully tested and certi ed ROPS up reveals an ergonomic and safe operator station allowing the operator to sit above the mulcher head. The remotecontrol unit is then plugged into a dedicated docking station transferring its functions for the basic operation of the machine such as travelling and powering the head onto a set of integrated joysticks each side of the operator’s seat. From this raised position the operator can easily see the entire width of the tool, down to each side of the tracks and the entire working are ahead of them.

VIEW FROM THE TOP

The site in the Midlands was ideal as it contained a landscape requiring the TMU40 to be used in both pedestrian and ride-on

Left: Max flow on PTO is 55L/min.

Below: 1.3m wide and 2.6m long.

The TMU40 is two machines in one.

modes and also showed off the machine’s compact dimensions to widen pedestrian pathways throughout the site.

Firing up the little Yanmar engine from the remote-control unit, the TMU40 was rst set to work under some of the lower hanging branches of an oak tree. Working steadily backwards and forwards, the vegetation surrounding the tree was quickly cleared away. This task was carried out further into the small copse as more and more vegetation disappeared very quickly, leaving a carpet of green waste covering the ground. Having the canopy closed and walking behind the machine allowed the operator to carve a clear path up to each established tree.

ACCESS ALL AREAS

Pulling the machine out of the copse and experiencing a slight weep from a loose hose allowed us to get a look at the heart of the TMU40. A simple pair of catches allows the entire operator station to be raised on hydraulic struts to reveal the hydraulic heart of the machine and the offending pipe. A simple task with a pair of spanners cured the situation before the machine was readied to undertake some work with the cab up. In total, it took just two minutes to raise the canopy and x into position and relocate the remote-control unit into its docking station. The seat back was raised and the machine ready to be driven to the next phase of the project.

Using the TMU40 as a traditionally operated machine saw it quickly remove undergrowth including a short stretch of vegetation on a steep slope into a drainage ditch. Small unwanted trees were also shown the full force of the machine quickly succumbing to the TRF135 mulcher. Finally, the team put the TMU40 to work clearing the sides of an access track to the shing lakes. Taking just a couple of minutes to clear over 30m of vegetation and leaving a considerable extra width of track open showed the ability of the machine.

At just 1.3m wide and 2.6m in length without the TFR mulching head, the machine can easily t onto a small plant trailer allowing it to be moved from site-to-site with ease.

USING THE TMU40 AS A TRADITIONALLY OPERATED MACHINE SAW IT QUICKLY REMOVE UNDERGROWTH

1,350mm cutting width for the TRF135.

Above: Power comes from a 30kW Yanmar engine.

Below: Two catches secure the operator station.

On site or on the farm, working in tough environments demands the durable, class-leading diesel MULE PRO-DX to make light work of the heaviest tasks.

Dependable four-stroke power from the 401cc engine combined with a 181kg load and 500kg towing capacity, plus 4-wheel drive, makes the MULE SX a true hard worker.

The innovative MULE PRO-DXT quickly changes from four to two seats that a single operator can manage in less than one minute, the vehicle of choice for many farmers, gamekeepers and grounds-care experts.

With its torque-laden 700cc CVT single-cylinder equipped engine, the MULE PRO-MX delivers all the rugged, reliable and adaptable attributes that Kawasaki’s MULE utility vehicle brand is famous for.

CHIP OFF THE NEW BLOCK

German manufacturer Albach has achieved much in its 17-year history, developing a range of specialist machines serving the forestry, wood energy, and tree care sectors.

Eoghan Daly visits the manufacturer’s Langquaid manufacturing facility...

When we think of leading self-propelled chipper producers, the choices are far from restricted to units of Scandinavian origin, with leading manufacturers also developing productive machine solutions in many other countries across Europe. As a premium ambassador for German wood energy equipment manufacture, Albach has become a recognised force in the industry with over 600 of its machines now in operation worldwide.

Displaying a high level of pride in its product, coupled with dedication to continued innovation and progression, the company draws its name from the surnames of the founders, Alzinger and Bachmaier, which were abbreviated and merged to form the Albach name. Since its formation, the company is now controlled by brothers Franz

IMAGES EOGHAN DALY

Langquaid factory is the production centre for the Diamant 2000.

and Michael Bachmaier, and continues to be a privately owned family-run operation, which is driven by organic growth and a passion for continual product development.

Based in the Upper Bavarian Menning region, Albach Maschinenbau GmbH & Co KG has its headquarters in Menning, which is coincidentally the founder’s home village, and provides manufacturing facilities for its Fallbach truck-crane-based tree felling units, grapple saws, and other special products, coupled with laser cutting and fabrication of machine elements in specialist manufacturing halls.

In addition to the Menning facility, Albach also has its Langquaid manufacturing facility, which is the main centre for the assembly of its Diamant 2000 self-propelled chippers. Between the two facilities, the company employs a total workforce of 200 and has an annual

Above: Line-up of machines outside the Langquaid factory.

Right: Axle of Diamant 2000 with continuous all-wheel drive.

Below right: Chassis prefabs awaiting entry to assembly hall.

“BETWEEN THE TWO FACILITIES, THE COMPANY EMPLOYS A TOTAL WORKFORCE OF 200”

turnover of €80 million (around £70m).

Recognising the market potential for a dedicated self-propelled chipper, work on developing the rst prototype began in 2004. Based on a Mouse self-propelled beet loader, the machine was designated Giga Hack, and even though subsequent machines bene ted from re nement of the initial design, the original prototype proved a success, and a bright future in the production of such machines beckoned, with the Albach company founded in 2006.

The more advanced Albach Silvator self-propelled chipper was introduced to the market in 2008. Interestingly, the original unit is still operational and has now worked in the region of 25,000 hours, demonstrating how these machines are very much a long-term operational solution. In all, 114 units of the Silvator were built, while the rst export sales occurred during its production

run in 2009 and were directed to customers in Poland and Slovakia. However, this was just the start of even greater success for Albach, which was soon exporting to 15 countries.

CUSTOMER APPROVED

Since these early machines, Albach has advanced considerably in its level of market acceptance as it continues to pursue new markets worldwide. However, it places a very high level of importance on the selection of local representation based on the signi cance of after-sales for sophisticated machines such as these. Currently, Albach machines are represented by dealers in up to 20 European countries, with machines also operational in the USA. There have also been some notable exceptions outside these areas, with a machine dispatched to a stud farm owner in Dubai for the production

“ALL

PRODUCTION

OF THE DIAMANT 2000 SELFPROPELLED CHIPPERS IS CONDUCTED AT THE LANGQUAID

FACILITY”

of bedding material for his prized bloodstock.

All production of the Diamant 2000 self-propelled chippers is conducted at the Langquaid facility, where a high level of ef ciency in the manufacturing process prevails. Working in an assembly line production model, a machine is completed every two and a half days, with approximately ve to six machines at various stages of production simultaneously.

ON A ROLL

The process begins with the mounting of the main driven axles on specialist stands, which are attached via the hubs. These are then mated with the main chassis, which is a single spine-type formation with the machine’s diesel storage tank incorporated inside the frame itself, demonstrating the design’s ability to make the best possible use of space on the machine.

From here, all major machine elements are added on a phased basis, with the machines moving to the next stage of production by lifting the entire unit through the intervention of the overhead gantry cranes. In this way, machines are assembled in bays located side by side, instead of an elongated production line running the full length of a factory, which makes the best use of available production capacity and factory oor space at Langquaid.

As machines at different stages of manufacture are encountered through the assembly area, a range of Albach-speci c design traits are highlighted. These include the wiring looms running throughout the machines, which are all coded for ease of troubleshooting. In addition, the visit made

for a unique opportunity to view the formation of the Albach design of crucial areas such as the intake, which employs a continuous chain mechanism welded in-house by a welding robot. Nevertheless, the real bene ts of the Albach design lie in the unique rotor design and the ability of the machine to produce a broad range of chip classi cations while maintaining high output.

At the time of our visit, an Albach Diamant 2000 had just left the Langquaid manufacturing facility to undergo predelivery testing in a real-life working environment. Each new machine conducts a full day’s operation to show that it meets the highest standards of performance before reaching the customer. On completion of this period of operation, the machine returns to Langquaid and receives a thorough cleaning before addressing any elements that were identi ed as requiring ne-tuning during the working trial.

After that, mandatory training of both the new owner and operator at the

German facility is carried out to ensure they have a deep understanding of the machine and its safe and productive use. However, before this, the machine tests are the main focus and are carried out by the company’s highly experienced test operator, Michael Söllner.

TESTING

Already on site and actively producing woodchip, the new Diamant 2000 was clearly nding its rhythm in its initial working role, with Michael getting the most out of this powerhouse. Working on the chipping of both larger diameter logs and brash, together with smaller whole trees that had been stacked to air dry in advance, the material was owned by one of a catalogue of

Cab raises and moves closer to chipper intake to improve operator’s view.

Andreas Wackerl and Michael Söllner at test chipping site.

The Diamant is no slouch on the road, capable of up to 80kph (50mph).

Close-up of the right-hand console within easy reach of the operator.

clients for whom Albach carries out chipping as part of machine testing procedures.

The machine has been designed to be adaptable and can handle both large and small materials. It is considered a versatile chipping solution due to speci c features that were designed with careful consideration. Equipped with an Epsilon S110F double extension crane with a working radius of 210 degrees, the crane mounting position is ideal in that it brings a large volume of material within the machine’s range from a single setup point.

To ensure ease of penetration of the dense stockpile of material, the machine was equipped with a Cranab CE280 grab in nger grapple con guration. While this con guration may be among the most commonly chosen options, the machine can also be speci ed with other grapples or a Penz crane. With the fold-out intake table incorporating a continuous chain structure coupled with innermost vertical feed augers that serve to usher smaller material and brash towards the chipper intake, the composition of the chipper mechanism is one of the machine’s important areas of dedicated Albach design.

With the chipper producing a consistent ow of material, the hydraulic accelerator’s ef ciency becomes apparent as the chip ow is deftly accommodated and discharged via the discharge chute, which has a broad working range and rotates through 270 degrees, while having an impressive discharge height to cope with high-sided trailers when side lling. Delivering impressive output, Michael highlighted the operational possibilities, which centre on the production of 95 cubic metres in seven

minutes when chipping 4m to 5m-long logs and using a Generation 7 rotor with a 60mm chip cut length and a 120mm screen.

COMPLETE PACKAGE

However, the machine is not just all about effectiveness in operation and offering the utmost in operator comfort, as service access has also received much attention to ensure it reaches the ultimate level of convenience. As Michael provides a guided walk-around appraisal of the machine, it is immediately clear it has been built with the end-user at the centre of every design decision. Conducting some sharpening of the chipper blades, a side work platform is lowered to provide a stable footing to conduct the task.

As an added safety feature, a fold-out safety rail surrounds the operator as the task is ongoing, while hand tools can be stored in the right-side storage locker with adjacent power sockets. The theme of operator convenience continues to the main tool storage locker at the front of the machine, which employs a raising cover with integrated underside lighting, while all the tiered storage units slide out to provide ease of access in this comprehensive storage compartment.

On completion of operation, transitioning to the road travel formation is a fast and easy process, and merely calls for retraction of the intake table, returning the crane to its holding cradle, lowering of the discharge chute and cabin, which ensures readiness for departure within minutes.

On the road, the machine can achieve a maximum travel speed of 80kph, which ensures fast relocation between chipping sites. However, there are some exceptions to

Diamant’s infeed suitable for most material sizes.

CHIPPER DRUMS AND DRIVE SYSTEM

Albach takes great pride in the proficiency and adaptability of its rotor design. Employing a mechanical drive, the rotor is protected by a unique guarding system that is activated by a sensor detecting foreign objects making contact with the counterblade. This results in the rotor clutch and infeed being shut down in a fraction of a second before any damage can occur.

Other notable features of the Albach rotor concept are its adaptability to cater to a broad range of chip classifications. The machine is o ered with flexible configuration options, which allows it to be easily tailored to deliver the desired chip specification. Albach o ers two specific rotor types for the Diamant 2000. The Generation 6 rotor presents a choice of either six or 12 knives. With six knives, chips from 10 to 40mm can be produced with the variance possible to as little as 2mm increments through precision adjustment.

In contrast, the Generation 7 rotor produces chips from 15 to 60mm sizes. Three knife variants can be facilitated by Generation 7 rotors, including blades with quick-change facilities, blades for cutting lengths up to 38mm, and blades allowing cutting lengths up to 60mm.

Many chip sizes can be produced by the Diamant.

this high travel speed, which is reduced when utilising tractor thread pattern tires for greater off-road tractive capabilities. In addition to the main drive axles, the machine utilises up to two additional axles, which are raised for off-road travel and lowered to comply with necessary legal weight requirements during road travel to offset the machine’s weight, which is over 32,000kg.

A terrific view from the cab in working mode out towards the Epsilon crane and infeed table.

In an age of social media and the barrage of content available on any electronic device, it may seem dif cult to sell the idea of a new dedicated forestry equipment show to present all that is new in large-scale harvesting and extraction equipment. However, the organisers of the Swedish Forestry Expo are undaunted by the in uence of modern technology and still believe there is a place for a dedicated showcase to present the latest forestry innovations to true forestry professionals.

They had initially hoped to stage their inaugural event in 2021, but the effects of successive Covid lockdowns meant the event was postponed twice, awaiting a return to

normality. The plan nally came to fruition in June 2023, with the show spanning three days from June 1 to 3. It took place at the Solvalla Racetrack, located in the Stockholm suburb of Bromma, just a short distance from the Swedish capital’s centre.

Organised by MaskinLeverantörerna, the association of forest machine manufacturers, the event garnered support from all major forest machine producers. They adopted a united approach to hosting a dedicated event aimed at presenting their latest innovations and creating a meeting place for timber harvesting professionals. Despite the event not being set in a forest environment, it in no way detracted from the experience.

SHOW REPORT

At the third time of asking, the inaugural Swedish Forestry Expo finally got underway in summer. Eoghan Daly picks his machinery highlights from the event…

IMAGES EOGHAN DALY

THE EVENT GARNERED SUPPORT FROM ALL MAJOR FOREST MACHINE PRODUCERS”

Among the most notable launches were those on the stands of Ecolog and Komatsu. Ecolog, in particular, stood out with one of the largest displays at the event. The Swedish company showcased a full range of harvesters and forwarders, and unveiled its new Ecolog 590GII purpose-built harvester, which generated signi cant interest. The harvester featured a completely redesigned cabin with enhanced space and visibility, and a shift from front entry to side entry, departing from the traditional design that had been in place since the Skogsjan days.

FROM SWEDEN WITH LOVE

Directly across the circuit from Ecolog was fellow Swedish manufacturer Komatsu Forest. It used the event to showcase its complete range, which included several new machine concepts. One standout was the 951XC purpose-built timber harvester, making its rst public appearance at the show. Building on the positive market reception for the smaller XC series harvesting base machines with 8-wheel drive, Komatsu decided to introduce the

Ecolog 560

Komatsu 951XC

Tigercat 1165

Log Max 5000V

Komatsu Centipede

KONRAD PRESENTED A MODIFIED WACKER NEUSON 9-TONNE EXCAVATOR”

largest 951 model in an 8-wheel format, breaking the long-running tradition of 6-wheel-only format.

However, the 951XC represented much more than just the addition of revolutionary pendulum axle bogies to the rear. This model adopted a more compact format when compared to its 6-wheeled 951 counterpart. Notably, the front section of the machine was shortened, reducing the distance between the crane base and front bogies. This design modi cation made the machine nimbler and opened up the possibility of using it in later thinning applications. The machine on display at Solvalla was equipped with a C164 harvesting head.

Also taking pride of place on the Komatsu stand was the Centipede tracked forwarder. This concept machine has been the subject of extensive research and, thanks to its rubber tracked design, offers several advantages over wheeled forwarders, especially in extremely sensitive terrain and low weight-bearing sites. Its dedicated design

ensures that the tracks run smoothly on the forest oor and over obstacles without the unwelcome headache of derailment. However, some may undoubtedly question the viability of this machine and nd it dif cult to envision its operational success on steeper or rocky sites, suggesting that its appeal may be limited and it could be restricted to serving niche applications if it ultimately enters production.

BRAND AMBITIONS

Another highlight of the Komatsu stand was the presentation of its complete harvesting head range, which now includes the full range of Log Max units branded in Komatsu livery. Despite being part of Komatsu Forest, Log Max also had its own stand, where the complete line of heads was on display, including the new 5000V model, which

offers improvements in various areas. These improvements include a revised saw box design with a more powerful saw motor, faster feeding thanks to new type feed motors, and a revised hydraulic plumbing layout for uninhibited oil ow. Updated length measuring capabilities are also a feature of the 5000V, with several elements contributing to this enhancement, including an improved measuring wheel cylinder design and contactless encoder technology. The head weighs 950kg and has a maximum felling diameter of 74cm.

Other interesting harvesting heads on display included the Tigercat 534, which were mounted on the company’s 1165 wheeled harvester base units. In the UK, Tigercat machines are most commonly tted with Log Max heads, so it’s intriguing to see the company’s own solution in action. The

Koller

Guerra

John Deere

Konrad

complete harvesting and extraction package was presented by the company through the presence of two of its 20-tonnecapacity 1075C forwarders. These machines are de ned by their rugged construction, designed to withstand the most arduous working conditions over long-term use.

HEAD START

Lesser-known harvesting head manufacturers, such as the Spanish-based company Guerra, also had a substantial exhibit. Its product presentation included a wide range of harvesting heads as well as felling head attachments with multiple stem handling capabilities. Although the name may be unfamiliar to many, the company has been in business for over 70 years and has a proven reputation in the manufacture of cranes for forestry and marine applications. Its attachment line is seen as offering a more comprehensive product range to its forestry customer base.

Processing heads were also among the exhibits, with the Koller P60 garnering much attention. This head is ideal for roadside processing operations from a skyline. It features gripping arms to facilitate tree pick-up from the pile and offers excellent gripping characteristics during processing, thanks to the knife and roller arrangement.

Konrad presented a modi ed Wacker Neuson 9-tonne excavator, which has been converted to forestry speci cation with a levelling upper structure and a dedicated telescopic boom. In addition, the latest generation of the Neuson Forest 264HVT purpose-built tracked harvester was showcased. Equipped with an AFM Forest 75 harvesting head, the manufacturer chose to exhibit the machine with all covers and access in the open position to highlight the excellent accessibility for maintenance, service, and repair.

Another interesting trend among manufacturers of smaller harvesters and forwarders is the offering of machines with heightened speci cations and earning

GUERRA HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR OVER 70 YEARS MAKING FORESTRY AND MARINE CRANES”

potential in a compact package. This trend involves creating downsized variants of larger machines, catering to the demand for more compact machines for thinning applications while retaining a high speci cation. Manufacturers like Malwa and Vimek presented the 980 harvester and NG 870.1 forwarder respectively, as examples of this approach.

SWEET SIX

Additionally, there was an interesting development with the presentation of a 6-wheeled version of the Sampo Rosenlew HR46X purpose-built harvester. Other machine options for users who prefer compact thinning machines included the Terri range of harvesters, forwarders, and combination machines. In retrospect, this event demonstrated how it offered something to satisfy the needs of every professional timber harvesting contractor.

Neuson Forest 264HVT

Malwa

Terri

Vimek

Sampo Rosenlew

Alstor 850 Pro Mini-Forwarder

Just released in Sweden this year as part of Alstor’s 25th anniversary celebrations

Hydrostatic drive machine, with a 3t payload and full ROPS FOPS OPS cabin.

We will have the first Alstor 850 pro demo machine here in the UK February 2024

Can cut pre programmable lengths in the forest

Increased levels of sound proofing in the cabin

A combination forwarding and harvesting machine, which can be fitted with a stroke harvester head to fell trees of up to 30cm in diameter

More hydraulic power due to its variable displacement hydraulic pump.

“HERE WE TAKE A LOOK AT JUST SOME OF THE UK’S LEADING SUPPLIERS”

Approved Hydraulics

TOOLED UP

Dan Gilkes highlights top UK dealers offering excavator attachments for forestry applications and dives into their product catalogues

In many ways, a hydraulic excavator, whether wheeled or on crawler tracks, is the ultimate multiple tool carrier. There may be more attachments available for a skid-steer loader or a telescopic handler, but the excavator’s combination of all-terrain capability, multi-dimensional arm movement and auxiliary hydraulic power make it many machines in one, for owners and end users.

For a forestry contractor, the excavator can drive a host of powered attachments, as well as simply

clearing ground or uprooting stubborn tree trunks with a wide range of buckets. Grapples, with or without saws, tree shears, stump grinders, cone splitters, crane booms, pallet forks and augers can all be used in combination with an excavator. The fact that the excavator concept runs from sub-1-tonne micro machines, through to giant 100-tonne-plus earthmovers also means that there should be an

Approved Hydraulics

EXCAVATOR ATTACHMENTS | MARKET REVIEW

excavator-mounted attachment to suit most job sites.

Here we take a look at just some of the UK’s leading suppliers, focussing on the more popular attachments, including grapple saws, tree shears, stump grinders and cone splitters. There are other makes and models available, but whatever the task, there is likely to be an excavator attachment to suit it.

APPROVED HYDRAULICS

Stockport-based Approved Hydraulics offers a wide range of excavator-mounted attachments to the forestry industry. This includes log grabs and Tiger Saw grapples from Intermercato, for whom Approved has been the UK agent for more than 10 years. The company is expecting a major upgrade to Intermercato’s grabs later this year, as the manufacturer builds on the success of its

current TG range, with the launch of the GRX line.

Also available is a range of Tigergrip tree shears from Intermercato, alongside the PW and MW series shears from CMB. There are ve PW models, to suit excavators with operating weights of 5-35 tonnes and they are particularly suitable for large collection in forest areas. The four-model MW line-up, with oscillating chainsaw unit, is designed for machines of 10-28 tonnes. They are designed for tree felling and branch removal on slopes, riversides, swamp land, transport routes and rail projects.

Providing a one-stop approach for contractors, Approved Hydraulics offers two stump grinders from Hydra Part, along with a range of four in-house developed cone splitters, log crackers from CMB and MST, ails, mulchers and post drivers and the rm has recently developed its own rotating excavator log splitter attachment, the AH700MPL-X, designed to ef ciently split logs lengthwise.

“FIELD & FOREST HAS CHOSEN INDECO AS ITS PREFERRED SUPPLIER OF STUMP GRINDERS”

FIELD & FOREST MACHINERY

Broxburn-based Field & Forest Machinery deals with a wide range of manufacturers, to meet the needs of UK forestry contractors. The company has four GMT Total Tree Control grapple saws available, with operating

weights of 245-395kg and maximum cutting diameters of 350-500mm. It also offers the Swedish-built Cranab grapple saw cassette, which includes a heavy-duty Powerhand grab and Indexator XR400 rotator. The Cranab GSK grapple saw can handle logs up to 600mm in diameter.

Field & Forest has chosen Indeco as its preferred supplier of stump grinders, selling the Italian rm’s IMH SG16 grinder as an attachment for excavators of 16-25 tonnes operating weight, and the IMH SG20 for machines in the 20- to 45-tonne sector.

Also included in the forestry line-up are TerraTech tree shears, with four models on offer, from the 200mm cutting diameter TerraTech 200, through to the TerraTech 500, with its 500mm cutting capacity. The company offers two brands of cone splitter, with one OMEF model and three attachments from Deitmer. This includes the Deitmer DGA cone splitter for 1- to 5-tonne machines, the Deitmer DGB for 5- to 12-tonne models and the DGC for machines with operating weights ranging from 12-30 tonnes.

ROBUSTRACK

Rather than offer a complete grapple saw as an attachment, Yorkshire-based Robustrack has a range of chainsaw kits to suit forestry grapples from various brands. With a maximum cut of 600mm, the grapple saw cassettes can be supplied with a 750mm or 900mm saw bar. Mounting brackets are designed and manufactured in-house, allowing the company to install the saws on a wide range of machinery. They can be

Robustrack

Field & Forest Machinery

Grapple

Tree Shears

Wood Chippers Mulchers

Grabs & Grapples

Firewood Processors

Kindling Machinery

Cone Splitters

Stump Grinders & Shears

Brash Rakes

Grab & Rotator Packages

Hydraulic Hammers/compactors

Hydraulic Pulverisers & Scrap Shears

Grounds Maintenance Equipment

Remote Operated Flail & Bank Mowers

Custom Saddle & Hitch Fabrication

Beavertail with Hiab Hire

EXCAVATOR

equipped with a log grab, with or without a mounting bracket and with the option of a rotator.

For the tree shear sector, Robustrack offers products from both Agriforest and from Trevi Benne. There are four models available from Agriforest, including the ST200R, suitable for excavators of 4-8 tonnes, through to the ST250R, for 5- to 11-tonne machines.

The Grip Cut 300 shear is suitable for 9- to 15-tonne excavators and the larger Grip Cut 320 is designed for machines with an 11- to 16tonne operating weight. Trevi Benne’s heavy-duty WR series tree shears are built for excavators in the 6- to 12-tonne class.

“THE VOSCH GRAPPLE SAWS ARE PARTICULARLY ROBUST AND BUILT IN HIGH QUALITY STEELS”

RICHARD COURT

Malaguti is Robustrack’s chosen supplier of stump grinders. The company has six models available, including the Tornado 350, 450 and 600. These suit excavators from 1.5-4.5 tonnes, 4.5-9 tonnes and 9-18 tonnes respectively. Also on offer are Malaguti’s FC range of grinders. The FC11 is suitable for mini-excavators of 1.5-2.5 tonnes, the FC21 is built for 2.5- to 6-tonne machines and the largest FC31 is designed to work with 6- to 13-tonne excavators.

Surrey rm Richard Court Forestry Engineering is the UK dealer for German brand Vosch, which offers a range of heavy-duty grapple saws, that have been designed for larger excavators from 10 tonnes through to a 40-tonne operating weight. The Vosch grapple saws are particularly robust, with a grapple design built in high-quality steels. With up to four rotation motors, the units also boast exceptional rotational torque.

The company is also a dealer for the Moipu range of harvester heads, shears and

grapple saws. The 4500EFi shear is designed for 14- to 20-tonne excavators and can handle softwood timber diameters up to 450mm. Moipu’s range includes the GS550RC grapple saw, which can fell trees up to 630mm with a single cut. The attachment uses radio control for the saw blade.

PAUL VIDGEN FOREST MACHINES

Paul Vidgen Forest Machines, based in Ascot, has built a reputation as a single supply source for forestry, land clearance and bioenergy contractors. The company is an authorised dealer for a host of manufacturers, including Ahwi Prinoth, Naturatec and Trevi Benne. The Ahwi Prinoth line-up includes the SH/H series of hydraulic stump grinders. There are three models on offer with operating widths of 600mm, 900mm and 1,100mm respectively.

There are two sizes of tree shear available from German manufacturer Naturatec. The Unicut 300 model is suited to excavators of 8-20 tonnes, with a cutting capacity of 350mm in softwood and 280mm in hardwood. The larger Unicut 500 is suited to 16- to 35-tonne excavators and comes with a 400mm capacity in softwood and 330mm in hardwood.

Vidgen also offers six tree shear models from the Trevi Benne WT range, suitable for excavators from 6-30 tonnes. A recent

Paul Vidgen Forest Machines

Richard Court

EXCAVATOR ATTACHMENTS

addition to the line-up is Trevi Benne’s WR range of tree shears. With three models available, to suit excavators from 12-30 tonnes, the WR range is said to be suitable for cutting and harvesting woodlands on a large scale, for cultivation and for landscape maintenance work. It is particularly effective for operating on steep terrain with dif cult access.

JAS P WILSON

Scottish distributor Jas P Wilson supports a broad range of forestry brands, from its base in Dalbeattie. There are grapples from Botex, Igland, Lasco, Hultdins, FTG and

“SCOTTISH DISTRIBUTOR JAS P WILSON SUPPORTS A BROAD RANGE OF FORESTRY BRANDS”

Powerhand, while saw grapples can be had from Powerhand and SafeCut Machinery. The Powerhand eX series heavy-duty grapple saws are designed to work with 13to 25-tonne excavators and can be rigid mounted or used with a tilt-rotator, a rigid rotator or a swing link mount.

Offering a slightly different saw attachment, Wilson has three models of the SafeCut Mantis multi-axis pruning saw and grapple. By separating the grapple and saw functions, the Mantis units provide the ability to mechanically prune standing tree limbs, accurately cut fallen timber and stack or feed timber and brash.

Excavator tree shears are offered from the JAK and Krpan ranges. The JAK 200 tree shear and grapple is suitable for 1.8- to 4.5-tonne mini-excavators, while the larger JAK 250 is designed to work with 5- to 11.5-tonne machines. Those looking for a larger model can nd two tree shears from Krpan. The Krpan KS200B is a tree shear grapple for 3- to 6-tonne excavators, while the KS500B will work with 16- to 22-tonne models. This heavy-duty model has a maximum 500mm single cut diameter and weighs in at 1,362kg.

The Wilson range includes three excavator-mounted stump grinder attachments from FAE. The compact SCL/ HY stump grinder is built for 4- to 7.5-tonne carrier machines, while the SCL/EX/VT is suitable for 7- to 15-tonne excavators. The larger SCM/EX/VT will work with carriers of 12-20 tonnes weight.

DIGBITS

Staffordshire attachment specialist Digbits has three in-house designed tree shears available. The TS02 is a 200mm diameter shear for 2- to 4.9-tonne mini-excavators. The TS04 offers a 250mm diameter and is suitable for 4- to 9-tonne machines. And the TS06 will cut up to 300mm and has been built to work with 9- to 14-tonne excavators. The shears are built with CNC machined Hardox blades for added durability and Hardox 450 plate is used throughout for strength and wear resistance. The larger TS06 is available with continuous rotation as an option, while the TS02 can be mounted on the top or the side of the attachment, to enable horizontal or vertical cutting.

FUELWOOD

Fuelwood (Warwick) continues to offer a broad range of forestry and rewood machinery from its Warwickshire base. The company has an array of attachments for both excavators and truck cranes available. This includes grapple saws from Mecanil, with the SG210 G2 and SG270 G2 in particular ideal for excavator mounting. The smaller SG210 has no tilt capability, but comes with double-acting

Digbits

Fuelwood

Jas P Wilson

EXCAVATOR ATTACHMENTS | MARKET REVIEW

“THE RC TILTROTATORS USE PRESSURECOMPENSATING HYDRAULICS SO THEY DON’T REQUIRE AS MUCH ENERGY”

Rototilt

hydraulics for grapple open/close and saw in/out functions. The larger SG270 can also be speci ed as a heavy-duty grapple saw, with the HD models tipping the scales at 380kg, compared to the standard SG270’s 280kg.

The company has tree shears from Uniforest, along with the Tree Lopp RK260 felling head, which is available with optional bunching grabs and rotator.

Fuelwood’s cone splitters are built by German manufacturer Black Splitter. There are seven models available to suit excavators from 0.8-40 tonnes operating weight.

RABAUD

branches and is said to be ideal for hardwood cutting. The attachment can be solid mount or quick hitch-compatible, and options include a tilt head and an accumulating clamp. The company also has a range of ve cone splitter models, for excavators from 2-14 tonnes. An optional timber grab can be supplied along with the splitting cone, with no requirement for an additional hydraulic line.

ROTOTILT

Whatever the attachment, excavator operators will be able to make better use with the addition of a tilt-rotator. There are plenty of options available, but Rototilt claims that its latest Rototilt Control (RC) system delivers improved operability and increased energy ef ciency. The display in the RC system has a new a touchscreen design that provides access to the SecureLock safety locking system with just two button presses.

French manufacturer Rabaud’s Xylocut 310PE is designed to work with excavators of 13-17 tonnes operating weight. The shear can handle up to 310mm diameter

The RC tilt-rotators use pressurecompensating hydraulics, so they don’t require as much energy from the carrier machine, increasing ef ciency and cutting fuel consumption. Customers can also specify a fully automatic QuickChange coupler at the time of purchase, or install it later as a retro t, as their requirements change. There will be RC versions of both the Rototilt R4 and R8 tilt-rotators. The RC system, complete with RC joysticks, has been designed to suit excavators with operating weights ranging from 10-43 tonnes.

Rabaud

MARKET HIGHLIGHTS

Keen to get started in the forestry sector? Or maybe you need a more affordable addition to the fleet. These used machines should provide food for thought when it comes to your next purchase…

IMAGES DEALERS

According to the Of ce for National Statistics, there is approximately 3.25 million hectares of woodland in the UK. A substantial 19% of Scotland is categorised as woodland, while in Wales the total is 15%. England claims 10%, and Northern Ireland is 9% woodland.

Of course, much of this land needs managing and not all companies tasked with this duty can afford the latest equipment from the world’s most successful forestry machinery manufacturers. That’s why Forestry Machinery magazine dedicates three pages to used kit in every issue. Here’s what caught our eye recently...

2017 John Deere 1170E harvester yours for £105,000.

JOHN DEERE 1170E HARVESTER

Head to Komatsu Forestry’s website and, along with shiny new Komatsu kit, you’ll a special page hosted by Mascus containing lots of appealing second-hand machinery from a range of manufacturers. This 2017 John Deere 1170E harvester listed by John McIlwraith in Carlisle seemed a good bet. Manufactured in Finland, this particular example had clocked up 15,000 hours, was graded 4 out of 5 for general condition, and carried a £105,000 asking price. It had a John Deere H414 harvester head, plus 145kW engine. The machine’s last inspection took place in early August 2023.

VALTRA WITH CRANE

Those buyers on the hunt for something versatile might nd use for this Valtra T202 tractor with Botex 570C roof-mounted

TEMPTING TRIO

LARGE WOODCHIPPERS

A large woodchipper e ciently transforms felled trees and branches into wood chips, aiding in waste reduction and recycling. The mobility of these machines allows access to remote areas, reducing labour-intensive tasks and minimising environmental disturbance. In forestry, where sustainability and e ciency are paramount, woodchippers streamline operations while minimising ecological impact. Here are three we spotted for a range of budgets…

Komptech Crambo 5200

Suitable for shredding most types of wood and green cuttings, this self-propelled, 27.9-tonne Komptech is powered by a Cat C13 engine and boasts 134 changeable rotor knives on dual drums. First registered in 2016, this middle-ofthe-range Crambo 5200 features adaptive shredding modes, including overload protection and reverse function, and came with a wireless remote. Omnia Machinery in Middlesbrough was asking for €275,000 (£235,500).

Jenz 820 chipper with crane

Listed by a private seller in Ireland, this 2014-built Jenz 820 woodchipper had been teamed with an Epsilon 130 crane with log grab and XL cab. Described as in “great working order” and “maintained to the highest standard”, this chipper drew power from a Cat C18 engine. Currently hooked up to a truck, those interested in this German-made Jenz could witness it in action before buying, the seller said. The asking price was £195,000.

crane. Offered for sale by Field & Forest in West Lothian, Scotland, the Valtra had clocked up 5,699 hours since 2010. The telescopic Botex crane and grapple, meanwhile, were described as in ‘as new condition’ with only 70 hours of use since their tment to the tractor last August. The T202 was Valtra’s range-topping T-series tractor, so you can expect plenty of grunt. Field & Forest’s asking price for the whole package was £79,000.

KOMATSU 901TX

Komatsu’s 901 continues to be the entry point to its harvester range, sitting below the 911, 931 and 951 in the current line-up.

With 16.7-tonne operating weight, the TX version – an example of which is shown here – was built between 2010 and 2013. Engine power is rated at 150kW and maximum reach of the standard machine is 10m.

At the time of writing, Dalbeattie-based Jas P Wilson was offering this 2011-built Komatsu 901TX harvester for £50,000 (plus VAT). It had racked up 16,000 hours and was offered with either a ‘used 350 head’ or very tempting, brand new SP 561 LF head from SP Maskiner as an optional extra. Key stats for the SP include a 980kg weight, a 60cm cutting diameter best suited to 12 to 43cm tree diameters, and a recommended working pressure of 23 to 28MPa.

Morbark 3400X Wood Hog

This 2021 Morbark 3400X Wood Hog packed a 596kW Cat C18 engine and can be narrowed enough for transportation on public highways. Michigan-based Morbark says the integrated control systems automatically adjust feed rates, and monitors pressures and feed wheel position to maximise production. The infeed opening is 145x112cm. CRJ Services Ltd in Cheshire was selling this 2,800-hour example, complete with Amerex fire suppression system, for £510,000.

Valtra T202 with Botex 570C crane listed at £79,000.

16,000-hour Komatsu o ered at £50,000+VAT.

£9,750 344

CA$16,000/£9,300

TOP TIPS

MAINTAINING YOUR CHIPPER

Proper maintenance is the key to keeping your woodchipper at peak performance and ensuring both safety and longevity. In this guide, we’ll explore 10 essential maintenance tips to help you maintain your woodchipper effectively. From blade care to lubrication, safety precautions, and storage

Read the manual: The manufacturer’s manual is your go-to resource for understanding your woodchipper’s specific maintenance needs and safety precautions. It provides valuable information on maintenance intervals, recommended lubricants, and other essential details.

Safety first: Safety should always be a top priority.

Disconnecting the spark plug wire ensures that the woodchipper won’t accidentally start while you’re performing maintenance tasks. Additionally, wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), such as safety glasses, hearing protection, and gloves.

Inspect blades: The blades are the heart of your woodchipper. Regularly inspect them for signs of wear, nicks, or damage. Sharp blades are essential for e cient chipping and safer operation. If the blades are dull or damaged, sharpen or replace them according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Lubrication: Proper lubrication is vital for keeping the moving parts of your woodchipper in good condition. Consult the

recommendations, these tips will help keep your woodchipper in optimal condition. Regular upkeep not only enhances ef ciency but also reduces the risk of accidents. By following these maintenance steps, you’ll be able to enjoy smooth and safe operation while prolonging the life of your valuable woodchipper equipment.

manual to identify the lubrication points and use the recommended lubricants. Pay particular attention to the bearings, axles, and pivot points.

Check nuts and bolts: Loose nuts and bolts can lead to dangerous situations and decreased performance. Regularly check all fasteners on the woodchipper, especially those on the blade assembly, feed chute, and any other critical components. Tighten them securely using the appropriate tools.

Clean the intake chute: The intake chute and feed rollers can accumulate wood chips, debris and sap. After each use, clean these areas thoroughly to prevent clogs and ensure smooth feeding of branches and materials into the chipper. Inspect belts and chains: If your woodchipper has belts or chains, inspect them for wear, tension and alignment. Replace any belts or chains that show signs of wear or damage, and adjust their tension as per the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Air filter: A clean air filter is essential for the engine’s

performance and longevity.

Check the air filter regularly and clean or replace it according to the manual’s instructions. A clogged air filter can lead to reduced power and increased fuel consumption.

Fuel system: Ensure your woodchipper is always powered by clean and fresh fuel. If your machine has a fuel filter, replace it as recommended. Also, periodically drain the fuel system if your woodchipper is not used for an extended period to prevent fuel deterioration.

Store properly: When storing your woodchipper, choose a dry and covered location to protect it from the weather. If possible, store it indoors to prevent rust and damage.

Consider using a cover to shield it from dust and debris that can accumulate when stored in a garage or shed.

By following these maintenance tips and referring to your woodchipper’s manual for specific guidance, you’ll help ensure that your woodchipper remains in good working condition, extends its lifespan and operates safely.

Timberland TSE 4x4 hydraulic tree trimmer (2001)

Cummins C5.9 6-cylinder, 152hp, 5.9L diesel engine, air conditioning, articulated boom, 4x blade saw head, winch and push blade.