Elmia Wood 2009 - Forestry Journal

Elmia is the biggest forestry show on Earth,
and it took place in Sweden from 3-6 June.
This event, held, as ever, near Jönköping, is huge, and you really do have
to be there on all four days if you are going to get round the whole show.
The number of exhibitors was slightly down on the 2005 show (by around
40) but over 46,000 ‘unique’ visitors passed through the gates over the four
days, and the atmosphere, as always, was buzzing.
‘Elmia weather’ in the past was a phrase synonymous with baking hot
sunshine, but this time, despite the sun breaking through on a fairly regular
basis, the weather conspired to inflict chill temperatures, wind and occasional
heavy rain on proceedings. “Summer sun and winter wind,” as Mark
Osborne of AT Osborne succinctly put it. At night the temperature fell to
freezing point.
There were many British faces to be seen, both dealers and end users, and
a lot of them were welcomed at Forestry Journal’s stand. Some of them we
hadn’t seen for a number of years, but that is one of the pleasures of a major
gathering such as Elmia. Komatsu Forest made the biggest contribution in
this area, bringing over some 70 contractors.
On the machinery side, many manufacturers ensured they had something
exciting and new to show off – most notably Valmet and Rottne – and we
were able to catch up with developments on a number of new concepts that
saw the light of day at previous shows.
Elmia Wood will return on 5-8 June 2013, but before then Elmia will host
its Swedish forestry fair, SkogsElmia, from 26-28 May 2011.
Elmia
The Lightlogg from Timbear
In 1997 Jan Eriksson sold Skogsjan to Caterpillar. He continued
to work with them for nearly six years, and says he was sorry
when they finally sold out. “I liked them. They were a strong
and fair company.”
One of the conditions of his sale of Skogsjan was that he
was not allowed to take up other employment in forestry for a
number of years. However, an inventive mind like that of Jan
Eriksson cannot be still indefinitely, and in 2002 he started testing
out some new ideas. The result is the Lightlogg.
The aim is to produce a machine that can operate on soft
ground without damaging it, and which is narrow enough to
manoeuvre through the stand without difficulty.
Having two load bunks to distribute the load lightens the
ground pressure and reduces the width of the machine to 2.2
metres. To lower the ground pressure still further, the machine
is mounted on tracks, rather like an excavator, each driven by a
hydrostatic wheel motor. As well as being very environmentally
friendly, the result makes for a cheaper solution, according to
Jan Eriksson.
Despite its double articulation, the machine can steer in both
directions. The rear bunk can be brought 2 metres closer to the
crane for ease of loading.
And it doesn’t end there. The Lightlogg is a combination
machine, and in 20 minutes can be converted into a harvester
carrying a 400kg head with a 35cm cut.
Timbear 0046 670 10666
www.timbear.se
The Lightlogg spreads the weight with two
load areas and tracks. (Right) Its inventor,
former Skogsjan owner Jan Eriksson.
Forestry Journal 7/09 www.forestryjournal.co.uk
23

John Deere
The John Deere 1910E forwarder has a 9 litre engine and a CF8 loader.
John Deere Forestry had its complete E series on display for the first time,
including the 810E, 1010E and 1910E forwarders.
They also introduced TimberLink F software which enables forwarder
operators to monitor and optimise machine performance.
Taking a leaf out of Volvo’s book, Deere are developing a hybrid drive
train. Instead of powering the axles through a torque converter, this uses a
smaller than normal diesel engine which drives a generator, then a motor
followed by a two-speed gearbox. A traditional mechanical transmission is
eliminated, because the variable speed electric motor takes the function of
a continuously variable transmission. Despite a reduction in diesel engine
power, the system is fully capable of accomplishing the same work as a
conventional drive train. Additionally, it can recover brake energy and provide
power boost for peak load situations. Depending on the application,
electrification can enhance fuel efficiency by 15-25%.
John Deere Forestry 0870 224 3745
www.e-series.fi
Stepless HSM
HSM were showing off their 805F forwarder that can be converted, by
means of a quick change system, into a clambunk. The machine is also
equipped with a double drum Adler winch with two times 8 tonnes pulling
capacity. New is the Mercedes 174hp/129kW OM904LA engine replacing
the 141hp Iveco.
Of special interest was the machine’s ICVD (Integrated Continuously
Variable Drive), a system developed by Walterscheid GKN. There was a
cutaway version of this on the stand to show how it works. It is based on
the bent axis 45° technology which was first introduced into the market
with the Fendt Vario transmission. This system was made exclusively for
Fendt by Sauer Danfoss for 10 years, but has been openly available for the
last three years.
It makes it possible to drive faster without diminishing tractive force,
and to accelerate through the entire speed range without interrupting the
drive.
Forest Technical Ltd 07814 393810
http://hsm-forstmaschinen.de
The modus operandi of the
Beast. It is operated remotely
from the cabs of two or more
forwarders, each forwarder
taking over control when the
other(s) are travelling and
unloading.
The Beast turns green
At the last Elmia Wood we were introduced to the Beast and its messengers.
This unmanned harvester, operated from the forwarders which it
loaded direct from its felling head, was on the Rottne stand, and sported
a Rottne head.
The concept has now been taken over by Gremo, who will continue
developing it in cooperation with Swedish forestry collective and management
company Södra, who have bought a Beast.
The system brings a number of advantages over the conventional
approach. Trees are logged directly onto the revolving load bays of the
forwarders, saving double handling, and, with no harvester driver, there
is a saving in labour.
Gremo are also developing a version of the Beast that is suited to stump
harvesting.
Gremo 0046 346 60515 – www.gremo.com
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Forestry Journal 7/09

Ponsse’s new 8-wheel thinning harvester, the Fox.
Ponsse
Ponsse had their new, 8-wheel thinning harvester on display, the Fox.
With a width of 2.64 to 2.84 metres, depending on tyre size, it is fitted
with new type of crane, the C22, which has a reach of 11 metres. This
has been moved nearer the cab than on other models, which, Ponsse
say, gives better visibility and optimal weight distribution. It is powered
by a 197hp, four-cylinder Mercedes-Benz engine. The harvester weighs
18 tonnes and carries an H53e head.
Ponsse’s well proven Ergo harvester is also now available in an eightwheel
version, which also has a 12% increase in tractive force.
Ponsse have also produced a new medium-sized, general purpose
harvester head, the H6. With three feed rollers and two fixed plus four
movable knives, it has a felling diameter of 640mm and can be used on
thinnings and clearfells. Weight is just over a tonne. The H6 can also be
equipped with the multi-stemming feature, which makes harvesting of
small timber faster. This feature is now also available on Ponsse’s H53e
and H7 heads and is aimed principally at energy wood harvesting.
Ponsse 01576 203000
www.ponsse.com
Valmet
Valmet had a wide array of new products to show off on their stand –
two new harvesters, a new forwarder and three new heads.
We got a sneak preview of the two harvesters in the June edition.
The 931 weighs just under 20 tonnes and has a 9.4 litre, 6-cylinder
commonrail engine. The CRH22 crane is available in two lengths – 8.5
metres (for use with the 370.2 head) and 9.8 metres (for use with 360.2
and 365 heads).
The 901TX (‘Thinning Xpert’) is a 17 tonne harvester with two crane
options, the 10 metre CHR16, for use with the 350.1 head, and the 11
metre CRH16DT. Gross lifting torque is particularly high at 170 kNm.
Both new harvesters are fitted with Valmet Comfort bogies and come
with the latest 1.4 version of the MaxiXplorer control system.
To work alongside the 901TX, Valmet have introduced the 840TX
8-wheel forwarder. Designed for agility in thinnings, it has a short
rear frame and nose, giving it an overall length of 9.02 metres, as
against 9.57 metres for a standard 840.4. Weight is also less, by 800kg,
although carrying capacity remains unchanged at 12 tonnes.
The 365 is a new harvester head with a delimbing diameter of
470mm. With three feed rollers, it has four fixed and one movable
knife, and a new, patented measuring system. It takes its place in the
Valmet head line-up along with the new 378, which is designed for use
on excavators of 20 tons or more. It will delimb up to 500mm.
Finally Valmet have introduced the world’s first fully rotating head,
the 370E, which is able to go round and round without breaking the
hoses. It is designed principally for use with tracked feller bunchers and
excavators. Komatsu Forest 01228 792018
www.komatsuforest.com
Elmia
Whole trees to pellets
The Peterson 5900 whole tree chipper caused
quite a stir in the biomass area. According to the
American manufacturer, it produces chips as small
as 6mm in length. This is the ideal raw material for
pellet plants and the pulp industry. A complete
system incorporating the 4800 debarker was on
show. The chipper takes stems up to 56cm in
diameter.
The standard version, with a 168mm disk and
three knives, produces chips between 16 and
32mm in length. A four knife version is available
with two disk diameters. Production capacity
ranges from 55 to 90 tonnes an hour, depending
on the type of timber, its diameter and the
required chip length.
The 5900 is powered by a 765hp Cat diesel
engine and weighs just under 20 tonnes.
Peterson 001 541 689 6520
http://petersonpacific.com
Forestry Journal 7/09 www.forestryjournal.co.uk
25

Tigercat 1075B with extendable bunks and a very large load.
Tigercat
Tigercat displayed harvesting and biomass systems as well as a skidder
and forwarder based scarifiers at Elmia Wood
Tigercat are known in the UK for their tracked harvesters, and their
LH845C track-based levelling harvester attracted much attention, not
from Swedish visitors, where operations are almost exclusively cut-tolength,
but from UK, German, Russian and Norwegian customers where
the negotiation of steep slopes is an everyday event.
The stand also featured the narrow (1.9m on 400/55x22.5 tyres),
eight-wheel drive H09 harvester, which Tigercat say is popular throughout
Sweden, and there was also a 1075B forwarder with extended bunks,
stacked with a very impressive load. The 20-tonne rated machine has
wide bogie axles, a massive centre joint, a new cab and new MD3 control
display.
Tigercat also demonstrated a 1055B 14-tonne forwarder which was put
through its paces over the four days. There was also an additional 1055B
equipped with a Bruks mobile chipper mounted on it.
There were also machines for mechanised site preparation and planting.
The Tigercat 635D with the its Turnaround seat has gained favour in
Swedish scarifying applications as a rugged, low cost carrier compared
with a traditional forwarder. Various types of site preparation implements
can be mounted onto the six-wheel drive, hydrostatically driven carrier.
Tigercat also put a 1075 forwarder with a large four row Bracke scarifier
on the Bracke stand.
Treetop Forestry 07768 613036 – www.tigercat.com
Volvo
Volvo’s aim is to be a ‘total solutions provider’ covering many segments,
including forestry, according to Jukka Moisander, Volvo’s
Director of Global Forestry Solutions.
When briefing journalists he noted that tree length harvesting
still accounts for two thirds of the volume cut around the world,
with cut-to-length accounting for the other third, though its share is
growing.
But Volvo’s target is to cover everything, including harvesting,
transport to the mill, handling at the mill, and replanting. And on
top of that you can add bioenergy harvesting, including stumps, and
road maintenance.
At present the only harvesters in the Volvo range run on tracks.
There are four of them, ranging from 21 to 33 tonnes in weight, two
of them fitted with Volvo’s LevelMax system. Other features include
a gull-wing hood design – strong enough to withstand a tree falling
on it.
“But we need a forwarder in our product offering,” continued
Jukka Moisander. With this in mind, Volvo has bought up the rights
to the El-Forest diesel-electric 15 tonne forwarder which was first
glimpsed at the previous Elmia Wood in 2005. This is powered by a
small (80hp) diesel engine which drives a generator which charges
14 12-volt batteries. With two of these used to power engine start-up
and lights, the remaining 12 drive AC motors in each of the six wheels
of the forwarder. Each of these has an output of 30kW, giving a possible
tractive force of 294kN, though in practice this has been tuned
down to around 200kN since that is all that is really needed.
The speed of each wheel is individually controlled, and the sixwheel
design is such that the wheels follow the same track. The
El-Forest has half the turning radius of a conventional forwarder, and
the machine’s design, and the fact that the air conditioning unit is
housed outside the continuously rotating cab, mean the noise level is
exceptionally low.
The pendulum axle at the front gives side levelling, and the absence
of traditional bogie axles make the machine lighter than a traditional
forwarder. In principle it is a fifteen tonner with a 1:1 carrying capacity,
although the design could be simply scaled up in size.
The El-Forest is at the pre-series stage at the moment, and should
go into full serial production in 2010. Volvo 01223 836636
www.volvo.com – www.el-forest.se
(Above) Volvo’s hybrid drive F15 forwarder. (Below) It’s electric, and the lack of
conventional bogies, each wheel being driven by its own electric motor, makes
the El-Forest lighter than a normal machine of similar capacity.
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Forestry Journal 7/09

Logset
Shaun Harper of Logset Ltd and Pasi Nieminen, Sales Director
of Oy Logset Ab, with the 5L head which is now capable of
efficient multi-stem handling.
The emphasis on the Logset stand was on fuel economy. Agco Sisu Power has developed
customised engine software for Logset to meet the demands of forest machines.
The software, together with Logset’s TOC (Total Operator Control) system, optimises
fuel injection in accordance with the prevailing load and the required level of hydraulic
pressure and oil flow. The engine responds to changing conditions quickly to balance
power, torque and engine revs.
On display on the stand were testimonies from various contractors, including a
couple from Britain, as to the effectiveness of the system. Ron Drennan was quoted as
saying, “My machine is very reliable and easy to run. Fuel consumption is very good.
The machine is very stable and comfortable to operate.” He has apparently been using
9 litres an hour on his 8F forwarder, which weighs 17 tonnes and has a load capacity
of 15 tonnes.
Des Pickard, who was pictured beside his 8H harvester, simply said: “I am absolutely
delighted with the low fuel consumption.” The figure quoted was 0.7 litres per tonne
harvested.
Oy Logset Ab is part of the giant Pilomac Group, which had a turnover of some
e100 million last year.
Logset Ltd 01228 792500
www.logset.com
Throw Saw
The throw saw consists of a 45 metre line with a length of saw chain in the middle. The line is
supplied with a throw bag to enable the line to be thrown over high branches. Once the saw
chain is positioned over the part of the tree that is to be cut, work can commence, two people
pulling the saw chain backwards and forwards until the tree is cut. A weight on the chain keeps
it the right way up so that the teeth locate correctly into the cut.
Although it is very low-tech, the throw saw does have one big advantage over chainsaws: it is
able to cut through timber that is under pressure. This occurs, for instance, if a stem is not lying
completely on the ground, but has its weight supported at either end and not in the middle.
(For instance, this would be the case if, in the picture shown, the cut were being made to the
left of the trestle support.)
When this is the case, as long as the diameter of the timber is greater than 4 to 6 inches, the
throw saw will cut through it from the top without difficulty. A chainsaw, on the other hand, with
its wide bar, will get stuck as the cut closes together under gravity.
The line that holds the throw saw is certified for working under electrical lines.
Throw Saw 0046 733 926105
www.throw-saw.com
Reinventing the grapple
Notice something odd about the grapple in the picture Hultdins have
broken with tradition and come up with a new design which, they say,
gives faster loading and unloading of logs.
It all began with problems using a grapple saw to handle and cut brash
for biofuel. Because brash invariably lies strewn in a chaotic fashion, the
grapple saw was finding it hard to pick up cleanly. A long serving member
of Hultdins’ staff suggested a solution – a grapple with modified jaws.
Although it seemed something of a long shot, the company decided to
make one anyway and see if it worked.
It did. The brash now formed into a well aligned sausage shape in the
grapple. However, the unexpected bonus was that the new grapple also
performed much better on logs as well. Initial studies made by Swedish
research institute Skogforsk indicate that forwarder loading is 4-5% faster
and unloading 7-8% faster with the ‘A-Grapple’, as it is known, compared
to a standard grapple. Its asymmetrical shape makes it easier to pick up
single logs and to organise the log pile. It also simplifies work in hilly terrain
and the picking up of leaning logs.
The arms of the A-Grapple improve the way the logs roll into the grapple.
With conventional jaws there is always a risk that a piece of wood gets
clamped between them, obstructing the closing motion of the grapple.
The angled ends on the A-Grapple feed everything that the tips can grab
into the grapple, and the rest is fed out. Nothing can get stuck between
the grapple arms and the closing motion of the grapple is unimpeded.
The tips of
the A-Grapple
have minimal
contact
surface to
the ground,
so bringing
much less dirt
and sand with
them than
on a normal
grapple.
And, of
course, when
working on
brash, since
the arms feed
it either into
or out of the
grapple, the
branches are well aligned with every grab. The density of the load is
increased and brash piles become better organised.
Hultdins 0046 953 41800 – www.hultdins.se
Vielen Dank Dieter Biernath!
Forestry Journal 7/09 www.forestryjournal.co.uk
27

No more chain oil on harvesters
In future, chain oil could be no longer necessary in harvester heads.
Instead lubrication could be carried out using grease.
This brings many advantages. Consumption can be reduced by a
factor of 12 – ie 12 times more chain oil than grease is needed to do
the same job. On top of this, the chain and bar are expected to last
much longer. This all adds up to less pollution and a great reduction in
operating costs.
These are the claims of Canadian company STL Lubrifiants for their
Envirosys system, which they say works with all harvesting heads. Their
figures – namely that 2kg of grease is equivalent to 24 litres of oil –
have been verified by Feric (The Forest Engineering Research Institute
of Canada) in both summer and winter conditions over a period of 12
months.
Grease is supplied on demand according to what has been programmed
into the system’s electrical control unit. The reason for such
a marked improvement in performance is down to grease’s properties
compared to those of oil. Grease has better consistency, adhesiveness
and film strength. 80% of chain oil either evaporates or is flung off.
The biodegradable grease used in the system is supplied in accordion-type
cartridges which can be replaced in a few seconds. There is no
need to go near the head to replenish the reservoir. Instead the reservoir
and pump are installed near the operator’s cabin. Experience in Sweden
has shown that one cartridge will last about a week.
STL Lubrifiants 001 418 275 5282 – www.envirosysforest.com
Mini harvester
Vimek is expanding. In 2004 its turnover was e2 million. Last year this
had risen to e5.5 million. And the product range has been expanding
too. Well known for its mini forwarder, the company has now added a
mini harvester, the 404 T3, to its range.
Development began in 2004/5. The machine had no harvester head,
instead using a shear for early thinnings. Clearing trees under power
lines had been the idea, but no market could be found for the machine.
The machine was therefore redesigned, and the 404 T was the result.
This stayed in production until very recently, with the upgraded T3
now taking over. This carries a Keto head, designed in a collaboration
between the two companies. The head has a new type of tilt frame, a
conventional rotator, and a new, patent pending swing damper.
The new harvester has also meant that Vimek have had to design
a new forwarder, since its well proven 606, which was developed in
1992, is not able to keep up with it. The 606 will remain in production,
but, at 4.5 tonnes, the new 608’s load capacity is 50% higher than its
predecessor’s. The 608 has a new trailer and a longer crane, but is only
10cm wider overall. A swing damper has been added as an option as
well as a tilt grapple to assist loading in thinnings.
Vimek have also produced the BioCombi, a forwarder with a felling
grapple that cuts stems up to 16cm with a shear. It is intended for use
gathering biofuel material. The machine is equipped with a weighing
scale and can apply stump treatment. Vimek 0046 933 71075
www.vimek.se
Instant firewood
Nokka’s Klapimoto turns trees into firewood, cutting out all the stages in
between. Of course, the wood still needs to be seasoned, but Nokka offer
a trailer with removable containers into which the freshly cut wood is
dropped. All that remains is to put these somewhere dry, and wait.
The Klapimoto 23 is basically a light stroke harvesting head which
forces stems up to 23cm in diameter through a splitting knife, using a
guillotine to cut them into lengths from 20 to 52cm. Delimbing diameter
is 6 to 23cm and delimbing/splitting force is 3.4 tonnes.
Oil requirement is 30 to 60 lpm at 175 bar, and the maximum stroke
length is 75cm. All functions are operated by the loader’s control valve
block and via a touchscreen and pre-select electrical control box.
Nokka 00358 14 3301 500 – http://nokka.fi
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Forestry Journal 7/09

Chain brushcutter
Quantifying chip
Austrian chipper manufacturer Mus-Max had a scanner on the
elevator of their Terminator 10 chipper. The technology is borrowed
from sawmilling and is used to quantify the production
of the machine. Using this approach it is possible to work out
the volume of chip produced within a margin of error of 1%.
The Terminator 10 has a 700hp engine and can produce
300 cubic metres of chips an hour.
Also on display was the T9 XL for tractors of 200 to 300hp.
This has an infeed of 70cm high by 82cm wide.
Eurogreen 01903 700678 – www.mus-max.at
Bengt-Åke Alriksson spends
a lot of his time wielding a
brushcutter.
Like many charged with this
task, he found himself thinking,
“There must be an easier way.”
And he set about redesigning
the brushcutter to make the
work easier, more comfortable,
and more accurate.
Gone is the circular cutter,
replaced by a small chainsaw.
This alone brings many benefits
– it can be manoeuvred
with greater precision, and,
as it finishes cutting through
a stem, it does not accelerate and move suddenly into the next one, or into a
stone.
Another change to the design is that the control handles have been eliminated,
making the brushcutter easier to lift and carry through dense undergrowth.
It is quite common in Sweden to use a brushcutter to clear regenerated birch
or Scots pine. “The new design means I can use it as a weapon,” said Bengt-Åke
Alriksson. He used to be a long distance canoeist, and studied the ergonomics
of brushcutting, differentiating between static and dynamic muscle work. The
brushcutter’s engine is held on a harness behind the user with the weight supported
by the hips. Tension in the shoulders is eliminated, and the user can relax,
even though, at 13kg, the brushcutter is slightly heavier than normal. The weight
is well distributed, and extensive studies have shown that the user’s pulse rate is
10% lower than that of someone using a conventional brushcutter. Work is assisted
by the machine’s longer reach, meaning the user can stand on good ground and
save a lot of steps.
Bengt-Åke Alriksson finds it easy to work all day long with the brushcutter. “You
shouldn’t need to be an athlete to do a day’s work,” he says. “Amateurs and pensioners
can do this too.”
Readers with long memories may remember reading about this machine, then
at the development stage, in FMJ’s SkogsElmia roundup of two years ago. At the
time it was anticipated that the chain brushcutter would be in stores at the end of
2008. This date has now been revised to the first quarter of next year, with production
commencing this autumn. Husqvarna 01453 820300
Silly outfits
One way to get noticed at a huge event like Elmia
is to make an exhibition of yourself, and that is
just what the girls from Svenska Skogsplantor,
and the boys from MES-Smide did.
Svenska Skogsplantor were running a quiz
with the chance to win 1000 seedlings. Based in
Hallsberg, they are one of the largest European
companies specialising in seeds, bare root
and container seedlings, and afforestation. As
you can see, they offer healthy, happy young
plants.
MES-Smide is a small scale operation making
bandtracks, and they had travelled 1000
kilometres south from Bredbyn to be at the
show, where they wore the same outfits as the
womenfolk on their stand. “It is a kilt!” we were
told, as if that explained everything. There is no
tradition of kilt wearing in Sweden, as far as we
can make out, but maybe we haven’t looked in
the right places.
MES specialises in smaller bandtracks, the
market for larger ones being largely saturated.
www.skogsplantor.se
http://messmide.se
The girls from Svenska Skogsplantor (left) and the boys
from Markus Edlunds Svets och Smide (Markus Edlund’s
Welding and Forging).
Forestry Journal 7/09 www.forestryjournal.co.uk
29

Green Gator Eyes
Bright future
for LED lights
Hella were showing off their LED
(light emitting diode) lights, which
they anticipate being used as work
lights on harvesters and forwarders.
They are also finding their way onto
cars – for instance they are already
available as brake lights on the VW
Tiguan.
LED lights have many advantages
over conventional lights: they use
50% less energy, are robust, and have
a life span up to 130 times greater
than a halogen bulb.
So, you want to measure the diameter of that tree
over there, just the other side of the stream. Or
perhaps you’d like to know its diameter 20 feet up,
but no way are you climbing all the way up there
to find out.
The answer’s simple with Gator Eyes, the laser
add-on for calipers from Haglöf, and, to make things
even easier, if it’s a digital Haglöf caliper you are
using, the result can be recorded at the touch of a
button.
This isn’t entirely new technology, but the eyes
are now available in green. There was a problem
using the red Gator Eyes on a sunny day, but the
green eyes are 50 times brighter, and so remain visible
in areas of bright light.
Sorbus International 01373 475540
www.sorbus-intl.co.uk
(Above) The
SSP 520 in
action. (Far
left) A change
in length of
the cut billets
could not be
easier – just
move the pin.
(Left) The
saw, more
usual in a
harvester
head.
Binderberger
Binderberger have produced a
bigger version of their firewood
processor for use on large timber.
The SSP 520 has a 20 tonne
splitting force, and will take logs
52cm in diameter. It weighs 4
tonnes.
Its 50hp German made Hatz
diesel engine uses 4 litres of fuel
an hour – half what a pto tractor
would consume if performing
the same task, according to
Binderberger.
The processor uses a harvester
head style saw unit with
automatic chain tensioning and
lubrication – the first time this
has been done on a firewood
processor.
When used in fully automatic
mode, the machine can be operated
by just one person.
Although brand new, 20
examples of the SSP 520 have
been sold already, close to
Binderberger’s factory in Austria.
1000 of the smaller firewood
processor, the SSP 450, have
been sold over the last 10 years.
Marshall Agricultural Engineering
01892 770788
or 07836 274164
www.marshalllogging.co.uk
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Forestry Journal 7/09

The smaller of the chainsaw winches, the VIK
615, with the side cover removed (below) to
show how the chainsaw attaches.
Chip and shred
Jenz were showing off their new
BA 720 chipper/shredder, which
replaces the AZ 660 in their
line-up.
This is a biomass processor,
with an infeed of 720 by
1500mm. The rotor speed can
be varied, and the operator can
select the optimum speed for the
work in hand. Chipping operations
require a speed of 400rpm,
whilst shredding work needs
1000rpm.
The machine’s ‘Easygreen’
controller monitors the its operation
and also provides service
data, such as operating hours,
fuel consumption and engine
performance. As an option, the
quantity of chip produced can
also be measured.
The machine’s ‘Vario-Flex’
controller makes it easy to select
the optimum rotation speed for
the material being processed,
resulting in fuel consumption as
low as 0.3 litres per cubic metre.
Westcon Eqpt 01258 859100
www.westconuk.co.uk
Able to process everything, including garden waste, bark
and timber, the Jenz BA 720 can operate either as a biomass
chipper or as a shredder by simply changing the speed of the
rotor (below).
Chainsaw winch
Now here’s a handy idea: you can use your
chainsaw to power this winch.
The manufacturer of this item is Austrian
company Interforst – not to be confused with
the German forestry show of the same name.
They make two models, details of which are
below… simply replace your bar and chain with
the winch and start pulling in the timber.
They work with most makes of chainsaw,
making a portable solution that can be carried
easily in both your vehicle and into the forest.
Interforst do not have a British dealer, and if
you go onto their website, clicking the Union
Jack makes no difference to the language – it’s
still all in German. To find the items, put the letters
‘VIK’ in the search (‘Suche’) box.
The winches are not particularly cheap, given
the current level of the pound against the euro:
the VIK 615 costs €1,690 including a Jonsered
or Husqvarna chainsaw but without rope. The
VIK 1000 costs €1,550 without accessories.
Interforst 0043 3577 25700
http://www.interforst.at
Email office@interforst.at
Model VIK 615 VIK 1000
Max. Pull 600kg 1.2 tonnes
Chainsaw Power 2.7 to 4 hp 4 hp
Rope 55m x 4.5mm 80m x 6.5mm
120m x 3mm 120m x 5mm
Weight without saw 17 kg 27 kg
Total weight 27 kg 42 kg
Infeed speed 21 m/min 28 m/min
Rottne
Rottne used Elmia Wood to present their new F15 forwarder. This will replace the Solid F14. It
has the same payload as its predecessor but higher performance right through.
The Rottne F15, which is an 8-wheel forwarder with 14 ton payload, has more power, a new
generation of hydrostatic components that provide higher traction force and portal bogies to
increase ground clearance. The F15 can be equipped with Rottne’s Comfort Line damping system,
which significantly reduces vibration in the cab.
The F15 also has a stronger wagon and a loader with higher lifting torque, and can be fitted
with an extendable loading space called Wide Load.
Rottne have introduced the F13S, an 8-wheel forwarder with 12 tonne capacity, which will
replace the Solid F12S. The steerable wagon increases the machine’s steering angle from 43
to 54 degrees which makes this medium-sized forwarder as manoeuvrable as a small thinning
forwarder. The wagon bogie tracks the front end making the F13S an ideal forwarder for narrow
roads and dense thinnings.
Finally the Rottne H-10 is a new thinning harvester built to the same concept as Rottne’s larger
harvesters. It has an 11-metre loader and EGS 405 head.
Rottne UK 01556 612233 – www.rottne.com
Forestry Journal 7/09 www.forestryjournal.co.uk
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