Harvesting heads for all applications
WHEN IT COMES TO HARVESTING HEADS, diversity is key. Woods vary. Mill requirements vary. And the purpose of that harvesting head is to perform as a reliable workhorse day-in and day-out.
Two new harvesting heads from Waratah help represent that spectrum. On the one hand, the new H212 is a lightweight, agile harvesting and processing head. On the other hand, the new H415HD is a heavy-duty harvesting head with new features and options based on customer feedback and rugged application needs. The H212, the company’s smallest head, is designed for 8-16 metric tonne tracked carriers or 16-18 metric tonne wheeled carriers, while the H415HD was built primarily for 20-25 metric tonne wheeled carriers.
“We build harvesting heads for a variety of woods,” says Brent Fisher, Product Marketing Manager for Waratah. “The nimble Waratah H212 is built to perform in dense stands, and the new H415HD provides tree-processing performance, especially in large timber.”
Even though the H212 varies drastically from the heavy-duty H415HD, both heads provide the productivity and durability needed to work in tough woods, he says.
The H212 provides enhanced productivity for early thinning operations. The multi-purpose head can handle mixed hardwood and softwood stands as well as multi-tree harvesting, processing or debarking applications.
Likewise, standard features of the H415HD include an HD tilt frame with thicker steel plate, expander pins for upper tilt cylinder, feed roller arms, and lower delimbing knives – to improve pin durability and frame longevity. Additionally, HD feed motor and hose guards help improve durability. In addition to being featured on the H415HD, most of the new options can be ordered one-by-one for the H415 and H415X.
They are also compatible with older H415 harvester heads and can be purchased through spare parts sales.
“We’ll continue to offer the H415 and H415X models, and the new H415HD will be an additional option for our customers looking for that heavy-duty head, especially for wheeled applications,” says Mr Fisher. “They provide the durability our customers have come to expect with the 400 Series line of Waratah heads.”
For additional productivity, the H212 features the new SuperCut 100S saw unit with improved auto tensioning and easier servicing, which can fell and process trees up to 520mm in diameter. The delimb arms, which are designed to provide premium delimbing, complement the feeding power and grip of the drive arms on large or crooked stems. Likewise, the processing arm option, with an extended upper and lower knife offset, enables picking stems from the ground or piles to reduce processing time.
On the H415HD, expander pins for feed roller arms and lower delimbing knives make quick work of a variety of jobs, while HD feed motor guards and feed motor hose guards help improve hose durability. Loggers can choose straight hoses or hoses that run through the junction box.
For increased productivity, the H212’s wide roller and delimb arm opening allow for fast grabbing of standing trees and evenly processing to the smallest top size. The H212’s two-roller-design permits drive arms to float and easily follow crooked or straight stems while also debarking when fitted with debarking options. Also, a long length measuring arm together with twin diameter measuring sensors provide measuring accuracy in all tree species.
On the smaller side, the H212 is both durable and nimble. With the ability to weave through the stand, the H212 is ideal for first thinnings in dense stands, providing good visibility for aiming felling cuts as well as pivot position for efficient cutting.
All three configurations of the H415 heads now feature the possibility of a wider saw bar and improved saw chain tensioning to reduce chain loss, bar wear and promote more operational productivity. It also creates lower stump heights and more wood recovery with an improved lower delimbing knife profile for larger stem sizes.
“We use customer feedback to deliver what our customers need,” says Mr Fisher. “The H212 is our compact little giant in the forest. The H415HD extends durability and provides another configuration to suit customer needs and bolster uptime within the size class of 400 Series model Waratah heads.”
NZL