More fixed felling head options
IT’S NO SURPRISE THAT OTHER HEAD MANUFACTURERS are watching the KF800 ‘experiment’ in Nelson with interest…and planning their own fixed felling head options. One New Zealand producer already has a fixed felling head in its line-up. Tokoroa-based SATCO introduced the SAT640 as an alternative to its dangle heads, mainly for overseas markets that are already ‘in tune’ with the advantages.
But CEO, Warwick Batley, says there is some good interest now occurring here in its home market and he’s already met with forestry companies to discuss how the SAT640 would work in New Zealand.
“It makes sense,” he says, “because we produce locally with local parts and support.”
The SAT640 is a large capacity fixed felling head with two sets of jaws that can be independently operated or at the same time as each other. It has 360-degree continuous rotation and can connect directly to any excavator bucket C-linkage.
It has a large 30cm slew bearing for robustness along with a heavy-duty SATCO auto chain tensioning system with a 50” bar and 3/4” chain. The saw bar has a unique 270-degree rotation, making a front cut easy to perform without having to reposition the base machine from the felling position.
Weighing in at 3,700kg and requiring 200 LPM at 280 Bar (4,000 psi) it’s well-suited to 29-to-45 tonne base machines.
Tigercat also offers a fixed felling head out of its Canadian factory, although local distributor, AB Equipment, has only brought in the dangle version to date.
But that is expected to change as Tigercat is developing a stablemate to the existing 5185 fixed felling head model that will have full 360-degree rotation and will be called the 5190. AB Equipment’s Mark Hill says they are talking to Tigercat about making the new 5190 available to New Zealand contractors who purchase one of its harvesters/feller bunchers, with fitment taking place at the factory. He expects Tigercat to release the 5190 sometime this year.
Rotorua-based Ensign told NZ Logger that it is looking at producing a fixed felling head for New Zealand customers, but no other information is available at present.
SouthStar is also in the process of investigating developing a fixed felling head to include in its line-up, while Waratah says it is unable to comment about its plans but adds that it is well aware of the current interest.