New wheeled harvester from Tigercat

The new mid-range Tigercat 1165 provides another wheeled harvesting option for New Zealand thinning operations.

WITH INTEREST IN WHEELED HARVESTERS USED IN THINNING operations building among New Zealand logging contractors, Tigercat has announced another option for them to consider.

Just launched by the Canadian forestry equipment manufacturer is the Tigercat 1165, a mid-sized harvester aimed at thinning, selective cut and final fell applications.

Mark Hill, Forestry Product Manager for AB Equipment, says the new Tigercat 1165 falls into the “sweet spot” for thinning operations and he can see good potential for this machine in New Zealand.

“It’s just the right size for thinnings and I can see it doing well in places like Southland, Otago and around the central North Island,” he says.

Equipped with strong swing and levelling capabilities, the 1165 is well suited for steep slopes as well as flat sites and is available in both six-wheel and eight-wheel-drive configurations.

Powered by the Tigercat FPT N67 engine, the 1165 is available in both Tier 4f and Tier 2 options, delivering 210 kW (282 hp) at 2,000 rpm, which makes it viable for the New Zealand market.

In recent years, New Zealand contractors have introduced wheeled harvesters from John Deere, TimberPro, Komatsu and Ponsse to undertake production thinning as a way of mitigating environmental issues and also to test their productivity, versus tracked harvesters.

The new 1165 wheel harvester from Tigercat is a similar size to those machines, tipping the scales at 22,910kg.

This model sits under the 34-tonne Tigercat 1185 model that debuted in 2017, designed for heavy-duty clear-fell operations. The newcomer uses the same swing components as the larger 1185, as well as oscillating and articulating centre section components used on Tigercat forwarders. The new active oscillation balancing technology provides excellent machine stability even while travelling. This allows crane operation while driving, for increased productivity.

The cab and boom/arm are housed on a 360-degree continuous swing turntable that supplies strong swing torque and there are two crane options – the 9-metre version is standard for heads up to 1,600kg and 11-metre telescopic crane is for heads up to 1,100kg.

The hooked crane design and large windows in the cab provide good vision for the operator and comfort is enhanced by a levelling system that tilts 24° backward, 18° forward and 18° side/side.

Tigercat has also built tethering lugs into the frame to facilitate steep slope cable assisted harvesting operation.

NZL