Thought I would post up a few pics of some of our new builds we have done here... Sweeny's 290 more 290's
Pretty :thumbsup
Sweet is....
Why the ground level cab? With the processor hanging from it I would expect to see a raised cab.
Jumbo - its a Felling Head... and our operators over here are really tall
That makes sense, for a falling head, dumb on me.
purty
What's the hood made of? Everything used here has heavy protection over the cab and they still get beat up. I'm not sure the purity will last long under real logging conditions. You might also want to look at them grease lines to the boom pins. They won't last either.
How does that head work, I never saw a "floating" head work, you have no control of tree?
Check out this video it will give you an idea on what this style of head is like to use. The good thing with the floating head is that you can directional fell and bunch as well as successfully shovel log with them. We fell, shovel and bunch wood for the yarder with my satco 630 fitted to a pc270-8 Komatsu we run this machine up to 35 degrees with good results. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dEXBt91F-M
I assume it's like a dangle processor, you just cut the stem and at the same time lift slightly and move the butt the opposite direction you want the top to fall?
These guarding packages are pretty bulletproof! I have seen big trees go over guarding packages like this and not even leave a dent! They are not a new thing in NZ they have been built in similar style for well over 15 years.
Yes, very similar to felling with a processor but nice and light to use as they are similar weight to a grapple.
Cab guards look great. I'm still curious what the tilt engine cover is made out of that is bulletproof.
MORE LIGHTS!MORE LIGHTS! Nice looking package.
Just like prolog NZ said... they are really versatile. If you look at this vid you can see the head clearly working on one of our earlier steep slope harvesters. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FwgrE6afvs We couldn't find a head strong enough for this application - so built our own, and built it with a retractable saw box for Shovelling (hoe chucking). This unique feature also makes this head very useful in wind-fall or storm damaged forests.
These bonnets are purpose built from steel plate and used around the country here in NZ. The factory supplied option is just not an option for real logging conditions
"Real logging conditions" will vary from company to company and country to country. Some owners have discovered that disciplinary action or firing operators that allow damage to their machines will actually save them money. This is of course incomprehensible to the run of the mill caveman/cowboy mentality where "gittin perduction" in spite of safety and maintaining equipment uptime and value is the be all and end all of their world. Construction is basically the same deal, you can tell the difference in the owners mind set with no more than a quick observation of his machines on a job site.
Amen lantrax
The bonnet protection is along similar lines to the bonnet arrangement on Tigercats and Deere feller bunchers. Machines that get this guarding are usually felling and shovel logging. And yeah it does vary from country to country most clear cutting in NZ is in 26-28yr old Radiata Pine from 1.5 tonne up to 6 tonne in weight and the limbs tend to to have a heap of weight as well. When felling if you have a tree break and come back at you or a dead head come out of a tree the guarding pays off pretty quickly. This was a couple of years ago in a heavily wind damaged block we did. A lot of the trees were around 3-4ft through at the butt and around 150ft tall
Second this.
The Bisalloy products such as Bisplate etc have been used for some machine guarding. http://www.bisalloy.com.au/
Plebeian is correct, whilst we use a range of sizes generally between 6-8mm we also use different grades of plate to increase the strength, whilst keeping down the weight. I will see if I can dig out a pic of a bonnet being fabricated
Wouldn't swinging to the left be generally advisable to have the tree coming down on the off side of the cab? I know swinging trees down with an excavator that's the plan, although the method is different.
Some more pics of the fabricated bonnets
Thanks for sharing. I know very little about logging other than the few loggers I have been around on large clearing sites. A typical logger's setup in my area is a a couple of wheel skidders and bunchers, a log loader on a trailer and transport trucks. A dozer here and there to maintain the access roads. The only time I have seen an excavator feller/buncher has been on HWY clearing jobs.
I am thinking they dont spend all that money to make them look pretty.
Cool thread NZ Engineer. I never get sick of looking at new toys...
How many of these set ups have you built? I think Jarod Ewers owns or operates one of these near Waiouru.
Hi Paul We have done builds for the Ewers down here, not sure of the numbers however. To be fair we do have them spread around the country so it could be one of ours you are thinking off... got any pics? Cheers
Here's another one of the Ewers.
Good pics thanks Paul - the first one was built here at the Trinder workshop, the second machine is a Welbuilt (Waimea Engineering) Cheers
hitachi zaxis 200 with denharco 4100 delimber I operate. those are nice machines you guys build. hitachi is deffantly one of the best machines out there.