5 timber trailers and cranes ideal for smaller thinnings, forwarding and estate maintenance

JAS P WILSON

BOTEX

WHEN considering timber trailers and loaders for forestry, firewood, arboriculture, or site management duties, Botex machinery, a mainstay of the British and Irish forestry sector, has a number of solutions within its range to support your business needs.

Its UK-manufactured heavy-duty forestry trailers and loaders provide a comprehensive product range, which is supported with a network of Jas P Wilson-employed regional service technicians in well-stocked service vans.

One standout option in this range is the Botex roof-mounted loader system. This renowned system involves the forestry guarding of a Valtra tractor, either a tractor you already own, or one the company could supply if required. This guarding involves the fabrication and fitting of a robust steel belly plate, fuel tank covers, front grille, branch bars, window guards and a heavy-duty frame surrounding the cab.

It is on this frame that the Botex loader is fitted, taking the kingpost and slew box out of the eyeline of the operator. The roof frame itself sits in line with the rear cab pillars to ensure an excellent field of view. The position of the loader also allows the tractor’s 3-point linkage and PTO to remain available as there are no obstructions. This is a key benefit, as the tractor could tow a timber trailer, then unhitch it and run a PTO crane-feed chipper, or even work farm implements.

This system is also of great benefit to users working in narrow-access sites, such as urban environments or infrastructure projects, as the tractor unit can enter the site, lift one large timber length, and haul it off without the need to also bring a large trailer on site. The loader and tractor cab is also at an advantageous height to utilise the view and reach to lift timber over hedges and walls from a safe position outside the working area, be that a client’s garden or a woodland track. There are various loader models to choose from, with up to 8-metre reach, to ensure versatility and performance.

READ MORE: Buyer's Guide: Low-impact forestry

Botex provides a range of trailer options too, all of which can be ordered with no loader, providing the ideal pairing with a roof-mounted loader. The range includes small to large fixed-length forestry trailers, extending units capable of carrying two bays of 3-metre timber, and even a hook-lift trailer option, capable of an incredibly varied workload.

On the trailer side, Jas P Wilson offers new Botex units, and also often has a range of part-exchanged, workshop-checked used trailers. Some of these it offers with the new Jas P Wilson Protected commitment, which is its comprehensive commitment to its customers to retail and support high-quality machines which deliver reliability and performance.

Together these options allow you to tailor your Botex package to suit your business, and Jas P Wilson’s team is always on hand to discuss options, including sourcing base tractors, forestry guarding and more.

Call 01556 612233 and ask for Ian Brown for full details.

www.jaspwilson.co.uk.

D A HUGHES FORESTRY

PFANZELT PROFI-LINE TRAILER

THE Pfanzelt Profi-line forwarding trailer from Germany’s largest manufacturer of forestry equipment sits in between the S-line and the Log-line models. The Profi offers off-road payloads from 9 to 15 tonnes. For larger payloads up to 17 tonnes, users should look to the Log-line range.

The Profi is a professional heavy-duty trailer built using fine-grained steels and a strong central tubular frame. The single frame provides better absorption of the crane’s lifting forces, as well as giving maximum stability and improved ground clearance.

All Pfanzelt’s timber trailers come fitted with a wide-angled steering drawbar via two robust pistons, easily mechanically locked as needed. The bogie axles provide for a wide travel angle up to 394 mm, for safer travel over rough terrain as well as a more even distribution of ground pressure.

The ability to slide the trailer’s axles allows the user flexibility on carrying of timber lengths, while gaining optimum weight distribution. An extendable rear frame can also increase the loading area by up to 2 metres if required.

A range of fast and powerful B4-class loading cranes are available, with reaches up to 10 metres and a hoisting force of 7 metres.

Space-saving A frame stabilisers give optimum parking stability, allowing the operator to get close to timber stacks.

Pfanzelt uses Danfoss hydraulics and mechanical controls as standard, with options to upgrade to cabled or remote EHC controls. The crane’s hoses are carefully concealed within the arm, and can optionally be integrated also at the rotator giving protected hoses all the way to the tip.

If drive is required, the hydraulic UNIDRIVE is a cost-effective option providing a thrust of up to 2 tonnes per wheel. UNIDRIVE still allows the use of wheel chains and avoids potential ineffectiveness in heavily soiled areas. For increased power, the wheel hub POWERDRIVE provides up to 6.1 tonnes of thrust and is available on either two or all four wheels.

With consideration to the high design specification and build quality, Pfanzelt trailers have an excellent price-to-performance ratio, especially with Pfanzelt’s current discount promotion.

Contact D A Hughes Forestry on 01691 882138 or visit www.dahughesforestry.co.uk.

KESLA

A tractor equipped with a heavy-duty forest trailer and loader is a good alternative to a purpose-built forwarder.

In Finnish tractor attachment manufacturer Kesla’s assortment, the 144 trailer has the most suitable features for this purpose as its net carrying capacity is 14 tonnes. The trailer can be equipped with 2- or 4-wheel drive and the drive can now be controlled by an intelligent drive system – Kesla proTRACTION.

The new Kesla proTRACTION drive system is connected to the tractor’s ISOBUS. It offers all-new benefits such as automatic direction control, automatic drive speed adjustment, drawbar control and downhill brake control. Drive speed varies between 1.3–3.2 km/h. It is worth noting that when the speed exceeds 5 km/h the control system automatically switches off the drive. The system is bound with the Kesla proC control system for loaders. Both are operated using the same mini-joysticks and adjusted by the same screen.

KESLA FORESTCOMBI

Kesla is introducing a new bioenergy platform intended for use with a timber trailer.

The platform has a volume of 23 m3 and is equipped with a hydraulic tailgate and a tipper. With the platform, the use of the timber trailer can be increased, particularly outside the forest environment.

The platform can be used for transporting content such as wood, woodchip, feed or snow. The platform is also equipped with a hydraulic tailgate and a tipper, making it easy to empty the load from the tractor cabin. The platform can be conveniently parked on its stabiliser legs while not in use. When the platform is needed again the operator just needs to detach the posts of the forest trailer and drive it beneath the parked platform. Using lift cylinders, the plate is lowered on top of the bunks and locked into place.

KESLA 314

The Kesla 314 is one of Kesla’s latest tractor loaders. It is equipped with one extension but still has a reach of up to 7.1 metres. The geometry of the loader has been improved so that it can be put into transport position in the load space more easily. While the loader has excellent lifting capacity, the hydraulic requirement is rather modest – around 40–70 l/min (100–130 l/min LS).

www.kesla.com.

FORS MW

FARMA T 17

FARMA, one of the leading European brands within forestry equipment, offers a large range of cranes, starting from the compact C 3.8 to the range-leading C 8.5 crane. Add to this an extensive range of trailers, starting from the T6 to the recently launched T 17, and Farma is able to offer the customer the perfect combination to suit their needs, right down to the last nut and bolt.

The recently launched T 17 from Farma is the latest addition to its market-leading range of forestry trailers. The Farma T17 is a trailer for the forestry owner that needs to transport large volumes with demands for high productivity.

The high ground clearance of 630 mm and the low ground pressure provide high passability. The T17 has a large load length of 5,400 mm and a load area of 3.3 m2. Despite its size, the Farma T17 is surprisingly flexible and compliant, thanks to its 40-degree frame steering attachment placed far back on the trailer.

READ MORE: Buyer's Guide: Cone splitters

The T17 can, due to its unique flexible bunk, be set to carry various wood lengths. In comes equipped with traditional bended posts as standard but is also available with forwarder-type bolsters. The T17 offers a broad variety of tyre options up to 710 mm. The trailer is available with options for a drive system such as Robson or Hydro drive.

Farma produces cranes to fit a wide range of other equipment such as tractors, chippers, firewood machinery, boats and compact forwarders. In this field, the C 4.2 is the market leader with lifting power of almost 500 kg and its compact nature when folded away. For those in need of a longer reach yet still small scale, Farma recently introduced the C 5.0 crane to the market.

To complement its list of professional cranes, Farma also offers an extensive range of accessories such as grapples, skidders, tree processors and tree shears.

The producers of Farma trailers, cranes and accessories are also the name and producers behind the market-leading brand BIGAB hook-lift trailers, available with factory-fitted cranes tailored to suit.

Visit www.forsmw.com, contact UK/international sales rep Tom Belton on 07860 951 485 or email tom.belton@forsmw.com for more information.

CLARK ENGINEERING

FAO FAR

ESTABLISHED almost three decades ago, Fao Far has grown to become Poland’s largest private producer of forestry machines, with a reputation for exceptional quality. Working out of a 5,200 m2 site in Punców, close to the borders of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the company has won numerous awards at domestic and international forestry fairs and has, in recent years, been making serious inroads in foreign markets.

Now its range of trailers is making its way into the UK and Ireland market through distributor Clark Engineering. Paired with Cranab cranes, Fao Far trailers are available with capacities of 9 to 15 tonnes with a range of options for controls, driven and undriven wheels, extending bunks and much more.

Designed to withstand the punishing conditions in Poland’s forests, Fao Far’s trailers are built with an integrated frame, modelled on the solutions used in forwarders and top-class Scandinavian trailers. This means it does not suffer the weaknesses of universal frames, bolted or connected with pins. Its finely tuned balance and foldable flap-down supports provide excellent stability.

Fao Far trailers utilise the highest-quality materials such as Strenx and Hardox steel from SSAB and the reputable Black Bruin motors in their drive systems. An uncompromising approach to mechanical engineering ensures Fao Far products meet the expectations of demanding professionals.

In their home territory, Fao Far trailers have long been paired with Cranab cranes, making them an ideal solution for Cranab’s UK and Ireland distributor, Clark Engineering.

Manufactured from extra-high-strength steel, Cranab grapples are designed for excellent log-bundling geometry, using hardened steel expander pivot pins for a long and trouble-free operating life.

Enhancing its trailer and crane offering, Clark Engineering is also the UK and Ireland dealer and service agent for Indexator rotators and links.

For more information, contact Clark Engineering’s trailer and crane expert Richard Gordon at richard@clark-engineering.com or via phone on 01387 860241.

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