RJ Fukes showed off the new 12H hybrid from Logset on its stand. As sustainability becomes more of a key consideration for companies and operators, could this be the harvester of the future?

“I think it’s the first step forward in greener energy,” said RJ Fukes owner John Fukes.

“It’s the only hybrid harvester in the world. It has been developed over the last three years with Logset and now it’s at a point where it is ready for the UK market. It’s the most powerful harvester you can buy from any manufacturer today and the most fuel efficient. It has 510 hp and over 2,000 Nm of torque, which is virtually the power of two harvesters in one.”

John continued: “A normal harvester will run anywhere around 1,600 rpm to 1,700 rpm. The 12H is designed to run from 1,300 to 1,500 rpm and it’s a constant rpm. With a normal harvester you get peaks and troughs because the engine is constantly loading, whereas this runs at a constant 1,500 rpm. When it’s feeding and sawing, it remains at 1,500 rpm.”

Also on the RJ Fukes stand was a 30-tonne Doosan fitted with the TimberMax T10 traction-assist winch.

John said: “We supplied the first unit in January. The first system has already worked over 800 hours in Wales with one of our customers and we’ve sold a further five units. It’s one of the most innovative systems on the market; it’s got touchscreen control for the operator, also a huge amount of safety interlocks and feedbacks. It’s the only unit on the market with a remote camera so you can see the spooling on the drum. There are three sizes in the model range – T10 is the smallest at the moment, and it goes to T14 and a T20.”

John added that the reaction to the new Logset hybrid harvester had been “really positive”, with interest from many parties.