ONE of the year's main events is also its newest. Having originally been scheduled for 2021 but delayed by the pandemic, the Swedish Forestry Expo will make its debut this week. And we can't wait.
Taking place in the north of the city – a stone's throw from Bromma Stockholm Airport – the fair is all about large-scale forestry. Big machines will be at its heart, as will accessories. Said to be "by the trade, for the trade", its list of exhibitors includes John Deere, Rottne, and Ponsse.
READ MORE: Swedish Forestry Expo won't happen until 2023
Gabriel Börjesson, exhibition manager, said in October 2021: "There has been an enormous interest for the fair, both national and international.
"The fair is sold out and we receive daily inquiries from exhibitors and visitors from all around the world."
Forestry Journal will be in attendance at the fair, which runs from Thursday until Saturday, speaking to the people behind the brands and bringing you exclusive coverage across our channels.
To get you in the mood, here are five things to look out for at the first Swedish Forestry Expo.
1) Komatsu debuting new eight-wheeled machine
Unveiled in May to much fanfare, the 951XC is an eight-wheeled harvester that boasts a more compact design than its predecessors, the 951 and 931XC, and is said to be ideal for working in denser stands.
With "great stability, excellent manoeuvrability, and low ground pressure", the harvester features a significantly shorter distance from the centre of the crane to the front wheels (than the 951) and new working hydraulics to better utilise the diesel engine.
And Swedish Forestry Expo is your place to see it in the flesh for the first time.
“Now we have a complete range of eight-wheeled machines, specially designed for demanding conditions,” Joakim Johansson, product manager harvesters at Komatsu Forest, said. “What is special about the 951XC is that it combines the strength of a 951 with an extremely compact design.
"Since it has about the same dimensions as the 931XC it can be used in denser stands."
2) John Deere to show off new harvester head control and full range of G Series machines
If John Deere machines are your thing, then Swedish Forestry Expo is for you. All of the household name's G Series products and the latest harvester head models will be showcased at the fair.
This year, the focus is on improving logging productivity and easy operating with new technological solutions for forwarders, including the new Intelligent Boom Control innovations, new load spaces, and front bogie lift.
John Deere will also showcase the new Intelligent Harvester Head Control, and the new TimberMaticTM Maps features that "make the operator's work easier".
3) Timber trailers and cranes on show
When it comes to loaders, cranes, and trailers, Swedish Forestry Expo will have them all. Not least Kesla's new 325T, which was displayed for the first time at last year's Finnmetko exhibition.
The loader has "excellent trajectories" and can be adapted to the frame of a four- to six-cylinder tractor or to the drawbar of a Kesla 124–144 series timber trailer. With its robust construction, it is ready for heavy forestry.
The maximum outreach of the loader is 8.8 m and it has two extensions. The new loader can lift an enormous weight of 1,335 kg from 4 m and 560 kg from the maximum reach.
Elsewhere, Palfinger Epsilon will show off its Generation 3 products, which include cranes with the longest reach in their class, the new Comfort Drive control system, the new Palfinger Smart Control assistance system, and new outrigger options.
The Generation 3 comprises a wide range of items, with lifting capacities between 10 and 18 metric tonnes on both the Z and L type cranes.
4) Heads, heads, and more heads
For any operator, having the right harvester head is an essential item. The good news is Swedish Forestry Expo will have them a dime a dozen.
From LogMax to Eco Log, Rottne to Nisula, it promises to be a harvester head paradise.
Andreas Aronsson, sales director at Eco Log, said: “We look forward to spending three days with our customers and partners, focusing on one thing – forest machines for the professional forestry.”
5) Unheralded brands waiting to be discovered
While some names may be better known (or at least more frequently spoken about) in forestry, don't let that fool you – there is a wealth of brands out there just waiting to be discovered. Swedish Forestry Expo is the perfect chance to do that.
Why not check out ecoforst, which offers the T-WINCH, an "innovative traction winch that was born to keep safety as high as possible, while keeping damage to a minimum"? It allows access to rough terrain while taking into consideration all necessary ecological set-ups for a continued development of nature.
Or how about FTG Cranes? Its products include trailers, cranes, soil scrapers, road graders, and harvester heads - all designed "with the highest standards for hard work in the forest, lasting you for years to come".
We could go on and on, but you get the idea – there is plenty to see at the Swedish Forestry Expo.
The full list of exhibitors can be found here.
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