Jas P Wilson unveils Mantis – the new name in mechanised tree care

IMAGINE one hydraulic attachment operated fully from the safety of an excavator’s cab which allows a trained operator to replicate their skilled pruning, trimming and processing activities – activities which would otherwise require risky hand cutting – reducing the labour requirement for climbers and ground crew within the risk area.

There’s now no need to simply imagine such an attachment, as this world-first machine has now launched into the UK market.

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With a multi-axis pruning saw bar and grapple it can reach and cut tree limbs at the exact angle required, to firstly achieve clean cuts reflective of the operator’s own hand-cutting technique. Once cut, that same machine tidies up timber into useable lengths for firewood processing or milling. Operators can work to remove notches and cut timber to length for secondary processing. These valuable lengths can then be neatly stacked for extraction or fed into other machinery by this same attachment – such as, for example, feeding a waiting woodchipper. 

Fitted to a small digger, the Mantis 300 provides remarkable versatility. (Image: Supplied)

Jas P Wilson is ready to hear from interested business owners to discuss options, including opportunities to see these units first hand prior to sale – as seeing is believing! 

The Dalbeattie-based firm says its new multi-axis pruning saw is ready to revolutionise the process for pruning and processing timber, offering operators the ability to replicate a wide range of precision cuts, more closely aligned to the finish you would expect from hand-cutting with a chainsaw than anything which is currently available in the mechanised forestry and arb marketplace.

With a multi-axis pruning saw bar and grapple attachment the Mantis can reach and cut tree limbs at the exact angle required. (Image: Supplied)

The agile and narrow cutting head allows operators to position the saw in the same locations as they would with a hand saw, without the associated risks of hand cutting, which are sadly well-documented. This unique ability is achieved using a carefully considered arrangement of components, including high-quality motors. This differs from other solutions such as tree shears or grapple saws as it allows for highly accurate positioning, and a clean bar and chain cut. The resulting finish from experienced arb-qualified operators can easily achieve British Standards, ensuring work is carried out not only quickly and safely, but also in a way which supports tree health.

The development of the Mantis followed a lightbulb moment from Jas P Wilson MD Billy Wilson who, after learning of some accidents and close calls within the industry, particularly from hand-cutting with a chainsaw or pole saw, thought ‘there must be a safer way!’ What has been developed is not only safer, but a system which delivers great efficiency and consistency to the workload. 

The agile and narrow cutting head allows operators to position the saw in the same locations as they would with a hand saw, without the associated risks of hand cutting. (Image: Supplied)

This machine has been in development with Wilson’s engineering team for over four years behind closed doors – or rather, behind closed gates, in private woodlands testing and trialling ideas. This has been done with the support of industry professionals to develop a machine optimised for those who will ultimately make use of it. The resulting end product of this intensive and time-consuming process has been three attachments which are unique, each delivering the next evolution in performance and safety. The three models each offer something a little different, and it is hoped that by launching three options, the team at Wilson’s can offer the greatest versatility for its customers.

Together these models cover a wide range of base machine sizes, workloads and requirements. 

The three launch models are named numerically as the 300, 400 and 500: 

• The Mantis 300 model was designed to fit a compact digger, and this is where the concept first grabbed the attention of the team at Wilson’s, who knew fitting this system on a digger small enough to tow on a trailer would offer incredible versatility. The idea that one operator could tow this machine to site, work safely from within an excavator cab, pruning and processing timber into neat stacks (where a harvester is not suitable) was the inspiration for the model. It can be quickly towed to sites, which opens it up to contracting and infrastructure projects. This 300 model has a maximum pruning cut of 300 mm, with an ability to cut larger diameter if the timber is pre-felled, for example when processing windblown trees or following in behind hand cutters to clean up a site. Through testing, the team quickly learned that the versatility of this set-up allowed trained operators to quickly process trees in a way which allowed them to extract much greater volumes of timber from areas – as the efficiency and ability to cut smaller limbs and branches made it economically viable to extract. Even on time-sensitive sites, available timber lengths could be produced and set aside to collect, rather than adopting a policy of chip to waste.
• The Mantis 400 model delivers this same cutting concept, but to much higher in the canopy. This increased reach is achieved in two parts, first relying on larger and higher-reach base machines such as a JCB Hydradig, but also thanks to an extending boom within the attachment, adding 1.9 m of reach from the hitch. This added reach is also combined with a larger cut of up to 400 mm on standing limbs.

With an extending boom inside the attachment, the Mantis 400 has considerable reach. (Image: Supplied)

This specification has seen the 400 model become highly regarded in the development focus groups, as operators see it as an ideal set-up for highways work, quickly working along road closures to remove overhanging limbs encroaching near infrastructure. As such, this option would be ideal on a wheeled excavator, able to travel on the highways, and move on surfaces without causing issues with tracks. 

• The Mantis 500 model is similar to the 400, in that it has an extending boom (1.5 m) and again is suited to larger diggers than the smaller 300 – but where the 500 differs is on the target application. The team at Wilson’s designed this unit for forestry work, on tracked excavators of 14 tonnes and above. This is the size of machine which they would typically convert to their forestry-spec HarvaDig system, which the team believes would deliver a well-rounded, safe and effective tool for accessing and effectively managing small to medium pockets of woodland. A large timber grab and the ability to cut up to 500-mm-limbs – this system is designed to make short and safe work of woodland management. 

These machines promise to significantly improve productivity and hugely benefit safety within the arb and forestry industry. To discuss any of the models, Jas P Wilson would welcome interested parties to get in touch for further details by contacting sales manager Simon Clingan on 01556 612233 or simon.clingan@jaspwilson.co.uk.