FARMA has officially debuted a new 8.5-tonne forwarder created in memory of its founder.
The LF8 is the company's first forwarder and will serve as a fitting tribute to the late Leif Fors, who passed away in the spring of 2015 shortly after being diagnosed with cancer.
Having originally come up with the idea himself in 2011, the LF8 – LF standing for ‘Leif’s Forwarder' – was completed in his honour by the Estonia-based firm.
READ MORE: First look at Farma's eight-tonne forwarder, a tribute to forestry legend
And Forestry Journal was the only UK publication invited to see the new machine in action on the outskirts of Tallinn this week.
Fors MW CEO – and Leif's daughter – Ulrica Fors-Stenmarck said: “I am very proud of this machine, but I am even more proud of the team.
“We are a small team, but a small, dedicated team that has put in all the hours to make this a reality.”
It features a loading ratio of 1:1, meaning the weight of the machine should be the same as the loading capacity, something that is currently only achieved by the smallest 3- to 7-tonne machines.
The prototype model shown off by Farma was fitted with the firm’s 8.0 X-CEL crane.
Serial production is due to begin on the forwarder next year, with Farma set to debut it to UK audiences on its APF 2024 stand. The first UK machines will likely hit the woods in early 2025.
Forestry Journal will have in-depth coverage from the launch event across our channels and in a future edition of the magazine.
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