August 2018 | $7.20
E 5 2 6 r Tige t
ISSN 1176-0397
o p s t e e w s e h hits t Top foresters celebrated
The 2-staging revolution one year on
iron test
Hitting the Story & Photos: John Ellegard
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sweet spot!
The first six-wheeled Tigercat 625E starts its working life with Bluewood Logging in Otago.
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point at the skid now. We’ll have to see what happens there.” That’s understandable, with the new 625E pulling eight loads to every five dragged in by the 604C, we’re talking a 60% increase. Might be time to think about moving from manual log making to mechanical processing, Clint! On arrival at the site, regular operator Craig Stiven had already parked the 625E for Iron Tester Stephen ‘Pud’ Unahi and myself to inspect. These six-wheelers are always impressive when you first encounter them. It’s amazing how that bogie gives the machine so much more presence. And it’s not just an illusion. Effectively, this model is a 620 with another set of wheels bolted onto the back, which adds 1,375mm to the overall length and 125mm to the wheelbase. Inevitably that extra length will have an effect on manoeuvrability in tight spaces, but we’ll get to that in a minute. First up, the cab, which has evolved into a nice workspace over the years – made even nicer with the advent of the TurnAround seat. Clint’s old machine had a fixed seat and steering wheel, so the driver was constantly craning his neck when backing up to rope stems and avoiding the need to reverse long distances to the cut-over. Craig is almost pinching himself that he now has the luxury of (mostly) facing in the direction in which the machine is being driven
now, after eight years of looking over his shoulder. The seat doesn’t fully face the direction the machine is heading, swivelling through 100-degrees so that the operator is still at an angle to the front and rear screens, but it’s certainly preferable to a fixed position. It also means the grapple, arch and steer functions are all controlled through armrest mounted joysticks – no more steering wheel. “The TurnAround seat is great, especially when you are backing up to a drag and you don’t have to look over your shoulder,” he says. “Just got to get used to clicking it and then watch that it doesn’t catch your legs as you swivel round in a hurry. Done that a few times.” Surprisingly it didn’t take Craig too long to get used to steering
Above: The high-lifting arch raises a good proportion of the stems off the ground and makes drags easier. Below: The extra set of wheels and longer length restricts manoeuvring on a cramped skid site, but the Tigercat 625E can still squeeze into relatively tight spaces.
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KOBELCO S K300LC-10 H&W
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SK350LC-10 HIGH & WIDE VERSION OF THIS SPECIFICATION MACHINE IS IN BUILD NOW
KOBELCO SK300LC-10 H&W
Forestry Spec Excavators - In Build Now We have Kobelco SK260LC-10, SK300LC-10 & SK350LC-10 High & Wide Spec excavators currently in build. These machines are specially equipped for forestry and hilly terrain work and come complete with base Active guarding packages. Generous ground clearance of 780-785mm (depending on model).
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