July 2026 | 9.50
A e n i h c a m a f
ISSN 2703-6251
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When speed is crucial
Canada’s hybrid yarder
Iron Test
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Tigercat’s Aaron Gregan and CablePrice’s Tyler Allen with the Tigercat mulching head.
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Iron Tester, Tony Hill, heads back up the slope after the test.
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THE THE SUPPLIER SUPPLIER TO NEW TO NEW ZEALAND ZEALAND HEAVY HEAVY INDUSTRY INDUSTRY
July 2026 | NZ LOGGER 15
Special Feature
Story: Stuart Whitaker
EVERYTHING
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HEN CONTRACTOR TONY HILL NEEDED A SWING YARDER urgently to keep his forestry operation alive, he found himself reaching back to a conversation he'd had five years earlier. But it wasn't a finance broker or a bank manager he called for help. It was Frankie Davidson. Tony was running a harvesting crew for Kuru Contracting when he first crossed paths with Frankie, co-owner of TDF Solutions. “Ricky Kuru rang me out of the blue and said, ‘I've got some fellas coming up and they want to spend the day with you and see how your crew operates’,” Tony recalls. One of those visitors was Frankie Davidson. “Ricky said, ‘he’s a really good man to know – one day you might need him’. We ended up spending quite a day nosing around and stuff.” During the visit, the conversation turned to Tony's future.
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“He asked me what my goals were. I told him straight up – I wanted to own my own crew one day.” Frankie liked what he saw. “He said, ‘good on you. I think you're going to do it. Here's my number – if you ever need anything, give me a call’.” For the next five years, neither man picked up the phone. Then winter arrived. And everything changed. A business at a crossroads By winter 2025, Tony had established his own operation and was running two crews. But a wet season threatened to bring everything to a standstill. “We were road line logging and it just got too wet,” he says. “We couldn't get roads in, the ground-based crew was grinding to a halt and we were running out of trees.” The options weren't appealing.
“We could have parked up and probably waited for a slow death,” says Tony. Instead, an opportunity emerged to take over a yarding contract within the forest. The challenge was that Tony needed a swing yarder – and he needed it fast. That's when he remembered Frankie. “I knew if anyone could help, it would be TDF. “Frankie still had my number and remembered who I was, and we went from there. Straight away I got the help and turned around a swing yarder in about three weeks.” A locally available Madill 123 swing yarder had come onto the market. “I just gave them the lead on it – I said look there’s a swinger local, it’s a good machine, it’s got good bones, I know the yarder, can we jump on this?” TDF identified the opportunity immediately and moved quickly. “Frankie knew the machine and knew it was a good buy,” says Tony. “They didn't hesitate. They said, ‘yes, we can make this work’.” Around three weeks later, the deal was completed and the machine
The urgently-required swing yarder leaving the East Cape heading to Te Rata. July 2026 | NZ LOGGER 27
BLUEWOOD’S NEW KOMATSU HEAD
HUNDREDTH SANY IN NEW ZEALAND FORESTS The team at Fast Frontier has taken delivery of a brand-new SANY SY305H fitted with an Ensign 1730 grapple, making this the 16th SANY machine for the Fast Group. This also marks a significant milestone, being the 100th SANY to enter New Zealand forests. Sold and serviced by Shaw's.
Bluewood Logging has taken delivery of a new Komatsu S172 harvester head that has replaced an existing head that was fitted to a Komatsu 951 wheeled harvester. Adam couldn't believe the difference the new head made and was away dropping trees in no time. Sold and supported by Komatsu Forest.
MILESTONE DELIVERY FOR WHISKER LOGGING
NIGEL BRYANT’S NEW ACQUISITION
The year began with a milestone delivery: the very first Sumitomo 3740, purpose-built with a PFS RE cabin and Duxson GX182HD grapple. Delivering a machine of this calibre is no small achievement. Huge congratulations to all who played a part in bringing this together. This new model combines class-leading power and outstanding fuel economy.
This Cat 538 forest machine is a new acquisition for Nigel Bryant Logging. It’s the third 538 in the operation and is hard at work in the Marlborough region. With purpose-built Next Gen FM features to enhance machine productivity and fuel performance, operator Stalky loves the visibility and smooth operation of the new Cat. Nelson-based Terra Cat territory account manager Jayden Peek sold the machine.
FIRST EVER WOODSMAN PRO 566 DELIVERED The first-ever Woodsman Pro 566 was recently delivered to H&R Harvesting. The 566 is fitted to an existing Caterpillar 336 GC, which previously ran a WP750. A smaller head in the Woodsman Pro range, the 566 sits alongside the 560, but has a topping saw and is purpose-built for harvesting smaller-diameter wood. It is operating on a Douglas Fir block near Taupō, where the H&R team is working for Manulife. Sold and installed by Woodsman Pro.
ANOTHER SHARP SETUP DELIVERED
Graham Tuckey Contracting (AKA Tuckey Logging) took delivery of a new Sumitomo 3740TLW, fitted with a side entry PFS cab and equipped with a Duxson GX182HD grapple, ready to get to work. Based in the Wairarapa, Tuckey Logging is a long-standing, well-known woodlot crew. This addition completes the skid setup alongside its bigger brother, the 4640TLW. Thanks to Donaldson Mechanical and PFS Engineering for their support. July 2026 | NZ LOGGER 45