Harvester head for 8 tonne excavator

[GeoF]

Just putting the feelers out to see if there are any secondhand harvester heads suitable for an 8 tonne excavator for sale?

[Whoppa Choppa]

On an 8 tonner, a roller head is going to eat every fluid ounce of hydraulic flow you've got. What are you cutting in the main? Hard or softwood?

 

Keto 51 is probably going to be most numerous head available to find second hand. Not a great fan of Keto myself, only because they can't compete with a mainstream head from the main manufacturers.

 

There is a very small Logmax fitted to an 8 tonner which I am told made an appearance at the APF show.

 

Off the top of my head you've got Logset, Viking, Keto, SP, Waratah(JD), Logmax, Komatsu*, Ponsse, AFM, FMS Stroke head, Kesla easily available. 

 

Logmax makes the best case.

[GeoF]

All sorts, hardwood and softwood. Mostly small woodlands, but we will be using the harvester mostly on 1st-2nd thinnings. From a bit of research the main options for small machines seem to be keto, Nisula, Kesla, Jobo combi. Only the jobo combi is affordable new for us, but it's a roller assisted stroke harvester and atm I'm not yet 100% convinced of the suitability/productivity of that setup. Otherwise the others are too pricey to justify for us and I've not spotted any secondhand options. The main reason for choosing an excavator is that we farm as well as forestry so an excavator would be a very handy piece of machinery and can't currently justify a purpose built!

[GeoF]

I think Logmax 2000t would be ideal but it's only just come on the market so 50-60k for a new harvester head doesn't quite fit into the business model

[slack ma girdle]

In fit of daydreaming at the APF,  the Tapio 320 stroke head from Richard Court ticked most of the boxs. I still can't afford the £35k price tag

Tapio – RCFEngineering

RCFENGINEERING.CO.UK

 

[GeoF]

Does that put an X in the price box then? 😂 I do like the Tapio but at 35k it doesn't seem productive enough. The Jobo came in at 25k and has the roller assist which should increase the output. Or it adds a layer of electrical complexity to an otherwise simple piece of equipment... 

[slack ma girdle]

1 hour ago, GeoF said:

Does that put an X in the price box then? 😂 I do like the Tapio but at 35k it doesn't seem productive enough. The Jobo came in at 25k and has the roller assist which should increase the output. Or it adds a layer of electrical complexity to an otherwise simple piece of equipment... 

Compared with moter manual,  a stroke head is productive.  A head like these needs years of identical trees to make any money,  and i don't get that in west Wales.  If i was to go mechanised then it would be a 14 tonner and suitable head.

[Whoppa Choppa]

1 hour ago, slack ma girdle said:

Compared with moter manual,  a stroke head is productive.  A head like these needs years of identical trees to make any money,  and i don't get that in west Wales.  If i was to go mechanised then it would be a 14 tonner and suitable head.

I think FMS would be your best ally in that scenario 👍