IMPORTANCE OF THINNING STRESSED AS KOMATSU LAUNCHES NEW RANGE OF FORWARDERS 

With the emphasis Government is placing on forestry as part of Ireland’s response to global warming, and the increase in farm acreage now being allocated to forestry, greater focus is now placed on timber harvesting and processing and on the investment in new machinery that is required to meet the demands of the sector. As more and more trees are being planted, the process of good forestry management demands that forest owners pay close attention to the need for tree thinning so that growth will be encouraged and final timber yields will meet expected levels. Of the small number of manufacturers supplying forest harvesting equipment here and internationally, Komatsu Forest has launched a new, smaller-sized, three-strong range of forwarders on the Irish market, all developed especially for forest thinning applications.
 
Distributed by McHale Plant Sales of Rathcoole and Birdhill, forwarders are used to lift and carry felled timber from deep within the forest to the transportation point. Fitted with a more comfortable cab and a new 4-cylinder diesel engine, the new units from Komatsu meet latest Stage V emissions legislation. 

Pictured is an all-new 11-tonnes version, others being an 9-tonnes and a top-of-the-range 12-tonnes unit for use in thinning and in lightweight logging applications. Optional on all is a bogie lift system that adds to mobility in dense forest stands and when passing over obstacles.