We head about 20 kilometres up the road past the Eastwood Hill Arboretum to another of A&R Logging’s crews, this one ground based with another young woman running Quality Control on site. In this crew we are testing A&R Logging’s new Sany SY415HGW Pro
This is easier ground here, not quite rolling but good enough for the six-wheeled Tigercat skidder to drag big stems to the Sany which is running a Woodsman Pro 850.
Dave Curtis is the regular operator for the 415 Pro. He started out in the industry as a log truck driver: “I really wanted a change and the loader driver position looked good. A mate of mine was retiring and he got me the job a bit over seven years ago. I’m in my second year on processors, this is the second one I’ve driven.”
Sany and Ensign build
Catching up with Jonny Edwards, AKA Woodcutter, from Shaw’s, he is enthusiastic about this build developed with Ensign: “This machine has been built up with New Zealand Loggers in mind. We’ve got a high and wide undercarriage, full length track guards, straight boom and arm, full harvester cab and gullwing bonnets plus extra cooling. In the cab we have push-button start, touch screens for the base and the Woodsman Pro 850 and three removable windows to cover all emergency exit bases.
“Right behind the cab we have clamping bar storage, chain storage, toolbox rack and two 9kg fire extinguishers, plus a small door for hitting your kill switch at the end of the day so you don’t need to open a bonnet for that. There are lift out panels for the radiators so it’s easy to keep clean and there is another auxiliary cooler on board as well.
“Up on top we have the Isuzu 257kw engine linked to some Kawasaki pumps. We have a big exhaust guard which the gull wings come over to protect it a lot more. We have a big boom mat to keep the boom mount area clean and all the piping is protected under there right up the boom.
“Over on the right-hand gull wing at the hydraulic bay we have all the Woodsman filters and all the Sany hydraulic, engine oil and fuel filters accessible from there. Up front on this side we have a grunty corner post and in behind that we have inbuilt storage for two 20 litre containers then another 2x 20 litres under the step. There’s more room for storing grease cartridges or whatever you need there. The floor of the bonnet on this side is all grip tread panelling, so nice and safe to walk and work on for your regular access to fill up with diesel and hydraulic oil. Around the back there is a rub rail to protect the counterweight, reversing camera, full underbody guarding and a little hatch for dropping the oil out so you don’t need to drop a whole panel.”
The hydraulic pumps on this 415 Pro are monstrous....
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