Friday, 03 March 2023 14:55

No need to grapple with slash again!

Written by  Mark Daniel
The Grapple Rake can grab huge amounts of slash in one go, which can then be precisely placed in a designated area. The Grapple Rake can grab huge amounts of slash in one go, which can then be precisely placed in a designated area.

With the current issues of forestry ‘slash’ continuing to be a major problem in high rainfall events, a new take on an old method to deal with the forestry waste is set to help Kiwi logging crews better manage skid sites and landings, which could in turn increase productivity.

The locally developed Falcon Slash Grapple Rake fits around two of the most common sizes of Ensign grapple. An independent study shows it can reduce the laborious task by as much as one hour a day, while improving safety and environmental outcomes.

The idea for the new attachment came from Moutere Logging M3 Crew manager Steve Johnson, who was frustrated with existing methods of managing slash and debris on their sites.

“I was up on the skid for three hours one evening moving slash for management purposes and thought ‘there’s got to be a better way’ as I continued to pick up small loads,” he explains.

The Grapple Rake consists of a one-piece spring lock system to attach to either side of a standard Ensign grapple, commonly used for loading. It can grab huge amounts of slash in one go, which can then be precisely placed in a designated area.

During the design phase, three key points were considered. Firstly, it needed to be quick to attach and remove. Secondly, it needed to have minimal maintenance and accessories, with no additional plumbing.

Third and finally, it needed to be able to still be used for logs – jobs such as loading or sorting – if needed.

“Clearing slash from skids and landings can be a real headache,” says Darrin Barr of DC Equipment, the company behind Falcon Forestry Equipment products.

“It can slow down operations and make them unsafe if you don’t keep on top of it. More importantly, it needs dealing with in an environmentally responsible manner, ensuring it doesn’t end up in waterways or impede access. Simply pushing it over the edge of a slope might not be the best way to deal with it.”

DC Equipment has designed two versions, working in conjunction with a local engineering company; one to fit the Ensign 1530 and a larger model to fit the Ensign 1730 – weighing 1,100kg and 1,200kg respectively, in addition to the weight of the grapple.

Fitting or removing from the host grapple takes around three minutes.

The versatility of the Falcon Slash Grapple Rake has been highlighted due to its ability to augment an existing Ensign Rotating Grapple. Along with its ease of use, both aspects grabbed a lot of attention at the recent Rotorua Forestry Show.

The company notes that operators of other grapple brands should get in touch, with a view to including ongoing development to fit these units.

www.falconforestryequipment.com

More like this

Tractor to help budding farmers

Jeff Farm is a 2433ha property near Gore, owned and run by the Salvation Army since the early 1950s after it was gifted by farmer Edmund Jeff, with the stipulation it be "used to train young people with a passion for agriculture, who would not otherwise have such a career option" - for a career in the New Zealand agricultural industry.

A year of global challenges

As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make an early November dash to Bologna to the 46th EIMA exhibition.

BA Pumps expand

Cambridge based BA Pumps & Sprayers, specialists in New Zealand-made spraying equipment, has acquired Tokoroa Engineering’s product range, including the iconic Milk Bar mobile calf feeder products, alongside calf and feed trailers.

Entries open for innovation award

Fieldays and its renowned Innovation Awards are celebrating their 57th year, marking a longstanding tradition in the agricultural calendar, with the latter delivering a platform for problem-solvers to showcase their innovation to the primary industries.

Mounting kit helps with accurate metering, spreading

StocksAg has introduced a mounting kit to fit its Turbo Jet 8 or 10 units to pneumatic trailed SKY EasyDrills, allowing separate metering and accurate application of products like Avadex through an additional set of outlets behind the drill’s press wheel.

Featured

Massey Research Field Day attracts huge interest

More than 200 people turned out on Thursday, November 21 to see what progress has been made on one of NZ's biggest and most comprehensive agriculture research programmes on regenerative agriculture.

Expo set to wow again

Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo being once again hosted in Wairoa in February.

A year of global challenges

As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make an early November dash to Bologna to the 46th EIMA exhibition.

National

Winter grazing warning

Every time people from overseas see photographs of cows up to their hocks in mud it's bad for New Zealand.

ANZ defends farm lending rates

The country's largest lender to the agriculture sector says it's not favouring home loans over farm and business lending.

Machinery & Products

Expo set to wow again

Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo…

A year of global challenges

As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Review SOEs!

OPINION: NIWA has long weathered complaints about alleged stifling of competition in forecasting, and more recently, claims of lack of…

Bank reset

OPINION: Adding to calls to get banks to 'back off', NZ Agri Brokers director Andrew Laming has revealed that the…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter