Harvester head: market overview and selection tips. Industrial equipment

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The desire to optimize production processes forces modern enterprises to use high-tech and expensive equipment. Efficient special equipment allows you to perform complex operations with minimal staff involvement and time savings. The greatest difficulties in the use of such tools arise directly at the sites of extraction and primary processing of raw materials. This category includes enterprises using industrial logging equipment in the form of harvester heads. The very concept of this technique has been used for more than a decade, but in recent years, the introduction of new technologies has significantly improved the performance and functionality of this equipment.

What is a harvester head?

Technique is a hinged component of the excavator, but at the same time it is characterized by high performance. In modern versions, this is a felling delimbing unit, which also allows you to perform cross cutting in accordance with the requirements of further production. The harvester head is equipped with special knives to remove knots, and a complex of rotating rollers is responsible for pulling the tree trunk,which are mounted on hinged arms.

No less significant in the design is the technical equipment in the form of a saw machine, thanks to which felling and crosscutting are carried out. The device of the mechanism is implemented using a cantilever chain saw, which operates from a hydraulic motor. Also, this type of logging equipment has a special feed system: in the most advanced versions, the unit can operate in different bucking modes. In addition, some models are equipped with wheels that allow you to measure the sawn off workpieces.

Main selection criteria

Of course, the main factors when choosing should be: quality, performance and reliability of equipment. But there is also a fundamental difference within the segment among models that meet these criteria, but differ in the nature of their functions. In other words, industrial equipment for logging should be chosen taking into account the tasks set. So, if you need high-quality felling and subsequent processing of single trunks with high measurement accuracy, then you should focus on the wide geometry of the feed rollers and knives.

Also today, multifunctional units have become popular for working with a wide range of inclinations, subject to high feed rates. Such mechanisms are distinguished by powerful sawing, and their weak points naturally include the low quality of processing. If, however, a harvester head is required for the mass cutting of large trunks, then the emphasis when choosingmust be made for the total load capacity of the machine. And also on the strength of the design and the wide possibilities of controlling the feed and processing mechanisms.

John Deere equipment

Under this brand, perhaps, the most popular equipment of this type comes out. Models are distinguished by high power, which allows cutting centuries-old and thick trunks, as well as the quality of trimming. As a result, the user can count on the productivity and accuracy of workpiece processing. At the same time, of course, there are various modifications equipped with engines from 630 to 800 cm33. The optimized characteristics of the manipulator also allow you to work with trunks of different thicknesses and heights. In any case, with proper selection of the mechanism and control, the operator of the John Deere machine will be able to provide both a reliable grip and accurate processing. In addition to functionality, we can also note the reliability of the equipment. In the latest versions, the manufacturer uses high-strength frames and bearings, while the pins and cylinders are reinforced, and the hoses are special protection.

Models from the brand Waratah

The Waratah family of devices is also part of the JD group, but has several differences, including the execution in red. But, of course, the main features are different. So, the Waratah harvester head is presented in different versions, including models for medium tracked and wheeled logging machines. Units are designed with an optimal ratioweight and power potential, but at the same time they are compact. Accordingly, if delicate work is required in dense forest conditions, then the maneuverability of the equipment of this line will be very appropriate.

There are also powerful productive attachments, which are equipped with a four-wheel feeder with four hydraulic motors. As the manufacturer notes, fuel and oil consumption in this case can be controlled using the EV02 valve. Another feature that the Waratah harvester head has is the integrity of the main frame. The head is manufactured as a single piece, which provides increased reliability and precision in the machining process.

Units from Ponsse

Models of this brand combine the strength of mechanisms, performance and accuracy of processing. In the process of designing structures, the company also involves experienced users of forestry equipment, which allows us to achieve high results in the market. At the moment, the harvester head for the excavator from Ponsse is presented in different versions. From modifications for high speed clearcutting to thinning options to efficient solutions for universal needs. For example, the H7 model performs clear felling and selective felling with the same quality and productivity. The base of the unit has a high lifting capacity, and the arm is designed for smooth adjustment of compression for a wide range of trunks.

Log Max harvester heads

Prettyproducts from Log Max can also seriously compete with the manufacturers described above. In the middle price category, for example, the 6000B model is presented, which is designed for operation as part of medium-sized logging equipment. The unit provides a hydraulic pressure of about 260 bar with a maximum fuel consumption of 280 liters per minute. The design developers paid special attention to the arrangement and position of the rollers, which ultimately made it possible to minimize friction and penetration of the working bodies into the wood massif. In addition, the harvester head is equipped with a whole range of protective coatings. These are special covers and plates that protect the hydraulic system from mechanical damage.

How much?

Much depends on the manufacturer, the characteristics of the head, its functionality and configuration. Since the equipment is very expensive, the market for used models is also wide. Accordingly, it will be the cheapest harvester head, the price of which can be 200-300 thousand rubles. Again, a lot depends on the origin and state of the art. It is important to consider that repairs sometimes require serious investments of tens of thousands, so used equipment should be treated with care.

Of course, the main range of offers falls on new products from famous manufacturers. This will be a properly assembled and ready-to-use harvester head, the average price of which is 1-1.5 million rubles. In this segment, in particular, there are productsPonsse and Waratah.

Conclusion

The initial high costs of forestry equipment, as well as the subsequent costs of logistics and equipment maintenance, make many people question the feasibility of working in this industry. However, it is the productivity and the technologically advanced level at which a modern harvester head is made that can reduce costs and increase the efficiency of the enterprise. Only one unit is able to provide the work of a small enterprise. In the future, the supplied blanks are cut, processed with special compounds and enter the market. This is the simplest model for the production of wood raw materials, the main and most complex tasks of which are taken over by harvester attachments.