Käyttäjäkokemukset

Metsä-Veke Oy on yritys, jolle on Suomessa kertynyt eniten kokemuksia Komatsun pikkukourasta. Urakointiyrityksen toiminta-alue käsittää koko eteläisen ja keskisen Suomen, mikä tarkoittaa hyvin monenlaisia olosuhteita ja hakkuukohteita. Mika Vekkeli, yrityksen toimitusjohtaja muistaa, millä perusteilla konevalintaa tehtiin ja miksi päädyttiin Komatsun 911.5/C93-koneeseen: ”Vaikka tämä ei ole yrityksemme ainoa hakkuukone, niin tarvitsimme joka paikan harvesterin. Koskaan ei tiedä mitä vastaan tulee. Päätehakkuussa isojen puiden käsittelyn helppous ja pienissä puissa laitteen nopeus ja näppäryys ovat avaintekijöitä.” Mika Vekkelin mukaan edellä mainitut ominaisuudet löytyvät C93-hakkuulaitteesta.

Risto Kangassalolla on oma nimikkokone, johon ei kenelläkään muulla ole asiaa: Komatsu 931.1, jonka hakkuulaitteena on C144. Jos hakkuulaitetta yhdellä sanalla pitää kuvata, niin se on juna, kulkee varmasti ja takeltelematta kuin juna, sanoo Risto. Hän laittaa koneen alhaisen polttoaineenkulutuksen toimivan hakkuulaitteen ja peruskoneen riittävän tehokkaan pumpun ansioksi. Kokeneen koneyrittäjän hioutuneella ajotyylillä lienee samansuuntainen vaikutus.
– Yhdestä asiasta olen C144:n kohdalla ollut todella yllättynyt (hän painottaa ”yllättynyt” -sanaa): Siinä ei ole kuuteensataan tuntiin ollut mitään vikaa tai häiriötä. No, hyvä on: Yhtä rullan letkua olen käynyt kiristämässä ja venttiilikopasta on mutteri kadonnut, sanoo Risto sen verran vakuuttavasti, että pakko se on uskoa. Iloisesta ilmeestä päätellen mies on päässyt noiden takaiskujen yli.

The Aubertin family has a long tradition of forest work. It all began back when Nicolas and Mickael’s great-grandfather worked with skidding, using oxen. Nicolas and Mickael first spent a few years working together with their father, then established the company Sarl AUBERTIN Frères in 2004. In 2014, they bought a Komatsu 931.1 with a C144 head. - “We saw a clear increase in productivity with the C144 head. I also like the good measurement accuracy and the simple design. When it comes to the 931.1, the stability and the full-circle slewing and leveling cab provide optimal work comfort and enable the operator to handle challenging situations, especially in steep terrain”, says Mickael Aubertin. In 2015 they acquired a new Komatsu 855.1 equipped with Comfort Ride cab suspension. “I really appreciate the traction of the Komatsu 855.1, the good visibility, the low noise level, and the comfort of the cab, as well as the easily maneuvered crane,” says Mickael.

When Ståle Reistad decided to replace his five-year-old Komatsu 911.4, he simply wanted the newer model. But he still needed some time behind the controls to get used to all the improvements in the new 911. Ever since 2010, Ståle Reistad has harvested about 700-850 thousand cubic feet (20-24 thousand cubic meters) each year with his 911.4 and a 350 head. Split roughly fifty-fifty between thinning and final logging. With his new 911 with a C93 head, he needed a couple of weeks to break old habits and for all the new functions to fall into place. “Everything goes much faster now. The speed of the machine is much better, and the engine doesn’t labor when the going gets tough. Of course, the new hydraulic system benefits all functions,” he says.

According to Tabeel Trading’s Managing Director Steve Witherow, their purchases of eleven Komatsu Forest machines revolve around the two key points confidence and trust. Steve and his recently deceased father John created the sustainable and successful logging business 1983. Steve says that Komatsu Forest’s backup and support are standout services. “If you have a problem with a particular item of equipment, they work on the problem and come up with a solution. They’re not just about selling machines and leaving you with a heap of problems. They support their product. They are a tight crew from top to bottom, so if you have an issue they get the message fairly quickly. Yes, Komatsu Forest Australia have been good to deal with.” Steve also wants to mention the Komatsu Forest technicians. “They’re the unsung heroes and they don’t get a lot of mention. These machines are so technically advanced today that you need the technicians to be there to get them online”.

Elliot Henderson of Selkirk in Scottish Borders Region, bought the first Komatsu 951 harvester in the UK. The new machine was fitted with bandtracks on the bogie and also tracks on the single wheels. It was also fitted with widest option wheels and tyres, the new 750 section rear tyre, a first for the 951, provides welcomed additional floatation in the peaty ground. This 951 is the latest addition to a fleet of nearly 40 machines, the majority of which are red. This machine replaces a 2009 941.1 with 370.2 head which was one of a number of 941 in the fleet. Fact is that Elliot could be regarded as an expert on them, he has owned 10 of the 941 model since he took delivery of his first in 2003. The experience he has of the 941s he has run gives him confidence that he has made a good investment. “Care for that slewing mechanism and lubricate it regularly and your Komatsu harvester will work the hours,” commented Elliot.

As an apprentice, Ingvild Skeie was very keen on a 840.3 machine. Now, she every day operates a brand new Komatsu 855.1 for Holmgren AS in the forests of Norway’s Romerike. "I’ve now got a brand new Komatsu 855.1 forwarder, which is just what I wanted. I’ve been good at telling my colleagues just how great my old machine was,” she says. Ingvild feels very much at home in this male-dominated profession and hasn’t regretted for a single day her decision to enter the forestry industry and her career as a machine operator. "Traditionally, my family has strong ties to the forestry professions, so for me the choice was easy. I like the variation when operating a forwarder. The 855.1 is the perfect size for several different applications, is extremely stable and navigates and follows the terrain very well. My work day was already comfortable before, but with the new 855.1 it’s now first class,” says Ingvild.

SAS Chaleix et fils is a French family business based in the Limousin region of central France. Harvesting takes place in an area stretching from Limousin to the regions of Orléans and Bourges. Chestnut trees represent about half of the stands. Franck Tindiller operates a Komatsu 855.1 and has extensive experience from several brands of forwarder. He was first in France to test the Komatsu Comfort Ride cab suspension system when he started using the new forwarder in September 2014 and after just a few months he’s already a convert. “I’ll never use a machine without Komatsu Comfort Ride,” he says. He used to suffer from back problems, even requiring sick leave at times. “Since I started operating a Komatsu 855.1 with Comfort Ride, I have had no problems with my back” he says.

Forest machine contractor Ove Nygård changed the color of his machine and became the owner of Norway’s very first new Komatsu 901. His choice of machine soon proved an advantage in more ways than one. ”After test driving a Komatsu 931, which has the same technical solutions and the same cab as the 901, I decided to switch brands. I counted on seeing improvements, but things went quicker than expected and I’m impressed with what my Komatsu 901 can achieve in the forest,” says Ove. The company’s three harvesting groups produce about 4.25 million cubic feet (120,000 cubic meters) a year. Most of it through thinning, with the Komatsu 901 as the preferred choice. Daniel Volden is sitting at the controls of the new machine. He’s very pleased that his boss has switched to Komatsu, and points out the good all-round visibility, the cab environment, and the crane’s rapid response. “The new hydraulic system with three pumps and increased oil flow shows what it can do,” he says.

Haakon Slätten and his son Knut are both independent contractors working with final logging. After visiting the Komatsu Forest AB plant in Umeå, Sweden in the 2014, they both quickly decided to buy new harvesters, a Komatsu 951 and a Komatsu 931. Just two weeks of working with their brand new harvesters was enough for them to conclude that the promises of more power, increased production, improved mobility, and reduced fuel consumption were true. Haakon Slätten is impressed with how nimble, fast, and easy the new Komatsu 951 is to work with, even at low engine speeds. “I often work in steep, difficult terrain scattered with large rocks. The machine covers such terrain easily and nimbly. The balanced bogie and large rear wheels face up to the challenge better than ever. I can operate the crane and the head at the same time without compromise” he explains. Both Haakon and Knut say that they soon saw a 15-percent reduction in fuel consumption compared to the 941 and the 911.5 that they previously used.

The French company Sylvasphère was founded in February 2012 after Aurélie and Thibault Delesalle acquired the company James Desaivres, a well-known business in Tarn. When they bought a Komatsu 931 with a C144 head, they immediately decided to supplement the machine with the MaxiFleet feature.  “With MaxiFleet, we can immediately resolve the slightest problem, which means that after a little more than 3,000 engine hours we’ve achieved efficiency in excess of 90 percent. Production costs are also analyzed daily and corrective measures can be taken in real time,” says Thibault. Invoicing will be integrated directly with the machine’s production which frees up time for other tasks. Worksite planning with the aid of a handheld GPS unit connected to the machine’s Maxi N system will enable operators to focus more on production than was previously possible.