This Hyundai R380LC-9 harvester turns out to be a highly specialised piece of logging equipment.
Stopping to engage four-wheel drive, Andy Hicks says his ute rides much smoother on forestry roads when all wheels are engaged. Plus, if he needs to avoid a logging truck in a hurry and ends up in a ditch, two-wheel drive won’t be much help – the last thing he wants to do is hold up production.
BROWSE ALL HYUNDAI EXCAVATORS FOR SALE
Right now, he is feeling pretty pleased with himself, and rightly so. On behalf of Porter Equipment, Andy Hicks recently delivered a large Hyundai high and wide harvester. If you’re unfamiliar with these types of machines, a harvester is a machine (usually an excavator) with a hydraulically-operated harvesting head attached. The head grips onto a standing tree which is then cut through with a retractable hydraulic chainsaw. Once the tree is felled, it is fed back through the head and de-limbed (branches cut off). The finishing touch comes courtesy of the chainsaw on the harvesting head, which cuts the log into specified lengths. These are stacked ready for removal to their destinations.
The head is also fitted with sensors, so that accurate cutting information can be fed and stored in the machine’s computer.
In its original pre-forest form, the Hyundai R380LC-9 x weighed 38 tonnes, but like a weightlifter on a serious workout programme, the new machine was sent for a major makeover to ensure it suited demanding forestry work. This included lifting it for 240mm more clearance under the subframe and widening the machine by 315mm; a purpose-built cab; underslinging of the dipper arm to protect it from falling branches; and a host of other modifications to ensure a strong, well-balanced end product. After all the work was carried out and the harvesting head attached, the forest-ready machine tipped the scales at around 48.5 tonnes.
The operator had been using the machine for just under two months when we caught up, and he was very positive about how the R380LC-9 has been performing. Having stepped up from a 33-tonne machine of another brand, one of the benefits of upsizing to the Hyundai was the extra height gained, which enables better clearance over obstacles such as tree stumps and debris. Another thing the operator liked was its stability and lifting ability, which he says is complemented by the right sized head and something that brings the whole machine together into a very workable combination.
Fitted with a Log Max 12,000XT harvesting head, the operator says it works well with the Hyundai; he also says he notices the machine doesn’t rock around (unlike his previous machines) providing a stable platform to work from.
BIG LOGGING MACHINERY
Weighing in at 4420kg, the 12,000XT is one of the largest harvesting heads produced by Swedish company Log Max AB. Designing and manufacturing forestry machinery for over 30 years, the company produces around 400 harvesters each year, of which approximately 70 percent are exported to over 30 countries.
The operator says that one of the features he likes about the Log Max head is its ability to quickly change the chain. This is done by loosening two bolts, which releases a cam that is used to keep the chain tight – a very straightforward operation it seems.
A six-cylinder turbocharged 296hp Cummins QSL provides the energy to power the four-tonne head.
An important feature is accessibility to the engine and cooling areas. A hydraulically operated full-tilt bonnet ensures no physical human lifting is required and a backup manual system is also available to open the bonnet should the operator be unable to start the engine for any reason. Another good feature which was part of the modifications was the installation of an on-board, air-driven greasing system with hose reel.
Fire suppression is another important in a forest, especially when the nearest help can be hours away. For this reason, an on-board suppression system has been fitted and operates electronically; three strategically-placed ‘panic buttons’ are also located around the machine.
The operator adds that that, having clocked up just over 300 hours, he is still in a settling-in period. We are also told there has been a healthy increase in production over the previous machine. A replacement is some time off, but he says he will look at moving to a new model once the machine clocks around 6000 hours. It is early days to say yet, but chances look good that the next choice will be Hyundai as well.