To help loggers maximize timber quality, John Deere has upgraded its harvester stick boom attachment across all 800MH- and 900MH-Series tracked harvesters. The new stick boom geometry delivers the same high level of boom envelope performance, but with a narrower design to help operators minimize damage to harvested trees.

“Avoiding unnecessary damage to harvested trees while operating out in the field has always been a major concern for the industry. When tree damage occurs, it greatly reduces the value of the logs,” said Brandon O’Neal, Global Product Marketing Manager, John Deere. “The narrower boom allows loggers to significantly reduce boom to tree contact, resulting in higher quality logs and a better bottom line.”

The new boom stick is 122mm (4.8 inches) narrower at the attachment end than the existing booms, reducing contact with the harvested tree. This narrower boom uses the standard Waratah supplied dogbone adapter for traditional external hose routing. A new, narrower cradle supplied by Waratah will continue to offer customers with an optional through-the-nose plumbing solution.

To learn more about the new narrower stick boom, as well as the 800MH- and 900MH-Series tracked harvesters, please visit JohnDeere.com or your local John Deere forestry dealer. Worldwide Construction & Forestry Division

Mailing: P.O. Box 8806 Moline, IL 61266-8806

Media Contact: Amy Jones

Imre Phone: 919-747-8680 E-mail: amyj@imre.com Photo: The new stick boom offers a narrow design to help minimize damage to harvested trees

John Deere is adding to its best-in-class G-Series motor grader lineup with the addition of two models — the 620G/GP and 622G/GP. On display at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017, the 620G/GP and 622G/GP are designed for cities, townships and contractors that prefer lighter and more fuel-efficient graders on the job. The Moline-based manufacturer is also adding a dual joystick option on all Grade Pro (GP) models, along with ripper-stow automation, courtesy lighting and an updated high-resolution reverse camera monitor, which are new to all G/GP models.

“Our G-Series lineup is all about offering contractors and governmental customers the grader of ‘choice,’ allowing them to choose the right machine for their application. Customers asked for a lighter and more fuel-efficient grader, and the 620G and 622G answer the call,” said Luke Kurth, product marketing manager, motor graders, John Deere Construction & Forestry. “We’re enthusiastic about the new dual joystick option as well. Now operators and owners can select from the traditional antler rack mechanical controls, interchangeable GP fingertip controls or dual joysticks, whichever they prefer and are most productive with — all while retaining the steering wheel.”

Both the 620G and 622G boast the fuel-efficient Final Tier 4 6.8L John Deere diesel engine with 215 horsepower (160.4 kilowatts) and 225 horsepower (167.9 kilowatts), respectively. The generous horsepower, torque and blade pull deliver the power and lugging ability to get through tough spots. The operating weights of the 620G (40,350 pounds/18,302 kg) and 622G (42,060 pounds/19,078 kg) are ideal for applications requiring smaller graders. Eco mode, standard on all John Deere graders, helps optimize fuel usage, decreasing operating costs by an additional five to 10 percent compared to the larger 670G and 672G models.

The new dual joystick option provides intuitive control for operators who prefer joystick control to the standard antler rack. Hand motion is minimized during direction changes and gear shifting. In contrast to the competition, this option provides improved comfort of controls by eliminating the need to “twist” for blade circle or articulation.

Other updates to the G-Series line include the addition of a 7-inch (17.7 cm), high-resolution reverse camera monitor that provides a clear picture to the operator when reversing around obstacles. Standard courtesy lighting turns on the machine lights as the operator exits the machine at the end of the day, which is especially important in dark conditions. On GP models, ripper-stow quickly returns the ripper to its fully raised position at the end of pass simply by double-tapping the control.

The G-Series features eight models (620G/GP, 622G/GP, 670G/GP, 672G/GP, 770G/GP, 772G/GP, 870G/GP, 872G/GP) with net horsepower ranging from 215 to 300 (160.4 to 223.8 kilowatts). Four of the units — the 622G/GP, 672G/GP, 772G/GP and 872G/GP — feature six-wheel drive, enabling them to power through the toughest cuts with power flowing to all wheels. Six-wheel drive gives operators increased traction, the ability to get more work done in fewer blading passes and a 30-percent increase in blade pull.

The John Deere “open-architecture” design lets customers employ their favorite brand of grade-control system. GP models come factory-equipped with bulkhead connectors, sensor mounts, electrical wiring harnesses, integrated controls and moldboard mast mounts. Machines can also be factory-installed with Topcon, Trimble or the new Leica ready kits to make installation quick and easy. All GP models come standard with automated cross-slope.

Fleet managers looking to get the most out of their G-Series motor graders can rely on their John Deere dealers to provide Ultimate Uptime, featuring John Deere WorkSight. With Ultimate Uptime, owners receive predelivery and follow-up inspections that include five years of JDLink™ telematics, machine health prognostics, remote diagnostics, programming capabilities and the ability to add dealer-provided uptime solutions to create a customized package.

For additional information and model-specific specifications on the G-Series motor graders, visit www.JohnDeere.com or contact your local dealer for a demo.

Worldwide Construction & Forestry Division Mailing: P.O. Box 8806 Moline, IL 61266-8806 Kyle Rubeling imre Phone: 410-821-8220 E-mail: kyler@imre.com

Photo: The new 620G/GP and 622G/GP motor graders are designed for cities, townships and contractors that prefer lighter and more fuel efficient graders on the job.

NZ structural log prices hit highest level in more than two decades – New Zealand structural log prices have hit their highest level in more than two decades as local mills compete with the export market to secure supply to meet demand from the domestic market.

The price for structural S1 logs lifted to $124 a tonne this month from $123 a tonne last month and $114 a tonne at the same time last year, reaching the highest price for the grade since April 1994, according to AgriHQ’s monthly survey of exporters, forest owners and saw millers.

“The New Zealand domestic log market has slowly but consistently risen this year, and the past month was no different,” AgriHQ analyst Reece Brick said in his report. “Supply and demand fundamentals remain skewed in favour of sellers rather than buyers, squeezing even more returns out of harvested logs.”

The market remains strong for most segments of the domestic industry, even as the volumes traded slowed when winter weather stymied construction activity, AgriHQ said, noting that local wood supply had been hampered due to difficulties harvesting in wet weather. While strength in the local housing market is helping stoke demand, the main driver behind higher domestic prices is that export markets are draining supplies out of New Zealand, the report said.

“Domestic mills are in a tug-of-war with export log traders for unpruned logs and are facing the prospect of further hikes in log procurement costs,” Brick said. “A large portion of mills are still paying below the export market for logs. Log suppliers are currently attempting to gauge mills ability to absorb higher log prices.

“All signs suggest more increases are on the cards.”

Prices in the log market are heavily reliant on Chinese demand, which is expected to hold in the medium term after the Chinese government introduced restrictions on logging native forests and reduced tariffs on imported logs to 11 percent from 13 percent to discourage the use of native wood, AgriHQ said. Other major markets including India, Japan and South Korea are also looking positive, the report said.

“The export log trade has only improved, though not drastically,” Brick said. “Key components of the wharfgate log price either held their ground or improved through May and early June.”

New Zealand exported 1,666,639 cubic metres of logs in April, up 3 percent on March volumes and 21 percent higher than a year earlier. Some 72 percent of the volume was exported to China.

“The volume exported in April is one of the largest amounts exported in the last 10 years and is only surpassed by August 2016,” Brick said.

The value of log exports is expected to climb to $2.66 billion this year from $2.22 billion last year and reach $3.14 billion in 2021, according to the latest Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries published by the Ministry for Primary Industries last week.

Forest products are New Zealand’s third-largest commodity export group behind dairy and meat products.

Source: BusinessDesk via Scoop

The world’s largest forestry fair was bigger than ever this year both in terms of area and number of exhibitors. Many visitors were drawn to Elmia Wood to see new forestry products and services and to learn about new high-tech solutions and expertise in the forest south of Jönköping, Sweden.

“This has been a terrific fair,” said Edna Keane, CEO of Treemetrics, Ireland. “We’ve made contact with high-tech companies we didn’t know existed and met potential partners and customers from around the world.”

A total of 555 exhibitors from 28 countries were on the spot at Bratteborg to present their new products during four intensive days to visitors from six of the world’s continents. Many exhibitors participated in the fair’s new section, Load & Transport, with its theme of logistics and timber handling, which attracted many visitors.

Another visitor magnet was the fair’s new Drone Zone section, where conferences and live testing demonstrated the usability of drones in forestry applications.

“There’s been a lot of people and a lot of business done in the Drone Zone,” said Urban Wahlberg, CEO of Wabema and coordinator of the exhibitors there. “I estimate that two-thirds of our visitors came from outside Sweden.”

Unique premieres

Many of the world-leading suppliers gave unique premieres of their new forest machines.

“The number of international visitors has been greater than usual,” commented Tobias Johansson, the new CEO of Rottne, whose premieres included its new harvester, the Rottne H8D. “Our distributors in our export markets have met their customers here. We’ve also received enquiries from countries where we are not represented.”

“We’ve had many visitors,” said Carl-Johan Thell, sales rep for Liebherr in Sweden. “Our main target group is industrial customers, and they’re here. We operate in an international market, and at our stand international visitors clearly dominated. In that way Elmia Wood is a good match for what we want to achieve at a trade fair.”

“We’ve had an excellent stream of visitors to our stand,” said Daniel Persson Nyström of ExTe Fabriks AB. “Our main market is hauliers. A predominant proportion of visitors to our stand came from abroad and there’s been a lot of interest in our products.”

“Better than Google”

Visitors to the fair were also very satisfied with its large offering of new products and services.

“A fantastic fair,” commented Jan van der Sijde from South Africa. “I’ve been here for two days and it’s better than Google. Elmia Wood gives an overview of what’s available for the international forest industry.”

“Impressive to have a forestry fair in the middle of the forest,” said Naganori Kiyaoji from Japan. “We don’t have anything like this in Japan. There’s a lot to learn here and a lot to take home.”

The weather created some challenges for visitors, exhibitors and organisers alike.

“We’re pleased that an incredible number of people came to our stand. The rain just scared away people who aren’t in the industry. Our new products met with great interest,” said Dieter Reinisch, head of information at John Deere Forestry.

“We’re pleased that our new expanded fair was received so well,” concluded Jakob Hirsmark, exhibition manager of Elmia Wood. “The exhibitors’ demonstrations, the fair’s seminar programme, and the shows and competitions attracted large crowds. The fact that our exhibitors presented so many exciting world premieres bodes well for the future development of forestry. This industry is not standing still.”

Elmia Wood 2017 in figures:

– 555 exhibitors from 28 countries, of which 200 were here for the first time

– 85,000 sq.m. of stand space

– 7 km. forest trail

– Sweden’s largest fair by area

– 131,000 sq.m. of demo area where forest machines were shown in operation

– 143 large-scale forest machines along the fair’s large-scale trail

– More than 200 accredited journalists from 24 countries

– Total number of unique visitors: 41 834

Some voices from Elmia Wood 2017:

“This is the first time we’re exhibiting at Elmia Wood. One of our goals when we came here was to make contact with other companies that develop chains. In that respect we’ve had masses of ideas and new opportunities. We’ve also been surprised by the breadth of the fair – it has everything here and the visitors come from around the world. This will lead to new and exciting joint ventures for us. We will definitely be back again!”

Faruk Uslo and Mehmet Barim, SDL Chains, Turkey

“I’m a faithful Elmia Wood visitor and am here as a forest owner. I’m mainly interested in the small-scale trail and my purchases include a new petrol can. I’m also considering a new brushcutter because I like to do some work myself in the forest.”

Curt Engström, Värmland, Sweden.

“As soon as we started up a chainsaw, rows of people crowded into our stand. It’s great fun to get questions from the public and this has been a fantastic display window for our sport and our team. And our national team loggers were able to train in competition-like conditions before an audience.”

Nicklas Bergqvist, team leader, Swedish National Logging Team

“I’ve met an incredible number of visitors from Australia here at the fair. I’m made many new business contacts and will definitely be back.”

Nick Reynish, Forestry Connect, international representative for Elmia Wood in Australia.

“Our goal at the fair was to convey our brand to a broader target group. With the location we’ve had here and the stream of visitors through our stand, I can already say now that this goal has been met. Working at the stand has been really fun, with positive encounters with knowledgeable and interesting visitors. And the very high proportion of international visitors has been a bonus.”

Martin Lindén, Country Manager, Lännen Tractors, Sweden

Haglöf Sweden develops and manufactures professional measuring systems for field use. In good time for Elmia Wood the company is now presenting its latest new product, the VL5 Vertex Laser: a complete field measuring device that combines measuring with ultrasound and laser.

“The VL5 Vertex Laser is intended for sophisticated measuring in the field. It’s perfect for preparing and implementing plans and doing many other tasks,” says Jonas Wikner, marketing manager at Haglöf Sweden.

The VL5 can use laser to measure up to 700 metres with high precision.

“If there are a lot of branches and other stuff in the way when you’re working, then you can switch to using ultrasound and transponder and that can measure ‘through’ the obstacles.”

Bluetooth and IR
You can measure a surface, height or angle. Quickly determine the size and volume of a pile of wood chips, the size of green crowns, use it as a relascope or do a host of other jobs.

“Maybe you’re standing on the cutover and need to calculate the number of plants needed. Just measure the points at each corner and you will get the precise area. All the data is also stored in the unit and you can export it directly to Excel or Google Earth. The unit communicates via IR and Bluetooth.

The combination of the two measuring methods makes the instrument very flexible in its use:

“This is our most complete instrument ever for professional measuring. It has all the properties of our ultrasound system combined with a fast, high-precision laser.”

Photo: The VL5 Vertex Laser combines ultrasound and laser measuring in a single instrument.

Rottne had sold some ten harvesters of the new model H8D without anyone being allowed to see it. Everyone had to wait for the world premiere at Elmia Wood. The reaction? Even better than expected!

There was great interest at Elmia Wood in Rottne’s entire machine fleet. But two machines attracted particular attention. One was of course the H8D, which had never been exhibited before. One advantage of this new model, which surprised both its new purchasers and everyone else, is that it is only marginally heavier despite several improvements that would normally have added weight.

“In practice the total weight is about the same,” says Rottne’s CEO Tobias Johansson.

On paper it is 700 kg heavier but in practice things are different. One innovation is the presence of a hydraulic motor in each of the four wheel hubs. Each motor weights 100 kg. But contractors no longer have to fill the wheels with water to increase the machine’s accessibility.

The second public magnet was the F11D forwarder, which was presented at the beginning of this year. It is a development of Rottne’s smallest and biggest-selling forwarder, the F10. Despite its name, this new and reinforced model loads 12 tonnes. This is a market segment where Rottne has had only a limited presence recently.

“We’ve already sold it to countries like Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and the US,” Johansson says.

To judge from the response at Elmia Wood, the H8D and F11D will be a team much in demand.

Customers who ordered the new Rottne H8D unseen were positively surprised when they got to see it up close at Elmia Wood. Photo: Elmia AB

Brazilian pulp production grew 5.1% in the 1Q 2017 compared to the same period last year, totalling 6.32 million tons against 6.02 million in 2016, as Brazilian Tree Industry (Ibá) reported.

In the wood panels segment, exports are in the spotlight with a growth of 39.8%, reaching 376,000 cubic meters sold abroad between January and April this year. Meanwhile positive results continue for paper, with exports reaching 702,000 tons sold during the period; this represents growth of 1.9% compared to the same period of 2016, when 689,000 tons were traded.

In the first four months of 2017, the volume of pulp exports reached 4.34 million tons. This is an increase of 1.6% over the same period in 2016, when 4.28 million tons were exported. The paper sector recorded exports of 702,000 tons (+1.9%) and wood panels reached 376,000 cubic meters (+39.8%).

From January to April 2017 the sector recorded exports of $2.6 billion, 1.7% lower than this figure for the same period in 2016; pulp reached $1.87 billion (-2.2%), paper registered $601 million (-3.2%), and wood panels $86 million (+24.6%). As a result, the balance of trade in the sector registered a positive balance of $2.24 billion during the first four months of the year (-0.5% compared to 2016).

More than 44% of the pulp Brazil exported went to China, representing income of $829 million and a 26.6% increase over the first four months of 2017 and 2016. Latin American countries were the main markets for paper and wood panels in this period, with exports to this region totalling $382 million (+10.4%) and $48 million (+26.3%), respectively.

Brazilian pulp production surpassed 6.3 million tons, growing 5.1% between January and April of 2017 in comparison with 2016, and paper registered 3.4 million tons (-1.7%).

During the first four months of 2017, paper sales on the domestic market reached 1.69 million tons, a drop of 2.9% compared with the same period last year, while the wooden panel sector registered sales of 2.09 million m³ (-0.8%).

Finnish forest industry notably increased its production of sawn softwood timber and plywood at the start of 2017, when construction in the main market areas picked up. Paperboard and pulp production grew strongly, but disparities between product groups in the forestry industry remain high, reports Finnish Forest Industries Federation.

The increase in European demand, and especially demand in China, for the industry was visible in the early part of the year. Political risks cast a shadow over growth prospects, however.

“Businesses in the Eurozone have confidence in the future, but increasing protectionism and political risks are a real threat to world trade,” says the Finnish Forest Industries Federation’s Chief Economist Maarit Lindström.

China’s economic growth in the early part of the year was due to retail, manufacturing and investment. Demand for forestry products in China comes from the packaging and construction industries, for example.

Production of sawn softwood in the 1Q 2017 was 3.1 million cubic metres. This is an increase of 15.1% over the same period last year. Plywood production grew by 17% to 0.3 million cubic metres. Paperboard production was 0.9 million tonnes, or 6.1% more than in the same period last year. Pulp production grew by 2.6% to 1.9 million tonnes.

Paper production continued to decline, to 1.7 million tonnes. There are a number of reasons for this, such as reduced demand for paper. Paper production was therefore 5% below the amount for the 1Q of the previous year.

“Just stack nuts, bolts and washers in the no-slip soft ridged grip – start the thread and pull off the grip – your stacked bolts, washers and nuts are ready to go”, according to RToddS Engineering in Florida on their new flexible socket set. What more can I say?
Read the write up in the ‘Quality-Handtool-Review’
http://www.thewanktool.com/

Weyerhauser have just announced an agreement to sell its timberlands and manufacturing business in Uruguay to a consortium led by BTG Pactual’s Timberland Investment Group (TIG), including other long-term institutional investors, for $402.5 million.

The transaction includes over 120,000 hectares of timberlands in northeastern and north central Uruguay, as well as a plywood and veneer manufacturing facility, a cogeneration facility, and a seedling nursery.

“Our Uruguay business is a unique combination of high-quality timberlands, value-added manufacturing operations and skilled and dedicated people, and this transaction will best position the business to reach its full potential,” said Doyle R. Simons, president and chief executive officer. “I am proud of the contributions our Uruguay employees have made to the success of Weyerhaeuser and the contributions they will make to the future success of these operations.”

The transaction is subject to customary purchase price adjustments and closing conditions, including regulatory review, and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2017. Weyerhaeuser Uruguay and the buyer consortium will continue to operate separately until the transaction closes.