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True Blue Mounding Machine

April 21, 2020

Deep in the Highlands of Scotland you will find Bruce Todd Ltd’s latest addition to their growing fleet hard at work mounding to prepare a recently harvested area of forest for the next planting of saplings.

Bruce Todd, Managing Director of Bruce Todd Ltd., has over 20 years of experience in forestry management, specialising in ground preparation activists including drainage, trackways and all types of excavator-based mounding. Thanks to his extensive experience and eye for detail, Bruce has built a strong reputation for delivering a high-quality finish on jobs completed throughout the Highlands of Scotland, with almost all of his work now being generated through word of mouth client recommendations.

This current project sees Bruce and his team tackling an area of forest in excess of 60 hectares that has recently been harvested. Using their excavators, they are establishing ATV trackways anddrainage as well as utilising an inverted mounding technique at their client’s request to prepare the site for the planting of saplings. The process of mounding used on this site is to excavate small mounds and then place them at 2 metre intervals, with drains established every 12 metres.  Planting takes place on the top of the mounds in the cleared soil above ground level. Mounding has been shown to produce more symmetrical and therefore more stable root systems than of most other cultivation methods.

Bruce Todd Ltd currently has a fleet of six excavators, including their latest addition – a Kobelco SK140SRL-5 high walker excavator supplied by Molson Young Plant Sales. This factory-built, specialist excavator has been specifically designed and built for forestry applications.  Based on the tried and tested Kobelco SK140SRLC-5 compact radius excavator, the High Walker model boasts a custom-built undercarriage that will cope with demanding woodland working conditions.

From an impressive ground clearance of 585mm to the uprated heavy-duty turret guard to the increased crawler length of 3,790mm, Kobelco have crafted an excavator that is sure to deliver in the most challenging of environments.  With other specification additions, such as a custom built Kobelco screen guard and heavy-duty track motor guards, the Kobelco High Walker has been designed with the quality and attention to detail that has made the #trueblue Kobelco range of excavators a familiar feature on sites throughout the UK since their re-introduction to the market in 2014.

High Walker models have proven to be popular for Molson Young Plant Sales amongst contractors specialising in forestry-based projects.  The increased ground clearance enables the machine to move freely over and around hazards such as tree stumps, while the longer crawler length ensures the machine has the ability to navigate the undulating Scottish Highland landscape with ease and offer operators a smooth and stable experience.

In addition to the application specific features, the Kobelco High Walker retains the same ISUZU 4-cylinder engine that powers the base SK140SRLC-5 model, together with other standard key features such as the integrated Noise and Dust reduction system (iNDr) which ensures uncompromised air flow to the engine along with low noise levels both inside and outside the machine. The factory standard rear and side camera system and compact working range create and maintain a safe working environment.

Built in the state of the art Kobelco factory in Japan, the #trueblue Kobelco excavators are proving to be incredibly popular with both operators and those focused on the business “bottom line” in equal measures.  Operator feedback has been focused on the outstanding smooth control and relentless power, while the more financially focused are delighted with the low life cost of the Kobelco range.  Low fuel consumption and affordable servicing costs partnered with a very strong residual value make a Kobelco a safe choice for any business.

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