Wide Range of Forestry Equipment Available for Sale in Africa
In addition to providing a basic building material, fuel for cooking and heating, and a source of subsistence income for millions of the continent’s poor, timber also has great commercial value and so the demand for all forms of forestry equipment for sale in Africa remains high. In the past, trees were often simply harvested from wild sources with no attempt at husbandry but, today, concerns regarding the long-term sustainability of the industry have seen the introduction of more conservative methods by many companies. Nevertheless, the demand for timber remains high and so, in order to be competitive, they need to employ machinery that is both efficient and cost-effective.
Due to the large size and the irregular structure of trees, the machinery employed for their harvesting and transportation needs to be of exceptional strength and durability. At the same time, in addition to the need for such vehicles and their various accessories to be tough, because certain of them will often be required to work on steep slopes and in confined spaces, these will also need to be particularly manoeuvrable, while remaining stable in the most challenging terrains.
For a layman, at least, one of the first things to strike the observer about the forestry equipment offered for sale in Africa, and wherever else the industry is alive and well, has to be its sheer variety. It seems that the overall range of machinery is even more diverse than that required in other growing industries. Depending upon the task and the circumstances under which it must be carried out, there is a unique tool for each stage of the logging process, from the initial felling to the final transportation of the raw timber to sawmills and paper pulp plants, and each step in between. Without doubt, the second feature of the industry and its sophisticated range of tools to become apparent is likely to be the predominance of the Tigercat brand.
As a veteran of the industry, the focus of Tigercat engineering remains firmly on the innovative use of technology to minimise the cost per tonne to the end users of its efficient harvesting systems. A classic example of this is the company’s patented ER® Boom System. Unlike a conventional boom system that needs to combine two arcing motions to arrive at its reaching motion, the ER system allows the feller buncher operator to extend and retract its boom along a horizontal plane with a single joystick. This valuable innovation not only saves time, it uses less energy by reducing the demands on cooling systems and hydraulic pumps.
Another innovation that has continued to make Tigercat a leading brand of forestry equipment for sale in Africa is the turnaround feature of its skidder range. A rotating seat on which the joystick controls are mounted can be locked to face forwards or backwards, allowing the driver to utilise the full speed range in either direction, rather than reversing or performing difficult U-turns, thus saving time, and reducing fuel consumption.
Tigercat products are distributed in South Africa and elsewhere on the content by Kanu Equipment who also provides an extensive service network manned by accredited engineers.
