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Market Report: Garden & Grounds Care Woodland fare The Arborists’ Fair showed the diversity of equipment that can be hired for tree care and related landscaping tasks. Alan Guthrie reports from Cirencester. The Arborists’ Fair has become established as a key event in the tree maintenance professional’s calendar, and this year’s Show, held recently at the Bathurst Estate in Cirencester, saw the exhibition celebrating its tenth anniversary. The Fair is organised by the Arboricultural Association, which sets standards for many aspects of tree care and offers appropriate training. For the fifth successive year, the event’s main sponsor was Stihl, which supplies many power tools and landscaping products to this market, such as top-handled chainsaws, pruners and hedge trimmers. Richard White, Marketing Manager for Stihl GB, told EHN “this industry remains a strong market for us, because of increased environmental awareness. People realise they have to take better care of trees in the landscape, and professionals are constantly looking at more efficient tools and techniques that can get tasks done more effectively.” Vibration field tests As in previous years, a Technical Centre formed part of the Stihl stand. As well as highlighting the company’s latest equipment, it displayed cutaway models of products to illustrate technological developments in the engines that are designed to reduce fuel consumption, emissions, noise and vibration. On an adjacent plot, the manufacturer ran live hands-on vibration field tests that demonstrated how various factors could influence operators’ exposure to HAV. Special Larson Davis meters were connected to chainsaws, recording vibration levels when working with different types of wood, new and blunt saw chains, and machines that were well and poorly maintained to illustrate the variations. “While HAV risks have been discussed within the construction industry for several years, many tree professionals still need to know more about the issue,” said Richard White. “There are so many variables that it can be more difficult to talk of typical, ‘real-life’ applications. We are telling visitors here that the manufacturer’s quoted HAV level in the user manual can be taken as a first point of reference to enable comparisons to be made, and we are stressing how important it is to keep equipment and accessories like saw chains well maintained. All our chainsaws are now fitted with low-vibration chains as standard.” Timberwolf previewed a tracked version of its S246 multi-purpose shredder, which has now entered production and will be on show at the Saltex exhibition next month. “The machine is ideal for hire to highway contractors who cut trees and undergrowth on roadside verges and have to process the material before taking it away,” Remote control options Also exhibiting at the Fair was Orange Plant, which hires out Timberwolf equipment from several locations throughout Britain. It promoted other machinery it offers, such as Boxer compact utility loaders from Barrus Compact Power, which can accept more than 50 attachments. The diesel engined 532DX has a 32.8hp engine and can drive large implements like a 914mm auger or a 1219mm trencher. For site access, its tracks can be retracted from 1105mm to 876mm wide, and it has the option of being operated remotely. Predator Manufacturing showed its range of stump grinders, comprising five tracked models with radio control options, and two and four-wheeled machines, ranging from 12-75hp. Accounts Manager Mark Lowndes said that the hire industry represents an important target market, and that models are available for tasks ranging from domestic stump removal applications to large-scale site clearance. The width of the tracks on the machines can be varied, with the Predator 28 having a minimum width of only 66cm. Multi-Tip grinding wheels are incorporated, which are designed to enable a pair of teeth to be changed in less than two minutes. The wheels have a polygon shape, rather than being circular, which is said to give faster, smoother cutting. Contractors can encounter challenges when installing pipes and cables near existing trees. TT UK demonstrated its Grundomat soil displacement hammers, or moles. They feature pneumatically operated reciprocating chisel heads that create accurate straight channels under the ground, pulling pipes or trunking with them. They can work over distances up to 50m and with pipes up to 200mm in diameter, powered by a small compressor. Customer Support & Training Engineer, Lloyd Richards, says that A-Plant, Brandon, GAP and Speedy are amongst the hirers offering the equipment, and that they can be used by plumbers and other tradesmen wishing to avoid digging up the ground. Avant Tecno promoted its articulating multi-purpose tool carriers that can accept many different attachments for landscaping and grounds care tasks. Managing Director Jukka Vaatovaara says that tree nurseries, as well as arboriculturists, find their versatility useful for a variety of tasks, without the risk of damaging soft ground. “Foresters can use the machines with implements to tackle jobs from start to finish, starting with transporting felled timber to the work area, chipping it and then loading the material ready for removal,” he said. “They can negotiate difficult terrain and reduce the amount of equipment that has to be used.” Promoting an appropriately green message at the Fair was the Anglo American Oil Company, which offers Aspen environment friendly alkylate petroleum fuels from Scandinavia. Designed to reduce exhaust pollution from smaller engines, the products are inert and have a long storage life both in and out of machinery. 2T is a Executive Hire News › Archives › August 2008 › Market Report › Woodland fare
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