German forestry business owner, Edwin Bühler, was in the market for a powerful machine that was capable of harvesting heavy timber in demanding conditions. He purchased the Doosan DX235LCR-5, which, after an extensive conversion, is now being put to work in a wide variety of applications.
FOUNDED in 1992, the Bühler forestry company from Schenkenzell, Germany offers its services to private forest owners as well as to municipal or state forestry companies or clients. Its services range from felling, timber recovery, harvester operation and young stand maintenance to problem tree felling.
The company specialises in the harvesting of heavy timber from the most difficult of terrains, which requires powerful machines with high hydraulic power. Moreover, these machines must be especially stable and manoeuvrable in the demanding conditions prevailing in the forest.
When purchasing a new forestry excavator, owner Edwin Bühler opted for a Doosan DX235LCR-5 model. The conversion of the excavator, which was purchased from dealer Ummenhofer, was carried out by the engineering office for construction and forestry machines at Wirkstoff Technik in Konstanz.
Due to the continuous increase in storm and beetle wood damage, the use of powerful forestry excavators has become unavoidable in forestry operations. Narrow space conditions, extreme terrain (especially off the forest roads) and steep slopes place high demands on the machines. Therefore, the choice of the carrier unit, which is adapted to the individual customer’s needs by means of appropriate conversion measures, is of great importance. To find the right machine for his needs, Edwin turned to the specialists at Wirkstoff Technik. Founded in 2015, the company provides design and development services for large OEMs but also builds individual machines for end customers.
To select the excavator that would meet all of Edwin’s requirements, models from different manufacturers were compared with each other on the basis of defined criteria. Decisive factors were the engine, rear swing radius, hydraulic power, price and the dealer.
Thomas Firner, owner of Wirkstoff Technik, said: “The Doosan DX235LCR-5 has a powerful and dependable Doosan six-cylinder engine that meets the high performance requirements of processing–aggregate operations. The compact design of the machine makes it possible to swivel the machine even in tight spaces, such as on forest tracks with steep rocky slopes. The dozer blade increases the stability even more.”
The forestry excavator at Bühler will be used in a wide variety of applications, one of its main tasks being its use as a process excavator. Here, the logs are measured, delimbed and cut to length in a single operation, thus preparing them for further use. In addition, it is used in forest road construction and as a supply unit, where the logs are moved from storm areas onto the forest road and deposited for further processing with the harvester.
The conversion measures required took a total of 16 weeks to complete. As well as a frame-mounted protective roof and the reinforced 30 mm-thick windscreen, other additions include an Oil-Quick quick coupler to change between the various attachments used.
At the core of the conversion is the processor unit, including control system from Koller Forsttechnik as well as the optimisation of the hydraulic performance of the machine. In addition, a fixed 16-tonne cable winch from Adler and a remote winch control system were installed. The underside of the excavator was also additionally armoured to protect it from damage from below in off-road work. A toolbox, an additional hydraulic oil cooler and more shielding were also fitted.
After only a few weeks in service, Edwin is very impressed with the DX235LCR-5: “The forestry excavator has performed well in a wide variety of applications and has proven to be extremely reliable. With the new excavator, I have been able to significantly increase the efficiency and performance of my company, so that the capital investment has also paid off financially.”
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