Its first event since before COVID, M Large Tree Services held two open days in September, welcoming customers old and new. Forestry Journal went along to capture the best of the action.
FORESTRY trailers, grapples, and tree shears. Log splitters, firewood processors, and cranes. Woodchippers, mulchers, and even stump grinders. As far as machinery showcases go, there couldn’t have been many better than one held on the outskirts of Belfast in early September.
Across a sun-kissed weekend (yes, really), M Large Tree Services put its full array of products on display as it welcomed customers old and new to its first major event since before the COVID pandemic. It didn’t disappoint.
While the usual crowd pleasers were there (including three BMF trailers positioned at the door and multiple Hakki Pilke firewood processors chomping through timber in the yard), it was the sheer wealth of options that left a lasting impression. Forestry Journal knew M Large’s offering was, well, large, but maybe it needed reminding of just how substantial the County Antrim-based dealer’s line-up is.
Walking through the firm’s Newtownabbey warehouse – one of its three Northern Ireland locations – FJ found itself in awe of the options.
Take Thor’s logsplitters. Whether it’s the 25- to 30-tonne Diavolik VPF or the 11-tonne Mignon, the Italian brand fits its machines with what it calls a “unique foot pedal ‘leader’ system”. A quick glance at the M Large brochure tells us this allows the user to “carry out the cutter approach stroke and centre the logs while the cutter is in motion, with both hands free by using the pedal”. Essentially, rather than a lever guided by hand, the pedal controls the cutter.
“We have been selling Thor for 24 years,” explained M Large founder Michael Large, who spent much of FJ’s time at the first open day demonstrating Thor’s capabilities. “It is a small Italian company that is very, very good. I think they are the best log splitters manufactured these days; they are the only ones with a foot pedal. The patent on that ran out in about 2010 and I thought at that stage all of the other manufacturers would incorporate it.
“It’s so simple and complies with regulations across Europe; Thor are fanatical about keeping everything to the rules.
“It’s a huge advantage, and the quality of the machines is super. We never have any problems with them. People are still using machines they bought 10/11 years ago. They might just be updating the odd part, which is so quick and simple.
“People probably don’t appreciate the log splitters until they have actually used one.”
M Large’s Thor offering also includes the 13- to 18-tonne Farmer Multiuse, which is powered by a 9-hp Subaru engine. Across the range, the machines can achieve a splitting force of 6.5 to 8.5 tonnes, boasting a maximum splitting height of 54 cm and splitting diameter of 50 cm.
“Andrea Ricca [the founder of Thor] was such a clever man. It is such a nice company to deal with; and even now every load we get in from Thor comes with a box of Italian sweets, made in the village that Thor produces its machines.
“It doesn’t cost a lot; we are giving them hundreds of thousands of pounds each year. But it builds the relationship; you remember that.
“Since Andrea’s death, his daughter [Roberta] runs the business now, and it is very successful.”
That all sounds very good on paper, and in person one customer was so impressed they bought a Thor log splitter before the clock had even struck midday. A husband-and-wife firewood producing team, they had travelled from Athlone in the very heart of Ireland for M Large’s event, a six-hour round trip. But that paled in comparison to the ten hours another guest spent travelling from and back to Cork. Generally speaking, most, if not all, visitors came from the island of Ireland, but those numbered farmers, kindling producers, and contractors.
Other brands featuring heavily on the day included KX Tree Shears, described as modern tree shears for “cutting, collecting and loading trees”. Produced in Finland, the shears are the brainchild of Kimmo Tossavainen, who decided, after a long career in the paper industry, to create his own product in 2005. Today, its shears all boast a modular design, building on the foundations of the originals. The KX-210 (suitable for 1.5- to 5-tonne excavators) and 13- to 25-tonne KX-350 are among the highlights of the range.
Perhaps less well known will be M Large’s very own tree shear. The LMS Design 440 Excavator Mounted Tree Shear – also known as the Scorpion 440 – can cut through trunks up to 440 mm in diameter, with the shear built from a Hardox metal frame. It has proven very popular recently and the open day provided the ideal opportunity for many to see it up close for the first time (the current FJ editorial team included).
However, there were two other brands that Michael was keen to show off. The first couldn’t be missed. Its tagline is “sure to grab your attention” and that it very much did.
As mentioned, three BMF trailers were the first thing guests arriving at M Large’s warehouse spotted, with the trio including the 14-tonne 14T2 Pro. Each of the trailers was fitted with its own-brand crane, an 8.5-metre-reaching 850 on the 14T2. As one of the few manufacturers certified to ISO 9001:2008 standards, BMF (Baltic Forestry Machinery) has carved out quite the reputation for itself in recent years. This is down in no small part to the efforts of M Large – even if Michael believes there is scope for the trailers to become more commonplace in the UK’s woodlands.
“I don’t think people know enough about BMF,” he said. “We used to sell Farmi, but discovered that Palms were building Farmi. We then introduced Palms directly into Northern Ireland.
“When we stopped selling Palms, we took on BMF. It is a very good company to work with, and the quality is brilliant. The trailers are as good as anything out there. They are built in a modern factory.
“Our BMF trailers generally go to contractors on estates, some of the smaller ones to firewood producers.”
In a similar vein, and equally being pushed by M Large now is Austrian-made KGD Winches. Skidding winches, they are all said to be “of clear, robust design”, undergoing “100 per cent pulling and brake force tests” before leaving the factory. The winches’ striking red certainly left its mark on FJ.
“We used to sell another brand but half of them came back to us again,” Michael said. “The quality wasn’t great. When we parted company with them, we got in touch with KGD.”
Anyone who knows M Large – which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2020 – will know it is very much a family affair. The open days were no different, with all three of Michael’s children heavily involved (Mark and Cheryl remain company directors, taking a leading role in their own area of the business), as were his grandchildren. Then there was Alan McDowell, engineering director and Michael’s son-in-law (married to Cheryl), who was on hand to demonstrate the potential of Hakki Pilke’s 43 Pro. It was one of several machines from the Finland-based company which could be found working in the yard, drawing large crowds whenever they swung into action.
“Hakki Pilke is what I have known,” Alan said. “The earliest firewood processor brought into Northern Ireland with any regularity was probably the Hakki Pilke range. I love the simplicity of them. They are robust and reliable.”
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He added: “Firewood processors have been very good from the late 1990s. Thor log splitters and BMF trailers and cranes are our best sellers. There is a bit of a lull when it comes to chippers right now, but enquiries are beginning to come in again.
“This year has not been good [in terms of firewood processor sales]. There is nothing really driving it; in fact, it’s nearly the opposite with fuel prices coming down and people not wanting to cut firewood for environmental reasons. However, you still have the diehards who want an open fire; you won’t change them.”
Readers will probably have noticed the open days took place in the same month as APF, which might have been a conscious choice on the part of M Large. Previously a frequent feature at the UK’s largest forestry show, it once again opted not to head to Warwickshire (the dealer also no longer attends its local Balmoral Show). When asked about this, Michael explained the costs and effort of taking equipment off site was simply too much now, with Alan adding: “People are always asking us if we are doing shows – but we think we are better doing our own. It shows our extensive range, and lets people come and meet us in person.”
For those who couldn’t make it along to the open days (which also saw valuable cash coined in for Macmillan Cancer Support), what would Alan’s message be to them? Why should anyone choose M Large?
“We have an extensive stock – probably the biggest in the UK. We are not only sellers, we are users. Whatever we sell, we use. We wouldn’t be selling the products if we hadn’t tested them ourselves.”
https://mlarge.com/
T. 02890 342838 E. sales@mlarge.com.
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