Kenny Ferguson Komatsu 875

Kenny Ferguson – Company A G Ferguson

Machine age, Two years/3500 hours – Fuel Consumption Litres P/H 13.5 Litres P/H

After two years on a welding apprenticeship Kenny took a 6 month’s forestry course at Barony college where he qualified as a forwarder operator. He then went on to join the family company A G Ferguson, initially gaining experience alongside his father Kenny, and Uncle Alistair before going on to operate various forwarders up to his current Komatsu 875.

Kenny is very content with his 875 “Ground clearance is good, and the machine is very stable crossing soft ground when loaded. The machine has cruise control, which came in handy a while ago when I injured my Achilles, allowing me to drive without using the foot pedal. The Komatsu is exceptionally good on the steep, it climbs well and is very stable coming downhill loaded” explained Kenny “The larger crane on the 875 is a real game changer. Slew power is extremely good on steep ground, the smaller crane on my 860 used to get away from me, but that never happens with this version. I have the crane set up fast, but it is still smooth and easy to control.”

“The grapple is a Cranab G36. I had this grapple on the 860 and it felt heavy, but it is perfectly matched to this crane”.

Kenny commented on the improved hose layout on his latest Komatsu, with the long hoses from the valve chest to the crane now coming with a join in them, making them a lot easier to change.

Locking and unlocking of the cab door and all the hatches is done with a key fob. “Apart from opening everything, it also turns on the computer and loads my operator settings. If my Dad is operating the forwarder, he uses his own key fob which activates his settings. Another option on the fob is its ability to set the night heater from the roadside which comes in handy when I have forgot to set it, as long as the machine is close enough.” “The computer is straightforward to use, with a display in the front as well as the back. Vision in the new cab is excellent, with the longer windows I can now see the

top of the kingpost without having to lean forward. We do the interim services ourselves and Komatsu do the big services with our help.”

“The belly plate is easy to take off and put on and the oil is drained via a tap with no need for spanners. When lifting the cab, it can now be connected to the hydraulic tank so both can be lifted as one. Back up is provided by Komatsu, with engineer Mark Gilmore doing most of our work. Parts are sent to our yard in Denny”

Kenny described the reliability of the 875 as brilliant “In the two years we’ve had it, apart from a few hoses, the only issue was a stuck rotator at three months old, which was replaced by Komatsu the next day. “I like to cover the ground quickly and find the 875 really comfortable to sit in, overall, it is by far the best forwarder I have operated”