During my recent visit to NCD Equipment’s premises in Essex, I had the opportunity to see a demonstration of TMK Machinery’s highly versatile Grapple Saw, which had been arranged by Nick Dinsdale. The facility provided an ideal setting to see the equipment in action, showcasing its capabilities and performance. It became clear how the Grapple Saw combines cutting-edge technology with practical design, making it a valuable tool for various applications throughout the industry.

Nick Dinsdale and Charlie Stow with the TMK Machinery Grapple Saw

I recently met with Nick Dinsdale of NCD Equipment and his Marketing Manager, Charlie Stow, at his facility in Essex. Nick reached out to me to arrange a demonstration of the TMK Machinery Grapple Saw, which he thought I would find interesting.

Visiting Nick is a great experience. His passion for the products he offers is contagious, and he enjoys nothing more than sharing his knowledge freely with others, making conversations both enjoyable and educational. Nick is a truly genuine person, and his passion for the products he stands behind ensures that each visit is a worthwhile experience.

80,000 Hours

That’s a remarkable amount of work hours for a single machine, the Norcar 600 owned by Erkki Rinne is taken well care of, it even has the original Diesel engine.
Kieran Anders Forestry

Kieran Anders is a forestry contractor working in the lake district. His work involves hand cutting and extracting timber using a skidder and tractor-trailer forwarder.
Promoting safety in the workplace

It is not possible to eliminate chain shot, but there are simple steps that can be taken to reduce the risk.
Glasfryn Fencing and Sawmill

Arwel takes great pride in the fact that the mill has no waste whatsoever, “the peelings are used for children’s playgrounds, gardens and for farm animals in barns in the winter and the sawdust has multiple uses in gardens and farms as well.
Keeping Timber Hauliers Safe

Timber hauliers need to encourage young blood in, and also look after the hauliers we have, we need make the sector a safe and positive place to work.

FIND US ON

As of today, Nick has successfully sold over 1,200 sets of TMK tree shears in the United Kingdom since he started NCD in 2014. He has also garnered numerous Five-Star Google Reviews from satisfied customers, reflecting his commitment to providing exceptional service and efficient after-sales support. I arrived at Nick’s place bright and early. After grabbing a coffee and catching up for a bit, we headed out to the yard where the customer demonstration area was set up. Nick had three long poles secured in clamps to simulate standing trees for the grapple saw demonstration

Impressive Sales Figures

Nick was enthusiastic about demonstrating the functionalities of this advanced grapple saw. This equipment is specifically designed for use on excavators in the 13- to 25-tonne weight class. The grapple saw weighs 950kg and includes standard features such as a rotator, guillotine, splitting blade, integrated tree shear, and grapple lock. There is

an optional TMK Collector, which is beneficial for working with small-diameter timber and allows for multi-stemming

It can cut stems up to 650mm with its 80cm guide bar and can run either the .404 or ¾” chain.

I was impressed by the grapple saw’s compactness, quality, and durability. It is evident that no compromises were made regarding strength, as it is constructed from Hardox steel and designed for longevity.

Adjustable Tilt Angle For Better Control

A clever feature demonstrated by Nick is the two-positional quick-hitch mechanism on the grapple saw. This system allows for adjustment of the tilt angle, thereby enhancing control during operations conducted at height or lower down the tree stem. Additionally, in conjunction with TMK they have designed a stillage cradle that secures the grapple saw in place, enabling swift repositioning of the grapple saw within seconds.

Nick has introduced a valuable optional enhancement to the stillage cradle: a precise measuring system that can be pre-set to 2.5 meters or 3.0 meters for accurate cross-cutting. This attachment enables the grapple saw to effectively process and stack timber, preparing it for transport to the end user.

Non-Invasive Attachment

The grapple saw is a non-invasive attachment for excavators that requires no additional hydraulic pumps; only a drainage line and a minor adjustment are needed to prepare it for operation. The system requires no electrical connections, as it is a wireless unit, with the grapple saw’s electrical power supplied by a quick-release Milwaukee power-tool battery. “Power-Tool Battery, available as either Milwaukee, Makita or Dewalt.

Alternative options include the TMK Collector, which is ideally suited for handling smaller materials where multi-stemming is required to enhance operational efficiency. Additionally, there is a splitting blade option that can be securely attached with a single bolt. This feature significantly increases versatility by enabling users to transform larger-diameter stems into split firewood.

The aspect I found commendable was the thought given to the manufacturing process. While hoses, fittings, and other components were safeguarded and positioned away from potential harm, they remained easily accessible for maintenance and repairs. The design included straightforward greasing points, and the chain oil filling cap was equipped with a protective sleeve to prevent accidental damage.

This was a grapple saw designed by an experienced operator.

I wanted to learn how Nick got involved with TMK Machinery. Nick grew up on a farm and, after finishing school, he worked mainly in farming. When he was 26, he joined the army, and after leaving the military, he worked clearing railway embankments. He felt there had to be an easier way to do this than using brush cutters and chainsaws.

While searching online, he found a video from TMK Machinery featuring a tree shear developed by Finnish entrepreneur Tenho Koponen, a pioneer in tree-shear technology. Nick was impressed and reached out to Tenho. They met, and Nick saw a chance to not only improve work on the embankments but also to become the UK distributor for TMK Machinery. The rest, as they say, is history.

Demonstration

We were all set for the demonstration, and I was eager to see its capabilities in action. This efficient attachment is designed specifically for the safe removal of roadside trees and biofuel harvesting. There are still plenty of diseased Ash trees out there, which pose a significant risk to chainsaw operators and tree surgeons. Ash wood is notoriously brittle, and even if you manage to fell a tree in one piece, the vibrations from a chainsaw can easily cause smaller branches to snap off, leading to potential injuries or even fatalities. In situations where section felling is necessary, the task can become incredibly dangerous and is simply not worth the risk.

The grapple saw is the perfect solution for ensuring safety by effectively eliminating any risk to personnel. With its rotator and adjustable quick hitch, it can be used in various positions, allowing for the safe removal of limbs and the main stem in manageable sections.

This grapple saw was using a ¾ “chain and bar, and it made short work of section felling the three poles. Nick also demonstrated the multi-stem collector and tree shear functions on the smaller-diameter top section. This is a safe, productive, and efficient tool for the controlled felling of both hardwood and softwood trees.

Nick also showcased the grapple lock function, which allows you to secure the grapple saw in any position. This feature enables precise cutting without using the grapples themselves. It is particularly useful for trimming limbs down to size or for firewood production.

This setup is perfect, as it allows Nick to provide demonstrations of not only the grapple saw but also the entire range of TMK Machinery tree shears and attachments. It offers customers the chance to try out the equipment themselves, ensuring they choose the right tools for their upcoming tasks.

After another coffee, I said my farewells to Nick and Charlie, as I did not fancy hitting the M25 London Ring Road during Friday rush hour.