Forestry has undergone radical changes in recent years and the APF exhibition has had to evolve, from the timber harvesting event it once was, to keep up with the demands of today’s forestry. This year’s exhibition is once again taking place at Ragley Estate, Alcester in Warwickshire, and will combine a comprehensive selection of the latest technology and equipment used in forestry from seed to sawmills throughout the three-day event.
Exhibition Secretary Ian Millward brings us up to date with the vast range of events and competitions taking place at APF 2024 on the 19/20/21st September.
“There are more machines, events, and competitions to see and take part in than ever before. There really is something for everyone whatever your machinery interests.
The UK Forwarder driving competition makes a welcome return to APF 2024. Richard Court Forestry Engineering and Coombes Forestry Ltd have picked up the controls. Taking place in a much larger arena than previously. Competitors will face a series of tasks and obstacles to assess their crane and machine control against the clock. Machines to be used will be John Deere G series forwarders. Competitors may be able to enter on the day subject to availability. Competitors must hold the relevant Forest Machine Operator certification.
Daily prizes will be awarded for the fastest time less time penalties and the UK trophy for the best overall time over the three days.
The AW Jenkinson and Tilhill European Chainsaw carving championships returns with twenty-five of Europe’s top carvers from as far afield as Lithuania, Romania, and Poland. There is a stellar line up with five earlier winners and two of the top four from the recent television competition Top Carve. The carvers will be using large dimension Redwood from Longleat Estate to allow full rein to their creativity.
The Husqvarna World 25m pole climbing championships will have a huge prize fund of over £10,000. Fifty of the best climbers will compete for the world title. Current World Champion, Dan Wheelan, will defend his crown and aim to beat his own world record time of 8.84 seconds.
APF 2024 will host not one, but two British fencing championships sponsored by McVeigh Parker. The arena has been increased this year to accommodate the demand for competition places. Competitors come from all over the UK and Ireland and as far afield as Norway. Thursday 19th will see the British speed fencing championships using the new metal Clipex fencing, and Friday 20th will see the traditional post and wire championships. Saturday will see demonstrations of fencing machinery in action in the arena.
The Teufelberger and Pfanner APF Team tree climbing challenge is a new event this year. The competition is designed to be fast and exciting to watch and will be a speed competition requiring climbers to ascend a tree, navigate through the canopy and ring a series of bells against the clock. Visitors can enter in advance or on the day subject to availability.
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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.
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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.
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It is not possible to eliminate chain shot, but there are simple steps that can be taken to reduce the risk.
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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.
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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.
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The UK Lumberjack competition returns evaluating the skill and strength of the athletes’ using axes and crosscut saws across five testing disciplines including the two-board climb, underhand chop and the ever popular and noisy hot saws. If after watching the axemen, you fancy a go at axe throwing then you will be able to try your hand at this for the first time since 2002.
Our traditional woodland crafts area continues to be a big draw for visitors. We will have the largest variety of crafts on display anywhere in the UK. Clogs to coracles, charcoal to chairs, wheelwrights to basket makers, rakes to rustic carpentry. If you want to know what a Sussex pimp is this will be the place to find out!
Horse logging is a valuable method of timber extraction on sensitive sites and the British Horse Loggers will be running demonstrations and giving advice on all matters horse logging. You will even have a chance to get behind the reins and try it for yourself.
We are keen to get visitors involved and try their hand at a new skill. To this end the Great Big Tree Climbing company will be enable you to try tree climbing using a rope and harness. Evaluate your head for heights and see if a career in arboriculture is for you. No excuses for not trying as the minimum age is just six years old!
Assess your skill with a chainsaw in complete safety using the Husqvarna chainsaw simulator and see how fast you can cut the branches off a tree.
Our Forest Worker Zone returns with excellent advice on careers in forestry and arboriculture and a whole host of other subjects such as worker health, training, and grants.
There will be a series of very topical seminars in a standalone seminar tent right next to the Confor tent.
All the above is in addition to the core element of the show of three hundred exhibitors, £80 million and over two miles of working equipment on offer.
There is far too much to do in a day. Book into our on-site campsite or into a local hotel and come for two or three days. Discounted advance tickets are available now or tickets will be available on the gate priced £25. APF 2024 gives exhibitors the perfect opportunity to highlight and prove their new and existing products.”
Apex Fluid Power
Apex Fluid Power are based in Carlisle, Cumbria, and are centrally located in the north of England to supply the whole of the UK and internationally. From the Highlands of Scotland to the valleys of Wales, Director Peter Brown and his team understand that service and products are key to keeping your industry moving. They know the demands and tests needed in the industry and their products are assessed to the highest industry standards to exceed all expectations.
Peter gives us an insight into what visitors could expect to see on Apex’s display at APF 2024. “We are able to offer customers the best in quality the hose world can produce. Both the Parker range of hose and fittings and Gates hose and fittings, along with all related hose products these companies produce. Combined with our knowledge of the hose and fittings industry and experience of forestry machinery this must be worth the ticket price alone 😊.
“We could not attend without bringing along the H64 hand operated crimper, designed by us specifically for the forestry industry. Alongside it will be the ever-popular Parker Karrykrimp.
“Brand new and exciting is the new 797TC Multi Spiral hose range, a much more compact hose, lightweight, capable of 6000PSI, 450BAR working pressure in all sizes, a bend radius to beat all other hoses, and more importantly tested to two million cycles in accordance with ISO 18742 Type DC. What this means is that this hose outperforms any other hose on the market. Only the Gates Global Spiral range comes close, tested to 1 million cycles.
“To complement this, we also have a brand-new fitting, the seventy-seven series. This fitting is, no skive, has better hose to fitting connection, reduced leaks, increased holding power, compact outer shell and an internal tooth profile that offers exclusive no skive interlock facilities.
“When we came across these products we were mildly impressed as we hear many claims by many manufacturers that normally fall short. We have however had these products out in the forestry industry with users carrying out tests for us – and they genuinely have lasted longer”!
www.apexfluid.co.uk
Forest Machine Services (FMS)
FMS are looking forward to meeting customers old and new at APF 2024.
The company that was founded in 2006 has gone from strength to strength. In addition to their engineering services, Stephen Wills and Graham Johnston manufacture their own FMS 575 stroke harvesting head and are the UK distributers for AFM and Guerra’s forestry products, and the Northumberland agents for Fuelwood forestry, firewood and wood processing equipment.
A Doosan 14TE track based harvester fitted with an AFM 45 head, which was converted in the workshop near Hexham, will be the focus of attention on FMS’s stand, along with a Powerhand Grab with an AFM 800 saw box, an AFM 1000 saw box and a selection of Guerra grapples and winches.
Stephen and Graham will be on hand to discuss any engineering projects you may be considering.
www.forestmachineservices.com
GB Lubricants
GB Lubricants is eagerly looking forward to APF 2024 as it is an exciting opportunity for the Gateshead company to highlight their premium quality range of oils, greases and lubricants specifically designed for forestry equipment and vehicles.
The team from GB Lubricants will be on hand to prove the many benefits of the company’s range of biodegradable lubricants. Formulated using biodegradable components as an alternative to traditional mineral based oils, the Unibio® range of biodegradable lubricants is especially suited for use in areas of environmental sensitivity. The Unibio® range has been designed to minimise any impact on the environment and is ideal for use on equipment that is used every day operating in conditions where there is a risk of pollution. Amanda Byrne, GB Lubricants Regional Sales Manager believes the pioneering Unibio® range will be a focal point of the show.
Amanda commented on the importance of understanding the challenges that those working in the forestry and woodland industries can face:
“Talking to customers allows us to understand the challenges they are facing and what solutions GB Lubricants are able to offer to help them. The biggest demand in the forestry and woodland sector is for our quality chainsaw oil, which we have been told is one of the best on the market. We also supply a range of engine oils, greases, hydraulic oils, and gear oils too, all suited to a wide range of manufacturers and brands of equipment.”
As well as discussing GB Lubricants’ products the company will be detailing its mission to be recognised as a global industry leader for sustainability and minimising environmental impact. Aiming to achieve net zero carbon manufacturing by 2030, the company’s long-term mission is to be as sustainable as possible in its purchasing of raw materials, manufacture of products and delivery of finished goods.
The company has a huge commitment to using sustainable operating procedures throughout its manufacturing site, based in Gateshead. This includes minimising waste, capital investment into new more efficient production infrastructure, as well as becoming the first private company to connect to green solar-generated electricity and mine water heat provided by an award-winning Gateshead District Energy Scheme. This green electricity and heat are used throughout the production and administration process throughout the Gateshead site.
The company also boasts the highest possible EcoVadis Platinum rating in Sustainability. Having achieved a gold rating since 2019, GB Lubricants now joins the elite top one per cent of companies that are evaluated from the industry worldwide. As part of this sustainability journey, the company will also be using the APF exhibition as an opportunity to highlight a new range of recycled packaging which will feature 35% recycled plastic.
GB Lubricants has an established reputation for oil and lubricant manufacturing in the UK. The company supplies its products throughout the British Isles and Ireland as well as to an increasing number of other countries around the world. A key growth area for the future is North America and it is anticipated that GB Lubricants’ pedigree and product range in the forestry industry and woodland sector will be remarkably interesting for these markets.
For further information about GB Lubricants’ sustainability journey and their range of biodegradable products please visit www.gblubricants.co.uk
The British Horse Loggers
The British Horse Loggers will have three different horse loggers displaying methods of extraction by horse at APF 2024. There will be different breeds to look at and a horse drawn arch and forwarder and people to talk to and ask questions about jobs and training programmes.
www.britishhorseloggers.org
Greenmec
GreenMech return to APF 2024 at Ragley Estate this September. Launched to much acclaim earlier in 2024, the versatility, safety, and unparalleled performance of the EVO 205TT will be displayed on stand 1270-1310 alongside a number of other chipping solutions to suit tasks and timber of all shapes and sizes. The EVO Series has firmly cemented its status as the professional commercial choice, with 6” and 8” variants in tracked and road-tow configurations designed to meet the demanding requirements of the modern-day arborist. Incorporating all of the features now synonymous with the series including wide-in feed chute, horizontal rollers and heavy-duty flywheel. The EVO 205TT turntable model was introduced to provide maximum flexibility in positioning for safe and efficient operation. The GreenMech team will be on hand for the show duration to answer visitor questions on the EVO 205TT and all other models on display, including the EVO 205D SURE-Trak.
www.greenmec.co.uk
Marshall Agricultural Logging
Marshall Logging are looking forward to welcoming you to their stand. In the past, Marshall’s have displayed a large number of machinery on their stand and 2024 looks to be no different. Taking centre stage will be Marshall’s new range of products from ZENZ. The German company offer three models of sawmills, both static and mobile with a broad range of optional equipment. The Zenz machines have reinforced frames, a patented log clamp and log turning system and are operator friendly. These are highly productive and robust sawmills for professional quality.
Allan Marshall and his team will also highlight the extensive collection of tree shears, wood crackers, stump removing equipment clearing rakes, and forestry mulcher from the innovative Austrian company Westtech Woodcracker.
BINDERBERGER have launched a new firewood processor, the largest that they have manufactured to date. The SSPX 800 has a unique knife blade and has been manufactured to take large wood and designed to create a low splitting force. It has a splitting diameter of 800 mm and a splitting length of 200mm – 500 mm Automatic cutting and splitting. Steel conveyor bed. High outputs can be achieved with a clean sample.
The highly regarded DALEN firewood processor will be on display, with options of PTO, electric or self-driven engine. Log deck and extractor fans are available and there is now a choice of a cleaner on the end of the out-feed conveyor.
JUSSI are an environmentally friendly trailer and crane manufacturer which are compatible with a quads and compact tractors. The forwarder trailer can also be towed behind a three-tonne excavator. Despite being compact, they are strongly built for demanding conditions and are ideal for extracting timber on tightly spaced, soft or sensitive areas.
VAHVA forwarder grapples and energy grapples with 4 to 9 tine energy grapples will be available. VAHVA manufacture grapples from 0.15 to 100 and offer excavator mounted grapples with an optional fixed rotator.
www.marshalllogging.co.uk
Merlo
Merlo will highlight a range of innovative machinery at this years show. At the heart of the stand will be Merlo’s innovative tool-carrying tractor, a couple of versatile tracked carriers, each equipped with a variety of attachments, and a unique telescopic handler boasting a 3-point linkage, PTO, and pick-up hitch. Attendees can also expect to see the class-leading ROTO model, which offers an impressive lift height of thirty-five meters which sets a new standard in the industry.
Although better known for its telehandler range across the agricultural and construction industries, Merlo offers a diverse and wide range of machines for many industries, including forestry. Each Merlo machine boasts unique features and combines functionality with comfort, safety, efficiency, and sustainability.
Visitors can expect to see Merlo’s ROTO50.35 PLUS, capable of positioning loads within a 360-degree radius. At the APF 2024 show, it will be fitted with a GMT grapple saw for safe and efficient tree felling. With road speeds of up to 40 km/h and class-leading stability thanks to dynamic load monitoring, it is ideal for tree removal in urban locations. The Stage V 170 hp engine, 5-tonne capacity, and lift height of up to 35m ensure exceptional performance. S PLUS models come with dual hydraulic pumps, a tilting cab, and automatic management of the multi-position stabilizers as standard.
Next up is the TreEmme X Series tool carrier tractor, designed for operators who need a multi-purpose, high-performance machine that can tackle demanding work with ease. Featuring a 6-cylinder Stage V engine that delivers 245 hp, hydrostatic transmission, with up to 285 l/min hydraulic output to power to the front attachment, such as a fixed tooth mulcher. An infinite range of travel speeds up to 40 km/h thanks to the Merlo manufactured hydrostatic transmission. Shod on 600/55-26.5 Nokian T440 Forestry Tyres, equipped with three steering modes and a low centre of gravity these specialist units can reach areas often inaccessible to conventional tractors. As you would expect from a robust machine, the MM250X is reinforced with robust hardened steel plating in the most exposed areas, and the cab is compliant with FOPS, ROPS, and OPS standards. It also features anti-shatter, ballistic-proof composite windows, making it clear why this permanent 4-wheel drive tool carrier tractor is primarily used in forestry and forest maintenance. Merlo will present the TreEmme MM250X fitted with an FAE forestry mulcher at the APF, this combination is often used for creating firebreaks and buffer zones for high-voltage power lines and gas pipelines. However, many other three-point linkage attachments are available, offering countless rugged applications in the toughest environments.
Initially, Merlo developed the MF telescopic handler range for the agricultural market to meet the demand for an added tractor during seasonal work. However, the MF44.9 CS CVTronic that will be on display has found many uses in the forestry sector. The combination of a telehandler, 3-point linkage, 540/1000 rpm PTO, and pick-up hitch makes this unique and versatile machine eminently suitable for forestry applications, e.g. a stump grinder. The MF44.9 features a robust, 3-stage telescopic boom with a lift height of almost 9m and a load capacity of 4,400 kg. It is equipped with load-sensing and flow-sharing hydraulics along with continuous variable transmission. Cab suspension ensures high operator comfort.
Completing the Merlo lineup will be the innovative and versatile CINGO M12.3EVO multifunction tracked tool carrier. The M12.3EVO is equipped with a powerful twenty-one hp diesel engine and durable rubber tracks for increased mobility and stability, allowing it to run on any terrain. The hydrostatic system with fingertip, hydraulic servo-assisted controls, enable the operator to safely steer and manage speed from a few meters per hour up to a maximum of 5 km/h with ease. Two of the machines will be fitted with the exclusive Merlo Handler 400 attachment, transforming the multifunction CINGO M12.3EVO into a compact telehandler. While the standard Handler 400 comes with a fork attachment, a wide range of other attachments are available, including a log grab and muck grab.
www.merlo.com
Novotný
Novotný will be presenting their new minimal impact 8WD thinning harvester, the H512 at APF 2024
Strojírna Novotný s.r.o. is a traditional manufacturer of agricultural, forestry and construction machinery and in addition to skid-steer loaders B861 and B961, which are widely used in agriculture and construction, they also manufacture forestry forwarders. The Czech company currently offer 3 types of forwarders LVS 511,the smallest forwarder designed to forward wood primarily from thinning and random salvage logging. The LVS 520 and LVS 720, which differ in size, engine power and loading capacity plus the new 8WD harvester, the H512.
Novotný’s sales manager Petr Sládek will be on hand to answer any questions you might have about this minimal impact thinning equipment. When I spoke to Petr at the KWF exhibition in June he was considering trying to arrange some demonstrations so that people could see the advantages that these machines offer.
Novotný are actively looking for a UK distributer, so if you are interested and have the background and technical ability to increase their brand awareness call in and see Petr at the APF.
www.loader.cz
Stihl
STIHL will showcase a range of its new products at APF 2024, including the new MS 400.1 forestry chainsaw which will be launching in 2025.
Visitors to Stihls’s demonstration stand will get the chance to see the new MS 400.1 in action. Despite the similarity in model name, the MS 400.1 has been completely re-developed, building on the strengths of the original MS 400 and taking it to the next level.
The MS 400.1 weighs in at just 5.5 kg, 300 g less than the MS 400, offering professionals the best power-to-weight ratio of any professional petrol chainsaw on the market. With an impressive power output of 3.9kW, the MS 400.1 is optimised for long days in the forest, felling and processing larger trees.
The STIHL team will be on stand 650 from 9am to 6pm throughout the duration of the event for product demonstrations, advice and guidance on all STIHL machines.
www.stihl.co.uk
Treeline Scotland
Treeline Scotland will be found on Fuelwood Warwick’s display at APF 2024. The well-established family-run forestry business which is based in the Scottish Borders sell firewood, timber and fencing products, machinery for processing firewood, offer forestry management services and carry out minimal impact timber harvesting.
From their Pentland hill farm in the Scottish borders, they have an extensive range of firewood, silviculture and biomass equipment for sale and offer a first class after sales service to their customers.
Treeline are also the UK distributers for the minimal impact harvester and forwarder range of machines from Malwa and will have a new forwarder, which will working during the three-day event, on the Fuelwood stand.
There are many improvements with this new forwarder, one of these is the addition of the new Cranab FC5 crane, which replaces the old FC45. This is part of Cranab’s new series of forwarder cranes and features internal hose routing, crane-tip control and many other new improvements. The new trailer which can be attached behind the forwarder to increase ability but not the footprint and has a hydraulic central beam for improved loading and manoeuvrability will also be on view.
www.treelinescotland.com
www.fuelwood.co.uk
Discounted advance tickets are available now for APF 2024 or tickets will be available on the gate priced £25.
Forest Machine Magazine is written and edited by a forest professional with over 40 years hands on experience. We are dedicated to keeping you informed with all the latest news, views and reviews from our industry.
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