Logging in New Hampshire has a long andrich history dating back to the 1600s whenmajestic white pines were felled andshipped to England to supply the BritishNavy with masts. By the late 1800s, thestate was being logged intensively. Thispractice continued right up until TheDepression when all American industryground to a halt.

Today over 80% of New Hampshire isforest covered and the timber industryadds about $1.7 billion to the state'seconomy. However, the industry is indecline. For example, in May 2006, theFraser Papers Pulp Mill in Berlin shutdown after many decades of operation.And according to northeastern NewHampshire harvesting contractor PatGagne, there are fewer loggers and thosethat remain have downsized their operations.

Pat manages Gagne & Sons Loggingbased in the small town of Dummer, justnorth of the White Mountains NationalForest. The company is owned byFrederick Gagne (Pat's father) who hasbeen logging for 45 years and wasnamed New Hampshire State Logger of

the Year in 1997. “My father started withhorses,” says Pat who began working in thebusiness straight out of high school in 1988and converted the operation to cut-to-length in 1997.

The company owns three machines: athree-year old Tigercat H822 with a fixed

Of f i c i a l Pub l i c a t i on o f T ige r ca t I ndus t r i e s I n c .ISSUE No. 16, MAR. 2007

I N S I D EWorking Smart for a QualityJob and Quality of Life

New Hampshire CTL pioneer Gagne & Sons Logging moves to Tigercat

harvester/forwarder combo for increased productivity and reliability.-- Paul Iarocci

• TH575 HarvestingHead pg. 5

• Big Production in Australia pg. 6

• Potter Lumber Co. pg. 8

• More Mulching pg. 10

• 2006 Sales Awardspg. 11

• UnderstandingGrease pg. 12

• Russian Forestry pg. 15

• The TransatlanticChallenge pg. 17

cont. on pg. 2.

Excellent control of the stems in tightquarters. Gagne prefers the Rolly for itsdurability. The H822 easily handles the3,300 kg head.

67890 tigercat 3/6/07 3:29 PM Page 1

Risley Rolly harvesting head, a Tigercat1055 14-tonne forwarder and an olderTimbco forwarder that is retained as aspare. Gagne's company was the first in thestate to convert to CTL and the system hasprovided competitive advantages. Given thelate start to the 2006-2007 winter, manycontractors were unable to work due to softground conditions and were forced to waitfor the freeze up. Gagne's low impact CTLsystem enabled him to work straightthrough the extended and balmy fall season.Gagne explains, “The big advantage of cut-to-length is that we can work 52 weeks ayear. We might lose a rain day here or therebut very seldom do we have to stop.”

Since 1996 Gagne has been contractingexclusively to Wagner Forest Management,a company that manages large tracts offorestland for investment groups. Wagnermanages three million acres (1.2 million ha)of timberland in New England, WestVirginia, Nova Scotia and Ontario. The company's harvesting strategy in NewHampshire involves three partial cuts.

The first thinning targets the least valuabletimber on the tract and generally about one-third of the trees are extracted. Three tosix years later, after the softwood regenera-tion is well established, the tract is thinnedagain. This time half of the remaining larg-er, more valuable wood is extracted. Thefinal cut takes the remainder of the maturetimber. At this point the area has been

effectively clear felled but the regenerationis very well established for the next cycle.“Trees regenerate well in this area,” saysGagne. Rather than marking trees, Wagnerdevelops a prescription for each tract, outlining percentages, diameter range andspecies to he felled. It is left to Gagne'sexperience and judgment to determinewhich trees are to be felled to achieve thedesired result.

Because of the high quality, low environ-mental impact work that Gagne & Sons performs, the company is often placed insensitive or high visibility tracts. Pat recallsa particular thinning contract along ScenicRoute 16, a popular tourist route in NewHampshire. “They are not afraid to put menext to the highway,” he says. When lookingover a tract recently thinned by Gagne, it isdifficult to determine that mechanizedequipment ever operated there. The company also performs tricky blow-downand salvage work.

At this stage in the life cycle of Wagnermanaged forests in New Hampshire, Gagneis mostly involved in first thinning. The timber is quite small and there are a num-ber species to deal with including spruce,balsam, white and yellow birch, hard mapleand beech. There are usually six to eightsorts and although stem volumes vary, sixinch (15 cm) diameter trees reaching a paltry height of 30-40 ft. (9-12 m) are notuncommon.

Small average stem volume and multiplesorts have an adverse effect on production.This is not high volume logging. Gagne feelsthat his system has an advantage over conventional full-tree systems that requiremore iron and manpower and must achievea volume that may not even be sustainablein New Hampshire's market. Additionalcomplications include rocky, steep terrainand temperature extremes. Again Gagne hastailored his equipment to meet the demandsof the application, opting for a durable, lowmaintenance system.

In the face of tough industry conditionsand less than optimal forest resources, it isgood decision making, a precise understand-

2

The 1055 forwarderunloading at the deck.

67890 tigercat 3/6/07 3:29 PM Page 2

ing of costs and production and a simple,tight CTL operation that has kept Gagne &Sons in business.

Gagne's is a two man operation. Pat manages the business and runs the H822. Hisonly employee, Mickey Poirier, operates the1055 forwarder. Pat keeps careful track of histime on the harvester, averaging 20-25 hoursof actual cutting time spread over four daysper week. Mickey works five days per week,averaging about 60 hours in total. They process four to five loads per day for a week-ly volume of 650-750 tons (590-680 t). Thehauling is contracted to Mike Gagne Trucking(Pat's Brother) who owns three trucks, two ofwhich are self loading.

Gagne has built flexibility into the operationto accommodate his family and lifestyle. “Ialways know how much wood is on theground and I try to stay two or three daysahead of the forwarder,” explains Pat. Sincehe can put his weekly volume on the groundin four days, his fifth day is free for othertasks or he can choose to operate the spareforwarder.

The H822 is equipped with a Risley Rollyfixed processing head. Gagne purchased thispackage three years ago and has put 3,800working hours on it. At 7.5-8.5 gph (28-32 l/hr), the machine burns less fuel andis more productive than the machine itreplaced. Gagne also notes that the hydraulicoil temperature runs 40-50 F (approximately27 C) cooler. Hinting at how the operatingtemperature differences might affect the lifeof the Rolly head he comments, “That is thetemperature difference measured at the tank.Who knows what the temperature at thehead is.” Although the machine is oftenrequired to work on hillsides, Gagne optedfor a flat bottom machine. “It is one less system on the machine to worry about,” heexplains.

Working in first thinning applications, fastboom and swing cycles and a great deal ofmanoeuvring, track travel and multi-func-tioning are necessary to get the required production out the machine. Gagne feels thatthis duty cycle is more characteristic of afeller buncher than a harvester and he appreciates the ruggedness of the H822.

The same goes for the Rolly head, Gagne'sthird. He prefers the fixed head to a danglehead, citing better control of hardwood trees,far greater durability and added versatility. “Ican't afford to turn down work that is inap-propriate for a dangle head.” This latest headthat is mated to the H822 is equipped with amore robust intermittent disc saw instead ofa bar saw, further reducing maintenance. Ofcourse durability adds weight but the H822easily handles the 7,300 lb (3,300 kg) head.

Mickey Poirier put 2,000 hours on the 1055in its first year. Poirier previously ran aTimbco forwarder and at first missed thefunctionality of the rotating upper. “I wasused to being able to work in front of mewith the boom for brushing road,” heexplains. However, soon the advantages ofthe 1055 outweighed this short coming ofconventional forwarders. The machine ismore fuel efficient, consuming an average of3-4 gph (13-14 l/hr). From an operator's perspective, Poirier feels he has better vehiclecontrol, contributing to a smoother ride as hecan set both the maximum vehicle speed andengine rpm depending on the terrain andload. (See sidebar)

Poirier also likes the 360 degree visibilityand the high comfort level of the cab. Therehave been no mechanical problems save oneblown crane hose and structurally, bothPoirier and Gagne feel that the 1055 has noequal. Although centre section rebuilds were

3

cont. on pg. 4.

“If you surround

yourself with good

people and good

equipment, you

can do alright.”

Mickey Poirier appreciatesthe visibility and comfortof the cab as well as thework lights.

67890 tigercat 3/6/07 3:29 PM Page 3

a 2,000 hour recurrenceon his previous forwarders, Gagne doesnot anticipate ever havingto rebuild a centre section on the Tigercat.

Gagne, who is not interested in double shift-

ing and does not believe it is beneficial tohave more than one person running amachine, speaks highly of Poirier who wasformerly a skidder owner/operator. “Mickeyis a really good and careful operator. Hetreats the machine as if it was his own andtakes pride in his work. If you surroundyourself with good people and good equip-ment, you can do alright.”

By working smarter, Gagne has the time

he needs to devote to family interests. Hischildren, Lane (9) and Brittany (13) playbasketball in winter and are heavilyinvolved and very competitive in NewEngland Motorcross in summer. Pat and hiswife Rita spend a great deal of time travelling to races, raising sponsorshipfunds and maintaining the bikes.

Gagne emphasizes that with a twomachine system, he cannot affordunplanned downtime. In order to have thefree time available for his family's recreational pursuits, he has to run reliableequipment. He and Rita visited the Tigercatfacilities prior to purchasing the H822 andPat was impressed with the build quality ofthe machines. “This is one of the main reasons I switched to Tigercat.”

4

Forwarder operatorMickey Poirier (left) andPat Gagne.

Pat looks on as his brotherMike loads a truck.

Tigercat forwarders provide a number of methods forthe operator to control drive speed and the way themachine behaves during travel. The forwarders have atwo speed transmission. Generally speaking, low rangeis used during actual machine operation and highrange is used for roading the machine between sites.

On the right hand joystick control is a 'turtle' switch.When this switch is in the 'off' position the factorydefault drive settings will control engine speed as wellas drive pump and motor displacements in response tothe operator's input from the drive pedal. With thedrive pedal is fully depressed, the control system willaccelerate the engine speed to 2,200 rpm, move thedrive pump to maximum displacement and move themotor to minimum displacement, achieving the maxi-mum travel speed possible. The control system will thenautomatically adjust pump and motor displacementsaccording to load and terrain conditions, allowing full

power operation at the maximum possible travel speed.

When the 'turtle' switch is activated, the operator canuse controls on the joysticks to limit both the maximumtravel speed and the engine rpm in order to customizethe machine to personal preference and specific operating conditions.

Dialing back the travel speed alters the drive motordisplacement until the motor reaches maximum displacement. Continuing to dial back the travel speedcontrol will begin to destroke the pump, further reducing the maximum vehicle speed. Once the speedis set to the operator's preference, the operator canfully depress the drive pedal and maintain the selectedspeed with the engine operating at full rpm.

Dialing back the engine rpm control will increase fuelefficiency and reduce engine noise but also reducestotal available horsepower.

Tigercat forwarder drive control

67890 tigercat 3/6/07 3:29 PM Page 4

Between The BranchesTeam:

Judy Brooks (circulation)

Mike Ross

Paul Iarocci

Please send any comments to:

comments@tigercat.com

Saskatchewan based Almar Limbing --owned by brothers Marcel and AlainChalifour -- has been operating the prototype TH575 harvesting head mountedon a Tigercat H860C harvester in a mixedspruce and poplar roadside processing appli-cation near Fort McMurray in northeasternAlberta. Marcel is impressed with the productivity and uptime of the head andcarrier. His operators have put over 1,000hours on the machine and so far both thehead and carrier have been trouble-free.

The new TH575 harvesting head is specifically designed to match the high per-formance capabilities of Tigercat track carriers in harvesting, processing anddebarking applications. According to DuaneBarlow, product manager for attachments,the combination of a heavy-duty structure,taper-lock pins, isolation mounted valveassemblies and clean hose routings will provide high uptime.

For fast cutting performance, the TH575 isstandard equipped with a Hultdins Supercut100 main saw with an option for theSupercut 300. An optional HultdinsSupercut 100 topping saw is also available.

According to Barlow, “Three knife armsand two fixed knives provide excellentdelimbing capability and the patent pendingthree-wheel drive system achieves fasterfeeding speeds and superior feeding power.”A unique measuring control with a largerdiameter measuring wheel improves accura-cy. The standard Motomit IT computer system can be programmed for up to eightspecies and 100 preset selections per specieswith an option for full value-optimization.

Depending on the options, the TH575weighs between 2,300 and 2,700 kg (5,200-5,900 lb). It is best suited to dedicatedforestry carriers from 200-300 hp for harvesting softwood and hardwood in the 5-580 cm (2-23 in.) diameter range. Contactyour Tigercat dealer or go towww.tigercat.com for detailed specificationsand options.

New Tigercat TH575 harvesting head

5

The prototype TH575 has been workingtrouble-free for over 1,000 hours.

Redhead sales manager for Saskatoon,Chuck Miles with Marcel Chalifour andRichard Beaulac who operates theTigercat harvester.

67890 tigercat 3/6/07 3:29 PM Page 5

“We now have five Tigercat purpose-builtmachines in our various harvesting operations. The operator feedback is good,the availability of the machines is high andthe maintenance is minimal,” says DannyRichards of Richards Harvesting & Haulagein central Gippsland, Victoria.

Danny has expanded his harvesting operations from four crews in early 2004,to the five full crews he runs now. With thisexpansion, he has based his machine purchases around Tigercat. Danny now hasan annual harvest of around 270,000 cubicmetres of regrowth and plantation stands ofmixed eucalypt native hardwood.

“Our two Tigercat Tier II L830 fellerbunchers are both working in hardwoodoperations,” says Danny. The first one purchased in September 2004 -- now with3,000 hours -- is working for Grand RidgePlantations in plantation hardwood in theStrezlecki Ranges of southeastern Victoria.The second 2,000 hour machine is working

on a Vic Forest fire salvage operation in theConnors Plains region.

“In the plantation situation for GrandRidge we have a Tigercat L830 fitted with aCF750 Rosin [fixed bar saw] felling head.We often shovel the wood out to where themachines are picking up bunches to skiddown to a processing area where all fourlog types – large and medium saw log, E-grade and pulp are processed with aWaratah 624 on a Komatsu PC300-7 highwide. Also on that job we have a CAT 535grapple skidder pulling to the processingarea. In all cases we will forward from theprocessing area with the 1018 Tigercat forwarder [6,500 hours]. This machine isbuilt strong and can carry a good cart load.All the wood is stacked at roadside andloaded from there,” says Danny.

Danny describes the Vic Forest operation:“We tend to fell and bunch with the L830and then pull the regrowth to the landingwith a Tigercat 630C skidder [2,000 hours]which operator Larry Siemens is extremelyimpressed with. In the regrowth for VicForests, we manually measure and cut offthe sawlog then process the remainder ofthe tree into E-grade and pulp using aWaratah 624 fitted on a Komatsu PC300-6.The Tigercat L830 in the regrowth is fittedwith a Waratah FL235 fixed bar saw fellinghead which had come off a Komatsu 300-6which was burnt.” Danny explains.

“Our latest machine is the new Tier IIILH830C harvester.” The machine was delivered in December 2006 and hasacquired 250 hours thus far. “This machinehas the two-piece harvester boom set, witha Waratah HTH622B harvesting head and isworking medium sized native eucalypt inthe Licola region,” explains Danny.

6

Big Production In Big TimberAustralian contractor Danny Richards of Richards Harvesting& Haulage purchases fifth Tigercat.

-- Modified from original article and reprinted with permission, Australian Forests & TimberNews, March/April 2006

The L830 bunches treesto a prepared extraction or 'snig'track in native forest. Itis fitted with the RosinCF750 head.

67890 tigercat 3/6/07 3:29 PM Page 6

The Tier III updates, like the fully automatic variable speed cooling fan, 24volt system and increased engine horsepower are well appreciated by Danny.“The new machine is a fair bit quieter withthe new cooling fan system. The operatorRob Escreet is very impressed,” Danny comments.

The leveling machines are operating ongrades approaching 60%. “The levelingfeller bunchers work very well in the steeper country that we are getting into,”confirms Danny.

“The thing I like about Tigercat machineryis that it is strongly built and rugged with aheavy frame to handle the heavy work inlogging,” Danny continues. “The machineswe have purchased came straight off thefloat, all pre-delivered and went straight towork. We have seen only minimal need formaintenance beyond routine servicing andhence there has been very little downtime.”

Wayne (Chop) Caldwell operates the 1018forwarder and Damien Shaw and PeteVaninetti operate the L830 carriers. “Theygo so well. The hydraulics are powerful andresponsive and there are no overheatingproblems even during the height of summer. The base machine issues havebeen minimal to date and we have achievedeven higher availability than we budgetedfor,” says Danny.

“I am extremely happy with the perfor-mance of the Tigercat machines and theycertainly provide a secure base for ensuring

productivity across a range of conditionsand seasons,” Danny says in closing.

TopThe 1018 unloads at road-side. The first generationTigercat forwarder has greatvisibility for the operator andhigh payload capacity.

AboveOne of the company's L830carriers fitted with a WaratahFL235 head. The machineworks in mixed specieseucalypt.

LeftThe Tigercat 630C brings outa bunch of pulpwood forprocessing at the landing.

7

67890 tigercat 3/6/07 3:29 PM Page 7

The Allegany mountain region is alarge forest in western New Yorkthat reaches the Pennsylvania border.

It is comprised of more than 500,000 acres(200,000 ha) of relatively contiguous forestland and contains over 5,600 acres(2,300 ha) of mature old growth forest, thelargest such occurrence in New York outsidethe Adirondacks and Catskills. The forestscontain various hardwood species includingoak, black cherry, hard and soft maple, ashand a rich diversity of understorey plantspecies.

Potter Lumber Company is a fifth generation logging and sawmill operationlocated just outside of Olean, New York.Ernest (Ernie) Potter started the companyback in 1907. Today, Ted Potter Jr. (great-great grandson of Ernie) is in chargeof all functions for both the sawmill and logging operations.

Potter Lumber Company has always usedsimple yet effective motor-manual harvesting techniques. Up until the spring of2005, all trees were felled by hand and

pulled to the landing by cable skidders anda dozer. Today, trees are felled with a six-wheel feller buncher equipped with anintermittent disc saw. This machine is operated by Ted’s son, Jason Potter. Long-time and hard working employee DaveBrown operates a 2006 Tigercat 610 grapple skidder. Tim Potter, also Ted’s son,operates a knuckleboom loader with a barslasher. The trees are manually delimbedand topped in the woods.

Potter Lumber Company currently owns11,000 acres (4,450 ha) of forestland. Halfof Potter Lumber's harvesting activitiesoccur on its own land. The other half comesfrom timber rights purchased on other private land. Focusing exclusively on highvalue hardwood, Potter Lumber is typicallyharvesting 14-24 in. (35-60 cm) diametermaple, oak and cherry. The harvested woodfeeds the company's own sawmill which produces around five million board feet peryear. The lumber is exported to furnitureproducers throughout the world.

The logging crew works five days perweek, averaging eight to ten truck loadsdaily. Skid distances average one mile (1.6km) and can get as long as two miles butproductivity is adversely affected. Landingsare located downhill from the harvestingarea wherever possible. According to Dave,“The Tigercat machine is just as fast travel-ing up hill as it is skidding down. I am com-fortable with the speed of the Tigercat skid-der. If I drove it any faster, I probably wouldfind myself in some uncontrolled situations.”

Shortly after purchasing the 610 fromLyons Equipment salesman Clyde Houser,based out of Little Valley, NY, it was outfit-ted with ECO-Wheel Tracks from Hultdins.Potter had previously run double diamondstudded chains but was persuaded to try outthe tracks. “The Tigercat machine is tentimes better than the old Timberjack 460equipped with the chains,” says Ted Jr.

8

High Value Hardwood LoggingIn The Allegany Forest-- Mike Ross

“I couldn’t believeTigercat could

have built a bettersuited skidder for

this region”

(L-R) Dan Brown, TimPotter, Jason Potter,Ted Potter Jr, MikeRoss (Tigercat) andClyde Houser (LyonsEquipment)

67890 tigercat 3/6/07 3:29 PM Page 8

With the delayed winter, the tracks helpedtremendously. “We have taken that machinein places where we would have never takena machine before,” confirms Dave. “It walksthrough spots where a machine withouttracks or chains would have no chance ingetting through.” According to Dave, thespeed of the machine was not effected whenthe tracks were installed as the newest IQANprogram was also installed. “Stalling themachine is next to impossible,” he says. Fuelconsumption averages 4.1 gph (15.5 l/hr).

Prior to the purchase of the 610, Houserdemonstrated a 620C to the Potters whilethey were working at a ski resort in nearbyEllicottville. “At the time, the smallestgrapple skidder we had to demo to themwas the 620C,” explains Houser. “I knew itwould be too big for their application but I wanted themto try it out until we could get our hands on a 610.

“I couldn’t believe Tigercat could have built a bettersuited skidder for this region than the 620C,” says Dave.“But the 610 is ideal and the best machine I have everrun. I’m not getting any younger, so comfort and ease ofoperation is very important to me.”

“Preventative maintenance and care for the machines iswhat makes them last longer and helps keep them productive,” says Ted. “You will not find a better operator who takes very good care of his equipment thanDave. He is proud of the equipment he works with sokeeping it in top order is regular practice to him. Helooks forward to operating the Tigercat 610 for manymore years to come.”

9

The late start to winter made ground conditions challenging.

67890 tigercat 3/6/07 3:29 PM Page 9

The driving force behind the emergingmulching industry in Alberta is a preferencefor mulching rather then burning. Whetherit is a lease site for a drilling rig, a newpipeline installation or road construction,mulching has taken over from traditionalmethods used by pipeline builders and construction companies.

Traditionally, trees and brush wereremoved using various methods.Merchantable timber was sent to the milland everything else was piled with dozersand excavators and burnt.

With mulching, the remaining organicmaterial is simply mulched and scraped tothe side with a dozer. After the job is com-plete, the organic material is spread back

onto the site during the reclaimation process.

Mulching is being used extensively in thedevelopment of the oil sands in northernAlberta. Tigercat recently sold two M760mulchers equipped with ATI track modulesfor reduced ground pressure for oil sandrelated applications. The M760 carrier isnow equipped with a CAT C-13 415 hp TierIII engine.

The oil in oil sand is called bitumen. Inorder for bitumen to be processed in refineries, it must first be upgraded.Upgrading involves removing carbon andadding hydrogen. The end product is synthetic crude oil which is transported bypipeline to refineries across NorthAmerica.

More Mulching, Less burning

10

Upgrading facilities similar to thiswill be popping up all over north-ern Alberta and the vast networkof pipelines will continue toexpand.

The M760 with ATI track modules for low ground pressure.

67890 tigercat 3/6/07 3:29 PM Page 10

11

www.bonfigliolicanada.com

For more information on the full line of quality Bonfiglioli

power & control solutions visit:

Request a copy

of our FREE CD

Bonfiglioli Canada is part of the BonfiglioliGroup, one of the world’s leading designersand manufacturers of planetary drives. Forover 25 years, Bonfiglioli has provided manufacturers of a wide variety of off-roadapplications with high quality, reliable

solutions to their drive problems. Today, withlocal assembly and warehousing in Toronto,Bonfiglioli Canada is equipped better thanever to respond rapidly and efficiently to customer needs throughout Canada.

Wheel & Tracked VehiclesPlanetary Drives for

For Wheel and Tracked vehicles, transit mixers, excavators,and truck mounted cranes, Bonfiglioli Planetary

Travel, Swing and Mixer Drives are second to none.

U.S. Sales AwardsTop Stores

Tidewater Equipment - Hazlehurst, GA

Patrick Miller - Many, LA

A.G. Lassiter - Chocowinity, NC

Top SalesmenJimmy Watkins - Tidewater Equipment, Hazlehurst, GA

Jeremy Strickland - Tidewater Equipment, Conway, SC

Van McLoon - Tidewater Equipment, Brunswick, GA

Cleve Altman - B & G Equipment, Hattiesburg, MS

Ben Smith - Tidewater Equipment, Walterboro, SC

Todd Mathews - Tidewater Equipment, Forsyth, GA

Reece Mincey - Tidewater Equipment, Hazlehurst, GA

Wayne Ammons - Patrick Miller, Many, LA

Brian Smith - Tidewater Equipment, Thomasville, GA

Von Dennis - Tidewater Equipment, Newberry, SC

Tommy Kirby - Cotton Hutcheson/Tidewater, Evergreen, AL

Tommy Parks - Bullock Brothers, Smithfield, NC

Rick Diggs - Tidewater Equipment, Starke, FL

Jim Lattay - Tidewater Equipment, Thomasville, GA

Jimmy Harris - A.G. Lassiter, Chocowinity, NC

Canadian Sales AwardsStrongco Equipment Top Tigercat Sales Awards:

Quebec Dave Quimper

Central Region Maurice Boudreau

Atlantic Region Danny St John

Alberta Richard Parslow

Parker Pacific Top Tigercat Sales Awards:

Prince George Rick Datoff

Quesnel Tom Mower

Houston Darren Brook

Fort St John Link Snider

Williams Lake Doug Parchomchuk

Tigercat Awards for Outstanding Performance in 2006

Top. Wayne Ammons with Tigercat district manager Heinz Pfeifer.Above. The Tidewater organization award recipients. (Backrow) Reece Mincey, Van McLoon, Jim Lattay, Tommy Kirby,Brian Smith; (Front row) Tony Iarocci (Tigercat), ToddMathews, Brad Crews, Von Dennis, Jimmy Watkins, Ben Smith,Jeremy Strickland, Ken Trowbridge (Tidewater vice-president).

67890 tigercat 3/6/07 3:29 PM Page 11

Common to all mechanical equipment isthe need for grease. Any components thathave relative movement require lubrication.

Many component failures are diagnosed asthe result of lack of lubrication. This diagno-sis can point to several problems. Lack oflubrication can mean no lubrication wasapplied to the component. It may also meanlubricant was applied less frequently thanrequired for the application. An often over-looked reason for component failure due tolack of lubrication is the quality or type ofgrease used.

Tigercat recommends Lithium base EP 2with Moly (Molybdenum Disulphide) for allthe equipment it manufactures. Selecting aquality grease that provides proper lubrica-tion can be difficult since many of us knowrelatively little about what grease actually isor how it works.

What do we expect grease to do?“The function of a grease is to remain in

contact with and lubricate moving partswithout leaking out under gravity or centrifugal action or being squeezed outunder pressure. Its major practical require-

ment is that it retain its properties undershear at all temperatures it is subjected tounder use. At the same time, grease must beable to flow through grease guns and fromspot to spot in the lubricated machinery asneeded, but must not add significantly tothe power required to operate the machine,particularly at start-up.” (Boehringer 1992)

What is Grease?Grease is a semi-fluid to solid mixture

consisting of:

A fluid lubricant. The most common lubri-cant used is mineral oil but synthetic oilsand vegetable oils are also used.

A thickener. This is commonly referred toas the base or soap. The thickener is used toemulsify or suspend the oil and allow it toflow in a controlled manner into therequired area. Think of this as soaking asponge in oil. When the sponge is squeezed,the oil flows out.

Additives. A wide variety of additives canbe added to grease to enhance performanceunder specific conditions.

LubricantAs stated earlier, the lubricant used in

grease can be one of several types, mineraloil being the most common. By volume, oilis the largest component of any grease andcan make up 75% to 90% of the total prod-uct, depending on the type of grease and it'sintended use. Aside from the quality of thelubricant used to manufacture a particulargrease, the viscosity of the lubricant is thecritical consideration. Viscosity is identifiedby the number in the specification. Forexample when looking at Tigercat's greasespecification (Lithium base EP 2 with Moly),it is the '2' that tells us this grease is of suit-able viscosity for the application. Generallyspeaking, low viscosity oil is used for lowtemperature, low load and high speed appli-cations. High viscosity oil is used for hightemperature, high load and slow speedapplications.

Understanding Grease-- Rick Routliffe, service representative

12

When lubricating certain components likethe saw drive spindlebearing shown here, itis important to use amanual grease gun toprevent seal damage.Always refer to theoperator’s manual.

67890 tigercat 3/6/07 3:29 PM Page 12

13

ThickenerA wide variety of thickeners (base or soap)

can be used depending again on the application. Thickeners are generally madeof fatty acids and animal fat as well as cal-cium, sodium, metal hydroxide, aluminumor lithium. Lithium based grease adhereswell to metal, is non-corrosive, provideswater resistance, remains stable underheavy loads and has a drip temperature of190-220 C (350-400 F). It is interesting tonote that some inexpensive, low perfor-mance greases use clay as a thickeningagent.

Labels often identify the base or thickeneras complex, for example Complex LithiumBase. Complex base thickener contains twodissimilar fatty acids in its composition andimproves performance of the final productat higher temperature ranges.

Additives

Additives are used to inhibit oxidation,resist corrosion from water, chemical orcorrosive elements and to provide anti-wear

properties. Heavy loading can over stressthe thickener causing the excessive releaseof the emulsified lubricating oil, resulting ina lubricating film that is too thin. Extremepressure or EP additives are solid lubri-cants, usually graphite or molybdemumdisulphide (moly). EP additives provide protection against scoring and gallingunder heavy loading conditions. Thesesolid lubricants bond to the surface ofthe metal and prevent metal-to-metalcontact and the resulting friction andwear that occurs when the lubricant filmgets too thin.

Both graphite and moly are quality EPadditives. However, moly is more thantwice as dense as graphite. The low den-sity of graphite will cause it to break downunder severe loads while moly, a far superior material, will support severe loadsand maintain a lubricating film. It is veryimportant to note that grease containingmolybdenum disulphide or graphite is bestdescribed as being dark grey to black incolour. Any other colour of grease (red,

An often over-looked reason forcomponent failure

due to lack of lubrication is thequality or type of

grease used.

cont. on pg. 14.

67890 tigercat 3/6/07 3:29 PM Page 13

14

green, blue, etc.) does not contain either ofthese materials.

To illustrate the need for quality lubrica-tion, consider the main boom on a Tigercat860C feller buncher equipped with a 5702felling saw. The load created by the weightof the boom, felling head and the trees inthe head is focused on the main boom basepin. With the head loaded with stems andthe boom fully extended, the force acting onthe contact area between the pin and bush-ing is approximately 50,000 lb (22,680 kg)and the contact area is about four squareinches. When the load is spread over thecontact area, this joint will see 12,500 psi.12,500 lb (5,670 kg) is the weight of anaverage sized male African bull elephant.Shock loads to the boom frequently doubleor triple the load on the contact area forbrief periods of time.

Always refer to the operator's manual forgrease requirements specific to eachmachine and contact your dealer if you

require more information. Using a highquality grease that meets the equipmentmanufacturer's specifications and followingthe manufacturer's lubrication scheduleshould not be viewed as an expense. It is aninvestment that will maximize equipmentlife, productivity and resale value. In short,using high quality grease maximizes thereturn on your capital investment and contributes to a reduction in cost per ton ofyour entire logging operation.

67890 tigercat 3/6/07 3:29 PM Page 14

Spanning eleven time zones fromthe Baltic Sea to the PacificOcean, Russia has approximately22% of the world's forest area –more than any other country.

By comparison, Brazil accounts for sixteenpercent of the world's forest cover. Canadaand the United States have seven and sixpercent respectively. In view of Russia'sstaggering forest resource, it is no surprisethat in the late 1990s Tigercat took noticeand embarked on a plan to enter into theRussian forestry equipment market.

During the latter years of the Soviet era,the annual harvest was estimated at over300 million cubic metres per year. This isjust behind the United States and Canada,the world's largest timber producers. In1987 Mikhail Gorbachev introduced a seriesof economic reforms termed Perestroika (lit-erally translates as reconstructing) in aneffort to replace the planned economy witha decentralized market-oriented system.

An unforeseen consequence of this top-down approach to change was a shiftfrom stagnation to all out deterioration ofthe Soviet economy. The forest industry didnot escape this general trend of decay andthe annual harvest dropped below 100 mil-lion cubic metres. Since then, harvestinglevels have steadily increased (see graphbelow) and Russia is poised to recapture itsranking as a leading producer and supplierof industrial round wood.

Distribution

One of the key relationships Tigercatestablished in Russia was the 2004 signingof Perm based Forest Machines Ltd. as itsrepresentative for sales and service. Situatedon the western edge of the Ural MountainRange, Perm is 1,300 km east of Moscow.Capital of the province of Perm, the city isthe industrial centre of the Urals and thegateway to Siberia. Perm is an ideal base forForest Machines. It is situated in proximityto massive forest resources and is also atransportation hub -- the Kama River, theGreat Trans-Siberian Railroad and mainhighway from Moscow to Siberia all passthrough Perm.

Tigercat has worked closely with dealerprincipal Yuriy Torokhov to develop thenecessary industry contacts that have laidthe groundwork for the first direct commercial sales by Tigercat into Russia.

Customers

The initial sale in Russia was complex. Itwas only after two years of proposals andnegotiations that Tigercat signed the firstcontract with Solikamskbumprom for thesale of seven machines. Solikamskbumprom-- a forward thinking company and keyplayer in global newsprint -- decided after

15

The Russian Forest Industry Re-emerges -- Zach Wilkie, international sales coordinator

cont. on pg. 16.

Members of theSolikamskbumprom crewwith James Farquhar andRick Routliffe.

67890 tigercat 3/6/07 3:29 PM Page 15

an exhaustive review of available methodsand harvesting systems that its expansionplans were best achieved with Tigercatequipment.

The first sale included the followingmachines: one 870C feller buncher, twoH822C harvesters, two 630C skidders, aT250B loader and a 1055 forwarder. Sincethe closing of this deal Tigercat has shippedtwo additional orders. As of February 2007,Tigercat will have 29 machines operating inthe northwest and south-central Siberia.

Service sells the second one

As the adage goes, service sells the secondone. Tigercat and Forest Machines are com-mitting technical and financial resources toensure the machines are properly supported.Forest Machines has invested heavily in aparts inventory that will allow for deliveryanywhere in Russia in under a week.

Further expansion is underway to appointsub-dealer representatives throughoutRussia. Each service contractor will berequired to meet Tigercat's stringent standards regarding tooling and customerservice. The first service centres are planned

for south-central Siberia in the cities ofIrkutsk and Krasnoyarsk, providing cus-tomers in the region with a choice. Tigercatand Forest Machines will closely monitorthe performance of the service centres.

In addition to parts availability and theservice centres, Tigercat has offered trainingin Russia for the start-up of each operation.In late 2006, Canadian district managerJames Farquhar and service representativeRick Routliffe accompanied me to Russia.With the assistance of Forest Machines per-sonnel, we completed an in-depth trainingprogram that focused on service and thesuccessful operation of the Tigercat equipment. This program will be repeated insouth-central Siberia to coincide with addi-tional machine start-ups.

The Russian forest industry faces manychallenges. Much of Russia's forests arelocated in extremely remote regions withinsufficient infrastructure and an incompletetransportation network. Environmental constraints and a high mortality rate relatedto forest fires and insect outbreaks add further complications.

The success of the participants in theRussian forest industry will be based oneach party's ability to adapt, outperform andpersevere in the face of change. Offeringinnovative, low cost per tonne harvestingsystems and full after-sale support, Tigercatand Forest Machines are well positioned toserve this re-emerging market.

16

Secret CityDuring Soviet times, Perm was a fortress. The city and

surrounding area was a major producer of military hardware. Artillery, rocket vehicles, intercontinental ballisticmissile launching systems, engines for MiG jet fighters andother weapons were produced in Perm. The Soviets virtuallyhid Perm from the rest of the world and most people outside of the Urals had no idea of the city's existence orthe million plus citizens it contained. It was not until the endof the cold war that Perm even appeared on maps. TodayPerm is one of Russia's fastest growing cities and enjoys agreat measure of economic prosperity based on its strong manufacturing sector.

On site classroom training for theSolikamskbumpromemployees was part ofthe machine start-upprogram.

67890 tigercat 3/6/07 3:29 PM Page 16

17

cont. on pg. 18.

In November 2006 CreamProductions approached Tigercatand Ponsse about participating ina television production scheduledto air in North America andEurope in mid-2007. The episodewould be part of a series calledMean Machines II - TheTransatlantic Challenge.

A follow up to the successful MeanMachines series that featured machines withextraordinary capabilities, each new half-hour show pits a North American designedmachine against a similar Europeandesigned machine in challenges intended toshowcase the unique capabilities of theequipment. The Tigercat-Ponsse episode willinvolve a friendly competition betweenTigercat and Ponsse forwarders.

Cream Productions found a Ponsse dealerin Timmins, Ontario that agreed to providea new 18-tonne Buffalo King forwarder.Timmins based contractor StephaneThibault, owner of Mid North Logging Inc.generously allowed the use of his six-monthold Tigercat 1075 20-tonne forwarder andpermitted the episode to be filmed at his jobsite. With everything falling into place andall parties agreeing to participate, two daysin December were scheduled to shoot thevarious machine challenges. Additional par-ticipants from Tigercat were forwarderdesigners Jeff Lotz and Sean Phillips andOntario district manager Derek Tremblay.Maurice Boudreau, salesman for StrongcoEquipment in Timmins was also present.

The challenges proposed by the productioncompany were designed to be impressive tothe viewing audience and did not really

reflect the productive capabilities of themachines. Some of the proposed challengeswere not feasible for one reason or another.For instance it was not possible to build anobstacle course that was difficult enough tonegotiate. A test proposed to determinewhich machine could hold the most logs inthe grapple was not agreed to by Ponssebecause the Tigercat grapple is quite a bitlarger than the Ponsse grapple. In the end,five challenges were agreed to by all parties.

The Pick Up Sticks Challenge

The first was an empty speed test throughthe woods. A pile of logs was located at thebase of a gentle 250 m (275 yd) long slope.The machines would start at the top of theslope and travel as quickly as possible to thesingle grapple load of logs at the base of theslope. After loading the logs, the machineswould continue forward, making a largeturn back up the slope to the finish line atthe top.

With no practice run, the Tigercat 1075

The Making of Mean Machines II - The Transatlantic Challenge Tigercat vs. Ponsse-- Jon Cooper, product manager forwarders and wheel harvesters

The film shoot for the half-hour show took twodays.

67890 tigercat 3/6/07 3:29 PM Page 17

went first. Breaking trail, it completed thecourse in 3:06 minutes. The time wouldhave been better except a slight miscalcula-tion in one turn required operator LucVarano to stop, reverse and manoeuvrearound a standing tree. Ponsse, having thebenefit of seeing this, followed the 1075tracks but negotiated the standing tree without backing up. The Ponsse bettered the1075 time by four seconds. It was fun towatch but no measure of how much woodthe machines could move to roadside duringregular production.

The Log Cabin Challenge

The next challenge involved stacking 2.4 m (8 ft.) logs in a square pattern tobuild a structure similar to a log cabin. Thelogs were to be stacked four high and the operator who completed the task in theshortest time won. The Ponsse operatorwent first. With his small grapple he had afairly easy time building the structure. Lucstated that he would have a hard time withthis challenge. The 1075 is equipped with agiant Hultdins 520 grapple which opens tonearly eight feet. It barely fit between thestacked eight foot logs. Releasing the logswithout touching the others was nearlyimpossible. With a smaller grapple, a Ponsseforwarder can definitely build log cabinsmore quickly than a Tigercat forwarder.

At the end of the first day the Buffalo Kinghad won two challenges. The huge Ponsse

entourage could not contain themselveswith the success of the day...

The Load Capacity Challenge

This challenge was quite straight forwardand simple; pile as many logs as possible onthe machine and see if the other machinecan match or exceed the volume. TheTigercat 1075 went first. Luc did an exceptional job of loading the machine to itsmaximum. Then he filled the massive grapple to capacity and set the logs perpen-dicular on top of the load, signalling that hewas finished. Director Stavros Stavridescalled the Ponsse people over. They werenot happy, claiming that this was not a fairtest; the machine was overloaded and couldnot possibly travel with that size of load.

Luc, now mildly indignant, drove aroundthe site, demonstrating that the machinecould in fact travel with that size of load. Isuggested they load their machine in thesame manner. Despite endless claims theprevious day that the Ponsse could carry thesame volume of wood as the Tigercat, thePonsse representatives realized they couldnot load the machine in the same manner.

Instead they suggested that the machinesbe loaded to the top of the stakes on theload bunks. We agreed and Luc removed afew grapple loads of logs. Then the Ponssewas parked beside the 1075 and the operator began removing logs from the1075 wagon and loading up the BuffaloKing. The operator picked each log individu-ally to load the bunk as efficiently as possible. Despite a valiant effort from theoperator who piled well above the stakes, ahefty load of logs still remained in thebunks of the 1075. It was gratifying to seethat the first win for the Tigercat was achallenge that actually reflected the productivity of the machine.

The Hat Challenge

The intent of this challenge was to demonstrate the precise control possiblewith the cranes on these large, strongmachines. Originally the plan was to placeeggs on golf tees. It sounds impossible butmight have worked had the tips of the

18

The load capacitychallenge. 1075operator Luc Varanoproved that he couldindeed travel withthe load.

67890 tigercat 3/6/07 3:29 PM Page 18

19

grapple tongs passed closer together. Hardhats were substituted for the eggs. A shortpole was placed in the ground on either sideof the machine and a hard hat was placedon top of the pole. The task was to movethe hard hat from one pole to the otherthree times. Both operators easily completedthe task. Unfortunately a gust of wind blewthe hat out of the 1075 grapple. Luc, a highly skilled operator, easily picked the hatoff the ground and placed it on the stickanyway. The director was so impressed withthe manoeuvre that he declared it a successful placement and the challengeended in a draw.

The Stability Challenge

This challenge was devised to demonstratethe ability of the machines to stay uprightwhile exposed to overturning forces. Withthe machine bunks empty, a grapple full of4.8 m (16 ft.) logs would be held over theside of the machine using the crane. Thegrapple load would try to tip over the rearframe of the machine. The further over theside of the machine the logs were held, themore the load of logs would try to tip themachine. The winner would be the machinethat could hold the logs furthest over theside while driving forward and steering fullyfrom one direction to the other. Ponsseelected to go first.

The operator filled his grapple with a loadof logs. While sitting still with the machinesteered straight ahead, he positioned theload of logs over the side of the machine.Then he stopped. He radioed to say that hecould not move without the rear of themachine tipping over.

It is important to note that the Ponsse forwarder is equipped with an oscillationlocking device that connects the front framesolidly to the rear frame when engaged.When the machine is stopped the lockengages automatically. When the machinebegins travelling the lock disengages automatically. Locking the front frame tothe rear frame gives the rear frame morestability when the machine is stationary.This prevents the rear frame from tipping

over when large loads are lifted with thecrane. However, it does not help while themachine is moving as it cannot be engagedwhile travelling. During travel the front andrear frames must be allowed to oscillate relative to one another to ensure that allwheels stay on the ground. The oscillationalso prevents high stresses from damagingthe machine structure.

The operator was advised to move theload closer to the machine before attempt-ing to travel. He moved the load within ametre (3 ft.) of the side of the machine.Even at this position, the machine wasunstable. When the operator tried to steerthe machine, the wheels came off theground and the rear frame tipped overuntil the load in the grapple was on theground. With the machine fully steered tothe left while travelling, the operator couldbarely hang the grapple over the right sideof the machine without the rear frame tipping over.

The Tigercat 1075 was designed with careful consideration to machine stabilityand does not require a centre joint oscillation lock. Luc picked up the samegrapple load and quickly moved it to fullreach while driving forwards and backwardsand steering completely from left to right.He used the crane to bounce the load in aneffort to destabilize the machine. Later Lucconfided to me that when he realized whatthis challenge was going to entail, he knewthat he could not lose. He explained that hehad operated competitors’ machinesdesigned similarly to the Ponsse and theywere not nearly as stable as the 1075.

At the end of day two the productioncrew congratulated both sides, declaringthe challenge a draw. Watch for theepisode to be broadcast on the DiscoveryChannel later this year. Thanks to StrongcoEquipment and especially to StephaneThibault and operator, Luc Varano for alltheir assistance.

67890 tigercat 3/6/07 3:29 PM Page 19

20

Letters to the Editor:E-mail: comments@tigercat.com Internet: www.tigercat.com Tel: (519) 442-1000Mail: 40 Consolidated Drive, P.O. Box 544, Paris, ON Canada, N3L 3T6

Kance's 600E engineering drawing. “I want to know ifyou like my plan about a new kind of Tigercat. It is a600E. It might be small but you can put the same engineas a 630C.”

LETTER TO THE EDITORI am Kance Nicholson. I am eleven years old and I love

Tigercat equipment. I want to some day own my ownlogging equipment like my father. His name is RussellNicholson and he has his own logging equipment company named Russell Nicholson and Son's Logging.He has gotten me really interested in the industry as Igrew older. I got my first experience at four years old. Iplayed on a loader at this age and I have loved it eversince. I want to be a Tigercat equipment owner.

My life's dream is to one day have my own equipmentand maybe have children one day to love logging asmuch as me. I am going to have a Tigercat 620C skidder, 720D cutter and a 244B loader. I want to havemy invention of the Tigercat 600E skidder to be one ofthe best designed. Maybe one day Tigercat can use my drawings and plans for a new design in the future.

-- Kance Nicholson

11 years old

67890 tigercat 3/6/07 3:29 PM Page 20