Bobcat Tracked Loader Clears Forest Roads

Franz-Paul Schloß clears forestry roads with a Bobcat T770H compact tracked loader and Forestry Cutter Attachment.

To allow workers to get to forest jobsites with their machines in Karlsruhe in Germany, the Franz-Paul Schloß forestry and landscaping company is constructing forestry roads and keeping them clear of unwanted growth with the help of a new T770H compact tracked loader and forestry cutter attachment from Bobcat.

Forest management and care is essential: trees weakened by disease or pests must be removed to ensure that the surrounding vegetation remains healthy and can continue to thrive. However, before forestry workers can get to work felling large, diseased or obstructive trees, the openings for numerous forestry roads must first be cleared, allowing tree felling crews to penetrate deep into the heart of the forests. For this purpose, hedges and undergrowth have to removed and tree trimmings, grass sods and surface vegetation mulched to create pathways that are accessible not only for workers on foot but also for their heavy duty forestry machinery.

"There is no alternative to a Bobcat machine"

Franz-Paul Schloß, Managing Director of the Franz-Paul Schloß forestry and landscaping company believes there is no alternative to the Bobcat machine: "In my opinion, Bobcat is unrivalled as far as machine performance and the range of attachments are concerned. The combination of the T770H High Flow loader with the forestry cutter is ideal for this area of application. Not only the loader but also the attachment can be steered with such precision that the bordering vegetation is not damaged. On this particularly rough and in some places extremely sloped terrain, the T770H's tracked undercarriage offers outstanding traction, even on sodden ground, while at the same time preserving the subsoil due to the relatively low ground pressure in comparison to wheeled vehicles.

"With its compact dimensions and outstanding manoeuvrability, the T770H loader can work in tight spaces without damaging the trees or bushes bordering the edges of the path being cleared, which would not be the case with larger forestry machines.

"I chose the T770H compact tracked loader because it gives me more flexibility than ever. In future I can just rent in any attachment that is useful for my work to complement the use of the forestry cutter. In this way, the T770H loader can be precisely customized to almost any task, thanks to the range of over 50 different attachments. For forestry applications, attachments such as tree stump grinders, woodchippers, flail cutters and the widest diversity of buckets with or without grapples can be used."

Optimally adjusted to the task

The T770H loader purchased by Franz-Paul Schloß features a high-power hydraulics system (151 l/min), a roller suspension undercarriage and a cab with a heating and air-conditioning system, allowing work to be performed at any time of the year. The machine is also equipped with the Bobcat forestry applications kit. This kit, incorporating reinforced polycarbonate window panes, front and rear light guards and a FOPS grid on the cab roof, offers the driver the highest possible safety when working on forest job sites. It also includes a hydraulics quick coupler guard that prevents the hydraulic lines from running dry if the hoses are damaged.

In addition to this, the dealer, Bobcat Karlsruhe, also designed and fitted two safety features specifically for the Schloß company: a rear-view back-up camera with LCD colour display and an exterior microphone. The back-up camera improves vision to the rear, making it easier for the driver to take stock of his working environment and thereby minimize hazards. The exterior microphone is connected to loudspeakers in the interior of the machine so that the driver can better hear the sounds of the work area and, for instance, be alerted to people approaching his machine more quickly because he can hear their voices.

The forestry cutter

Franz-Paul Schloß uses the forestry cutter attachment to cut down trees within minutes, grinding them to mulch in the process. The attachment is also ideally suited for shredding and mulching brushwood. Its 24 double-tipped carbide teeth mounted on a 150 cm wide drum guarantee high productivity even under the most extreme conditions. The forestry cutter has a hold-down clamp to protect it against falling branches and deflect falling bushes and trees. Its hydraulic front cover can be opened up to fell and mulch trees, while hedges, bushes and grass sods are mulched with the lid closed. The very first time he used the cutter, Franz-Paul Schloß found he could effortlessly cut through the middle of trees with trunks with a diameter of 20 cm and then grind down the remaining stump. This approach reduces the amount of falling debris so that damage to the adjacent trees and bushes can be kept to a minimum. The shredding of a rotten 50 cm thick tree stump also posed no problem for the forestry cutter. Another great advantage of the forestry cutter is that the plant clippings produced can be shredded down to a size that rots away quite naturally so that these waste materials do not have to be collected and taken away.

The company

The Franz-Paul Schloß Company based in Jockgrim, was founded in 1990 and today has a staff of seven, active in the area of forestry, horticulture and landscaping. It has been a Bobcat customer since 1994. The company purchased the T770H loader with forestry cutter from Bobcat Karlsruhe, a branch office of Bobcat Bensheim GmbH & Co. KG. Bobcat Bensheim has been firmly established in the construction machinery sector for more than 30 years. With its 16 branch offices, it is Germany's largest Bobcat dealership and has the highest sales. The company and all its offices were incorporated into the Doosan Infracore Equipment Construction division as a so-called "Company Owned Store" in 2007.

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