2018 International Forest Industries IFI April May 2018 Digital | Page 60

Tigercat 724G drive-to-tree feller buncher working in Virgina
Tigercat offers one of the broadest
range of both track and drive-to-
tree feller bunchers in the industry.
Along with innovative features
like the ER boom and WideRange,
Tigercat’s feller bunchers offer
long service life, high machine
availability rates, excellent service
access and the clear operator
sightlines.
855E and L855E feller buncher
For plantation eucalyptus
applications, Tigercat offers the
855E carrier equipped with the
2000 series bunching shear. This
combination is a low cost-per-
tonne solution for harvesting
eucalyptus pulpwood on account of
the fast shear cycles and extremely
efficient carrier hydraulics.
The 2000 shear accumulates
large parallel bunches, improving
skidder productivity. In addition,
the shear is a lower cost, lower-
maintenance alternative to a
disc-saw felling head. In rocky
58 International Forest Industries | APRIL / MAY 2018
or abrasive soil types, the
maintenance and wear benefits are
even more pronounced. The shear-
equipped feller buncher also burns
less fuel compared with a disc saw.
The 855E can also be mated to the
Tigercat 5185 directional felling
saw for an extremely fuel-efficient
machine to fell and shovel large,
high value timber.
The L855E features Tigercat’s
patented forest-duty levelling
undercarriage, providing
exceptional stability on steep
slopes. It uses two massive
hydraulic cylinders and heavy
steel sections for a solution that is
simple, robust and reliable.
An important advantage
common to Tigercat track feller
bunchers is ER boom technology.
ER technology provides increased
production compared with
conventional boom systems
– especially in high-cycle
applications.
The patented ER boom system
allows the machine operator to
extend and retract the boom on
a horizontal plane smoothly and
quickly using a single joystick. The
introduction of the new 3-mode ER
boom control allows the operator
to choose between ER, semi-ER
and conventional.
The new semi-ER function
allows the operator to extend the
boom on a horizontal plane using
a single joystick but retracts the
boom with the increased power of
both cylinders, doubling the pull
force. The stick boom or ‘reach’
joystick controls both the main
and stick booms simultaneously,
resulting in the attachment moving
either away from or toward the
operator. The main boom and tilt
functions operate in the traditional
manner to adjust the height and
angle of the attachment.
Key to this technology is
reduced energy consumption. The
ER system transfers energy back
and forth between the main and
the stick boom functions, reducing
the total energy needed to move
the boom system. This translates to
reduced demands for power, pump
flow and system cooling.
“Competing solutions do