2017 International Forest Industries Magazines October November 2017 | Page 47

Southstar Equipment, a division
of the Quadco group in Canada,
manufactures a full spectrum of
world-class forest harvesting and
processing heads. The factories are
in Canada and New Zealand, and
a subsidiary in Australia for local
inventory, sales and support.
The heads can be mounted on
any carrier make. This gives the
customer exceptional value as
there are a lot of quality choices
in base machines with local
dealer support. Southstar is fully
committed to supporting these
dealers.
“The combination o f expertise
from the dealers and Southstar
will produce a well-functioning
machine and professional customer
experience,” Quadco reckons.
From machines specifically
designed for thinning operations,
to processing heads in single
or multi-stem applications, the
Southstar Equipment line-up of
machines makes it possible for
each client to deal directly with one
supplier only.
This facilitates the reduction
of inventory and training needs
as all products manufactured by
Southstar have the same hydraulic
system. The only difference would
be the motors and cylinders
between the various models.
“The simplicity of the hydraulic
system and the fact that it is the
same in all processing heads
makes the product support a
breeze for any technician,” Quadco
said.
Southstar has many innovative
features as part of its product
line-up.
All processing and harvesting
and felling heads come standard
with continuous rotation, auto-saw
tensioning and laser-type butt end
find where applicable. Optional
features may include replaceable
knife edges, different feed-wheel
styles and computer software
options. etc.
The processors and harvesters
only use four lines from the base
machine, which makes installing
the heads on any base machine
remarkably easy and cost effective.
Each head comes with a full
computer system as standard.
One of the most important
factors is accuracy in length and
diameter, which is the result of
prioritization during the design
process. Today, Southstar
processors are referred to as one of
the most accurate, in both length
and diameter, of all processors
available on the market. This
gives each owner an advantage as
production data are as accurate as
they could be.
“Various sizes and types of
heads available from Southstar
form a full line up of machines
needed to make an operation
productive, reliable and cost
effective,” Quadco said.
The first is the thinning head,
QS450, specifically designed
to handle smaller trees in the
optimum range of up to 35-45cm.
“It’s a fast and durable processor
design making it a reliable and
productive addition to any line-up
the customer may choose,” the
manufacturer stated.
Next is the group of harvester/
processor heads: QS500, QS600
and QS630. Each is designed to
be able to fall and process full
trees or to be used in cut-to-length
systems. The recommended tree
size ranges are 45-60cm, 55-65cm,
and 60-80cm, respectively.
The third is a grapple processor
group: QS505, QS605 and QS635
with similar recommended tree
sizes as above. The grapple
processors are used to process
trees on a landing. The short
hanging bracket makes these
heads more stable and easier
to control compared to dangling
heads with a longer tilt frame.
This speeds up the processing
as the head is easier to line up with
the next log to be grabbed from
the pile. The grapple processor
can also be used to load the truck
as the arms open up wider than in
standard processing heads.
The fourth product is a
directional felling head, the FD750
with a felling capacity up to 100
cm. The head has many innovative
design features. It is one of the first
felling heads to be able to give the
operator an indication of how many
trees have been felled. The on-
screen display also gives a warning
to the operator that the saw bar
is not home, preventing saw bars
from being bent when felling trees.
Satellite communication, called
the Startrax system, is readily
available to enable customers to
receive production reports on an
automated basis. This system does
not rely on cell phone coverage,
the use of USB sticks or Wi-Fi; thus,
eliminating the human error factor
and giving operators security in
data receiving.
Southstar heads heads can be mounted on any carrier for a
higher number of quality choices in base machines with local
dealer support
QS450 is designed for thinning operations
Process trees in the landing with Southstar grapple processors The
short hanging bracket gives better stability for easier movement
control compared to dangling heads with a longer tilt frame
International Forest Industries | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2017 45