2017 International Forest Industries Magazines May 2017 SHOW Special | Page 81
Before trade dress change to John Deere in 2005, WCTL machines
from Finland were delivered either in Timberjack green or John Deere
construction color according to the distribution channel.
Nova Scotia fast facts
• The first permanent European settlement was established in
1605 by the French in Port Royal, which would become known as
Acadia.
• English is the official language, but Nova Scotians of Acadian
heritage speak French.
• Nova Scotia is Latin for “New Scotland.”
• The Bay of Fundy between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick boasts
the world’s highest tides, at 16.6 m (54 ft.).
• Digby, Nova Scotia, is known as the “Scallop Capital of the
World,” with the largest scallop fleet in the world.
Skip Griffin
– that’s about it. And Deere just
keeps making them tougher and
tougher.” Two of the 1270Ds have
over 50,000 hours. “We haven’t
even touched the engine on one of
them,” says Sandy. “On the other,
we took it apart thinking something
was wrong, and it was just a check
valve and an oil filter. Engine-wise,
they’re excellent.” Sandy loves
running the harvesters, although
his other duties don’t allow him
much time any more. “The seats
are really comfortable, and the
cabs rotate so you’re not turning
your head as much. And the
wheels are perfect for these rocky
conditions.”
History in the making
Hankinsons’ Logging’s John Deere
dealer contact, Skip Griffin at
Brandt Tractor, knows western
Nova Scotia like the back of his
hand, guiding the Deere photo
crew to one of Hankinson’s logging
sites through a labyrinth of two-
lane highways and logging roads.
As we pass by Port Royal, he gives
a bit of history. “The first European
settlers in what today is Canada
settled in Port Royal,” he explains.
“They were French.”
Today the largest ethnic group
is Scottish. In fact, Nova Scotia
is Latin for “New Scotland.” The
majority of Nova Scotians speak
English, but on the west coast near
Hankinson’s shop, there are still
areas where French is predominant.
“I must not be a good Frenchman,”
says Leo Hankinson. “I don’t know
how to speak French,” Leo laughs.
Hankinson and Brandt
communicate with each other quite
well, however, to make sure the
company gets the support it needs.
Brandt even set up a mechanic a
half-hour from where the logging
company does most of the work on
its machines.
“And our equipment trucks are
fully equipped when they need us
far from the shop,” Griffin explains.
Brandt is also getting the
Hankinsons up to speed on the
JDLink™ machinemanagement
system. “It helps them track
machine location, idle time, and
fuel use, and provides machine-
health alerts,” explains Griffin.
“I was away from the site and
got a message on my smartphone
saying one of the machines had
low coolant,” says Leo. “I called the
operator and told him to check it
out. Sure enough, the radiator had
a loose clamp. The machine let me
know there was a problem before
the operator did.”
“We do whatever we can to
support our customers,” says
Griffin. “It’s that simple. My
phone’s on 24/7. They can call me
any time of day or night.”
“That’s true,” says Leo. “And
we do (laughs). Seriously, though,
Brandt has really helped us keep
our business going with the parts
and support we need. That and
reliable John Deere machines
ensure we are always up and
running.” is serviced by Brandt
Tractor Ltd., Bedford, Nova Scotia.
This article originally appeared in
IN THE FOREST, 2017 the official
publication of John Deere Forestry
International Forest Industries | APRIL / MAY 2017 75