The company’s basic machine is an 18-tonne Hitachi excavator with a bucket conveyor, which Leppänen tries to keep in constant use all year round. For this type of machine , Leppänen has also purchased a JAK-300 tree shear, which is capable of felling even slightly larger trees.

Diversified energy wood harvesting

LL-Konetyö harvests energy wood mainly from fields and roadsides, as well as from young forest restoration sites. Ultimately, the wood harvested by the tree shear ends up as a raw material for domestic thermal energy. The company’s operations are located in Joutsa and neighbouring municipalities, where there is plenty of timber to be harvested for energy wood.

In young forest restorations with a lot of small diameter trunks, a mass treatment device is an absolute must. The batch processor significantly increases efficiency by allowing up to ten logs to be collected at a time in the chute. When the chute is full, the trees can be lifted in one easy movement along the roadway. This makes the work more comfortable and, of course, more productive.

Occasionally, larger trees may also need to be felled. However, even logs can be felled in a controlled manner by the JAK tree shear. For example, on the edge of power lines, it is safe to remove trees as the tree to be felled remains well upright under the tight grip of the grapple.

The cut-off blade of the grab has also been a positive surprise. There is a new spare blade for the tree shear, but I haven’t had to use it as the original blade is still in full working order. It has withstood the occasional hit on a rock, and has required nothing more than the occasional flick of a grinding wheel to sharpen it. Leppänen adds that he also uses the grapple without the blade for lifting rocks or poles, for example.

“I have to say that I am very happy with my acquisition” – Leppänen concludes. You can follow the company’s activities on LL-Konetyö’s Facebook page