Monitor and Lucas Tree Services have enjoyed a long association. Sam Lucas kicked off his life in arboriculture as an 18-year-old. Over the years he’s developed a hard-working outfit, and Sam’s happy association with Monitor goes back more than decade.
Lucas Tree Services specialises in tree removal, pruning and maintenance throughout Victoria, and owner Sam’s pride in his company’s success is mixed with a happy outlook and easy manner.
“I started the business when I was 18,” he said with a grin. “I feel a bit old saying that now, but basically I got into it as a job, started a career path with my wife, and we’ve just excelled from that point.”
A long partnership
Since the earliest days using Rayco machinery, Sam and Lucas Tree Services has enjoyed an excellent relationship with Monitor.
“From when I started as one-man band with one stump grinder and one wood chipper, and was struggling to get a business going, Monitor has been great,” related Sam. “The respect and support they gave us at a business level was amazing – whenever we had a breakdown they supplied us with machines – they’re quick on servicing, and very friendly,” he recalled. “Even now, Monitor respects all our staff and gives us the same level of service they gave us 10 and 12 years ago when we were starting out.
“It’s been a great working relationship. We’ve been able to build a business with the backing of Monitor and I couldn’t speak highly enough of them.
Fleet action
The business Sam and his wife built has been a successful one.
“At the moment we’re running up to seven crews a day with our current fleet,” said Sam. “Most of our work is for local government and power authorities throughout metropolitan Melbourne. We’re currently active for over 10 councils and one power provider, and all our equipment runs pretty much daily on those sorts of works.”
The equipment Sam’s talking about includes CMC lifts, a couple of Först chippers, Rayco grinders and no less than five Morbark woodchippers, all from Monitor.
“The machines are always compliant and we’ve never had an issue with them,” said Sam. “They’re reliable, meet all our current emissions standards and environmental policies and, yeah, they’re doing great.”
Newest acquisition
The latest addition to the Lucas Tree Services’ fleet is a Morbark Beever 1821 heavy-duty industrial woodchipper. With its high-capacity and lighter-weight design, the 1821 compact chipper is an ideal unit for residential tree services, utility line clearing, vegetation management, maintenance contractors and municipalities. The dual-sided, chambered air-impeller system increases chip-throwing velocity and reduces dust and material blowback out the infeed to pack more into the chip truck, increasing efficiency
The powerful TorqMax™ top-feed wheel-compression system generates more than 5060kg/m of material-pulling force and the wide infeed opening with dual infeed rollers, and an oversized 18″ diameter top-feed wheel with straight flow-through infeed, easily climbs over material, reduces drag and increases chipping efficiency. A full-length channel chassis with cross bracing increases structural strength while maintaining low unit weight, and a full 360° hydraulic chute with swivel discharge and adjustable height puts chips right where needed without removing the Beever from the tow vehicle.
It’s a long-lasting, durable machine backed by a world-class parts and service support team at Monitor.
Other highlights include:
• Dual infeed wheel with TorqMax™ top feed wheel compression system, hydraulic lift assist, spring assisted down pressure and manually applied hydraulic down pressure at the valve handle
• A reversing automatic feed system
• Enclosed engine with gauge panel, radiator fines screen and slide rails for belt adjustment
• Fuel tank sight gauge, drain plug and shutoff valve, and
• Hydraulic tank shut-off valve, drain plug and clean-out cover.
Morbark 1821
Sam’s total satisfaction with the 1821 is on par with his customer satisfaction when dealing with Monitor.
“We bought the 1821 mainly to upgrade our fleet a few years ago,” he told us. “It was one of the first Morbark machines we actually bought. Since then we’ve ended up buying five of them and all the guys have pretty much converted.
“We’re lovin’ the good infeed, plenty of power, the lift and crush is perfect, it’s very user friendly and very low maintenance.”
“It’s a great machine.”
To see the full range of monitor equipment, log on to monitor.net.au.
