Cutting-edge products and support improving vegetation management efficiency and productivity.
Purchasing a new chipper, whether it’s a whole-tree or brush chipper, is a significant investment. After shopping around, a leading vegetation management company made their decision to go with a manufacturer with whom they had a ten-year relationship and whose support they knew they could count on.
Treescape Australasia, part of the New Zealand-based Treescape Group, purchased the first Vermeer WC2300XL whole tree chipper sold in Australia, a whole-tree chipper with enhanced infeed and crushing capabilities. They have also since expanded their Heavy Commercial division fleet with the BC2100XL, the largest brush chipper in Vermeer’s range.
Since their purchase, these high volume chippers have helped improved efficiency, productivity and expanded Treescape’s business opportunities.
The Right Choice
Treescape chose the WC2300XL as it needed a high-capacity, towable, reliable chipper to help manage their increasing workload.
Treescape Business Manager Allan Kliese said the WC2300XL was ideal because, where the working area permitted it, it allowed Treescape to cut and stack material.
Mr Kliese said, “For us the job is about breaking the vegetation into manageable stock piles, then having chipper on site at a later stage to process the stock piles increasing the efficiencies of both the staff and processing resources.
“There’s a continual process of chipping from then on. So rather than down time of machinery with the high production of the WC2300XL and BC2100XL, full work hours can be used on stock pile of vegetation, the machine is utilised to its maximum.
“So when the chipper rolls in, the job is completed in record time and can then be moved on to the next site.”
“Staff love the machines as they don’t have to break the material down as much– due to the size of the infeed rollers on both machine’s – so it makes the sites more productive.”
“Based on the success of projects between Airle Beach and Canberra, purchasing both machines has proved to be the right choice for us,” Mr Kliese said.
A More Competitive Business
Treescape’s heavy clearing division includes a fleet Vermeer BC1800XL’s, the Vermeer WC2300XL as well as their latest BC2100XL purchase.
Mr Kliese said that in other contracts, chippers were hand fed because the materials, mostly trimmings, didn’t warrant anything bigger. However, in heavier, larger clearing jobs, the WC2300XL itself feeds the chipper, which can handle a whole tree at once.
“With the WC2300XL and BC2100XL, generally those jobs are broad felling or full tree removal, which we use our excavators on for the excavator assisted felling. Then we would stack or feed directly onto the machine’s conveyor on the WC2300XL or the large intake with the BC2100XL feeding with excavators is no issue.”
The machines have worked large jobs for Roadtek and Lend lease doing roadside vegetation clearing. Also the two chippers have had time clearing areas for Holcium in the quarries along with other civil clients for housing developments.
Mr Kliese said the WC2300XL machine has had great success in Canberra for the government’s annual Dead and Dangerous Tree Removal program, which identifies and removes the most dangerous dead trees.
The impact of these chipper’s has also made Treescape more competitive when applying for new contracts. “The main benefit for clients with the debris being processed by the machines is the product produced is far more beneficial than going through a tub or horizontal grinder,” Mr Kliese advised and along with the chipping process the more sustainable processing of stumps has shown fair better end results when the project are completed.
“Our decision was based on the local support, the reliability of our existing fleet of Vermeer chippers and the good working relationship we had with Vermeer.”
A Strong Relationship
Treescape’s relationship with Vermeer began in March 2006, after it purchased a Queensland company that ran five Vermeer chippers. Some of the chippers needed replacing so Vermeer worked with Treescape on a replacement program.
Mr Kliese said the relationship was cemented when Treescape needed to add to their fleet – and Vermeer delivered. “The sales and maintenance support has been second to none, and we have been kept informed of any new developments or changes.”
The purchase of the WC2300XL came about after Treescape started looking for a locally supported, mid-range, whole-tree chipper that was towable over 400hp.
Treescape attended a five-day show in Connecticut, US, where they saw demonstrations at the factory as well as how the machines worked in the real world. The company had wanted to know about new technology being used in the US and the manufacturing standards on the machines. During their visit to the US, the team from Treescape visited all the main chipper distributors and EWP suppliers, including the Vermeer factory in Pella Iowa, USA, which was arranged by Craig Baillie, Vermeer Australia National Sales Manager for Environmental Equipment.Mr Kliese said, “It gave us a good insight into the Vermeer history and the Vermeer product.”
“I think we looked at all chippers of that size that were suited to our market in Australia, and the factors that influenced our decision was the local support, the reliability of the existing fleet of Vermeer chippers and the good working relationship we had with Vermeer in Brisbane and at their other branches.” Mr Kliese said there was plenty of technical support and Vermeer gave a good run-down on the machine before Treescape’s first use. “Vermeer gives great advice on the machine’s maintenance needs from their experience and knowledge, having built and operated those machines around the world.”