EQUIPMENT TRENDS 2012
SPECIAL SPECIAL FEAFEATURE Photo courtesy of Loftness Arbor Age magazine recently asked a wide range of equipment man-
ufacturers and suppliers to share their insights about equipment for professional arborists,and how the trends they are seeing will impact your equipment decisions.Their observations are as follows:
AA: What trends are you seeing with regard to equipment and supplies for professional arborists?
Safety continues to be a primary design focus. One trend is that
other tree care OEMs are increasing their focus on providing improved operator safety features on their brush chippers and stump cutters. Due to rising diesel prices and the increased cost of diesel-powered equipment driven by mandated emission standards, another foreseeable trend is an increase in models with the ability to utilize less-expensive alternative fuels such as gasoline,compressed natural gas,or LP gas. —Jay Sunderman,strategic business unit manager, tree care,Vermeer
Safety continues to drive both product innovation and sales.Safety can simply mean an easier-to-use or more intuitive product and a product that works well with existing equipment that the tree care providers are using. —Clay Thornton, director of marketing, SherrillTree
12 Arbor Age / September 2012
Multipurpose machines have become popular in all sectors due to their ability to perform many functions.These machines are durable,pro- ductive, efficient and cost effective. —Rich Hendricks,North American sales representative,SEPPI M.
Compact equipment is becoming more popular.Professional arborists
have long understood the benefits of using mechanized equipment for tree trimming,but until recently,much of the equipment on the market has been large-scale.By adding compact equipment to their fleets,arborists can increase efficiency and access many areas where larger equipment can't.
Compact trimming and mulching equipment has improved signifi-
cantly over the years,thanks in part to the advancement in the machines that they attach to. Skid-steers, for instance, now offer much better hydraulic flow and pressure than they did 10 years ago, allowing for higher-performance attachments. —Bill Schafer, product manager, Loftness
Particularly with the advent of more trunk injectable products and
the growing use of compost tea, there is greater diversity than ever in tree care philosophy and equipment needs.
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