For more than 30 years, Arbor Age magazine has been covering new and innovative products, services, technology and research vital to tree care companies, municipal arborists and utility right-of-way maintenance companies
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EQUIPMENT FOCUS New Equipment Recap 2012 EQUIPMENT FOCUS Each year, there is a wide range of new (or updated) equipment offerings introduced for professional arborists. The following is an overview of some of the innovations to hit the market in 2012: Bandit Model 2550XP stump grinder More power with less maintenance describes the Model 2550XP, Bandit's latest hydrostatic direct-drive stump grinder. It is powered by gasoline or diesel engines up to 44 horsepower to easily power through large stumps, and it comes standard with a swing-out operator's console and The Revolution cutter wheel by New River Equipment. The direct hydrostatic drive completely eliminates the need for a clutch, jackshaft, drive belt, belt tensioning system, and the many sheaves and bearings associated with those components. This significantly reduces maintenance costs and machine downtime without sacrificing power to the cutter wheel. It grinds smoother, and, with a 50-inch swing arc, it can process more of the stump without repositioning. Its lower center-of-gravity gives the Model 2550XP better balance, and it is available with 4-wheel drive, wireless remote, and a grading blade. Bandit Model 200UC 12-inch-capacity hand-fed disc-style chipper The Bandit Model 200 "Utility Chipper" brings low cost with reliable performance to the popular 12-inch-capacity disc chipper segment. This machine is built on the same basic platform as Bandit's existing Model 200XP, utilizing the same 14- x 17-inch chipper opening with the same feed system. The frame and chipping disc on the Model 200UC have been lightened, and a plastic fuel tank replaces the standard steel tank. These changes allow the machine to be more compact, and, with the lighter weight, it rides comfortably on a 6,000-pound axle with 15-inch wheels. Engine options from 48 to 97 horsepower are available, making the Bandit Model 200UC an affordable solution for land and utility line clearers who occasionally need the larger capacity of a 12-inch chipper, but cannot justify the higher cost of a typical 12-inch machine. Bandit Arbor Vac The Bandit Arbor Vac is a high-powered yard vacuum designed to resist the plugging that often occurs in similar vacuums. That's because this heavy-duty machine is much more than just a vacuum — it pulls in leaves, twigs, wood chips, and stump grinding material, then chops it through a set of blades and forcibly sends it through a directional discharge chute or tube. This versatile machine can also be configured as a high-powered blower to quickly clear yards. The Bandit Arbor Vac can significantly reduce clean-up time after chipping or grinding projects. It's available with gas engines from 14 to 27 horsepower; it is highly mobile, easily towable, simple to maintain, and affordably priced. Buckingham Rope Friction Saver Buckingham introduced the new Rope Friction Saver Model 60-48, which is 48 inches long (lengths are also available from 24 inches to 96 inches in 12-inch increments). Benefits and features: • Spliced rope • Installation and retrieval from the ground • Less bend radius • Less friction, easier to climb • Reduced wear to rope • Can be used as false crotch • Rated to 5,000 pounds — for human support only 16 Arbor Age / November/December 2012 • Shown with aluminum rings; order P/N 60S-48 for steel rings • Available with stitched rope; order P/Ns 59-48 or 59S-48 Added features and benefits for rope model: • Less likely to tangle or foul • Light and flexible • Adjustable when used with a prusik www.arborage.com