For New Zealand logger Peter Stephens, reliability is an important factor in decisions about investing in equipment and people.
Reliability was the reason he has opted for yet another Cat® machine and it was reliability that prompted him to again do business with Gough Cat, one of the longest serving Cat dealers outside North America.
Stephens has spent about the past 30 years in forestry. When he left school he started in the forestry business working for various logging contractors, progressing from machine operator to foreman.
In 2007 he branched out on his own and founded PJ & DA Stephens Ltd. His daily production target logging radiata pine averages between 340-380 tonnes per day, depending on terrain, piece size etc.
“We’ve always had Cat loaders and several years ago replaced the two old ones with a Cat 320DL and a 324DL. More recently we replaced a feller buncher with a new Cat 541 Series 2 harvester with a SATCO 325 fall and trim head,” Stephens says.
He’s always been impressed with the performance of his Cat machines but said the 541 has a few real standout points. “It’s got ample travel power and ground clearance, first class cooling for hydraulic oil and engine with an auto reversing fan. It’s designed to run a processor head, and all guarding is designed to keep all the debris out.”
And, speaking of being impressed, Stephens didn’t hesitate to head to Gough Cat when he wanted his new machine. “Our connection with Gough goes way back,” he says. “You can count on the reliability of Cat machines, and their value for the money compares well with other makes.”
(Full article published in Australian Forests & Timber News)
