Farming is in Ewald Klingenberg's blood. His family is part of the fifth generation of German settlers who originally came to the southernmost part of the picturesque Mpumalanga Province as missionaries and later began farming a variety of crops and raising cattle.

Ewald is the third generation to actively farm on Farm Alma, and he and his wife, Marlies, cultivate crops such as maize, soya, macadamias, Eucalyptus and black wattle on their farms near Mkhondo. The entire farming operation operates under the name of EMK Investments (Pty) Ltd.

The area around Mkhondo (previously Piet Retief) in Mpumalanga is known for its high rainfall. While this makes for a good environment for plantation forestry, it doesn't always bode well for extracting felled timber from compartments in wet weather.

This is what Ewald experienced firsthand when he began contracting for timber harvesting on a larger scale.

Logging

"We first bought a Bell 225A Logger in 2009, but it was only in 2016 that we started harvesting for other growers on a small scale. In 2023, we saw a gap in the market and started doing contract timber harvesting on a larger scale," Ewald explains.

"That Bell 225A Logger has now clocked over 40,000 hours of service. We replaced its Deutz engine at around 30,000 hours, which clearly shows how durable Bell Loggers are. In March 2024, we bought the newer Bell 225F Logger".

Ewald's timber harvesting teams usually work on between four and five sites, employing motor-manual harvesting techniques in which trees are manually felled and crosscut with chainsaws. Extraction, indexing and loading are done mechanically. The company currently uses eight Bell Loggers in these operations: three it owns and five it hires.

Hauling

"We have always used Bell 1206 Haulage Tractors, drawing single-axle trailers for extraction. But with the extended rainy season we are now experiencing, which generally lasts from October to May, the combination of loggers and tractor-trailers infield, churns up the underfoot conditions to the extent that it becomes one big slippery mud bath. This slows down production," he explains.

In November 2024, Ewald attended an open day at Bell Equipment's Mbombela branch, where he took a close look at the Bell TF302E Forwarder.

Bell TF302E Forwarder

The encounter convinced Ewald that the Bell TF302E Forwarder was the way to go for cost-effective, productive timber extraction and forwarding. In January 2025, with financing in place, he placed an order for the machine with Bell Equipment's Sales Representative, Daniel van Huyssteen. The machine was delivered on 1 April 2025 and put straight to work.

"Our initial target was to extract 5,000 tons of timber a month. We soon realised that by running the Bell TF302E Forwarder on two eight-hour shifts, we could comfortably double that volume," Ewald comments.

Their average hauls from infield to roadside depots are usually between 500m and 2km. We try to stick to daytime shifts only and find that the forwarder's efficiency helps us meet our production targets.

Ewald says that when the compartments are wet, the Bell TF302E Forwarder's even torque distribution through its three axles and low ground impact minimises soil disturbance,  even when operating in all-wheel drive mode.

"Then, with the long reach of its crane, which extends to 7,2m, it can stay in one row and reach into two further rows on either side. This again reduces ground impact and subsequent soil disturbance."

New productivity targets

He also points out that when production in one compartment slows for whatever reason, the forwarder is quickly rerouted to another compartment where felled timber is ready to be taken to roadside depots.

"The machine's fuel consumption has been a pleasant surprise, considering the volumes it carries. We get 11 litres an hour on flat sections, going up to 14 litres an hour when working in steeper terrain," Ewald explains.

"Our first month of production was a little slow, with our two operators finding their feet with the machine, but we expect that an average of 300 hours a month should see us comfortably meeting our production targets.

Ewald is enthusiastic about the service they've received from Bell Equipment's branch in Mkhondo. "It gives us the assurance that our timber-handling equipment serviced by Bell Equipment is in the best hands, with obvious long-term advantages.

"At times, I have to pinch myself that we actually have a Bell TF302E Forwarder, as it really is a dream that has come true for us. Its production data will greatly assist us in tendering more accurately for future contracts."