Described as “a multi-billion-rand catastrophe”, the September 2023 at the NCT mill in Richards Bay destroyed tonnes of wood chips and round logs, damaged the wattle and Eucalyptus chip lines, and equipment, including a Bell L1506 wheeled loader, an old Bell Haulage Tractor and logger, and a tracked Kobelco Excavator with a timber grab that had been purchased four years earlier.

NCT began replacing the burnt-out equipment once the insurance claim was paid out. The new fleet includes a JCB 436 Wheel Loader, a JCB 155HD Skid Steer and a wheeled Kobelco SK260LC-10 Excavator fitted with an MT1000 Timber Grab, all supplied by Bell Equipment Empangeni.

NCT Plant Manager, Charles Atkins, had spoken to others about wheeled loaders and was advised that JCB was the way to go. The JCB 436ZX, with an operating weight of 14,564 kg, 132kW of power, and a net torque of 786 Nm at 1,300 rpm, is proving to be a sound choice. Fitted with a larger bucket, it’s used for cleaning around the plant, moving chips, and loading biomass onto side-tippers for return to NCT growers as mulch.

The JCB 155HD Skid Steer, with its 2,990 kg operating weight, 42kW of power and 192 Nm of gross torque, is ideal for general housekeeping duties in the yard, where it can manoeuvre into tight spots inaccessible to other types of equipment.

NCT currently has one tracked, and two wheeled Kobelco SK260LC-10s fitted with MT1000 Timbers Grabs to offload the timber trucks.

Ryno explains that NCT opted for a wheeled undercarriage on the latest machine so it could move between the two wood-chipping plants for greater efficiency and resource use. The cab was also raised by 500mm to improve visibility, allowing operators to see over stockpiles, which can be up to 6m high.

Charles comments: “Other than a small radiator leak, we haven’t had any issues in the six years that we’ve owned Kobelco Excavators. They are really good machines and are basic and easy to work on.” NCT is also pleased with the average fuel economy of 11-12 litres per hour.

Charles is also enjoying Kobelco’s Komex and JCB’s LiveLink telematics systems, particularly the feature that alerts him when a machine is due for service.

While build quality and machine performance are important, Charles says customer support also influenced their choice of machines.

“It’s all to do with service. If I phone, I want service, and that's what I get with Bell Equipment. I have three or four people that I can call if we have an issue, and one of them is bound to answer and jump, no matter what time of day or night.”

Apart from the latest wheeled Kobelco, which has a three-year service plan, all the other equipment will be serviced by Bell during the standard warranty period. Thereafter, they will be maintained by NCT’s own mechanic.

Other Bell-supplied machines in the fleet include five old Bell Haulage Tractors and two A-series and one F-series Bell Loggers, all fitted with longer booms for improved reach.

NCT’s Richards Bay operation has relied on Bell equipment for over 25 years. With a new chipping mill and upgraded equipment, NCT is set to remain operational for many more years.