Lizard pitting trials in KZN

May 17, 2018

The Lizard Mark II, pitting at Seven Oaks with the unique head attachment design.

The Lizard, the all-terrain, multi-purpose utility machine designed and developed by China’s Engineering in Greytown, has recently completed informal pitting trials under the watchful eye of forester Lathaniel Reynolds at Sappi’s Seven Oaks plantation in the KZN Midlands.

The versatile Lizard has benefitted from some key modifications following feedback from farmers and foresters who have been testing the machine since its launch at the beginning of 2017.

Key among these was lowering the boom mounting alongside the cab, which significantly lowered the centre of gravity and improved stability of the machine. This modification now also makes the Lizard a more versatile loader. It can load a regular timber truck, or even load timber into charcoal kilns with low roof access. The grab attachment swivels through 180 degrees to facilitate loading inside the kiln.

The Sappi trial involved pitting in a eucalyptus compartment with a moderate slope. The pitting head features a unique design that drills a hole and then breaks the edges of the pit to allow the roots to grow rapidly out.

China Govender, designer of the Lizard and the pitting head, said that his research showed that regular mechanical pitting heads leave a hole with glazed edges that young roots battle to break through, thus holding back early growth.

China Govender (left) and Nick Allen, a forestry equipment consultant assisting China with R&D and marketing, watch the Lizard making pits at Seven Oaks.

Andie Immelman of Sappi was happy with the pit quality, although he said its effectiveness would have to be verified by monitoring early growth of the seedlings that were planted in the pits.

Andie told SA Forestry that Sappi has been trialing a number of different mechanical and semi-mechanical pitting systems, and had also done loading trials with the Lizard.

The Lizard makes one pit at a time before moving on to the next pit, clocking 19.2 seconds per pit at 2m x 3m espacement. This translates to 186 pits per hour.

China recorded fuel burn of 4.7 litres diesel per hour during the trial.

“We need to remember that this is not an official trial, and that the operator was still not 100% proficient on the machine.  Due to a single pit per move the overall cost per pit will be high.  Further investigations will be required.  Pit quality looks good,” said Andie.

A row of pits made by the Lizard at Seven Oaks, KZN.

The Lizard machine on trial at Sappi has been upgraded from the first prototype. The main change is that China has dropped the boom to give the machine a lower centre of gravity. It has good ground clearance, is very maneuverable and can work up to 45 degree slope.

Versatility is a key feature of the Lizard, which can perform many tasks by just changing the attachment – a quick and easy operation.

Pitting, loading skidding (it is fitted with a winch), front end loader … it can clear waterways, firebreaks and roads.

A GPS can be fitted to the pitting head for accurate pitting.

The pitting attachment used at the Sappi trial was developed by China. It’s a unique design that drills a pit deep enough, and breaks the sides of the pit so that the roots can quickly and easily grow out of the pit. There is no glazing of the hole, as many other pitting heads do.

China claims fuel burn of around +- 6 l/hour doing general work. The engine runs at a constant 1 500 RPM.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Related Stories

05th July 2025

Winch-assisted Cobras tackle steep slopes in KZN’s Midlands and Zululand

Leading the way in this regard is Ponsse, the Finnish manufacturer that has taken steep slope harvesting to the next level. Key to the success of the Ponsse steep slope machines is the built-in Herzog Synchrowinch that is synchronised with the transmission of the harvester or forwarder, allowing it to automatically spool in and out as the machine works across the slope.

24th June 2025

John Deere brings the new 2144G Tracked Harvester to Southern Africa

John Deere is introducing a lower-cost, purpose-built forestry harvester to the Southern African market. Designed and manufactured in Brazil, the 2144G track-based purpose-built machine has been very successful in harvesting fast-growing, high-yield (FGHY) plantations, which are the backbone of Brazilian and South African forestry. It is around this culture that the 2144G was developed.

13th June 2025

Goobs Forestry loads up on Bell and Kobelco for timber loading contract

Simphiwe hails from a small village called eMakhwabe between Vryheid and Paulpietersburg in Northern KwaZulu-Natal. When he matriculated at the Mantshinga Combined School in Paulpietersburg in 2007, there was no money for him to continue his education. He worked for a while as an intern with a large timber-growing and paper and pulp company. The same company would later sponsor his tertiary education in forestry.

12th June 2025

PlantMax – The future is here!

One of the most talked-about demonstrations at Elmia Wood 2025 came from Swedish firm PlantMa Forestry AB, which held its European premiere of the PlantMax dual soil prep and mechanised tree planting solution – the machine that "everyone has heard of, but no one has seen".

12th June 2025

A vibrant Elmia Wood 2025 bodes well

Elmia Wood 2025 brought together forestry professionals from around the world to the forest of Bratteborg, just outside Jönköping, Sweden. A total of 27,751 visitors from 48 countries and 327 exhibitors from 25 countries enlivened the quiet woods over the three-day show.

05th June 2025

AfrEquip celebrates Log Max's 10,000th harvesting head

The Log Max 7000C is one of the brand's most popular units, providing a robust, efficient, and productive head suitable for many forestry applications. The 10,000th head belongs to Imphisi Harvesting and will form part of their expanding forestry fleet, destined to tackle various Pine operations in the Mpumalanga province.

cross
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram