When it comes to harvester heads, diversity is key. The characteristics of timber varies. Mill requirements vary. Yet the harvester head must perform as a reliable workhorse day-in and day-out no matter what the conditions.

Two new harvester heads from Waratah help represent that spectrum. On the one hand, the new H212 is a lightweight, agile harvesting and processing head. On the other hand, the new H415HD is a heavy-duty harvesting head with new features and options to suit customer feedback and rugged application needs.

The H212, the company’s smallest head, is designed for 8-16 metric ton tracked carriers or 16-18 metric ton wheeled carriers, while the H415HD was built primarily for 20-25 metric ton wheeled carriers.

“We build harvesting heads for a variety of woods,” said Brent Fisher, product marketing manager for Waratah. “The nimble Waratah H212 is built to perform in dense stands, and the new H415HD provides unprecedented tree-processing performance, especially in large timber.”

Productivity matters
The H212 provides enhanced productivity for early thinning operations. The multi-purpose head can handle mixed hardwood and softwood stands as well as multi-tree harvesting, processing or debarking applications.

Likewise, standard features of the H415HD include an HD tilt frame with thicker steel plate, expander pins for upper tilt cylinder, feed roller arms, and lower delimbing knives – to improve pin durability and frame longevity. Additionally, HD feed motor and hose guards help improve durability. In addition to being featured on the H415HD, most of the new options can be ordered one-by-one for the H415 and H415X. They are also compatible with older H415 harvester heads and can be purchased through spare parts sales.

“We’ll continue to offer the H415 and H415X models, and the new H415HD will be an additional option for our customers looking for that heavy-duty head, especially for wheeled applications,” said Brent. “They provide the durability our customers have come to expect with the 400 Series line of exceptional Waratah heads.”

For additional productivity, the H212 features the new and highly efficient SuperCut 100S saw unit with improved auto tensioning and easier servicing, which can fell and process trees up to 520 mm (20.5 in.) in diameter. The delimb arms, which are designed to provide premium delimbing, complement the feeding power and grip of the drive arms on large or crooked stems. Likewise, the processing arm option, with an extended upper and lower knife offset, enables picking stems from the ground or piles to reduce processing time.

On the H415HD, expander pins for feed roller arms and lower delimbing knives make quick work of a variety of jobs while HD feed motor guards and feed motor hose guards help improve hose durability. Loggers can choose straight hoses or hoses that run through the junction box.

For increased productivity, the H212’s wide roller and delimb arm opening allow for fast grabbing of standing trees and evenly processing to the smallest top size. The H212’s two-roller-design permits drive arms to float and easily follow crooked or straight stems while also achieving superior debarking when fitted with debarking options. Also, a long length measuring arm together with twin diameter measuring sensors provide measuring accuracy in all tree species.

Durability is essential
To increase durability across the range, the frame on the H415HD as well as the H415 and H415X have been strengthened at several locations based on customer feedback – providing more durability and increased uptime. The H415HD’s minimum weight is 1373 kg (3,026 lb.), which is 43 kg (94 lb.) more than the standard H415.

On the smaller side, the H212 is both durable and nimble. With the ability to weave through the stand, the H212 is ideal for first thinnings in dense stands. The durable, narrow head design provides excellent visibility even when knives and rollers are open, which helps increase agility in small diameter dense stands. The saw box also provides good visibility for aiming felling cuts as well as pivot position for efficient cutting.

Likewise, to lengthen the service life of the saw bar and alleviate interference in some applications, the H415HD’s saw position was changed to provide more room between the saw bar and stem. All three configurations of the H415 heads now feature the possibility for a wider saw bar and improved saw chain tensioning to reduce chain loss, bar wear and promote more operational productivity.

The new H212’s knife geometry naturally draws the log into the head and provides superior delimbing from 30 mm to 360 mm (1.18 in. to 14.17 in.). That feed geometry helps hold the log when knives are opened during feeding.

The H415HD’s lower saw box height (30 mm / 1 in.) creates lower stump heights and more wood recovery. This is complemented by an improved lower delimbing knife profile for larger stem sizes.

For more information, visit Waratah.com.