Dwayne Kerrison of Orana Enterprises in Tasmania owns a fleet of Tigercat machinery, and his experience with both Tigercat and dealer Onetrak made the decision to purchase the newest 632H skidders an easy one.
Orana Enterprises is a family-owned Tasmanian-based business that provides services to both customers and landowners in the Tasmanian forestry industry. Those services include the harvesting and hauling of timber through to the unloading of the timber at some customer sites.
The fleet
Orana’s team is currently working on an essential project that involves native-forest thinning.
The selective removal of individual trees is an active forest-management and climate- adaptation tool crucial to support forest health and resilience and is aimed at improving or maintaining the ecological value of the forest.
As Orana’s Dwayne Kerrison pointed out: “We have five sites doing this kind of work, and at these operations we use a feller buncher, harvester, skidder and log loader.”
Dwayne also said they’ve owned other well- known brands of skidders, but the majority of the skidder fleet is now Tigercat, and includes two 630Ds, one 632E, and three 632Hs (the latest model) which Orana has been very happy with.
Excellent service
According to Dwayne, Orana’s decision to upgrade to the latest Tigercat skidders was necessitated by an older machine which had reached the end of its serviceable life. With
Orana already familiar with the Tigercat range and having a large fleet of Tigercat equipment, it was an easy decision to purchase the latest model skidder.
Dwayne said that partnering with Onetrak was a smart business choice due to its extensive availability, excellent deals, and reliable backup and support.
“Our initial contact with Onetrak was in around 2014 or 2015 when we required a feller buncher and a couple of skidders to complete a high-production plantation hardwood job,” he said.
“Onetrak and Tigercat provided us with excellent solutions as we began to transition a large portion of the fleet to purpose-built products, moving away from excavators with attachments.
“We were, and still are, very pleased with Onetrak’s services.”
Long life
Orana has always been aware of the reputation and superiority of Tigercat equipment. Dwayne talked about starting out and how his company didn’t initially have enough work or money to justify the capital outlay for a Tigercat machine. However, experience in the high-production hardwood plantation job proved the overall value of Tigercat equipment.
Dwayne said that, as they gained experience in those early years, they soon realised that the ‘cheap’ machines were only cheap to purchase. In the long run, high maintenance costs and retained value weren’t as good with some of the cheaper gear. It can end up costing more.
The asset life expectation on the excavator with attachments was around five years, and the Tigercat purpose-built machines are working harder for longer.
“We have harvesters that have been working eight years already and are still on the front line, basically doubling the life expectancy of the cheaper machines. They’ll easily wear out two harvester heads,” Dwayne said.
“Our operators especially love the H model skidder. It’s roomier, with turnaround seat controls, fantastic visibility and heaps of power, which they love.”
Updates
The biggest change in the new model is the cabin, manoeuverability, low noise and high comfort levels, which are greatly appreciated by Orana’s operators.
“Our experience with Onetrak and Tigercat has been fantastic,” Dwayne said.
“They are wonderful to work with, responsive to the needs of their customers and willing to have tough conversations when necessary. If issues arise, they are quick to resolve them in a timely and effective manner, understanding the urgency of getting the job done and getting the machine up and running quickly.
“In addition, Tigercat’s Steve Green offers exceptional technical support in Australia. Dave Hazell, the Managing Director of Onetrak, is accessible if required and capable of making swift decisions. We also have other contacts within Tigercat if necessary, which makes a big difference.”
Onetrak is the official dealer for Tigercat equipment in Australia. Visit onetrak.com.au or call 1300727 520 to get in touch with Onetrak and the team.