Porter Press Extra: Mr Soil

By: Cameron Officer, Photography by: Cameron Officer

Date: 22.06.2021

Sandvik’s heavy-duty scalper technology helps this screened topsoil provider get the best possible product out the gate to a variety of customers with minimal fuss and maximum efficiency

While Wayne ‘Mr Soil’ Rissetto certainly looks to his Sandvik QE241 heavy-duty scalper to provide him with the efficient technology to screen topsoil for a multitude of clients, modern communications tech also helps this veteran of the soil and landscaping industry run his business remotely.

After many years operating one of Auckland’s premier landscape supply companies and subsequently getting into quarrying, Wayne—in his own words—"chucked it in a few years ago to go gold mining".

That decision led him to move south to Greymouth on the West Coast, where he has been based for the last decade or so. The lure of dirt has always been there for Wayne though, and 30-odd years after he first started out with a ute, a rotary hoe and a single tractor, his newest enterprise, Mr Soil, was founded.

The 17.5T scalper is capable of maximum throughput of 350 metric tonnes per hour

The company’s primary processing yard is in Te Rapa, Hamilton, and Wayne says things are busier than ever. "I run a very simple operation, and it’s one that I can keep an eye on remotely," he explains. "The yard is effectively self-service.

I have one guy working on the digger to feed the Sandvik scalper and ensure we have plenty of product for customers. The truck drivers come in, use the wheel loader to load up themselves, and off they go again; they all have scales in their trucks to record load weights, and meanwhile, thanks to a network of cameras, I can essentially sit at my desk in Greymouth and keep an eye on everything."

Wayne says the Sandvik QE241 is a vital tool in tackling the peaty soil being processed.
"It’s tough stuff the soil around here—full of peat and absolutely soaking. A lot of operators might not touch it, but the scalper helps us make short work of it and turn it into top-quality material," he says.

"About a third of our output—the especially good stuff—goes out to a variety of landscape suppliers, while another third goes to the continuing Waikato Expressway project. All in all, we have some good clients and a steady supply of material for them, so it’s all working well."

Sandvik is a new brand to Wayne, but he says he has been impressed with the machine technology. The Swedish manufacturer’s range of crushers and screens are distributed in New Zealand by Porter Equipment, which is also the supplier of Wayne’s 35.5-tonne Hyundai R320LC-9 crawler excavator that’s being used to feed the scalper.

Wayne Rissetto

"The Sandvik has been great—it has performed well given the challenging nature of some of the base material we’re working with. It’s intuitive to use, and I think the long deck on the screen box is a good design—grass doesn’t hang on to the dirt as it goes through. It just gets on with the job regardless."

The Sandvik QE241 is a compact component of the eight-strong double and scalping screen model line-up. With operating dimensions of 12.23 metres length, 14.20 metres width, and 3.10 metres height, the heavy-duty scalper is designed with smaller operators in mind, offering a compact footprint but not at the expense of screening power. The 17.5-tonne scalper is capable of maximum throughput of 350 metric tonnes per hour.

In order to provide for seamless screening, the machine features two decks that measure 3.35 x 1.24 metres (4.3sqm), as well as hydraulically folding oversize, mid-size, and fines conveyors, which allow for large stockpiling capacity, thanks to their length and discharge heights.

During operation, the Sandvik QE241 also boasts reduced fuel consumption thanks to its optimised hydraulic system and reduced engine RPM. Wayne doesn’t need to move the scalper often within his yard, but should he have to, a two-speed tracked crawler undercarriage ensures the Sandvik QE241 is completely manoeuvrable.

The machine’s interchangeable side conveyors add further flexibility by being compatible with two- or three-way split working configurations. As his nearby Hyundai excavator attests to, Wayne has been a Porter Equipment customer for some time.

Thus far, however, he hasn’t needed to call upon the distributor for any after-sales advice or service, simply because the Sandvik has provided Mr Soil with turn-key productivity since it arrived on-site.

Sandvik QE241 is a vital tool in tackling the peaty soil being processed

"We haven’t needed to contact Porters because we haven’t had any issues at all," he says. "The Porter guys came out when it first arrived and gave us a demonstration of how everything works, but between the simple operator panel and the fact it just processes everything without any argument, it’s been smooth sailing so far. Given the tough nature of the material around here, that’s a great result."

Regardless of whether he happens to be in Greymouth or Greater Hamilton, it seems Sandvik will continue to help ensure ‘Mr Soil’ provides a consistently great product for his customers.

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