Terex PT100 forestry loader
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Pitched as “the” machine for wet, difficult terrain, the Terex PT100 forestry spec’d loader and attachments currently used by a Christchurch contractor is making its mark in the swamp
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Terex PT100 forestry loader
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- Rubber track system allows for work in wet conditions
- Fast travel speed
- Easy to use controls
- Cab and engine are well protected
- Reversible fan part of cooling system
Christchurch contractor Gary Miller initially purchased a second-hand 100hp Positrack 4810 and fitted it with a new Davco brush cutter. Five years on, he has traded his second loader, a Positrack RC100, for the new Terex PT100 forestry spec'd loader.
Most of us will be familiar with these loaders under the ASV brand, although the company has been part of Terex for about two years. The rugged, American-made Positrack loaders have established a reputation as "the" machine for wet difficult terrain.
Cab and controls
The air conditioned cab is accessed via a polycarbonate door, and has a suspension seat with two joystick controls and the instrument panel in the front of the cab roof. Behind the panel is a window that allows the operator to see the bucket when fully raised.
The joysticks are pilot pressure operated. The left controls forward/reverse and left/right travel, and the right-hand one the loader controls as well as auxiliary hydraulics with a button. This makes the PT-100 easy to drive for someone who has no skid loader experience as the loader control is the same as a wheel loader. It also means that there is no foot operated loader controls to get your head around.
The cab is equipped with steel mesh protectors for the side and rear windows as part of the forestry guarding, which also includes light and auxiliary hydraulic protection, belly plates and engine protection.
Engine and power
The turbocharged 100hp Perkins engine is easy to access for servicing with the rear guard hinging upwards and the engine cover on gas struts. The engine compartment is well protected by mesh guards and belly plates.
The cooling system has a reversible fan which operates as a blower. It can reverse automatically or with an override switch in the cab to clear any debris from the engine cover or around the engine.
The radiator and hydraulic cooler sit beside each other with a larger than usual gap to the air conditioner core. This allows the fan to cool more efficiently.
Undercarriage
Undoubtedly the stand-out feature of these loaders is the ASV designed rubber track system, and with the 450mm wide tracks running on 42 wheels, the machine has a ground pressure of about 4.5psi. It is this low-ground pressure that allows the machine to carry out some of the work in the Travis swamp without getting stuck.
The large tracks also give a very smooth ride for the operator as the machine has a suspension system that allows the tracks to oscillate by about 100mm.
The machine has a two-speed drive system giving a top speed of 24km/h.
Attachments
Gary has a range of attachments for his loader to suit his work. The 4-in-1 bucket takes care of any digging and track maintenance work, while land clearance is taken care of with some pieces of scrub cutting gear.
The heavy duty Davco brush cutter (pictured) is usually the first method of attack, with the mulching being done by either the Seppi or Berti mulchers. These three attachments are hydraulically driven from the two auxiliary outlets one of which supplies 76Lpm and the other 144Lpm.
They are controlled either by a button on the loader control for intermittent work like the 4-in 1-bucket or a switch on the console for continuous work like the mulchers.
What the owner says…
Gary has found the Terex loader to be every bit as good as the two ASV Positrack loaders before it. The tracked loader has enabled him to take on jobs that would have been impossible with a wheeled skid steer loader.
The light "footprint" of the loader is a huge advantage when carrying out track maintenance as it can move along the tracks without damaging them, and with the high speed travel mode, move shingle from stockpiles into the tracks quickly.
Gary is very enthusiastic when describing the abilities of his tracked loader and its scrub clearing attachments. Working near Springfield, the Davco brush cutter was making short work of two-metre high broom re-growth on a forestry block complete with the stumps and branches left behind by the logging.
Having the Davco brush cutter on the loader allowed the scrub to be cut a metre or so above the ground so any stumps could be seen and then lowered to the ground.
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