A Snapshot of Today's Tree Care Industry

While there’s something to be said about the passion and innovation behind identifying a problem and using your creative skills and expertise to develop a one-of-a-kind solution, there also comes a time when it just makes sense to invest in a better product that helps you produce a better result. 

In years past, arborists and tree care specialists had to exercise a lot of ingenuity and collaboration to do the challenging tasks asked of them.  

Today, SENNEBOGEN offers purpose-built machinery to streamline those processes and make each and every step faster, safer, and more efficient.

Keeping Up with Change and Growth in the Tree Service Industry

Demanding times in the tree care industry have traditionally served to increase the number of skilled arborists and the profits of tree cutting businesses. At the same time, manufacturers attempt to beef up new equipment models or add new features to the same tree cutting equipment.

The use of heavy equipment borrowed from other industries and adapted for tree care work has played a large part in creating a working environment with “no feet on the forest floor,” which has greatly helped logging, forestry and tree service work become much safer professions than they used to be just a few decades ago. 

In addition to rural work, cities are looking to bring such use of heavy equipment into the urban environment due to its potential for high productivity and safety. 

The tree care industry is growing rapidly, and there aren’t enough service providers and qualified workers to fill the demand for work. 

Companies strive to maintain skilled, well-trained crew, while they seek to take on more work contracts and a larger variety of jobs.

The growth of the tree care industry has led to an increased demand for change. 

• Arborists and Operators want a safer work environment where they can maintain longevity in their career and avoid injury, fatigue, and burnout
  
• Tree service business owners face the challenge of remaining profitable in a very competitive industry.
  
• Business owners are challenged to meet the requirements of ever evolving and tentative Visa H2B laws.

• Business owners are facing the problem of temporary seasonal workers, the uncertainty of finding, training, and retaining dependable workers in a high-risk job.

READ:  10 Best Arborist Apps to Run Your Business >>

Big Challenges Remain: Safety and Productivity in Tree Care

• Businesses want to be able to take on a higher volume of work contracts at greater scale. 

• Businesses want to have adequate, trained crew for the number of jobs they can take on. 

This can happen in one of two ways: scale down your workload to match the number of available crew members, or use new methods and equipment that do not require as many skilled workers on the job site. Scaling down your crew does nothing for growth; in fact, you will lose contracts. The only real solution remaining is to evolve your business so that it requires a lower demand for skilled workers. That can be done with new equipment and cutting-edge technology. 

The only real solution remaining is to evolve your business so that it requires a lower demand for skilled workers. That can be done with new equipment and cutting-edge technology. 

Tree cutting can be a dangerous and labor-intensive job. With a limited crew of workers, a business is limited in the number of contracts they can effectively take on at one time. Additionally, bidding on large projects without adequate manpower and equipment takes its toll in time, effort, and lost profits.

To keep scaling in today’s competitive industry, businesses need to be able to take on more contracts in terms of volume and variety, while also maintaining an adequate workforce and keeping risk and liability to a minimum.

     RELATED: Win more work with this Tree Tech >>

By investing in equipment and machinery that promotes much greater productivity and safety while minimizing the need for more skilled workers, companies can achieve this growth. 

This is the goal of SENNEBOGEN tree handlers – to provide you with the opportunity to do just that.

     READ: Top Challenges Faced by Tree Care Workers in 2021 >>

• Early History

  The main tools used to trim and fell trees in the early days included hand saws, ropes, pole runners, and a 10-mule team for transport. The tough and brawny men would become giants of legend, known as ‘lumberjacks’.

• The 1920s – 1930s

  Groups of men armed with hand saws and brush axes manually cross and clear acre upon acre for city right-of-ways, either burning the brush or leaving it in-place

• World War II

  The US military’s development of chemicals to selectively kill living plants were used back home to maintain right-of-ways, killing only undesirable species or entire plots of vegetation.

• 1944

  The cherry picker lift is invented by Jay Eitel in the community now called ‘The Silicon Valley’. The hydraulic-powered bucket would extend under manual operation by a second worker.

Equipment Fitted for Tree Cutting and Tree Removal

  1. Bucket Truck with Boom  

Arguably the most common application is the forestry bucket truck with a boom. This method has been around for decades, and allows the arborist access to high, hard to reach places. 

Bucket trucks were a breakthrough technology in the 1900s, ushering in a new era of mobility for the tree cutting industry by reducing the need to climb trees. 

Instead of risking worker safety by climbing dangerous heights or hazardous trees, tree sawing crews are lifted to the tops of trees to artfully reduce both crown and trunk.

The Skill and Expertise of an Experienced Arborist

The art of tree care is an invaluable skill. While bucket trucks made the work more easily accessible, it required training, knowledge, and mentorship to become a great arborist. 

Arborists that use a bucket truck to approach and cut trees must first consider the distribution of the tree's crown branches, inspect for any signs of decay or disease, judge the lean of the trunk, and consider present soil conditions - before operations even begin!

However, when a site has sufficient equipment access and the bucket truck has sufficient reach, there are tree cutting projects where these mobile elevated platforms are best for service:

Ideal Applications for Bucket Trucks

• Residential/Commercial - removing large branches that are dead or compromised due to storm damage
• Municipality Pruning - of overgrown crowns with detailed cuts to improve line-of-sight and power line safety
• Right-of-Way - managing aerial paths for electrical and telecommunication lines

A forestry bucket truck features pistol grip control for lower and upper boom and a working height of up to 55-65 ft. The bucket will not move if outriggers are not extended out (failsafe for risk of tipping over) 

A Modern Solution: Mechanized Automation with the SENNEBOGEN 718 

In the same way the original cherry pickers transformed the tree cutting operations during the early 1900s, the SENNEBOGEN 718 tree handling machine is taking the arbor industry to another level with a mechanized way of cutting trees that is safer and more productive.

Speed + Versatility = Production

The 718 reduces your tree-cutting crew to one trained operator and one automated, tree handling machine that can cut, transfer, and stack brush, branches, and tree sections using multiple attachments.

There is virtually no set-up time required as the 718 is self-leveling, and able to reach into tight areas or sloped terrains. 

The SENNEBOGEN is most beneficial for large scale tree removal operations or those projects that are located in urban areas which require precision control and nimble maneuvering to overcome ground-level obstructions.

Ideal Applications of the 718s

• Storm Damage Clean-up 

  To get roads open faster and residential and commercial property cleared for recovery efforts
  
  

• Land Clearing Projects 

  Acreage clearing for commercial/industrial construction and government public works projects
  
  

• Roadway and Embankment Projects 

  Fast-tracked projects and those that have access restrictions or rough terrain
  
  

• Urban or Waterfront Beautification Projects

  To reach up, over, and down in hard-to-reach areas to trim or dismantle trees
  
  

S&K Enterprises of Front Royal, Virginia, is ready to take on new contracts in record time with their SENNEBOGEN 718. 

We have machines that can grab whole trees and gently lower them to the ground, making the job of tree removal SAFER, MORE EFFICIENT, and FAR LESS DAMAGING TO THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE! 

A New Solution: Safer for Operators, Eliminates Risk to Arborists 

With the SENNEBOGEN 718, tree workers are removed from dangerous power lines, which is a major concern especially after hurricanes and tornadoes when live wires are not only dangling from above, but also may be present on wet ground.

Instead, all manual workers can be kept at a safe perimeter as the SENNEBOGEN 718 can drive directly up to a tree, reposition itself quickly, and grab branches at different heights and cut trunk sections at different angles to completely remove damaged and dangerous trees.

This tree handling technology eliminates the most challenging manual work tasks which in turn eliminates fall accidents, fatigue, and muscle or bone injuries.

The powerful grapple jaws take away the danger of handling heavy material and lowers all tree sections safely to a landing site or wood chipper. This is the automation power of the SENNEBOGEN 718 - where a trained operator can sit in a comfortable, climate-controlled MaxCab, with full visibility and the ability to elevate and tilt the cab to taller heights as needed.

Read more about the high-visibility, comfort-controlled MaxCab >>

  2. Crane  

Both knuckleboom and straight boom (hydraulic) cranes have been used for tree care work for decades. Cranes can increase production, and many cranes can be customized to meet the buyers’ needs. 

Many tree service businesses have well-trained, experienced operators and arborists who have an efficient system in place that includes transportation, machine stabilization, tree removal and take down, cutting, stacking, mulching, and hauling. 

And while this system has worked rather well for many companies, it also has its drawbacks, including equipment limitations and safety issues. 

• Cranes are used to lift pieces of the tree up and away while cuts are being made in order to safely fell branches and trees to the ground. 
• They can move trees or tree parts safely to the ground in a 200-ft zone radius. 
• Crane operation takes a great amount of skill and concentration, and it’s highly recommended to receive a crane operating certification before using this equipment on the job site. 

Image source: Wikimedia Commons 

Tmage Source: Wikimedia Commons 

Crane Setup and Use 

Cranes are typically transported to a jobsite via truck chassis. A crane must be well-stabilized before work can safely begin. All tires must be in contact with the ground. It is important that the crane be completely level for max productivity and safety. 

• The on-site setup process for a crane is often very time-consuming, limiting productivity. 
• Knucklebooms are equipped with stabilizers rather than outriggers. 
• Cranes should only be used within the reach, max load and lift capacities recommended by the manufacturer. 

Crane Reach, Height and Size

While cranes are available with a reach of up to 120’, it’s important to understand that at such great heights, a crane has very little lifting capacity. 

Some cranes can reach up to 120’ in height. This limits the lifting capacity and versatility of a crane and may require your crew to deploy additional equipment to effectively and safely get the job done.

When determining crane size, consider what job sites you typically service. Spend a lot of time with right of ways and highway maintenance? Storm cleanup and recovery? Removing trees from residential areas and landscaping jobs? 

Job type, as well as geographical location and environment, help you determine the tree height you most commonly encounter. This can help you decide what crane height and size would work best for you. 

Something to keep in mind is that what you lift must come down. So, while you may be tempted to go as big and high as possible to keep your options open, understand that height will impact your ability to lower trees and tree parts to the ground in some instances. For cases like this, shorter heights may be preferable. 

READ: The Versatility and Safe Use of Knuckleboom Cranes in Tree Care >> 

SENNEBOGEN Reach and Lifting Capacity 

How much reach do I get with a SENNEBOGEN? 

We often get asked about reach, and there is no short, quick answer to this question. While reach is one factor to consider, reach doesn’t determine productivity. 

Describing a SENNEBOGEN’s versatility might paint a better picture for you: 

•  With its cutting and handling capability, the 718 eliminates tree climbing from the job as well as any need to rig ropes to the trees or to haul cut limbs to a sorting area. There’s no concern about branches or equipment falling on crew members below. 

•  With a 3,700 lbs. (1,700 kg) lifting capacity at maximum horizontal reach, 43 ft. (13 m) and 12,000 lbs. at maximum vertical reach, 48 ft. (14.6 m). the 718 can cut and move the wood in larger sizes as well, allowing faster removal. 

• The grapple saw can even, if wanted, cut branches and feed them into a chipper in a single motion.
  
  

Need more reach for your urban forestry work, and the 43’ 718 just won’t cut it? Consider the 728 model, which provides 65’ of reach along with a 3,700 lbs. horizontal and 12,000 lbs. vertical lifting capacities. 

Site Cleanup and Debris Removal 

While a crane can be an effective, albeit time-consuming way to remove tree parts or cut down a tree, it doesn’t help with any of the work that has to be done after the removal process. 

Once the tree has been felled or the branches have been removed, cleanup begins. 

Having the ability to cut tree parts down into more manageable sizes, stack them in piles for loading and haul away, or mulch and mow on-site offers a huge advantage in saving time, improving safety and being more productive.

If your crew plans to cut, stack, mulch or mow after the land is cleared, you’ll need additional equipment to do so. Some tree service attachments are available for some cranes, which offers more versatility without having to purchase an additional machine. 

That’s the SENNEBOGEN advantage.

“No other machine does what we do AFTER the tree is down. Cut to length, stack, load, chip. 

Most accidents happen on the ground after the tree is down (lower-level guys on the ground). 

90% of those incidents are eliminated with SENNEBOGEN.”

—Greg Roberts, SENNEBOGEN NA Tree Care Manager

  3. Feller Buncher  

When it comes to the specific task of felling trees, you can’t more specialized than a feller buncher. This harvester attachment can rapidly gather and cut a tree before felling it.  

What is a feller? And what is a buncher?

Feller is a traditional name for someone who cuts down trees. 

Bunching is the skidding and assembly of two or more trees

A feller buncher performs both of these harvesting functions and consists of a standard heavy equipment base with a tree-grabbing device furnished with a chain-saw, circular saw or a shear—a pinching device designed to cut small trees off at the base. The machine then places the cut tree on a stack suitable for a skidder, forwarder, or yarder for transport to further processing such as delimbing, bucking, loading, or chipping.

Source: Wikipedia 

The two major feller buncher styles include the rubber-tire machine that drives up to a tree to then cut it, while the second type is a tracked machine that features a cutting head attached to a swing boom.

In many ways, a feller buncher and a SENNEBOGEN 718 have similar characteristics. 

Both the feller-buncher and the SENNEBOGEN 718 offer dramatically improved efficiency, speed, and safety in tree removal.

READ: Feller Buncher vs SENNEBOGEN 718 Tree Handler >>

However, as far as function goes, there are few major distinctions - these include terrain, reach, and dexterity.

A feller buncher cutting select pines for forestry management.

Is the Feller Buncher or the 718 More Versatile?

When choosing which piece of equipment to use, it all depends on the type of work you do and the job site specifications. 

Neither the feller buncher nor the 718 can do everything, but they each excel in their own applications.

  4. Excavator with Attachments  

Once again born out of ingenuity, excavators, which were originally built and designed for digging operations, have been outfitted for forestry work.

READ: 6 Different Excavator Types and Their Uses >>

In modern day tree work, excavators are often used to clear large swaths of land. They are also used for stump removal after land has been cleared with a bulldozer.

It’s becoming quite common for tree workers to use mini excavators in forestry work. These more compact versions offer improved accessibility over their standard size counterparts. 

While versatility with attachment heads makes a mini excavator a good equipment piece to add to a forestry worker’s fleet, it does have its limitations. 

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons 

Limitations of an Excavator with Attachments

An excavator will present the challenge of limited reach and lifting capacity as the boom/stick moves further away from the machine’s base. 

An excavator lacks 360-degree mobility. 

An excavator does not have a standard, dedicated hydraulic supply to control the stick attachment. 

SENNEBOGEN 718 Precision Handling and Reach

The 718's telescopic boom will reach further than an excavator's attachment - up to 45 feet - and has a vertical lifting capacity of 12,000 pounds. Combined with its grapple saw attachment, the operator enjoys precision-controlled movement similar to a human hand, with a 280-degree rotation and a tilting angle of 180 degrees.  

This amount of control allows the operator to dismantle trees over structures, near power lines and along roadsides with increased safety.

Perhaps one of the biggest advantages the 718 has over the excavator is its dedicated hydraulic pump. 

The dedicated hydraulic pump supplies power to the end of stick attachment. This allows the operator to drive the machine and adjust the boom/stick while having full functionality of the attachment. 

Read: 718 Tree Handler vs. an Excavator with Attachments >>

  5. Harvester  

Excels in High Volume Cutting, Falls Short in Urban Forestry

A Harvester is one type of forestry equipment, typically used in logging operations, that has been considered for urban applications to help cities and towns take down hazardous trees quickly and safely.

“A harvester is a type of heavy forestry vehicle employed in cut-to-length logging operations for felling, delimbing and bucking trees. A forest harvester is typically employed together with a forwarder that hauls the logs to a roadside landing.”

Source: Wikipedia 

A harvester is a heavy equipment tool that excels in larger volume, clear cutting operations; typically, the larger the volume, the better the return on the owner's equipment investments.

However, electrical hazards, countless obstacles and space constraints often prevent the use of typical harvesters or limit the volume productivity and profit because they are not purpose built for the urban environment. 

The application of harvesters built to excel in the woods is not feasible for most urban projects and often less than ideal for many rural and residential removal projects, especially when operating in tight spaces or busy areas.

Different jobs require different tools, and where people and trees live together in what is known as “the urban forest,” tools other than a harvester are a better fit.

Image Source: Wikipedia 

SENNEBOGEN 718 vs a Harvester

While a tree harvester is best suited for operations in the woods, where they can certainly offer a great degree of productivity and safety, the 718 is best suited in urban applications such as municipal, utility, and commercial projects. 

A nimble and highly versatile machine, the SENNEBOGEN 718 E can serve as a powerful tool to tree service companies offering utility line clearing, right-of-way (ROW) clearing, roadside maintenance, lot clearing and more.

As always, there is a right tool for each job. 

For forest work that involves clearing large areas of land, a harvester is an excellent machine that will offer you productivity and safety. 

When it comes to urban forestry, the 718 is superior because of its versatility and mobility. 

Read: The 718e Tree Handler vs a Harvester for Urban Forestry Applications 

Shawn Abler uses his SENNEBOGEN 718 to take on Urban Forestry work with ease.

Serving primarily construction companies and municipalities, Shawn says, “Our jobs typically are clearing jobs, but we’ve done roadside work as well. When I tell someone about the new machine, I push its safety and efficiency as well as cost-savings. It’s safer for us and safer for you and your property. It’s definitely faster; you can do more work in a day’s time.”

“There’s a lot of storm work, too, pulling trees off of houses. Summer and winter. This machine is incredible at doing that. 

We used to climb up there on the roof with a chain saw, pick it, and cut it four or five times to pull it off the house. 

With the 718, you can get right up in the cab and see over the house. 

You see what’s going on, make your cuts from the cab and you can have the tree off the house in an hour.”

Read Shawn's full story here >>

  6. Forestry Mulcher  

Forestry mulching is a method of controlling and clearing heavy brush and small timber growth in vegetation management. Once trees have been cleared and cut, they are fed into the machine to create a mulch-like material that can be used for landscaping, drainage control and more. 

Companies that clear land of small growth vegetation know that a mulcher is quite handy. It only takes one piece of equipment to cut, grind and clear the unwanted vegetation. 

Applications Where a Mulcher is Used

• Overgrown Brush
• Underbrush
• Vines
• Bamboo
• Kudzoo
• Small Timber 
• Untamed Trees
• Pasture Clearing

Dedicated Mulcher vs Mulcher Attachment

Some outfits prefer a dedicated forestry mulcher, which may work better for smaller jobs and tight workplaces. 

For others, a machine with the versatility of interchangeable attachment heads allows a company to save money and space while still taking on jobs that require mulching. 

With a dedicated mulcher, unless you do a lot of land clearing projects, you may have that equipment sitting in the shed for a large part of the year.

SENNEBOGEN 718 vs a Dedicated Forestry Mulcher

For companies who do occasional mulching jobs but don’t rely on land clearing as a major part of their operations, a mulcher attachment head could be the best solution. 

Read: SENNEBOGEN 718 with Attachments vs a Dedicated Forestry Mulcher >>

The SENNEBOGEN 718 offers three attachment head choices: 

• grapple saw
• shearer 
• mulcher

The SENNEBOGEN 718: a true multi-purpose machine that's adaptable to the unique circumstances that each job demands. 

Do I Really Need a SENNEBOGEN ?

We understand that there are efficient and reliable machines that have been used for decades in the tree care industry. 

Some outfits have a well-executed and maintained system in place and are happy with their current level of work. Their equipment serves them well and their crew is trained and ready to operate and perform aerial and arborist work with expertise. 

But for companies who aren’t satisfied with where they are – perhaps you are looking to take on a higher volume of work, or more large-scale projects – then a SENNEBOGEN could be the next great business decision you make. 

Who is a SENNEBOGEN best for?

• Companies wishing to scale in terms of work volume and project size
• Companies who want less “boots in the forest” to keep workers and job sites safe
• You’ll get the benefits of drastically increased productivity – up to 10x what you currently put out – and in less than half the time. 
• The speed with which you can arrive at a site, setup, perform your cuts and takedowns, and clean up the site will allow you to take on 3-5 more jobs in a single day with the same number of crew.

What model of SENNEBOGEN is ideal for the tree service work I do?

For most tree service companies, the SENNEBOGEN 718 E series is the perfect place to start. If you don’t yet own a SENNEBOGEN, beginning your fleet with this staple piece will offer you the most bang for your buck. 

Learn more about the 718 RH D with crawler tracks

The 728 and 738 series: When You Need Something More

If you already own a SENNEBOGEN 718 and are looking to expand your fleet, your choice between the 728 and 738 will depend on the size of trees you typically service as well as the scale of your operations.

SENNEBOGEN 728 series 

90% of jobs can be tackled with the 718; however, three unique jobs are ideal for the 728:

WOOD MANAGEMENT: THE NEW SENNEBOGEN 728 E TREE CARE HANDLER

With the new SENNEBOGEN 728 E-series, we are expanding our product portfolio for demanding tree maintenance and problem tree felling with another highlight. As an important addition to the 718 E and 738 E tree care handlers, which have been established for many years and are used by customers worldwide in large numbers, the 728 E is now available on the market as another machine with a reach of up to 21 m for the challenges of wood management.

Learn more about the 728 E series >>

The 728 E is nimble and maneuverable like the 718 while also offering the improved reach of 65’ with a vertical lifting capacity of 12,000 lbs. 

SENNEBOGEN 738 SERIES

When large-scale operations are the name of your game, you can rely on the 738 series to get the job done. Widely used in cleanup of large natural disasters, such as forest fires, the 738 offers the big power you’re looking for.

A Game-Changer for the Industry: The SENNEBOGEN 738

Rich Kingsborough of Atlas Tree Surgery relates his first project using the 738 tree handler:

“We had a row of about 100 eucalyptus trees; about 120 to 150 ft. high. Branches were stretching over two lanes of a major roadway, so we couldn‘t just cut & drop. 

Typically, we would have had two climbers up in the tree, and a 100-ton or larger crane to bring the tree down. With the 738, we completed the job in less time, using fewer people, without a crane, and we didn’t have to put one climber in the tree. 

Anytime you can take a climber out of the tree you have made the job safer. Up to now, we would have planned for about ten crew on the jobsite. The most we ever had there was up to five. 

We scheduled two months for the job, and we got it done in about 6 weeks.”

Read Rich’s full story here>>

The 738 offers 75’ of vertical reach with a 12,000 lbs. lifting capacity.

View Full Specs and Download Brochures for all three SENNEBOGEN tree handler models.

Yesterday vs Today: New Challenges Bring New Opportunities

We respect and appreciate those that paved the way for the tree care industry and what it’s become today. Trailblazers who had passion and pride in their craft forged the way in ingenuity and problem solving. 

Today, the industry demands change and resourcefulness once again. 

          Find Sales, Service and Support Near You>>