English
On tree patrol.

Unimog replaces a column of two vehicles at the Herter forestry operation.

Trier and Alzey are renowned for their well-kept green areas. The charming aspect is founded on professional workmanship. The professionals from the Herter forestry services company based in Treis-Karden by the Mosel river take care of the area's trees, shrub­bery and green spaces. Managing director Lars Bogdanski is respon­sible for the company's operational deployment planning and vehi­cle fleet.

So it was also his decision to put into service a brand new Unimog, featuring lots of high-end additional equipment for tree and green space maintenance, for this year's new season. “We chose the Unimog because it replaces a convoy of two vehicles,” Lars Bogdanski explains. What is striking at first glance is the traf­fic guidance system mounted on the rear, which is mandatory on federal highways and rural roads. “Because of the traffic safety reg­ulations, we previously had to take two vehicles on site,” the forest­ry expert explains.

When the Unimog is out on tree care work, there are usually two crew members onboard, to carry out multiple work steps simultaneously. In the tree felling season from October to March, the Schliesing high-performance wood chipper is particular­ly essential. It can handle logs up to 30 centimetres in diameter, blowing the wood chips straight into the tipper bed unit. The unit, which can be tilted to both sides, holds seven cubic metres. “That gives us flexibility when unloading, and allows us to manoeuvre in the tightest of spaces,” explains Bogdanski. The chipper is a real powerhouse. At its highest speed, it chips 10 cubic metres of solid wood in less than half an hour. The Unimog is equipped with a high-performance cable winch on the rear to satisfy its enormous “hunger” for wood. It pulls the cut logs to the vehicle immediately after felling, ready for chipping.

Providing lush greenery in town.

After the tree felling season, the Unimog exhibits a completely differ­ent talent: tree watering in Trier and Alzey. What most visitors enjoy­ing the green spaces are unlikely to be aware of is that a mature tree needs up to 200 litres of water on hot summer days to stay in shape. The Unimog is the ideal tool for that job too - because it can move much faster between locations than the previous vehicle combina­tion used. In less than an hour, the tipper bed can be replaced by a 3800 litre tank. A spray unit with a telescopic sprayer arm is mounted on the front, readying the Unimog for its new tasks.

Wood chip transport by tipper.
Second important task: Tree watering with built-on 3800 l tank and sprayer arm.
Lars Bogdanski chose the Unimog because it can replace two vehicles.
Wood chip transport by tipper.
1/3

But the Unimog would not be the workhorse it is if it was not also usable for many other applications. “Since we generate 60 percent of our sales with tree care work, we initially planned the Unimog for that area of operations. We will additionally deploy it for convention­al forestry work, landscape conservation and transportation,” reveals Lars Bogdanski with a view to his long-term planning. If the newcomer in the fleet proves itself as it has shown in the first few weeks, its capacity will quickly be 100 percent taken up. And the Unimog will certainly not be left standing at the depot because there are no trained drivers on the scene. Because not only Bogdanski and Herter are allowed to drive the new Unimog, but all 16 of the company's employees - and the “partners in the greenery” greatly enjoy doing so.

You're interested in the Unimog implement carrier?

 

View product information

Text: Christian Bonk, photos: Henrik Morlock

All articles about Unimog in forestry

Display all content
visible-md and up (hidden-sm and down)
visible-lg and up (hidden-md and down)
visible-xl