Taking down the big trees

Many loggers are, from time to time, asked if they can take down single trees in someone’s garden. It may be easy, if the tree is not too big and if there is space enough to fell it. But if not? How do you take the big ones down close to houses, barns and other items that must not be damaged?

Taking down the big trees

There are different ways to get the big ones down. Here in Europe the most common method is to either climb or using a small grapple saw on a hydraulic crane. But what if the tree is high and the branches very thick? Or, if you cannot get close to the tree at all? Well, here is one solution …

The PowerGrab 2400 by RagnarTech

RagnarTech Inc. is a new company with an experienced main owner – Anders Ragnarsson, the Swede who moved to the USA and gave the World the CBI chippers. As we all know, Anders sold CBI to Terex and has been doing other things ever since. Recently, he started RagnarTech Inc. with the aim to supply the market with remote-controlled equipment to be used with mobile cranes.

The PowerGrab 2400

The PowerGrab 2400 is a remote-controlled grapple saw, designed to work with a mobile crane. With this device branches, tree parts and whole trees could be removed in a controlled and safe way. All staff involved work safely from the ground, no climbing or hanging in wires is needed.

The difference compared to grapple saws mounted on hydraulic cranes is that the Powergrab can cut and control stems or branches up to 24” (61 cm) diameter at a weight up to 2 tons. All according to the manufacturer.

With a sturdy mobile crane, you can actually work at a distance with a tree. E.g. if you are not allowed to enter a garden with a big machine or truck. As long as the operator of the PowerGrab can stand close enough to the tree, the work could be done. Small trees can actually be lifted out in one piece, without touching the ground.

Great interest in the USA

Anders tells us that the interest has been overwhelming in the US so far. When this is written, only the first sample of the PowerGrab exists. This one has been sold and more are to be manufactured immediately to meet the demand.

The main market will most likely be in North America, but also middle Europe could be interesting as there are many parks with old trees that need to be managed in a safe and efficient way.

Anders Ragnarsson

As mentioned above, the name Anders Ragnarsson is still tight connected to the CBI chippers in people’s minds. It was some years ago now that Anders sold CBI to Terex, but people will never forget his presentations at the forestry shows and the noisy yellow machines.

After selling CBI, Anders went on with a new company called ROI, Ragnar Original Innovation. ROI had as main product, the Carbonator, that is a mobile biochar producer. A year ago, he sold ROI to Tigercat. We wrote about the Carbonator in an article in February this year that you can read here.

In the RagnarTech company he has involved a couple of friends in Sweden, Edvin Lennartsson and Gustaf Thormalm, and his wife Maria. The first series of PowerGrab´s will be manufactured in Sweden by Ölmstad Smide AB, who also adapt farmer tractors for forestry as we have written about before.

Some people never go to sleep

One can believe that someone like Anders Ragnarsson could retire and just take it easy. Maybe he can, but he won´t. He seems to be the kind of person that will never stop thinking, who will always keep trying to find better solutions. The kind of person that we like here at NordicWoodJournal.com and that we have written about before.

Let´s hope he keeps thinking and doing for a long time to come.

Film and more information

You can find out more about RagnarTech Inc. on their homepage here.

Here is a film about the PowerGrab 2400.