This ASV RT-120 Forestry track loader is one bad ass machine!! Zombie apocalypse ready and an attached spinning drum loaded with knife blades… nothing gets in it’s way!! This bad boy chews up anything in its path. The power company I work for purchased this machine in the summer months and we weren’t able to use it due to fire dangers. All it takes is a rock or hidden barbed wire T-post and you got sparks a flyin’!! So it’s been sitting in the shop waiting to get out onto the right-of-way and tear some serious ‘ish up!! Plus we lineman like to things getting destroyed for some reason… dang kids!!
It didn’t come with the 3,200lb chipper on the front. It actually came with a set of forks and a bucket. With the chipper attached this beast weighs in close to 15,000lbs. The price tag… well let’s just say I don’t plan on buying one anytime soon
After we got some long awaited rain up in the mountains, we got the go ahead to drag this machine up and start widening the right-of-way of the powerlines. Brush, grass, tree limbs, stumps, logs… whatever is in its path gets chewed up and spit out.
The operator can walk this beast up to a tree, grind a notch low on the tree, raise the chipper up and push the tree over with the cross bar on top. Then mow over it, turning the tree into a nice bed of wood chips. Stand back because that chipper head sends shrapnel flying everywhere!! Your safest place is off to either of the sides. We saw chunks of wood shooting out the back flying close to 100 feet.
We spent all day on one span of wire. That’s how horrible this right-of-way has become. I alone fell around 25 trees that day. Reliable electricity is what we aim to provide and in the mountainous areas getting the trees away from the power line is the main focus.
We grabbed our chainsaws and went out in front of the machine and started felling trees. This is what it looked like just after we started. Trees growing right under the line and a narrow corridor for the powerlines to run though.
After we made a nice stack of fallen trees, it was the beasts turn to do some work. We just sat back and watch the destruction happen… wood chips flying everywhere!!
It’s a little slow going, yet pretty impressive how it can take a 36 inch stump and grind it into nice wood chips. Back and forth… back and forth…
The gif above with all the trees stacked in a line… this is the aftermath when the beast got done.
Now that looks real nice!!
Before there would be now way in hell we could get any of our trucks in here to repair line or replace poles. Now, you could dang near drive a semi truck in there.
We still have 3 more spans we need to clear but this span… well see for yourself
Before
After
Next time we head up to clean the right-of-way it’s my turn to operate this monster. It will probably take some getting use to but I’m sure I will catch on in no time.
We don’t just build and maintain powerlines… we get to play on some pretty bad ass equipment. I can’t believe they trust us operating machines like this.
With that I will leave you with a nice photo of the sun coming up over the trees in the Blue Mountains of Washington state.
Thanks for stopping by and I will catch you on the next one!!
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