News
Teupen Tracked Access platform chosen
for use in Epping Forest
A Teupen Leo30T tracked access platform on hire from Henley-on-Thames
based Arbor Plant has been chosen by the Epping Forest Division
of the City of London Corporation to reach ancient beech pollards.
Epping Forest covers an area of some 6000 acres and contains
a total of approximately 50,000 ancient pollards which require
regular attention by a team of tree surgeons.
Although the Open Spaces Department at Epping operates its own
vehicle mounted access platform, a tracked machine is hired in
for the 3 to 4 month period of the year when the ancient pollards
are tackled. The use of a tracked machine is vital because soil
compaction around the pollards must be minimised to avoid damage
to their root systems. In addition, a tracked platform such as
the Teupen unit chosen on this occasion is also able to reach
the remote and often difficult terrain areas within the forest
with ease.
According to land management officer John Clarkson, “The
Teupen platform is a very nice piece of kit and we receive an
excellent level of customer service from Arbor Plant, where most
of the staff are ex-arboriculturists and so understand our problems
well.”
The Leo 30T platform, imported by the UK Teupen dealer Ranger
Equipment of Chesterfield, offers a working height of 30 m with
up to 15.7 m of horizontal outreach. In order to provide an extensive
working envelope, the unit also features a self-centering teleboom
with a 180 degree articulating jib with a similar angle rotating
basket.
Powered by a Kubota 3-cylinder diesel engine developing 15.1
kW (20 hp) the 4200 kg machine has super-smooth 'fuzzy' controls
for accurate placement of the two-man basket and a class leading
ground bearing pressure of just 5.7 N/cm sq.