Velfjord Skogservice in Helgeland, in Norway has used Valtra from the beginning eleven years ago. In 2017 they invested in a Valtra N154 Active with integrated Kesla crane, delivered by Eiksenteret Mosjøen. It has been an effective combination.

“We mostly work with clearing along power lines and roads. This last winter the new Valtra tractor has mostly been used to clear roads. After 12 years with Valtra we are still very satisfied. The Valtra tractor is known to like working in the forest best”, says Inge Nepås.

He founded Velfjord Skogservice together with Bengt Hansen i 2006. Today the company consists of seven men who deliver goods and services in the whole Sør-Helgeland region, based in Sausvatn outside of Brønnøysund. Last year Eiksenteret Mosjøen delivered a Valtra N154 equipped for use in the forest with a Kesla crane.

“It has become a requirement that we chip what we chop. We therefore decided to buy a crane on the tractor in addition to a chipper and a timber wagon. We were anxious to see if the Valtra N154 was powerful enough to run the chipper, but that has not been a problem.” Nepås chuckles and says they just need to make sure the knives are sharp.

Equipped for work in the forest

The Valtra tractor was equipped for work in the forest at Valtra Unlimited Studio. In addition to the Kesla crane the tractor has front hydraulics with a forest cutter and an extra light package. It also has a diesel tank and the belly of the tractor is reinforced.

“The light package is great in the winter time when it is dark most of the time. We did not choose the glass roof that can be included in the forest package, even that could have been practical in some cases”, Nepås explains.

The cab on the Valtra N Series is designed to give more space at the level of the shoulder and the elbow, the windows provide almost a 7 m2 view.

“I feel we have a good view inside the tractor, and the operator environment is also good with a low noise level. After operating for 800 hours we can conclude that we are satisfied.”

TwinTrac and the crane

Valtra customers have for many years been able to choose factory mounted crane mounts and integrated with the tractors armrest so that the crane can easily be run with the joystick.

“The crane has been a big advantage compared to what we had before. Two men chop down the trees followed by the chipper with a crane. We collect the largest logs and sometimes we use the timber wagon to take them away. We were not used to TwinTrac in the beginning, but now that we are used to using it, it is nice to not have to turn the seat so often.

With Valtra and Eiksenteret Mosjøen on the team, Nepås and his colleagues are well prepared for the future.

Nepås is satisfied and says that they have had more jobs than they counted on when they bought the tractor, so they are happy to say that the tractor and the crane work beyond their expectations.