Rebuilt BE70 Leaving the Brightwater Services Workshop

Brightwater Services recently completed a full rebuild of a BE70 trailer mounted Yarder for Wayne Schroder’s Logging crew based in Marlborough. Originally built in 1993, the Yarder was the fourth trailer mounted BE70 manufactured by Brightwater. The machine spent its first ten years logging in the Hawkes Bay before shifting to the West Coast.

The Brightwater Services team had a window of six weeks to complete the rebuild which included a full cab rebuild, repairing the brakes and clutch, replacing the top section of the tower, full engine and transmission service, repairing the air system and tidying up the guarding package. The trailer had it’s suspension replaced making the machine fully road legal as a towed vehicle.

“The rebuild was a great project for the boys to work on. It was a good opportunity to bring one of our early machines back and restore it to full working condition,” said Darren Hall, Brightwater Services Nelson, Workshop Foreman.

In early November, the BE70 was delivered to Wayne Schroder to use in the Queen Charlotte forest in the Marlborough Sounds. The trailer mount design makes this machine versatile for the Marlborough Sounds environment where wood lots are smaller and shifts more regular. “We are absolutely delighted with the machine we have received. The conditions for logging in the Marlborough Sounds are notoriously difficult due to the terrain and the machine is currently hauling between 150 to 200 tonnes per day. Darren and the Brightwater Services team completely exceeded my expectations with the rebuild of the BE70”, said Wayne.

The next Yarder rebuild for the Brightwater Services Nelson team is a skyline drum conversion for a Thunderbird TMY 255. Brightwater is currently manufacturing a Madill124 Swing Yarder due for release in early 2012. The Madill 124 will be the 69th Yarder in total to be manufactured by Brightwater.