A leading regional tree management specialist says the power of its new Hinowa spider lift will help it overcome the increasingly challenging working conditions its teams face due to climate change.
Lincolnshire Tree Services has invested in a Hinowa Lightlift 17.75 Performance IIIS tracked spider boom, citing it as the best machine in its class for tree work.
The platform's compactness, reliability and ability to reach a large areas of tree canopies from just one position is highly valued by the company's operatives, said director Louise Allenby.
It also says that, as climate change is triggering more frequent of periods of heavy rain, creating increasingly difficult ground conditions, the extra traction delivered by its new Hinowa Lightlift 17.75 will also help it reach many trees it needs to work on.
Louise Allenby explained: "The Hinowa performs very well over poor and wet ground, so we'll still be able to do our work in the most difficult conditions. This is important as we do an increasing amount of storm damage work, which is also related to climate change."
The new Hinowa Lightlift 17.75 is replacing an older version of the same platform. The fact that the company operated its previous Hinowa LL 17.75 since 2017 attests to Hinowa's reputation for reliability.
"We selected the Lightlift 17.75 because it is so compact that it can get into all the awkward spots we need to work in," said Louise Allenby. "Also, Hinowas are so reliable that they are the go-to platforms in our industry."
The company's first preference is to work from platforms - it also operates a truck-mount platform - because it is safer than conventional rope access. The increasing prevalence of ash dieback in Lincolnshire also makes working from the Hinowa LL 17.75 spider lift essential.
Linda Betts, Key Accounts Director for Access Platform Sales, the UK and Ireland distributor for all Hinowa products, said: "Hinowa always ensures its platforms have plenty of power and are engineered to perform well in difficult conditions. Climate change is certainly a factor in these design decisions.
"Hinowa has also designed its spider booms from the bottom up to support tree specialists. Robust steel boom sections, an unrestricted 230kg basket capacity and highly-responsive proportional controls help deliver the precisions and reliability tree surgeons need to get jobs done across challenging terrain."
The Hinowa Lightlift 17.75 Mk2 spider cherry picker has a maximum working height of 17.06m and an outreach of up to 7.5m.
The platform is just 790mm wide, 4529mm long and 1998mm high when stowed for tracking, allowing it to be moved though most garden gates and archways and along garden paths to reach the backs of houses.
The tracks can also be extended to 1086mm to support tracking across slopes or the sort of wet and unstable ground Lincolnshire Tree Services operatives are increasingly encountering.
An array of smart features, including twin-speed tracking and one button set up and stow - plus safety features that prevent the platform from being used in potentially risky conditions - greatly enhance productivity and help keep operatives safe.
Lincolnshire Tree Services has selected the bi-energy version of the Hinowa Lightlift 17.75. It has a powerful diesel engine and can also be operated on 110v mains electric power for working in indoor areas or where noise and emissions need to be eliminated.
In business for more than 20 years, Lincolnshire Tree Services is based in Tealby, in the Lincolnshire Wolds, from where its teams deliver a comprehensive range of services, including tree surveys, tree surgery and felling, and site clearance.
The company is a local authority approved contactor and works for large estates, landscaping specialists, a wide range of businesses and domestic customers.
