TMK

TMK builds excavator tree shears in the medium-commercial class, and the specification practice is useful to Australian buyers because hardwood and softwood capacities are quoted separately.

That separation matters more here than in most markets. The TMK 300 is quoted at up to approximately 250 mm hardwood against 300 mm softwood — a 50 mm difference on the same head. In Australian conditions the hardwood figure is usually the relevant one, and specifying against the softwood number means working the head above its practical range.

At around 310 kg for 6-20 tonne carriers, the head is light enough that it barely touches the lift chart, which is part of its appeal for contractors running mixed attachment fleets.

Tree shear specifications contain a trap that catches Australian buyers repeatedly: maximum cutting capacity describes an occasional capability, not a production rate. A contractor clearing 100-200 mm regrowth gains nothing from a head rated to 450 mm except weight and cost.

The figure that matters is stems per minute in your dominant diameter, witnessed on your material. Ask alongside it whether multiple stems can be accumulated before placing, because in small-stem work that single capability changes the economics more than any capacity rating.

Australian conditions add a second trap. Published hardwood and softwood capacities commonly differ by 50 mm or more on the same head, because fibrous hardwood tears rather than cutting cleanly — loading the blade differently and dulling it faster. The hardwood figure is the relevant one here, and stringy eucalyptus regrowth is the real test of any blade geometry.

Finally, check blade economics. Sharpening interval and replacement cost in your timber, with your soil contact, determine the running cost far more than the purchase price does — and they are the figures least likely to be volunteered.