The Peterson brand and Komatsu Forest are more than business connections for a staple of Tasmania’s forestry industry.
Plato once said, “a good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers”. Les Walkden has both on his side.
For more than two decades the owner of Les Walkden Enterprises has put his faith in Peterson grinders and has accumulated an impressive fleet of machinery.
In July 2024 he took delivery of a new 4710D horizontal grinder – adding to a long list of Peterson equipment including 3400B, 2400B, 4700, 4710B and 4710D grinders, seven chippers and one standalone flail.
“They’ve been good to me,” Les says of the Peterson brand.
“This was my preference when I started out and we’ve stuck with them. I’m not even tempted to try other brands.”
Born and bred on a farm in Tasmania, Les says he’s always been involved in timber harvesting and carting.
He purchased his first grinder 25 years ago to reduce post chipping and harvesting hardwood residues and was somewhat of a pioneer in providing sawdust and wood chips for industrial boilers.
“We used to move to mill sites where they have a lot of offcuts and turn it into fuel for them,” he says.
“At one point we had two grinders in situ at a paper mill, making 75,000 tonnes of boiler fuel a year.”
These days the biggest selling products are a certified organic eucalyptus mulch for landscaping and cattle bedding for dairies.
He’s also taken on some big roadworks projects, including the new Hobart bridge, mulching cleared timber to be reused on road verges.
It’s tough work that requires tough equipment, but the Peterson grinder cuts through it.
“It’s marvellous what they can cut through,” Les says. “Last year we ground up walnut trees to create compost for a vineyard.
“Probably the hardest thing we’ve ever ground was a man fern. It resulted in beautiful mulch, but it was hard to do.”
Brenton Yon, Peterson Product Manager, says Peterson has a reputation for turning low-grade organic materials into high value products. The 4710D is designed for high volume producers with demanding product specifications and is particularly suited for operations that require frequent movements.
Powered by Caterpillar C18 Tier II 570kW engine, the 4710D provides a high power to weight ratio than any Peterson grinder.
As with all Peterson grinders, it’s available as either a wheeled trailer or self-propelled tracks and includes an upturn three-stage grinding process, Impact Release System that incorporates a patented airbag protection for contaminated feedstock; and Impact Cushion System that protects the mill from catastrophic damage from large items in the feedstock.
Komatsu Forest has been distributing Peterson machinery since 2010 and Brenton says they have found a niche in Australia’s forestry, construction and mining industries because of their robustness.
Les puts his machines through the mill, working up to eight hours a day to produce about 1000 metres of mulch, equivalent to 150 metres an hour.
He says he could drive the grinder harder, but “softly, softly is best”.
“This work is hard on the old girls. You have to know how to use them and respect them,” he says.
“We treat them well and they give us good service.”
But it’s not just the machines that have endeared themselves to Les. Having worked with Peterson for the best part of 20 years he’s built a strong relationship with the brand and the team at Komatsu Forest. Les has visited Peterson’s factory and met the original founder, Neil Peterson, when he travelled to Australia.
“They’re great people and we’ve had a great relationship,” Les says. “Brenton has been a great friend of mine for a lot of years. The service and advice he’s given us is unparalleled. Service and personalisation make a difference when you’re making such a big investment.”
For more information, visit: www.komatsuforest.com.au