Ranger Keeps Sawmill Humming in Ghana

Imagine the difficulties loggers face in the tropical forests of Africa: Hundreds of miles from the nearest town, no cell phone network, spare parts thousands of miles away, stifling heat and humidity, months of torrential rain, single logs weighing 25,000 pounds. All this makes for serious punishment for forestry equipment, and places a big emphasis on machines that keep running despite the difficulties.

These were the considerations facing Coppon Timber Products Limited of Ghana. Last year they acquired their first Ranger skidder, an F68C. They had no first-hand experience with the machine, but knew of its reputation for reliability in other parts of Africa. Because they ran only one skidder in their operation, they needed a machine that showed up for work every day.

Once again, Ranger proves it is up to the challenge. With around 1,300 hours of use, the machine doesn't have much paint left on it, but it pulls the big wood day in and day out. A typical day's production is 180 cubic meters, enough to supply all the sawmill's needs.

Coppon is an integrated timber products firm. They obtain forest concessions in the area, cut and transport logs to their sawmill, produce timber for export, and also use some of the timber for finished goods such as doors and window frames. To keep up with demand, they need the sawmill running full time.

They are working in one of the few remaining stands of virgin forest in Ghana, located near Oda, about two hours by road northwest of Accra, the capital city. As is typical in the tropical forest, there are many species, including some, like dania, that are so dense they don't float. The cut is very selective, taking only mature trees marked by state foresters. The skidder is agile, and able to move around easily to find the logs.

According to skidder operator Asiaw Charles, the Ranger is so powerful that it runs at the same speed with or without a load. Because it can bring the logs out so fast, there is less need to create more roads for the trucks. This saves time and money for Coppon, and it's better for the forest.

Ranger F68 will continue to be a huge asset in the tropical forest. The simple design and robust construction are ideally suited to the difficult conditions. Loggers prefer that the engine does not have electronic controls and is much easier to repair and maintain. The idea of needing a laptop computer to adjust your engine just doesn't appeal in the developing world.