Engineering a better tool for smaller wood

Working with smaller wood is a different game. You’re handling more stems, moving the head more often, and trying to get as much value as possible out of every tree. To stay productive, you need a harvesting head that’s quick, easy to handle and tough enough to keep working day after day.

That’s exactly what Ensign set out to build with the Woodsman Pro 566.

Designed as a harvesting head for 25–35 tonne machines, the Woodsman Pro 566 combines a feed speed of up to 6.3 m/s, a powerful main saw and top saw, excellent delimbing coverage, and the same proven design principles behind the Woodsman Pro range.

It’s built for contractors who want a compact harvest head without sacrificing performance, reliability and the durability that bigger Woodsman Pro heads are known for by loggers in New Zealand and around the world.

Purpose built from a proven platform

Lead designer Bjarni Gudnason has spent more than 20 years with Ensign. He started out building Woodsman Pro heads before moving into design, giving him a practical understanding of what works in the bush and what makes life easier for operators.

The story of the 566 actually started with the Woodsman Pro 560. It was developed after a contractor working in Kaingaroa Forest asked for a smaller head better suited to thinning operations.

“The 560 gave us a really good platform,” says Bjarni. “It didn’t have a top saw, but once we saw how well it worked, we knew we had the right base to develop the 566.”

Building a smaller head wasn’t the hard part. “The real challenge was fitting a top saw into such a compact package while still keeping it light and robust,” Bjarni explains. “We also wanted automatic chain tensioning so operators spend less time making adjustments and more time cutting wood.”

The result is a purpose-built harvesting head for smaller wood. While the 566 has a different design to suit its job, it still uses many of the proven components found across the Woodsman Pro range. Sharing common parts makes servicing simpler, keeps spare parts straightforward and helps get machines back to work faster.

Fast – and with higher value recovery

Smaller wood means more trees and more processing cycles every day. That’s where the 566 is designed to earn its keep.

With a feed speed of up to 6.3 m/s — the fastest in the Woodsman Pro range — the head keeps timber moving quickly through the machine.
But speed is only part of the story.

“Good delimb coverage is key to achieving single-pass delimbing,” Bjarni says. “If you only have to go over the tree once instead of coming back for another pass, you’re in the money.”

Three heavy-duty delimbing arms, a floating top knife and a fixed lower knife provide full delimbing coverage up to Ø510 mm. The 566 can continue processing stems down to a minimum of Ø40 mm, helping recover more usable timber – and value – from every tree.

Rodney Hubbard, owner of H&R Harvesting Ltd, says those design decisions are paying off in the forest.

“The modifications made to suit the smaller P-size wood have been a real improvement, increasing production while also reducing downtime.

“The 566 is noticeably smoother and quicker. It’s significantly faster at both delimbing and processing than what we’ve used previously.

“We’re also seeing higher value recovery. The head is able to delimb the stem down to the smaller diameter, which means we’re getting more return off the stump.”

In addition to feed speed, the lighter, more compact design is what helps keep production moving.

“Being smaller and lighter makes the head more nimble,” explains Bjarni. “Once you’ve finished one tree, you can grab the next one quicker. Those little time savings add up over the course of a day. Operators have even said the 566 feels more like a felling head – lightweight and easy to manoeuvre.”
Hydraulic cushioning inside the cylinders smooths out each movement, giving operators a more controlled feel while they work, while dual diameter sensors help maintain accurate measuring and reliable log data throughout the processing cycle.

More Time in the Bush, less in the workshop

A harvesting head only makes money when it’s working. Time in the workshop costs production, so keeping maintenance simple was a big part of the 566 design.

“Designing a harvesting head is always a balancing act,” Bjarni says. “You can make it stronger, but it gets heavier. The challenge is getting the right balance between strength, weight and durability.”

That thinking runs through the whole machine.

The main and top saw both feature automatic chain tensioning, helping keep the saws working properly with less time spent making manual adjustments. The hose-free swing arm keeps lubrication safely inside the saw box where it’s protected from damage, while improved access to the hydraulic valve, a simplified wiring layout and on-board fault diagnostics make servicing and fault-finding quicker and easier.

The 566 also has plenty of practical Woodsman Pro features operators already value. Replaceable wear components, including a patented one-bolt delimb knife insert system, make routine maintenance straightforward. Bolt-in wear plates can be changed without welding (reducing fire risk in the forest), while reversible feed wheels wear more evenly and last longer before they need replacing.

Those practical features are already making a difference in the field for H&R Harvesting Ltd.

“Another big advantage is fewer moving parts. There’s less to maintain and fewer wear items, which helps keep operating costs down and makes good business sense,” says Rodney.

Always Improving

The Woodsman Pro 566 comes with Ensign’s own Loggic control software. Because it’s developed in-house, new features and improvements can be added as customer needs change, with future developments already underway, including automatic production reporting.

Bjarni is proud of what the team has achieved, but he’s already thinking about what comes next. “If you think you’ve mastered it, that’s when you stop looking for ways to make things better.”

That philosophy has shaped every Woodsman Pro head. The 566 is a purpose-built tool designed to do one job exceptionally well. For contractors working with smaller wood every day, it’s a harvesting head built to maximise productivity.

“It’s a robust, reliable, nimble head,” Bjarni says.

And in the bush, that’s exactly what matters.

Want to see what the Woodsman Pro 566 could do in your operation? Get in touch with our team or visit the 566 product page to learn more.