Four decades with Ponsse in the forests of northern Sweden
When Rolf Nyström upgraded an older harvester in the 1980s, he chose a harvester head from Ponsse. That was his first contact with the Finnish manufacturer, but it was definitely not his last. He now looks back on 40 years with Ponsse.
Nyström has followed the developments within the forestry machinery closely – initially as an employee and subsequently as an entrepreneur. He currently has a PONSSE Cobra harvester and a PONSSE Buffalo forwarder. The machines operate in a two-shift system in regeneration felling in and around the Jokkmokk area in northern Sweden.
Nyström operates the harvester. During his early years in the industry, he also drove a two-grip harvester.
“There have been fantastic developments in technology. Hydraulics, mechanics, materials, electronics, ergonomics and the driver environment, literally everything. High productivity, reliability too. These days, we take it for granted that everything works.”
His company, Rolfs Skogsmaskiner AB, primarily works for Sveaskog. The forests are typical for the region, almost exclusively pine trees and with the average trunk size for northern Sweden of 0.20 to 0.25 cubic metres.
In 2019, the company received the harvester PONSSE Cobra, which was the first of the new generation to arrive in Sweden. The PONSSE Buffalo followed in September last year. Further back in time, the company also had the previous generation Cobra.
Well balanced fleet
Nyström is happy with the Cobra and appreciates the all-round qualities of the Buffalo. Together, the machines form a fleet that is well suited to the tasks at hand.
“The harvester has plenty of hours on the clock, and it will therefore soon be time to replace it”, says Nyström, who is now looking into a PONSSE Scorpion.
Towards the end of his time at school, Nyström thought about becoming a ranger, but with a small family member on the way, he wanted to stay closer to home.
“Forestry is a natural part of the countryside here, and I have never regretted my choice to work with forestry machines.”
When Nyström first entered the industry, it was common for machines to have a very long lifespan. They were repaired and welded. Engines, gearboxes, hydraulic pumps and other parts, were replaced. In actual fact, it was exactly this kind of repair work that led him to encounter with Ponsse.
“At the time, I had no idea what kind of company Ponsse was, but I certainly do now”, he says with a smile, delighted to have followed the Finnish manufacturer from the early 1980s onwards.
Talking of the long lifespan of these machines: After the devastation caused by Storm Gudrun in the south of Sweden in 2005, Nyström was called on to help in the hard-hit area. With his PONSSE Ergo, he then found himself quite close to his old harvester that he had equipped with a Ponsse harvester head many years earlier.
“The new owner was delighted to come in contact with me, as we had come up with a number of special solutions for the machine during the time I owned it.”
Service Agreement — The obvious choice
Signing a PONSSE Active Care Service Agreement was an obvious choice for Nyström.
“It means you know services will be done – in the right way and at the right time. Added to which, Ponsse knows the history of every machine, which is useful when it is time to replace it.”
Even though the nearest Ponsse workshop is a good distance away, if any spare parts are needed, they are still delivered quickly.
“If we order a part in the morning, it arrives by courier that very evening.”
The generally high reliability means a great deal to Nyström, who would rather spend time hunting and fishing than tending to a machine. He sets great value by the freedom his work affords him and having the forest as his place of work. Summer is his favourite time of year, but he also really likes early spring. He would happily live without period of December–February, however.
Skilled employees
Nyström puts great store by his employees. Lars Olof Engman has been driving the Buffalo for many years. Anders Stenman, who operates the forwarder, is a more recent addition. Nyström shares the harvester with his son, William Jönsson, who joined the company in 2008.
“Skilled operators are worth their weight in gold. It is impossible for us to compete with the mining industry when it comes to pay, but hopefully the forest offers other compensations.”
Nyström feels the company is about the right size.
“I used to have two machine groups, but the way we are now makes it easier to manage and also means I get to spend a lot of time in the harvester, which I like.”
