Fecon has become a household name in the forestry industry, thanks to its premium builds and heavy-duty mulching abilities. Whether it is vegetation management, removal of invasive plants, creating fire breaks or more, Fecon has your back! Fecon understands that investing in equipment is more than just a transaction – it’s a commitment, that’s why they boast exceptional durability, reliability, and operator support. Ensuring that every attachment and machine is build heavy duty to handle even the hardest Australian timbers whilst offering premium before and after sales support.
Skid Steer Mulchers and Excavator mulchers
One of the standout features of the Fecon forestry mulcher range is their immense power. Equipped with heavy-duty rotors and robust tools, these mulchers are designed to efficiently clear dense vegetation, shrubs, trees and brush. The Fecon Bullhog mulchers are available to suit most models of skid steers and excavators, offering versatility with the availability of standard and high flow models. Your choice in a range of different rotors to suit your specific needs, the Heavy duty FGT, the fine end product DCR or Fast cutting FMX. Built with variable displacement hydraulic motors that automatically adjust speed and torque, creating better flow and cutting ability with less stall than other mulchers available on the market. The Fecon Bullhog mulchers are the benchmark in quality and power.
Forestry Tractors
When it comes to power Fecon Forestry Tractors are on top. Fecon has earned its reputation with its range of impressive, tracked forestry tractors, spanning from the 140hp up to 310hp. These forestry tractors redefine the landscape of land management, delivering not only results, but a superior return on your investment. Built with a renowned Cummins engine, these tractors feature premium parts and components, equaling less downtime and more worktime. Each tractor is sold with a Fecon mulching head equipped, whilst having the ability to fit multiple attachments such as the tree shears, Stumpex, root rake, rotary deck mower, dirt bucket and other attachments requiring high flow. Featuring a comfortable cabin adjustable seat, touchscreen display and more.
Stumpex – Stump Grinder
When it comes to tackling stubborn stumps, traditional methods can be time-consuming, messy, and disruptive. That’s where Fecon Stumpex steps in – a game-changing stump grinder that reimagines the process with an alternative approach. Designed for both excavators and skid steers, Fecon Stumpex offers an innovative auger-style rotational grinding method that transforms stumps into a fine end product with unparalleled efficiency and minimal disturbance. Utilizing a slow rotation and high torque, the Stumpex takes on stumps ranging from 25 to 81cm in diameter and grinds them down 50cm in just 90 seconds. Safe work and Easier clean up compared to most other stump grinders on the market, as it rotates at a low RPM reducing highspeed debris flying everywhere.
Tree Shears
Fecon Tree Shears are made for excavators and skid steers and have redefined the art of tree shearing, lifting, bunching, and carrying with a single attachment. Fecon Tree Shears are designed to thrive, even in the most challenging environments. They easily reach areas that are otherwise inaccessible, including up and down slopes. With Fecon Tree Shears, you can tackle forestry management tasks in areas that were once considered off-limits. Like every Fecon product the tree shears are built with high quality in mind, this includes the heavy-duty shear knives. These knives are made with premium steel to ensure durability and longevity. The perfect balance between strength and weight, the lightweight yet robust frame ensures maneuverability and efficiency while performing demanding tasks.
Whether you’re working on large-scale land clearing projects, forestry maintenance, or bushfire prevention, Fecon offers the equipment needed to get the job done effectively and swiftly. Backed by parts, sales and support nationwide.
Enquire today at www.fecon.net.au or call 1300 FECON 1.
CJD Equipment is now offering a complimentary ten-year free standard CareTrack connectivity package on new Volvo GPPE machines.
The ActiveCare Service also includes proactive monitoring of your machine. Via Caretrack, the customer’s machine transmits data to the Volvo Uptime Centre. This data is then analysed immediately via the diagnostic system. If there are technical issues that require priority attention, Volvo’s uptime centre will notify CJD Equipment, where a case can be initiated. This case may encompass a comprehensive examination of the machine’s software, suggestions for improving operator behaviour where applicable, recommendations for reducing CO2 emissions, and any other pertinent information gleaned from the ActiveCare reports.
With this mindset The Young Group were open to exploring the Hidromek range of equipment, even though they were unfamiliar with the brand, ‘aside from seeing them beside the highway’ as mentioned by Sean Devine their Operator. They are currently working on a 60M$ warehouse development on 6.5 hectares over 5 years in Hobarts Northern Suburbs. The site will include local breweries with tastings, shops, community centre, cafes and a factory which is adjacent to affordable homes, with stage one starting soon.
This was the start of the partnership with Onetrak and the Hidromek Brand, back in Oct/Nov 2022. They have added to their fleet with the Hidromek HMK310LC excavator and the HMK110CS roller which are currently being used for their ‘subdivisions, quarry on the farm and the roads that lead to the quarry’ Tim explains.
‘The driving experience is really good, I’d rate it above a 10 out of 10. Both machines, the HMK310LC and HMK110CS are comfortable, spacious and smoother in the cab, with the HMK310LC excavator being especially comfortable.’
‘The visibility from the cab is good due to the cabs design and wide cab angles, and you can also take the padfoot off the roller providing a multi-option, which was one of the reasons for buying it.’
If you want to find out more about Hidromek contact Onetrak, your local Hidromek supplier in Australia on 1300 727 520 or visit 
Silvano (Satch) Santilli 9/12/1960 – 29/12/2023
Tier 3 and Tier 4 options
Performance Gains
Technology Standards and Options
All-new cab elevates comfort
Lower Operating Costs
Like many in this industry who grew up around machines, Dan’s family album reveals an early interest in the family trade. “We were always around the gear. So, I was probably drawn to it because of that,” he shares. “And once I started working with Pa full time, that interest grew even further.”
Not only did striking out on his own give Dan some wriggle room to grow, it also took a bit of the pressure off his grandparents. “I saw the potential of growing the business – different product lines and different gear for different projects. It really excited me,” he shares. “Obviously my new venture works alongside the existing business. But starting my own thing let me take on that bigger portion of the market, without Pa and Grandma having to worry about new clients coming through the door and all that extra workload.”
It’s a decision he’s glad of every time he starts up. “I can jump in, do my pre-start, and know that she’s going turn over and there’ll be no leaks, or anything like that,” he shares. “And, say there were any issues, that’d be fixed straight away. It’s a good sense of security, knowing you’re not risking any downtime. That’s essential for a new business operation.”
With downtime being any business’ biggest risk and cost, Dan reckons backup service is key to success. “We need production to run as consistently as possible to keep us on track,” he says. “Knowing that you’ve got a team around you who’ll get you back on the ground as quickly as possible is very important.”
For hitches, Dan has stuck with Geith. “I’ve got a Salmon GP bucket, and we went with the Geith because that’s the same hitch we had on our other digger,” he explains. “That way we knew all the attachments could be used interchangeably without any modifications. My grandfather’s always used Salmon – now known as SBA – and they’ve got a good relationship. So, we were keen to keep that going forward.”
Right now, Dan’s wearing a lot of hats, from Managing Director through to operating and being the first point of contact for sales. But that won’t always be the case. “We’ll definitely have a sales team at some point,” he shares. “But I think it’s always good to chat to your clients directly and build that relationship. It creates trust and means you understand their needs.”
In terms of getting work, Dan’s approach to social media has proven to be a real asset. “A lot is word of mouth via a decent local client base. But one thing that’s really working well for us is our social media presence,” he shares. “Our promotion via our Instagram page is winning us a lot of work. But the key is, I’m never directly trying to sell the products. Just sharing what we do each day in the quarry – because I love it and people are interested. And now a lot of the inquiries coming through the door mention they’ve seen our page. We’re sending product up as far as the Gold Coast now. So, our reach is definitely growing.”
Dan was also keen to get the machine sign written with the company name. “That was a no-brainer,” he says. “There’s a lot of people seeing our equipment and our products and our operation in the quarry now that previously wouldn’t have. So, we need to make sure we’re doing everything to a high standard. A fleet of well-branded, beautifully maintained machines will attract the best staff in the future, too. Separate us from some of the competition.”
With sandstone, there are set volumes you can extract each year, but Dan says they’ve got plenty of room to ramp that up. “We’re operating well under those volumes at the moment,” he explains. “So, there’s definitely opportunity to increase production. That’s the biggest goal; to maximise output and offer a new range of exciting products. Not just the standard stuff we’ve done previously. That keeps things interesting for everyone working with us.”
In the longer term, Dan’s keen to bring more of his operations in house. “I’d like to have our own fleet of trucks,” he says. “We use a lot of subcontractors. And they’re great, but I’d love for us to handle everything from the haulage to the quarry operation, to the sales side of things. It’s easier to serve your clients when you know, off the top of your head, what time a truck’s going to be in a certain place, who the driver is, and what material they have on at a certain time. Just makes for a smoother operation, overall. So that’s going to be important for growing the business.”
So, as someone living the dream, what’s Dan’s advice for someone looking to set themselves up with their own venture?
Powerful and rugged with less maintenance
High-ambient temperature capability of 52˚ C, cold-start capability at -18˚ C, and the ability to work at up to 4500 m above sea level make the 340 suitable for virtually any environment. Auto hydraulic warmup in cold temperatures gets the machine to work faster and prolongs the life of machine components. The air intake filter with pre-cleaner features high dust capacity, and a high-efficiency hydraulic fan offers optional automatic reverse to keep cores free from debris.
Simple, comfortable operation
Optional Cat Stick Steer makes travel and turning much easier. A host of standard technologies – Cat Payload on-board weighing, Grade Assist for maintaining grade, and 2D Grade with depth and slope indication – elevate operator efficiency and machine productivity. All Cat Grade systems are compatible with radios and base stations from top third-party technology suppliers. Operators can store up to four depth and slope offsets to quickly cut to grade without a grade checker. Auto Hammer Stop warns operators after 15 seconds of continuous firing and then shuts off the hammer after 30 seconds to prevent wear and tear. Auto Dig Boost and Auto Heavy Lift increase bucket penetration and lift capacity by 8%, and Lift Assist helps operators avoid tipping the machine.
More information about the new Cat 340 hydraulic excavator can be found by contacting the local Cat dealer or visiting: 
Shell is one of the most well-recognised oil and fluid brands in the world, and as the exclusive distributor of Shell brand lubricants in Australia, Viva Energy has worked tirelessly to streamline the process of selecting the right lubricant for your equipment.
Protecting the performance of exhaust emissions control systems is not only important to ensure that equipment comply with legislative requirements, but it also ensures efficient operations. For example, blocked diesel particulate filters (DPF) can increase fuel consumption. Shell Rimula R4 L is formulated with reduced levels of ash and sulphur to help maintain the efficiency of the latest technology.
