We invited exhibitors to share a little information about equipment and/or services they will be debuting at TCI EXPO ’23 in St. Louis in November. Several responded, allowing us to give you a little preview of the TCI EXPO ’23 trade-show floor.
TCIA’s TCI EXPO ’23 Trade Show & Conference will take place November 16-18, 2023, at the America’s Center Convention Complex in St. Louis, Missouri.
This listing includes items that will be shown for the first time anywhere, as well as some that may have been released earlier this year and will be making their first TCI EXPO appearance.
Arbsession Geartote+
Arbsession’s Geartote+ (trademarked GEARtote+) is a gear bag designed to provide quick access to your stuff. It features dedicated storage for two throwline cubes on the exterior. Most times you arrive at a job and the first thing you need to grab is a throwline. Now you can get to it without taking everything out of the bag. A movable, internal divider system lets you space out your gear to your preference. Use it to store your odds and ends, including your helmet, lunch, etc. The inside of the hood has a cinch-style skirt designed precisely for a mini climbing system. The hood can be removed via a zipper. This eliminates the need for you to carry your entire gear bag to the backyard if you are just pruning a small tree. (www.arbsession.com)
Branch Manager 3000 Series log grapple
Branch Manager Attachments, the original manufacturer of mini forestry grapples for the Tree Care Industry, will be introducing its 3000 Series bypass grapple with a 66-inch-wide opening. The grapple is designed for tree companies that regularly move large amounts of logs and brush with their mini or “midi” machines. The upgraded 3-inch cylinder doubles the gathering power of the 2-inch cylinder of the original Branch Manager grapple, going from 2 inches at 3,000 PSI (9,425 pounds of force) to 3 inches at 3,000 PSI (21,206 pounds of force). The cylinder is checked by a valve to prevent the grapple from opening due to machine bleed-back. The grapple is designed to be three times as durable while weighing just 300 pounds by utilizing Hardox 450 steel. The grapple has larger pins, 1.25 inches, with integrated grease ports for increased service life and durability. The T3005 model has a patented rotary-union design that automatically recenters the grapple in two positions. The T3010 is a powered-rotation model with a 3-ton rotator. The T3001 has the original Branch Manager grapple hose routing. (branchmanagerusa.com)
CAMP Ares Mips helmet
Tested at 20,000 volts, the new CAMP Ares Mips helmet is ANSI Z89.1 Type-1, Class-E certified. Made with an ABS shell, it also meets EN 397 + electrical insulation (440 V a.c.) for temperatures as low as minus 68 Fahrenheit (minus 20 Celsius), and for molten metal splash. The added Mips Safety System is designed to allow for multidirectional movement of 10-15mm (0.39-0.59 of an inch), thereby decreasing the rotational forces transmitted to the brain through various angled impacts. The Ares Mips features a fully adjustable headband with a one-handed-turn dial adjustment for a precise fit. The chin-strap buckle is designed to break away with 15-25kg (33-55 pounds) pressure. CAMP’s Ares Mips also features attachment points for ear protection, visors, headlamps and NFC (near-field communication) tracking technology. Available in red, yellow and white. (www.camp-usa.com)
Milwaukee Tool M12 Brushless Pruning Shears
Milwaukee Tool’s new M12 Brushless Pruning Shears are designed to deliver fast and controlled pruning for professionals on the job, while also reducing fatigue in application. Utilizing the power of M12 battery technology, these pruning shears provide the ability to cut up to 1¼-inch branches. Weighing 2.9 pounds (tool only), the shears’ lightweight and inline design is intended to reduce muscle effort for users by 75% when compared to manual solutions, and to provide maneuverability in tight-access pruning. The cutting-edge mode-select board delivers improved user control and efficiency by offering the ability to set blades at half the maximum capacity, increasing application speed by 40%. Milwaukee’s Active Blade Control allows blade movement to mirror the trigger movement, providing users with the ability to match blade capacity to each cut’s unique needs. (www.milwaukeetool.com)
TP Chippers model 175 ZE electric chipper
The TP model 175 ZE is a 6-inch-plus-capacity, tracked electric chipper. It is designed to have a green profile – “ZE” stands for zero emissions – with low motor noise. Electronics are fully encapsulated for a long lifespan (IP65 class). The chipper features twin-infeed, horizontal rollers with a 6-inch-plus by 7-inch-plus opening. Chip size is one-half inch and less. It operates on a lithium-ion battery pack with up to five hours of run time processing mixed materials. It charges from 0% to 100% in six to nine hours with an on-board charger fed 230V-16amp. The 65-volt motor provides 31 foot-pounds of max tourque. Made in Denmark, it is designed to be low maintenance and easily serviceable. Its two Hardox knives can be changed with one tool in just a few minutes. It comes with a three-year warranty or an up to 1,000-charges warranty on the battery packs. (www.tpchippers.com)
Courant Bubblegum Kalimba arborist rope
Courant, a seventh-generation, family-owned manufacturer based in France, has added a vivid new option to their Kalimba rope line – the Bubblegum variant. This latest addition builds on the success of the Lollipop color scheme, designed to set a new benchmark in the field of arborist ropes. Fabricated with a 24-strand polyester sheath wrapped around an X-Braid polyamide core, the Bubblegum Kalimba is designed to be as sturdy as it is striking. With a static resistance of 35kN and a spliced resistance of 23kN, this rope is intended for demanding tasks. Its minimal elongation rate of 1.8% at 50/150kg and sheath slippage of only 0.1% attest to its quality. Moreover, it boasts a knotability rating of 0.6 and only experiences a 1% retraction when wet. According to Courant, the Bubblegum Kalimba is more than just eye candy – it performs impeccably under pressure.
(www.mycourant.com)
Fanno Pole Saw Saver
New from Fanno Saw Works/Superior Fruit Equipment, the Pole Saw Saver (PSS) is designed to allow a climber to secure their pole saw when climbing and repositioning in the canopy. It attaches effortlessly and securely to the harness with one-handed convenience. This efficiency protects not only the drop zone, but ground workers as well. It increases range, limiting the persistent problem of witch’s brooms or lion’s tails. The PSS delivers where duct tape, bailing wire and half-hitches have failed. Built with forged, extruded and CNC-machined aluminum components, this tool weighs in at 15 ounces. Designed in collaboration with local professional arborists, it is made in the USA with U.S. and international parts. Available at your favorite arborist-supply store. (www.fannosaw.com)
Samson ArborFreak 16-strand climbing line
Samson is excited to introduce its new ArborFreak, what it is calling a next-generation, 16-strand climbing line. Building on the success of its ArborMaster climbing line, ArborFreak comes in vibrant colors and is designed to be an extremely durable climbing line, offering excellent firmness for all climbing techniques. With low stretch and high strength, ArborFreak’s core and cover are designed to work together to ensure maximum performance – and it’s spliceable and easy to inspect. ArborFreak is available in brighter, more dynamic colors. Rounding out this “freaky” series is ArborFreak SD, with SamsonDry. An innovative hydrophobic coating, SamsonDry prevents water uptake to less than 5%, meeting UIAA standards and making rope on the job site safer, easier and more efficient. Easy to splice and compatible with climbing hardware, ArborFreak with SamsonDry is available in the SamsonDry colors of green/orange/blue in a variety of lengths. (www.samsonrope.com)
Loftness Tilt Hitch for excavator mulching heads
The new Loftness Tilt Hitch for its 20 and 30 Series Battle Ax excavator mulching heads is designed to allow for hydraulically tilting the mulching head on the boom for greater versatility and enhanced productivity. With the Tilt Hitch, a mulching head can be tilted up to 45 degrees left or right. Compared with competitive units, which typically have restricted movement in one direction, the Loftness hitch offers one of the highest ranges of motion in the industry. Tilting the mulching head allows an operator to fully expose the knives when cutting into trees. Additionally, trees can be held in place for faster mulching performance by tilting and positioning the head so the shear bar rests against the tree to prevent it from wobbling. When ground mulching, the head can be tilted to keep material from ejecting out the back or to help pick material off the ground for further processing. The 20 and 30 Series Battle Ax attachments are compatible with excavators ranging from 10,000-36,000 pounds. (www.loftness.com)
Sterling Scion 11.5 mm climbing line
Sterling’s new Scion is a fully certified, double-braid, 11.5 mm arbor climbing line that is CE certified and meets ANSI standards. The Scion is designed to provide the perfect balance of control and efficiency, making it ideal for MRS and SRS climbing techniques. The 11.5 mm Scion is a double-braid rope featuring a burly, polyester 24-strand sheath and a steam-stabilized, braided nylon core. It is engineered to have decreased elongation, soft handling and easy knotability. The smooth, durable sheath is designed to handle mechanical devices and run efficiently through hardware. Available in two vivid color patterns, the 11.5 mm Scion can’t be missed up in the tree. The Scion can be hand spliced. (www.sterlingrope.com)
Notch Armorflex ChainSaw Protective Pants with Scannable technology
Notch’s new Armorflex chain-saw pants feature five-layer Avertic Engtex high-performance protective fabric and new and improved abrasion-resistant, four-way-stretch Cordura fabric for unrestricted movement and flexibility. The pants are protected using a durable water-repellant finish that repels water, oil and dirt. The knees are protected using Armortex abrasion-resistant fabrics featuring Dupont Kevlar fibers. Despite all the protection, these pants are surprisingly lightweight and comfortable, weighing only 2.2 pounds and offering excellent breathability. Now you can get the most out of your gear with Scannable track-and-trace technology. These pants feature an NFC tag that allows you to scan and add the gear to your equipment list. You can review product features, maintenance requirements, inspection guidelines and more, all using the Scannable app. Learn more at scannable.io. Comfortable protection engineered for arborists to cut with confidence. (www.notchequipment.com)
This is just a sampling of what’s new to see on the trade-show floor at TCI EXPO ’23. We hope to see you at the show!
Compiled by Susan DiPietro, TCI Magazine managing editor and website content manager, and Don Staruk, TCI Magazine editor.
