With a background steeped in agriculture, Macroom man Noel Kelleher has built a well-known and trusted countrywide tree-care and site-clearance business over the past 30 years.
Noel has never been afraid to take a risk, and has put together a seriously well-specified fleet of machinery, to tackle site clearance and tree removal work.
He does all this alongside running a 55-cow suckler herd, and rearing 40 Angus calves each year, which are carried through to finishing at just under 24 months.
Having grown up as one of three brothers on the home dairy farm, Noel bought his first McConnel hedgecutter in 1993, with the goal of getting into hire work.
Weighing in at 21.4t without an attachment, the 718E has a reach of 15m, with the machine of the cab elevating up to 6m for increased visibility.
Around the same time, he began cleaning out poultry sheds, on hire. Roll the clock forward more than 30 years, and Noel’s business continues these services, but the main focus of the business is on site clearance and tree care. Today, the business employs five full-time staff alongside himself and his son Evan.
Sennebogen Tree Care handler
Toying with the idea for several years, Noel made the decision to buy a new Sennebogen 718E Tree Care handler in 2022, taking delivery in early 2023. At the time, this was the first such machine in Ireland, with two more having entered the country since.
Powered by a 165hp engine, the unit is fitted with a 20km/h two speed powershift transmission.
“I had been looking at the Sennebogen concept for a number of years,” he said. “We felt it was a machine that would offer a much safer way of felling tall trees, and it would be a key machine for the felling of trees affected with Ash dieback. However, with a price tag north of €500,000, it was going to be a huge investment for any business.
“When we decided to take the plunge, we ordered the machine with two attachments, which were sourced in Holland. Both were sourced from Groeneveldt in Rotterdam, the first is a grab with a 36in bar, which safely holds and cuts trees, and the second was a mulcher head.
The Ufkes Greentec Piranha stump grinder uses cutting teeth on a grinding wheel, to mill the stump.
“We opted for a mulcher head specifically for motorway jobs. The 718E has a phenomenal reach, and is capable of reaching areas that other machines simply can’t,” Noel explained.
From the outside, the machine looks like an excavator on wheels, better known as a rubber duck, but in reality, it’s a completely different beast.
The Sennebogen 718E is a tree-care handler designed for safe and efficient tree removal, for embankment maintenance, roadside clearing along motorways, storm damage cleanup, and energy wood harvesting. A wide range of attachments such as grapple saws, cutting heads, or mulchers make it versatile.
The SSM forestry tillers are designed to shred roots/stumps up to 50cm in diameter, down to a maximum working depth of 40cm.
Weighing in at 21.4t without an attachment, the 718E has a reach of 15m, with the cab elevating up to 6m for increased visibility of the job at hand.
Powered by a 165hp engine, the unit is fitted with a 20km/h two-speed powershift transmission. The machine has two dedicated operators, namely Martin Fitzgibbon and Evan Kelleher.
Stump grinders and mulchers
In recent years, Noel has built up quite the collection of kit to tackle site-clearance jobs. This includes mulchers, tree shears, stump grinders, chippers and a forestry mulcher. Two Volvo 140 excavator are mainly used to operate TMK tree shears and an FAE and Ufkes mulchers.
When it comes to tree stumps, the smaller stumps are tackled with a Dipperfox 850 Pro stump crusher, which is designed for 14-30t excavators. This vertical stump grinder is built in Estonia and is designed to be much quicker than traditional stump removal methods.
The smaller stumps are tackled with a Dipperfox 850 Pro stump crusher, which is designed for 14-30t excavators.
The manufacturer says a key part of its performance is a patented gear-changing mechanism which converts revolving speed into torque. It features cutting blades and a central screw. The attachment requires an oil flow of 110-220l/min and a pressure of 180-350 bar. Noel uses it on stumps up to 1.5ft in diameter.
Larger stumps are tackled by a PTO driven Ufkes Greentec Piranha stump grinder, which is fit to tackle any stump, once it gets enough time. This stump grinder uses cutting teeth on a grinding wheel to mill the stump.
In 2023, Noel bought an FAE SSM/HP 250 forest tiller from Irish dealer George Murphy in Ferns. The SSM range of forestry tillers are designed to shred roots and stumps up to 50cm in diameter, down to a maximum working depth of 40cm. Their main applications are plantation maintenance, agriculture tilling and soil reclamation and soil mixing.
They come equipped with wear-resistant Hardox plates, a central gearbox alignment system, a transmission with side gearbox, and an adjustable Hardox counter blade. An adjustable hood grille, a dozer blade and a rear hydraulic support roller are also available. It is available in three widths, with Noel’s SSM-250 being the flagship machine, at 2560mm wide.
Forestry spec Valtra tractors
Valtra is one of the only mainstream tractor manufacturers which builds tractors suited for use in forestry environments. Steel diesel tanks, high ground clearance, plated underbellies and factory-fitted reverse drive systems are all factors that position the Finnish brand ahead of the rest for work in such environments.
Valtra’s philosophy has always been to build a tractor suited for farm work in the summer and forestry work in the winter. Today, Valtra continues this heritage, offering customers the option of tailoring a tractor to their needs from the factory through its Unlimited studio.
In 2009, Noel decided to buy a Jenz HEM 360 mounted chipper, but needed a suitable tractor to drive and feed it. He said that Valtra came to mind, as he saw a few with mounted timber cranes. He recalls pricing a T191 from Paudy Buckley Tractors in forestry specification which added an extra €20,000 roughly to the price. This included the reverse drive option, belly plate, strengthened glass, glass roof and the steel diesel tank. He bought the tractor and sent it to Jas P Wilson Forest Machines in England to have an 8m Botex double extension crane fitted which took six weeks.
In 2015, this T191 was upgraded for a new T193. After investing in the Greentec stump grinder, he needed to buy a tractor for the task. Noel purchased a new T255 Versu in the full forestry specification with heavy-duty rims and the reverse drive option.
Noel also used this tractor to power his forestry mulcher. Due to this machine’s huge demand on power, the T255 was remapped to 300hp, but Noel said it still struggled to run the machine, burning 39 litres of fuel per hour in the process. After weighing up his options, a new Valtra Q305 was added to the fleet earlier this year.
“The Q305 is a serious piece of kit. On the forestry mulcher, its cut our fuel usage to almost half, down to 20 litres per hour. It’s full of power, has a super cooling system, a very smooth transmission and for a high horsepower machine, its not overly big. We are hugely impressed with the machine,” Noel explained.
Noel’s tractor fleet also includes a New Holland T7060, TM155 and a TM120, while he continues to run two McConnel 6500 hedgecutters.
With a background steeped in agriculture, Macroom man Noel Kelleher has built a well-known and trusted countrywide tree-care and site-clearance business over the past 30 years.
Noel has never been afraid to take a risk, and has put together a seriously well-specified fleet of machinery, to tackle site clearance and tree removal work.
He does all this alongside running a 55-cow suckler herd, and rearing 40 Angus calves each year, which are carried through to finishing at just under 24 months.
Having grown up as one of three brothers on the home dairy farm, Noel bought his first McConnel hedgecutter in 1993, with the goal of getting into hire work.
Weighing in at 21.4t without an attachment, the 718E has a reach of 15m, with the machine of the cab elevating up to 6m for increased visibility.
Around the same time, he began cleaning out poultry sheds, on hire. Roll the clock forward more than 30 years, and Noel’s business continues these services, but the main focus of the business is on site clearance and tree care. Today, the business employs five full-time staff alongside himself and his son Evan.
Sennebogen Tree Care handler
Toying with the idea for several years, Noel made the decision to buy a new Sennebogen 718E Tree Care handler in 2022, taking delivery in early 2023. At the time, this was the first such machine in Ireland, with two more having entered the country since.
Powered by a 165hp engine, the unit is fitted with a 20km/h two speed powershift transmission.
“I had been looking at the Sennebogen concept for a number of years,” he said. “We felt it was a machine that would offer a much safer way of felling tall trees, and it would be a key machine for the felling of trees affected with Ash dieback. However, with a price tag north of €500,000, it was going to be a huge investment for any business.
“When we decided to take the plunge, we ordered the machine with two attachments, which were sourced in Holland. Both were sourced from Groeneveldt in Rotterdam, the first is a grab with a 36in bar, which safely holds and cuts trees, and the second was a mulcher head.
The Ufkes Greentec Piranha stump grinder uses cutting teeth on a grinding wheel, to mill the stump.
“We opted for a mulcher head specifically for motorway jobs. The 718E has a phenomenal reach, and is capable of reaching areas that other machines simply can’t,” Noel explained.
From the outside, the machine looks like an excavator on wheels, better known as a rubber duck, but in reality, it’s a completely different beast.
The Sennebogen 718E is a tree-care handler designed for safe and efficient tree removal, for embankment maintenance, roadside clearing along motorways, storm damage cleanup, and energy wood harvesting. A wide range of attachments such as grapple saws, cutting heads, or mulchers make it versatile.
The SSM forestry tillers are designed to shred roots/stumps up to 50cm in diameter, down to a maximum working depth of 40cm.
Weighing in at 21.4t without an attachment, the 718E has a reach of 15m, with the cab elevating up to 6m for increased visibility of the job at hand.
Powered by a 165hp engine, the unit is fitted with a 20km/h two-speed powershift transmission. The machine has two dedicated operators, namely Martin Fitzgibbon and Evan Kelleher.
Stump grinders and mulchers
In recent years, Noel has built up quite the collection of kit to tackle site-clearance jobs. This includes mulchers, tree shears, stump grinders, chippers and a forestry mulcher. Two Volvo 140 excavator are mainly used to operate TMK tree shears and an FAE and Ufkes mulchers.
When it comes to tree stumps, the smaller stumps are tackled with a Dipperfox 850 Pro stump crusher, which is designed for 14-30t excavators. This vertical stump grinder is built in Estonia and is designed to be much quicker than traditional stump removal methods.
The smaller stumps are tackled with a Dipperfox 850 Pro stump crusher, which is designed for 14-30t excavators.
The manufacturer says a key part of its performance is a patented gear-changing mechanism which converts revolving speed into torque. It features cutting blades and a central screw. The attachment requires an oil flow of 110-220l/min and a pressure of 180-350 bar. Noel uses it on stumps up to 1.5ft in diameter.
Larger stumps are tackled by a PTO driven Ufkes Greentec Piranha stump grinder, which is fit to tackle any stump, once it gets enough time. This stump grinder uses cutting teeth on a grinding wheel to mill the stump.
In 2023, Noel bought an FAE SSM/HP 250 forest tiller from Irish dealer George Murphy in Ferns. The SSM range of forestry tillers are designed to shred roots and stumps up to 50cm in diameter, down to a maximum working depth of 40cm. Their main applications are plantation maintenance, agriculture tilling and soil reclamation and soil mixing.
They come equipped with wear-resistant Hardox plates, a central gearbox alignment system, a transmission with side gearbox, and an adjustable Hardox counter blade. An adjustable hood grille, a dozer blade and a rear hydraulic support roller are also available. It is available in three widths, with Noel’s SSM-250 being the flagship machine, at 2560mm wide.
Forestry spec Valtra tractors
Valtra is one of the only mainstream tractor manufacturers which builds tractors suited for use in forestry environments. Steel diesel tanks, high ground clearance, plated underbellies and factory-fitted reverse drive systems are all factors that position the Finnish brand ahead of the rest for work in such environments.
Valtra’s philosophy has always been to build a tractor suited for farm work in the summer and forestry work in the winter. Today, Valtra continues this heritage, offering customers the option of tailoring a tractor to their needs from the factory through its Unlimited studio.
In 2009, Noel decided to buy a Jenz HEM 360 mounted chipper, but needed a suitable tractor to drive and feed it. He said that Valtra came to mind, as he saw a few with mounted timber cranes. He recalls pricing a T191 from Paudy Buckley Tractors in forestry specification which added an extra €20,000 roughly to the price. This included the reverse drive option, belly plate, strengthened glass, glass roof and the steel diesel tank. He bought the tractor and sent it to Jas P Wilson Forest Machines in England to have an 8m Botex double extension crane fitted which took six weeks.
In 2015, this T191 was upgraded for a new T193. After investing in the Greentec stump grinder, he needed to buy a tractor for the task. Noel purchased a new T255 Versu in the full forestry specification with heavy-duty rims and the reverse drive option.
Noel also used this tractor to power his forestry mulcher. Due to this machine’s huge demand on power, the T255 was remapped to 300hp, but Noel said it still struggled to run the machine, burning 39 litres of fuel per hour in the process. After weighing up his options, a new Valtra Q305 was added to the fleet earlier this year.
“The Q305 is a serious piece of kit. On the forestry mulcher, its cut our fuel usage to almost half, down to 20 litres per hour. It’s full of power, has a super cooling system, a very smooth transmission and for a high horsepower machine, its not overly big. We are hugely impressed with the machine,” Noel explained.
Noel’s tractor fleet also includes a New Holland T7060, TM155 and a TM120, while he continues to run two McConnel 6500 hedgecutters.
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