Jack Blinco from Ironjack Recycling has been around grinders and chippers since he was a child, so he knows a tough, productive, and smart machine when he sees one – and he gives the Vermeer HG6800TX Horizontal Grinder a definite thumbs up.

The HG6800TX is Jack’s first Vermeer machine, recently purchased for his environmental land clearing business Ironjack Recycling. Based in southeast Queensland, Ironjack Recycling specialises in a wide range of projects involving vegetation clearing and natural disaster clean-up.

“Ironjack is a family based and run company and has been successively operational for over four and a half years,” Jack says.

“The last two years have really seen us grow, driven by more contract work, not just green waste and mulching projects, but diversifying into demolition works and contracts with larger developers and councils right up and down the Queensland coast.”

This growth is what led Jack to add a new Vermeer Horizontal Grinder to the business, and he says there were two main features that stood out for him with the machine.

“The first was just the high spec and production of the machine. Its ability to get through larger materials, get in and power through the big jobs for us is great. We already have it lined up for a large 280-hectare land clearing project in Flagstone, and I know it will perform well for us there.

“The second feature that stood out for us is the Damage Defence System, which is really an inbuilt metal detection system in the grinder. For the work we do in grinding greenwaste and in natural disaster clean ups from cyclones, floods, and large storms, you can get a large amount of steel and metal when completing the jobs. Land clearing can also bring up metal and materials harmful to the machinery so having the metal detection will help us prevent damage to the grinder and get through the waste easier and quicker,” Jack says

In addition to the quality of the machine, Jack says the support from the Vermeer Australia team has been second to none.

“Even before we purchased the grinder, the support from the team and reps was great. Throughout the whole process, if we had any issues with the machine or questions, they were out onsite within an hour and a half, meaning our downtime has been kept to a minimum.”

HG6800TX key features

• The HG6800TX features 950 hp (708 kW) in a 92,000 lb (41,730.5 kg) class, and an infeed designed specifically for feeding larger materials such as whole trees and large stumps.
• The Series III hard-faced duplex drum offers durability and convenient maintenance, with the ability to remove and replace single hammers and balance the drum externally.
• Low side walls aid in feeding whole trees and other larger material with less restriction, reducing the need for operator interaction with the material.
• The SmartFeed system monitors engine rpm and adjusts grinding speed for optimal machine performance.
• The optional Damage Defense system reduces the likelihood of certain metal contaminants from entering the hammermill by reacting to the initial contact with the contaminant and reversing the feed system to allow removal of the contaminant.
• The feed roller can climb up to 50” (127 cm), helping the machine to crush logs or stumps that need to be rolled, and allowing the operator flexibility for different material inputs.
• Change screens easily utilising the optional screen hoist and the remote control or main machine controls.