By Dave Warner
Dolgeville is now the home of a one-of-a-kind logging machine, as John Steciak, a second-generation logger, took delivery of the first production Tracked Slasher last week.
He said, “Like many loggers, I do a little bit of everything to stay busy. Bulldozing, excavating, road building, and timber harvesting.”
Steciak said that a few years ago, he had an idea to update his large turntable mounted loggers and slashers with a more versatile piece of equipment.
The equipment that was on the market was $300-400,000 and something that he thought small operations couldn’t afford.
“How does a small operator like myself justify a return on investment like that, especially when you don’t want to live beyond your means and be a slave to the lender for years?”
That’s when he got creative.
“How about a self-contained, cordless, remote-controlled, circular saw on tracks that’s low to the ground and stable,” he stated.
As soon as he had the idea, he realized he would have to build a prototype track slasher, which he did in 2017.
“The prototype worked and proved itself, but now we have a factory-built professional unit with all new components.”
Steciak said that having a separate machine makes life a whole lot simpler.
His father, a retired 100-year-old logger, said, “You need this thing patented.”
“So I did. Three of them, and in Canada, two. Cut the umbilical cord(R) – describes the slasher to a T, is a registered trademark,”
Most operators will understand the importance of a crawler-style loader, he said. “The demand for these is strong, but 80% of the top-selling brands do not have the option of powering a circle slaw slasher.”
“You can now cut up trees into log-length or pulp with amazing speed with a small, versatile, affordable, self-powered slasher. With this one, the operator sits in his cab with a remote control. He can move it into position, twist it, turn it, and line it up with the equipment he’s using to put the trees on. It’s all self-contained.”
Steciak says there is less overheating when working in a high-heat environment like down south because the hydraulic cooling system is separate.
“For the first time now, an excavator with a rotating grapple or hydraulic thumb can cut up timber,” he said.
Steciak said he has connected with a consultant who has helped him refine and market his idea. “He’s an engineer and the owner of Foreman Manufacturing in Michigan, named Tom Johnson. He’s a pretty smart guy.”
“Together, I think we’ve developed a machine that will help loggers large and small. Also, construction companies, land clearers, farmers, and chipping contractors. It will be pretty handy for all of them,” he stated.
They are currently building these machines and setting up dealerships for distribution.
For more information, visit www.trackedslasher.com or call 315-429-3496.
