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544 Gets Full Marks in Quebec

BTB visited the operations of Les Forestiers J.M.G. Inc. based in Desbiens, Quebec to check in on the prototype 544 harvesting head.

Pierre-Vincent and Maxime Fillion.
Pierre-Vincent and Maxime Fillion.
Pierre-Vincent Fillion started working in the bush when he was twelve years old. He, along with brothers, Nicolas and Maxime, and father Martin are the owners of the 26-year-old harvesting company Les Forestiers J.M.G. Inc. The company operates in the beautiful region of Lac Saint- Jean. Pierre-Vincent manages the forestry operations and machine maintenance. Maxime manages construction and road maintenance. Nicolas manages trucking.

Les Forestiers J.M.G. purchased the prototype 544 harvesting head, installing it on one of its existing H855D carriers. At the time of the site visit in July 2024, the head had acquired over 500 hours in its first six weeks of use. The harvester is double shifted, operating 22 hours per day, four days per week.

The Fillions have been using Tigercat machines in their harvesting operations since purchasing a 1075B forwarder in 2012. They also purchased the prototype 1085B forwarder. Along with the H855D, they currently own two 1085C forwarders and an H855C harvester. The durability and performance of the machines combined with top level support over the years from Quebec dealer Wajax’s Saint-Félicien branch provided the confidence to purchase the prototype head.

The 544 is the first head produced by Tigercat that suited the company’s requirements. The size is well matched to the stem profiles and 10 to 60 cm (4-24 in) diameter range that Les Forestiers J.M.G. typically encounters in mixed species stands where the machine harvests spruce, fir, jack pine, poplar, aspen and birch.
H855D harvester
Les Forestiers J.M.G. harvests multiple species in mixed diameter stands in the Lac Saint-Jean region of Quebec.
BTB: How has your experience with the 544 been so far?

Pierre-Vincent: So far, cutting, feeding and delimbing performance has been excellent, and more efficient than the other heads that we have used. The geometry is similar to the Waratah 415, but the 544 head is bigger and tougher. This is what we were looking for because the 415 was not strong enough for the type of hardwood we are processing. The top saw was also a very big improvement for us. The two brands we have run previously didn’t have a top saw. Especially in hardwood, it is very useful. It is consuming about two litres of fuel per hour less than our previous head. It’s a heavier head with the top saw which is usually supposed to consume more. So that is a big improvement. The hydraulic system and the electronic system are really well balanced with the machine to achieve that.


BTB: Aside from your past experience and confidence in the Tigercat brand, what attracted you to the 544 head?

Pierre-Vincent: We have done a lot of modification to our heads in the past to strengthen the areas in the frame or to fix problems we were having. With Tigercat, we really expect durability. Just looking at the construction of the head, that is a big part of what made us decide to purchase it. We think it’s one of the best features. And if there is anything that needs to be modified or any improvement to be made, we know Tigercat will be looking at it and will be behind us. We work as a team.


Tigercat 544 harvesting head
The 544 harvesting head is achieving excellent production, performance, and efficiency straight out of the gate.
BTB: Tell us about the D7 control system.

Pierre-Vincent: From what I’ve seen so far, it’s easy to navigate and everything is also intuitive and very easy to self-learn. The operating screen is really well made. The way everything is placed on that. The interface is very good. The size of the screen is nice too. It’s not too big.


BTB: What is your opinion of the wireless communication to the head?

Pierre-Vincent: The wireless communication doesn’t have any lag at all. The wireless system came with the through-tip hose routing. And so, the fact that we can have the through-tip routing with 360 degree continuous rotation and wireless communications – it’s way less downtime. The hoses aren’t in the way. There are less problems that can happen over time, less maintenance. It’s a very, very good feature.


BTB: Any final thoughts?

Pierre-Vincent: With all the new development that was done on it, we just put it into the bush and it works... and it works great. So that’s really amazing that you achieved that with this head.



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544 Harvesting Head in a Mixed Stand


Watch the Tigercat 544 harvesting head working in a mixed diameter, mixed species stand in Quebec. Six minutes of full merchandising sequences demonstrating the speed and efficiency of the head processing multiple species and a wide variety of stem diameters and profiles. The 544 is Tigercat's lightest weight head suited to track harvesters. The three-wheel drive system and triangulated design offers excellent bucking and delimbing performance and accurate measuring.


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