Motorists in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains recently observed a compact excavator with a long reach trimming branches along power lines. This vehicle, known as Kwik-Trim, is currently the only one of its kind operating within Met-Ed’s 3,300-square-mile service area. Owned by Lewis Tree Service, a contractor for FirstEnergy, the machine is used to ensure reliable electric service by maintaining tree growth around hard-to-access power line corridors.
The Kwik-Trim features a 53-foot boom with a circular blade and operates on rubber treads with an attached plow for clearing brush. "This machine saves us a lot of time and is more efficient in the right applications than our typical set-up," stated Samantha Trabosh, Forestry Specialist at the company.
Traditional vegetation management crews consist of ten people using bucket trucks and chippers while managing traffic safety. In contrast, the Kwik-Trim offers efficiency in rural or off-road settings where it serves smaller clusters of customers. The crew includes an operator, an outside spotter for communication via headset, and ground workers for cleanup tasks.
The Kwik-Trim does not require flagging crews on roads with wider shoulders since it operates off-road entirely. Off-right-of-way trees account for over 90% of tree-related service interruptions in Met-Ed's area; hence this vehicle addresses that issue effectively.
The machine can access tight spots unreachable by bucket trucks and efficiently handles dead or diseased trees threatening utility infrastructure. Using a joystick-controlled blade, operators can trim branches near their crowns before ground workers complete the task.
If successful, this pilot project may lead to broader use across FE PA’s territory. "The more we learn, the more we might be able to expand its use to other locations," added Trabosh.
This year’s tree-trimming efforts by FE PA are focused on several Monroe County communities including Hamilton Township and Smithfield Township among others.