Heavy rain and storms in late June 2024 led to the closure of a railway line in Baden-Württemberg for several months. Since then, cleanup operations and measures to ensure safe rail transport for the future on the more than ten-kilometer route have been underway. Involved in tree felling along the closed line: a SENNEBOGEN 728 E tree care handler operated by Braun.
Based in the Swabian region, Braun, with a team of nine employees and an in-house workshop, has specialized since its founding in 1999 in tree felling along highways, tree care, rope climbing technology, and challenging tree felling projects. To better meet their demanding tasks, the company first employed the SENNEBOGEN 728 E tree care handler during the 2023/24 felling season—initially on a rental basis to test the machine and concept. After the first operation period, the decision was clear: a rent-to-own purchase was the ideal long-term solution.
The outstanding reach of up to 21 meters was a decisive factor in choosing the 728 E. Braun sought a mobile excavator capable of providing the necessary reach for tree felling in hard-to-access areas—an essential requirement that only SENNEBOGEN could fulfill as a manufacturer. Furthermore, the machine impresses with its flexibility on tight job sites, often encountered in problem tree felling or demolition projects.
Braun uses various attachments, including a felling grapple, a grapple saw, a tree shear, and a hedge trimmer. The integrated quick-change system on the 728 E is highly valued, as it allows for easy attachment swaps within minutes.
After severe storms with landslides and mudflows, the railway line between Marbach (Neckar) and Backnang was closed over a length of ten kilometers. The Stuttgart S-Bahn line was heavily damaged, with some sections undermined. There was a risk of trees along the steep slopes by the track falling. Consequently, Braun was contracted to clear trees and vegetation along this extended section.
Within two weeks, the tree care handler, equipped with a felling grapple by Vogt for slope trimming and a grapple saw by Albach, successfully completed the task.
The 728 E tree care handler won’t be idle anytime soon. The next large-scale project is already lined up: Braun will use the 728 E for tree felling and vegetation maintenance along the highway from the Weinsberg Cross to the Bavarian border. The machine is fully booked until the end of the 2024/25 felling season.
The first deployment in the last felling season and the uncomplicated rent-to-own option from SENNEBOGEN’s sales and service partner Schlüter Baumaschinen convinced Braun, leading to a swift decision in favor of the tree care handler. For Braun, the SENNEBOGEN 728 E represents the perfect combination of reach, flexibility, and efficiency, optimally supporting their demanding tasks in hard-to-access locations.