Who OMEF is
OMEF is an Italian manufacturer whose range covers mechanical pruning attachments, excavator-mounted plate compactors and hydraulic auger drives. Rather than one adjustable head covering everything from hedge growth to 400 mm limbs, the pruning range is published as five separate families, each built around a particular size class of vegetation.
That structure decides how you request a quotation. Choosing an OMEF pruning attachment is not a matter of picking a size; it is a matter of identifying what you are actually cutting, then selecting the family built for it.
The pruning families and what each is for
The TG hedge trimmers are the fine end: the TG series covers the 800 mm six-knife TG2 for 1.8 to 2.5 tonne carriers and the 1,200 mm nine-knife TG1 for 2 to 5 tonne machines, working hedge and young growth to about 20 mm. This is maintenance trimming, not timber cutting.
The BF cutter bars are reciprocating bars in 1.2, 1.5 and 1.7 metre widths, weighing only 40 to 46 kg and drawing 20 to 40 L/min on 1 to 5 tonne carriers, with a 30 mm material limit. The weight is the point: a 40 kg head leaves almost all of a mini excavator’s capacity available for reach, which is what linear hedge and verge work needs.
The TRI cutting bars step up to a comb-style shearing bar for 4 to 10 tonne excavators, 240 to 290 kg across 1.6, 1.9 and 2.2 metre widths, all cutting the same 100 mm class at 60 L/min. Within the TRI family, the choice between widths is purely about linear coverage per pass, not capacity.
The BTD disc trimmers use rotating discs of around 600 mm rather than a reciprocating action, in two, three or four disc configurations up to about two metres of working length, handling continuous woody vegetation to approximately 150 mm on 3 to 10 tonne excavators. A rotating disc keeps a cutting edge moving through material that can stall a reciprocating bar.
The CS pruners are the timber end. The CS100 cuts to 100 mm at 120 kg on 1.6 to 3.5 tonne machines; CS200 to 200 mm at 210 kg; CS300 to 300 mm at 340 kg; and the CS400 and CS400H to 400 and 420 mm at 550 and 570 kg on 10 to 24 tonne carriers. All carry 360 degree rotation on two double-acting lines.
OMEF pruning families by vegetation size
- TG: hedge to ~20 mm
- BF: bars to 30 mm
- TRI: combs to 100 mm
- BTD: discs to ~150 mm
- CS: heads to 420 mm
The grapple-less CS head is a deliberate decision
Every CS pruner is published with no holding grapple, described as a streamlined cutting head. That is worth dwelling on, because it is the opposite of how a grapple saw is designed.
The trade is straightforward. Without a grapple, the head is lighter for the same cutting capacity, simpler hydraulically (two double-acting lines rather than a separate grapple circuit), and slimmer, so it can be worked in among branches and canopy where a bulkier head would foul. A 550 kg head cutting 400 mm on a 10 tonne excavator is only possible because the mass is not carrying a grip structure.
The consequence is that the severed piece falls. Every cut therefore has to be planned around where the material lands, which means exclusion zones, traffic management and drop-zone planning become part of the method, and operators should establish those in line with applicable WHS procedures and the manufacturer’s instructions. For roadside, orchard and utility vegetation work where material can be allowed to drop and then be collected, that is efficient. For sectional dismantling near buildings, it is the wrong tool, and the mechanical pruner versus grapple saw comparison sets out the boundary. The mechanical pruning guide covers the category in full.
Compactors and auger drives
The CPT compactors and TRV auger drives belong to the tillage and ground preparation side of the catalogue, and they are usually bought by the same contractor for the other half of the job.
The CPT range runs from the CPT180 at 170 kg on 2 to 5 tonne carriers, through the CPT425 at 430 kg on 5 to 9 tonne machines, to the CPT910 at 900 kg on 12 to 20 tonne excavators. One caution: the published force to ground figures are supplier comparison figures rather than a standardised rating, so they are useful for ranking models within the range and not for comparing across brands.
The TRV auger drives are model-specific and sized on torque, carrier flow and pressure, gearbox reduction, tooth type and flight design rather than on a single headline number. Tree planting, fence and utility posts, sign posts, foundations and anchors are the typical Australian applications.
Buying OMEF in Australia
OMEF is distributed in Australia by Machinery Specialist from South Windsor in New South Wales. Because the range is organised by tool type rather than by carrier size, the first conversation should be about matching the family to your vegetation, before anyone talks about a model number.
The hydraulic requirements are modest by forestry standards (20 to 40 L/min for a BF bar, 50 to 100 L/min for a CS400), but they still need checking against your carrier’s actual auxiliary circuit, and the BTD range’s single-acting line requirement is a genuine plumbing question on some machines. The hydraulic matching guide covers what to record. Attachment mass on the larger CS heads also has to be taken off the lift chart at working radius, which for pruning usually means a long reach at height, as the lift chart guide explains.
A demonstration is particularly useful for this range, because the practical difference between a comb bar, a disc trimmer and a CS head in the same vegetation is hard to judge from a specification table.
Getting a current data sheet
Ask for the factory data sheet for the exact model quoted. OMEF publishes model-specific figures across a wide catalogue, and the TRV auger drives in particular are specified per model against the carrier. Where anything on this site differs from the sheet issued against your quotation, the sheet is correct.
Ask the distributor for
- The current factory data sheet for the exact model quoted, including weight, working width and cut capacity
- Confirmation that the family recommended matches your dominant vegetation size, not just your carrier class
- Hydraulic flow and pressure requirements, the number of lines needed, and whether a drain is required
- Complete attachment mass as configured with bracket and hitch, for the lift chart check at working radius
- For CS heads, guidance on drop-zone planning given there is no holding grapple
- Blade, knife, disc and tooth pricing, with expected wear life and Australian parts availability
- For CPT compactors, what the stated force to ground figure represents and how it compares within the range
- For TRV auger drives, the torque, flight and tooth specification quoted against your carrier and ground type
Frequently asked questions
Why does OMEF build five pruning families instead of one adjustable head?
Because the cutting mechanism that suits 20 mm hedge growth is not the mechanism that suits a 400 mm limb. TG knives, BF reciprocating bars, TRI shearing combs, BTD discs and CS cutting heads each handle a distinct size class, so selection starts with what you cut rather than with what you carry it on.
Why do the CS pruners have no holding grapple?
It is a deliberate design choice. Removing the grapple makes the head lighter for the same cut, simpler on two double-acting lines and slim enough to work inside canopy. The trade is that the severed piece falls, so drop zones, exclusion zones and traffic management have to be part of the method.
How do I choose between the TRI widths?
Capacity is identical across TRI1600, TRI1900 and TRI2200, all cutting the same 100 mm class. The difference is linear coverage per pass and attachment weight, from 240 kg to 290 kg, so the choice is about production rate against carrier capacity.
Can I trust the CPT force to ground figures?
Use them to rank models within the CPT range, not to compare with other brands. They are supplier comparison figures rather than a standardised rating, so a written explanation of what the figure represents should be part of the quotation.
Who supports OMEF in Australia?
Machinery Specialist, based at South Windsor in New South Wales, distributes OMEF in Australia and handles quotations, family selection advice, parts and demonstrations.
OMEF tillage & ground preparation
OMEF CPT180 excavator compactor
The mini-excavator compactor: 170 kg with a 12 to 20 L/min requirement that suits almost any 2 to 5 tonne carrier, for trench backfill, pathways and small foundations.
OMEF CPT425 excavator compactor
The middle civil class: a 430 kg plate compactor for 5 to 9 tonne excavators handling road base, retaining-wall backfill and medium trenches in confined areas.
OMEF CPT910 excavator compactor
The heavy excavator compactor: 900 kg on 12 to 20 tonne carriers for major trenches, road foundations and structural backfill where a roller cannot reach.
OMEF TRV excavator auger drives
The rotary drilling side of the ground-preparation range: hydraulic auger drives that turn an excavator into a high-torque hole-drilling machine for planting, fencing, poles and foundations.
OMEF mechanical pruning
OMEF TG hydraulic hedge trimmers
The light end of the OMEF range for fine vegetation rather than timber: the 800 mm six-knife TG2 for 1.8 to 2.5 tonne carriers and the 1,200 mm nine-knife TG1 for 2 to 5 tonne machines.
OMEF BF cutter bars
Extremely light reciprocating cutter bars (40 to 46 kg) in 1.2, 1.5 and 1.7 m widths for 30 mm class vegetation on 1 to 5 tonne carriers, built for linear metres rather than branch diameter.
OMEF TRI pruning cutting bars
Comb-style shearing bars for 4 to 10 tonne excavators in 1.6, 1.9 and 2.2 m widths. All three cut the same 100 mm class; the difference is linear coverage per pass.
OMEF BTD disc hedge trimmers
Rotating-disc trimmers for continuous woody vegetation up to about 150 mm on 3 to 10 tonne excavators. Two, three or four discs set the working width and the production rate.
OMEF CS100 forestry pruner
The compact 360-degree forestry pruner for 1.6 to 3.5 tonne excavators: 120 kg with a 100 mm cut for orchards, councils and light tree pruning.
OMEF CS200 forestry pruner
A 200 mm hydraulic pruning head for 3.5 to 6 tonne excavators: 210 kg, 360-degree rotation and enough capacity that the fall of every severed section has to be planned.
OMEF CS300 forestry pruner
Where pruning crosses into selective forestry: a 300 mm cut on 6 to 10 tonne excavators at 340 kg, for large roadside limbs, plantation edges and utility vegetation.
OMEF CS400 and CS400H forestry pruners
The heavy pruning heads: 400 mm (CS400) and 420 mm (CS400H) cuts on 10 to 24 tonne excavators. Serious limb and stem capacity with no holding grapple, so piece planning is the buying question.
Get a recommendation, not just a price
Send us your excavator model, hydraulic figures, tree species and typical diameters. We will come back with a carrier-matched configuration and a written specification you can compare against any other quote.