Tree limbing with telehandler/loader

[trook135]

Just after a bit of info really, spotted this on eBay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/281826004824

Just wondered if anyone had any first hand experience with them seems like a good idea as would make hedge cutting and limbing overhanging trees a safe one man one machine operation instead of telehandler and man basket operation

 

[brynseiri]

Could see one getting wrecked my self, might as well have a pole saw, you can then at least get in to tight places.

 

[solo]

If the branches are cut from the top side the bottom will split and peel back down the stem unless you undercut first. Using a pole pruner a lot of branches twist sideways unless you cut at the right angle to stop the chain to get pinched. From a seat you won't get the same feel for where best to cut. Good idea in principle but in practice I don't think it will be quite as good as you think.
My final thought is if you get a bit keen and drop a branch on the machine. Bonnets and lights can soon add up as seen on other threads.

 

[Landy Nick]

Better of with a telehandler and a man in the basket I say.

 

[Penmoel]

Get a tree shear in on a track machine far better

 

[trook135]

Would be looked after as I would be the only user, Not sure on the tree shear idea doesn't leave a great finish on branches it's also only me left on the farm now so making things easy and able to do by myself is the name of the game, and I would rather a branch maybe scuffed the tractor than squashed me stood underneath with a polesaw[emoji33]

 

[Andrew]

Think how fast the tip of your bucket moves when you tip / crowd. That would be 8-10x faster as its that much further away. When you're going between a branch you want to cut and a branch you don't, just touching the joystick or a wheel going over a hole / stone would move that saw at least a foot. Something would bend and it wouldn't be the loader or the tree........

 

[Steevo]

Telehandler might be different, but not sure many tractor loaders would allow constant pumping and loader control usage at the same time, and if they did control might be an issue. Would take quite a bit of hydraulic flow too.

 

[Nearly]

I made this last Xmas day to get out of the house.
About time to go around again making palm trees.

 

[Oat]

Think how fast the tip of your bucket moves when you tip / crowd. That would be 8-10x faster as its that much further away. When you're going between a branch you want to cut and a branch you don't, just touching the joystick or a wheel going over a hole / stone would move that saw at least a foot. Something would bend and it wouldn't be the loader or the tree........

I agree, this in combination with the height and lack of 'feel' would mean it would either break or jam

 

[trook135]

looking at the design the pivot has slack in it and you let the weight of the saw do the cutting

videos make it look handy just want to know if anyone has any experience using one, sawblades scare the crap out of me, this seems like a safer option!!

 

[Drillman]

would it not be simpler to fit a tree shear to a telehandler?

 

[ZXR17]

Best bet would be to get a contractor in with a saw blade attachment on a hedgecutter. That would leave you to clear up in your own time and no financial outlay or risk to your self or machinery.

 

[Goweresque]

For similar money you could have one of these:

http://karhukoura.com/bear/Grapples.php

The KK25 model cost me just over 3K+vat delivered from Finland, and that was last year before the euro dropped like it did. One of the smaller models would now be close to 2K+vat I reckon.

Hire in a small 360, far better job. Using a wheeled machine to do a job like that would be a nightmare, especially in winter - all that moving backwards and forwards to get in to exactly the right position would cut the ground to shreds if it was at all wet underfoot, and give you a horrible crick in your neck with all that peering up at the saw blade. Then branch falls on the floor, and you have to get out of the machine to move it so as not to drive over it when moving to the next branch.

With a shear grab you don't have to be super accurate in your position, just good enough to get the claws around the limb. Then once its grabbed and cut you can spin around and place it neatly wherever you want. One pass on tracks, no damage to ground at all. If you were desperate you could even fit it to a telehandler and use the 3rd service to open and close the claws.

 

[RTK Farmer]

Looks a great piece of kit, I was thinking of making one but it wouldn't have been as good as that.

 

[rob1]

For similar money you could have one of these:

http://karhukoura.com/bear/Grapples.php

The KK25 model cost me just over 3K+vat delivered from Finland, and that was last year before the euro dropped like it did. One of the smaller models would now be close to 2K+vat I reckon.

Hire in a small 360, far better job. Using a wheeled machine to do a job like that would be a nightmare, especially in winter - all that moving backwards and forwards to get in to exactly the right position would cut the ground to shreds if it was at all wet underfoot, and give you a horrible crick in your neck with all that peering up at the saw blade. Then branch falls on the floor, and you have to get out of the machine to move it so as not to drive over it when moving to the next branch.

With a shear grab you don't have to be super accurate in your position, just good enough to get the claws around the limb. Then once its grabbed and cut you can spin around and place it neatly wherever you want. One pass on tracks, no damage to ground at all. If you were desperate you could even fit it to a telehandler and use the 3rd service to open and close the claws.

What size 360 do you use it on and does it just connect into the hammer circuit?

 

[roscoe erf]

waste of money imo

 

[Goweresque]

What size 360 do you use it on and does it just connect into the hammer circuit?

I use it on a 15 tonner, but I reckon it would go on a smaller one no problem. It could be used on the hammer circuit, but mine is one way only, so I'd have to have got a switchable valve to make it work. Luckily my machine already has a switchable bucket crowd ram (designed to allow a clam bucket I think) so I switch in the cab between tilting the grab while manoeuvring it into position, then flick over and use the same flow to open and close the jaws. Not an issue to be honest, I tried it like that to test the grab, thinking I'd get a valve for the hammer circuit, but its been so easy I don't think I'll bother.

 

[Yale]

 

[Mf6260]

I made this last Xmas day to get out of the house.
About time to go around again making palm trees. View attachment 229444

View attachment 229446

That looks nasty but I like it!