Tree shear for 7.5t digger - is it worth it?

[Goweresque]

I think the nightmare to reinstate would be where the hedge has encroached sideways. If you keep the side trimmed and let the top grow I would think it would be an easy job to shear along it every 15years. The idea would be to have the same hedge at various stages so doing a small amount each year on each hedge would surely have the best environment credentials?

I disagree. Hedges where you let the stems grow upwards for decades get thinner and thinner and thinner in the bottom, eventually you get a line of trees rather than a hedge. I inherited hedges that had been left to grow vertically for 20+ years (with some side flailing) and since I have sheared them back to chest height and then maintained a regular biennial flail cut they are much thicker and provide far more cover for birds etc.

This is what most of my hedgerows looked like when I started. Top left for 20 years, sides flailed occasionally.

Same spot approx 4 years after the haircut, not sure if it had been flailed in that period, I left it to grow out after the heavy pruning then shaped it with the flail.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

I've heard 7 years is a good cycle for coppicing, which is essentially what we're talking about for a tree shear and hedges.

 

[Lakesdigger]

Are the breaker circuit and shear circuits set at different pressures?

Shear will use breaker circuit so pressure will be same and set by relief valve on aux circuit. Flow rate on newer machines will likely be adjustable but pressure is spanner and gauge job.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

I disagree. Hedges where you let the stems grow upwards for decades get thinner and thinner and thinner in the bottom, eventually you get a line of trees rather than a hedge. I inherited hedges that had been left to grow vertically for 20+ years (with some side flailing) and since I have sheared them back to chest height and then maintained a regular biennial flail cut they are much thicker and provide far more cover for birds etc.View attachment 952049
This is what most of my hedgerows looked like when I started. Top left for 20 years, sides flailed occasionally.
View attachment 952053
Same spot approx 4 years after the haircut, not sure if it had been flailed in that period, I left it to grow out after the heavy pruning then shaped it with the flail.

agree absolutely.

ours are in a bad way, Can see through the base but tops are thick. Want to snip the lot over The coming years, be nice to get a grant to help though

 

[beaconsboy]

Just had a new jb 400 tree shear. Really pleased with the build quality and weighting 800kg it's well made. But cutting capacity is crap. 20cm and its struggles. On a doosan 14tonner with no known fault. Any1 else got 1 that will cut the size they say they can

 

[beaconsboy]

Just had a new jb 400 tree shear. Really pleased with the build quality and weighting 800kg it's well made. But cutting capacity is crap. 20cm and its struggles. On a doosan 14tonner with no known fault. Any1 else got 1 that will cut the size they say they can

 

[beaconsboy]

Just had a new jb 400 tree shear. Really pleased with the build quality and weighting 800kg it's well made. But cutting capacity is crap. 20cm and its struggles. On a doosan 14tonner with no known fault. Any1 else got 1 that will cut the size they say they can

 

[Doing it for the kids]

See #121 - I’ve got the smaller unit and chewed through 25cm - suspect it may be your end?

 

[KB6930]

Just had a new jb 400 tree shear. Really pleased with the build quality and weighting 800kg it's well made. But cutting capacity is crap. 20cm and its struggles. On a doosan 14tonner with no known fault. Any1 else got 1 that will cut the size they say they can View attachment 952126

The 300 was the same. Show it anything over 150mm and it said no .

 

[aloadofbull]

Just had a new jb 400 tree shear. Really pleased with the build quality and weighting 800kg it's well made. But cutting capacity is crap. 20cm and its struggles. On a doosan 14tonner with no known fault. Any1 else got 1 that will cut the size they say they can View attachment 952126

We went for one made by M Large in Ireland it’s a lump of a thing but it will take an 18” trunk on a dx140

 

[Richy12]

We went for one made by M Large in Ireland it’s a lump of a thing but it will take an 18” trunk on a dx140 View attachment 952208

Seen those, dutch/German made. Hans habbig is the brand I think.

M Large will give good dealer service, our Mulcher is from them.

 

[Jon]

View attachment 931078

This is my hard life (bucket warehouse) one.

There are a lot out there. This for me was the best combination of price and cutting amount. I like the grab as I spend most of my time doing blackthorn and over grown hedges.

The power these have to pick up long branches etc always astounds me

You will get a smaller cut diameter with the claws as they close over each other vs the tmk or some of the others but I like the claw for grabbing big clumps of hedge or picking stuff out of ditches and it will still do the branch sizes I want

@Wombat, how do you get on with your tree shear ?
Will it snip small stuff as well as the larger diameter ?

 

[Case290]

Jb350 On a jcb 130 cuts most stuff or rip um off standing up to the job would like a rotating hitch. This one snips small stuff as well

 

[R J]

Just had a new jb 400 tree shear. Really pleased with the build quality and weighting 800kg it's well made. But cutting capacity is crap. 20cm and its struggles. On a doosan 14tonner with no known fault. Any1 else got 1 that will cut the size they say they can View attachment 952126

That's poor performance for that size shear , my tmk 300 on 8 ton machine will cut 20cm , maybe the grab type shear with twin arms have less cutting capacity than the single arm machines

 

[Jon]

Well I bought a Hardlife one fitted on an 8 ton machine.

It does ok. Certainly 20 cm is fine. Anything over that, within reason it manages with a wriggle.

The only real problem I find is keeping the stems near the hinge point for maximum cutting effort, as they tend to slide along the blade away from the hinge.

 

[Charolais cattle]

Just had a new jb 400 tree shear. Really pleased with the build quality and weighting 800kg it's well made. But cutting capacity is crap. 20cm and its struggles. On a doosan 14tonner with no known fault. Any1 else got 1 that will cut the size they say they can View attachment 952126

Did you keep your shears? Or are they not fit for the job?

 

[Wombat]

Well I bought a Hardlife one fitted on an 8 ton machine.

It does ok. Certainly 20 cm is fine. Anything over that, within reason it manages with a wriggle.

The only real problem I find is keeping the stems near the hinge point for maximum cutting effort, as they tend to slide along the blade away from the hinge.

Think i missed one of your earlier posts, glad you are getting on with it. Yeah I find the big stuff you need to get in the right one to get it to cut it

 

[Jon]

Yep,right hand side is good.

Keep thinking should I cut slots in the blade to aid 'catching' the stem the help the cut.

 

[Jon]

Plus I like the idea of blade removal, then I have a grab.

 

[spikeislander]

Got a Jak 250 on a 8.5 tonne r machine it could have handled a 300 but was advised that a lot of the 300 (30cm shears) end up going on diggers without enough oil flow to achieve that cut anyway so you end up with a big lump swinging around with the cut capacity of the lighter smaller machine.
getting on well with mine it does depend on wood type as well, anything bigger we just saw and it’s normally good wood at that size to cord up.