Doing it for the kids
Member
got a lot of old hedges that have gone to far for a flail hedgcutter, would love to be able to hire one for our jcb, any ideas who hires them out - based in Oxfordshire
TYIA
TYIA
Where to hire a hedge saw for a jcb?
- Thread starter Doing it for the kids
- Start date
ollie989898
Member
If your growth is hefty an excavator and tree shear might be a better bet.
Deutzdx3
Member
I know protech Male one. Might be worth a call to them to see if they have any one that they sold one to that might hire it out. Long shot maybe.
Goweresque
Member
- Location
- North Wilts
I would second the idea of a tree shear for overgrown hedges, they are far more kind on the hedge than a flail. A hedge cut with a shear will grow back so fast that you wouldn't even realise it had been done less than 6 months later. Its like pruning, whereas flailing shatters the stems quite a long way down, and kills them. So you get dead bits sticking up for ages until the hedge regrows from lower down. I did a hedge for my neighbour in January, if you walked past it now you'd not realise it had been done, there's that much regrowth.
The only problem with the shear is coping with all the material, you can get a LOT of brushwood and timber on the ground in a short period of time.
The only problem with the shear is coping with all the material, you can get a LOT of brushwood and timber on the ground in a short period of time.
- Location
- our house, Norn Iron
Any digger that goes sawing hedges has toughened glass fitted.
- Location
- Ceredigion
I'm looking for one as well ,done some with a shear,dont rate it . Dont cut clean
Flail the sides off the hedge first, then get a contractor in with a saw or shear. Both jobs need a experienced operator/specialist equipment, you will break enough of your own kit tidying up afterwards (bent fork tines, broken mirrors, busted lights, punctures, etc. ) without having to Hire/buy a saw. You will need to have at least a 6.5m reach machine to put it on and fit some safety guarding. Yes I run both a saw and a shear with the relevant repair bills. Good luck
ollie989898
Member
Tree shear does generate a lot of material in short order, need to be on stand by with telehandler to heap and burn it.
I can see that getting a good hedge trimmer man in first could be a good idea as it will easier for the man on the shear to see what needs to go.
Wouldn't worry at leaving what appears to be rough job, give it 12 months be grown on and you won't ever know.
I can see that getting a good hedge trimmer man in first could be a good idea as it will easier for the man on the shear to see what needs to go.
Wouldn't worry at leaving what appears to be rough job, give it 12 months be grown on and you won't ever know.
Doing it for the kids
Member
A shear is an option but most of the branches aren’t that thick just too thick for a flail. We have the kit to use a shear but I can see it taking a long time.
We have the kit to clear up the remains so not too scared of that, done enough before.
It’s just getting it on the deck that I need help with sourcing
We have the kit to clear up the remains so not too scared of that, done enough before.
It’s just getting it on the deck that I need help with sourcing
Doing it for the kids
Member
I’m a bit anal about leaving split end with trees and hedges, hence why I hate the flail, especillay on hedges that we too big to take it nearly.
This is why I wanted a saw to leave a clean cut, hence the post!
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- Location
- Ashbourne, Derbyshire
Has Joe Turner Equipment got anything?
Goweresque
Member
- Location
- North Wilts
My shear grab is as good at thin stuff as big, you can gather up a mass of thin bits in its claws:
- Location
- Ceredigion
Yes I agree . That daft shear looks like a dinosaur been loose , what a mess . I think the guys using them hate trees
Doing it for the kids
Member
Can you pivot yours to cut sideways though? I’m not so worried about the tops it’s the sides I want to focus on?
- Location
- East yorks
I have a shear as well, you don’t pivot it but crowd it right back and cut vertically
- Location
- East yorks
They are brilliant, very safe can have a loading shovel close by ready and just pop it In front of them to push up. No worry about the blades jamming etc.
You can also grab stuff and pull it out of a hedge or hold a tree and cut off with the chain saw then move it where u want
I would never be without one now
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Doing it for the kids
Member
Ok thanks. Presumably then you would have to work at 90 degrees to the hedge ‘reaching in’ rather than track down alongside cutting parallel to?
I like the way you cut and place out the way ready to be pushed up but I think the saw will be quicker given the average thickness is 3-5 inches.
- Location
- East yorks
A saw would definitely be faster I would say but I really love my shear. Most of my hedges have a ditch under them so I don’t have to go fishing for branches after. I can normally do a couple of hundred metres of 4” 15 foot tall stuff in an afternoon
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Goweresque
Member
- Location
- North Wilts
Yes as detailed above, its quite easy to crowd the shear back to vertical (or actually not quite vertical) and gather up branches sticking out sideways and shear them off.
A saw will definitely be quicker if all the work you have to do is the sides of hedges where there is no ditch and fence, or bank next to the hedge, and you can just let the material fall to the floor then come along with a telehandler and push it all up. But if you want to reduce the height of the hedge, clear old wire fences, clear patches of brambles, pull out the odd plant where its self set in a ditch, sort the material into brushwood for burning and larger timber for firewood, clear ditches, then the shear grab is the tool. Like @Wombat I wouldn't be without mine.
For example last winter I cleared my side of a boundary hedge which had a large deep ditch on my side, I was able reach over the ditch, vertically shape up the hedge, keep hold of all the material cut off and pile in a neat line for pushing up, also to clear the ditch out too with the jaws, clearing brambles, pulling the odd self set elderberry bush out of the ditch, dragging the jaws down the line of the ditch to clear the bottom of accumulated debris etc. All you could have done with a saw was fill the ditch with branches.
The other thing to remember is the more work you can do with the excavator, the less work you have to do with a wheeled loader. And given we are often working on hedges at the wettest time of year thats a great help. I can get on hedge work with the excavator and grab when its far too wet to even consider a wheeled machine, sort everything into neat lines, all ready for a quick shift with the telehandler when the ground conditions allow.
Edit: and you can also do roadside hedges (within reason) as the material is held by the grab, so isn't going to fall out into the road.