Slasher???

   / Slasher??? #1  

pennwalk

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2002
Messages
2,483
Location
Lancaster PA
Tractor
Yanmar 186D
PennDOT is doing some roadside maintainence around here. They have some kind of a machine that turns small trees into what looks like straw. I have yet to see the mystery machine in action but it is really cleaning up the roadside. Anyone know know what it is?

Chris
 
   / Slasher??? #2  
Chris, I saw what looked like about a 36" rotary deck on a machine that could reach out so far from the tractor it is mounted on, it looks like it should fall over. Last Fall, there was a stretch of Rt. 230 between Mount Joy and E-town where tha RR tracks are close to the road, and there is brush / trees between the tracks and the highyway. The trees were all "shredded" looking about 20' up. Looked like an airplane crash site without the plane.

They have all sorts of different equipment along Rt. 30W of Lancaster just ripping the crap out of everything. Still haven't figured outy just why they're spending all out taxes on this...............chim
 
   / Slasher??? #3  
Here in the northern part of VT they have been using a rotary cutter mounted on an excavator run by hydraulics. Not sure if that is what's doing in you neck of the woods. Pictures would be nice, but you need to see it first/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.
 
   / Slasher??? #4  
I saw what looked like about a 36" rotary deck on a machine that could reach out so far from the tractor it is mounted on, it looks like it should fall over.

Saw one of those machines rigged to a larger JD tractor. There's a pretty big counter weight on the side opposite of the boom.
This was on a side road in Loganville, PA (few miles south of York). This was apparently a training session for the operator.
Although this guy's work was a tad rough (training), the machine appears to be pretty nice for hitting slopes and ditches where a tractor just can't get to.

There was a link to the manufacturer of this implement (on TBN) a few months back.

They have all sorts of different equipment along Rt. 30W of Lancaster just ripping the crap out of everything. Still haven't figured outy just why they're spending all out taxes on this

Boy, they've been working on Rt. 30 for years...I think there's tax money to spend and they don't want to lose any of it!
 
   / Slasher??? #5  
They use those things along the rural roads here in West Virginia. I don't think it gets looking much better after the operator finishes training. First time I came up on a crew doing it I'd driven for a mile or so thinking a tornado had come thru. They make no attempt at all to clean up the debris from the road - just leave it there for traffic to run over and shred up.
 
   / Slasher??? #6  
Not sure about what you saw but around here I've seen a log skidder looking machine with a huge rotary cutter mounted on the front. Looks like it would plow through 4-6 inch trees and brush without a thought /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
 
   / Slasher??? #7  
Our rural electric co-op contracts out to a company to clear the power line right of ways and we see them every three years or so. This is a mountainous area (by Georgia standards) and these guys use a track vehicle that is all caged in with one mean brush cutter mounted on the front. This machine doesn’t think anything of 6” trees and will go almost anywhere. It is real show watching it work but there is no way I would go some of the places they take it.

MarkV
 
   / Slasher??? #8  
I have also seen one of these machines last fall in Eastern Ontario Canada - chewing up anything in its wake that is under 6" except the rock /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. Last night in our local paper there was a letter to the editor wondering why this was being done "cause it will just grow back up again" and asking "if the shredded sticks and shards wouldn't be dangerous to any wildlife (deer in particular) travelling through".

I must admit it does tidy the roadside (temporarily) and makes it easier to see all the garbage some inconsiderate, unthinking folks dump from their cars and trucks. The trees look pretty tattered however and my impression is that it is "make work" - the operator sure gets lots of seat time and does seem to have a big grin on his face whenever I have passed him - sorry no pics - just like the Sasquatch /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif he is never there when I have my camera.

Bob
 
   / Slasher??? #9  
Around here they clear the mountain power line right of ways using a 20' chain saw dangling from a helicopter. I only saw a picture in the paper - would love to see it in action!
 
   / Slasher??? #10  
<font color=blue>20' chain saw dangling from a helicopter.</font color=blue>

Now that would be something to see---as long as you are not hiking the powerline that day./w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

MarkV
 
 
 
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