FEL mounted hydraulic tree spade

[jgibbens]

I have a bunch of 1" diameter mullberry trees that I want to transplant for a firewood plot. Mullberry is a taproot tree so I need to get a root ball that's deeper that it is wide.

Is there any engineering related reason you don't see hydraulic tree spades with only two spades? I undertand that the top of the root ball would be more of a football wedge shape than round cone if the scoops are cut from large diameter pipe.

I don't have a drawing worked up yet but it would be an H shaped frame similar to a tree toad frame (heavier and with more gussets) and chained to a front end loader bucket the same way a quick spade is mounted.

Since the FEL bucket shouldn't need to change pitch, I'd replace those two cylinders with fixed links and use them to power the spades.

see anything wrong with the concept?

 

[jgibbens]

Finally making some progress. Here's the spades.

 

[2458n]

DO you have ASH trees in your area? The reason I am asking is Ohio is going to be so full of dead ash trees that one would not need to plant additional trees for firewood. Ash borer in 88 counties. Only reason I cold think of would be the additional curviture requiring more force going into the ground? Call Vermeer and ask one of their engineers.

 

[jgibbens]

I'm in central IL. Firewood around here is expensive enough that I'd rather grow my own. That and the mullberry trees are growing up in pine stands all around the house so might as well get some use out of them

 

[jgibbens]

Haven't had a lot of time to work on it but the frame is almost done. Here's a picture with the spades laying on the guides.

 

[Desert Bred]

what ever happened to your project?

 

[jgibbens]

I'm deployed, so no progress lately. It works but needs larger cylinders. It also needs an anchor to hold the frame down while pushing the spades in. There are two upright pipes in the picture that capture a hydraulic motor. The motor drives and retracts an earth screw anchor to hold the frame down. It worked but needs improvement. I am going to replace the shaft of the earth anchor with an acme threaded rod to positively control the raising and lowering of the anchor.

 

[jgibbens]

 

[JRP]

Add weight to the bucket to help hold it down?


Looks great. Simple and ingenius.

 

[jgibbens]

Add weight to the bucket to help hold it down?


Looks great. Simple and ingenius.

I think that would work for a larger tractor. This one already has stability issues on my hill side.