ideas for clearing grown in trails

[musselmark]

I want to build something that I could mount to an ATV or ATV trailer or small tractor that would cut the branches that grow into the local trails, mostly spruce 3/4" diameter max. Is there anything like this that exists I could copy. I have seen snowmobile trail groomers that have an old style hay mower mounted vertically. What would cut best, rotary blades such as a bush hog, flail mower, hedge trimmer style?

 

[brin]

Yes there is ...a company makes a chain saw attachment for an FEL...and I think it is under $2K...it mounts to the FEL of the tractor and can be controlled to cut hedges , branches etc. Then there is a French company that makes another type of trimmer that can be mounted....I did not write down their web sites...maybe Google will bring them up...but both have been on TBN posts...so a search of TBN may help too....Good Luck.

 

[boggen]

pole saw or tree trimming saw. (little gas engine that rests near your waist much like a weed eater engine, and a long handle / extension, with a miniature chain saw blade on the end of it).

there is no mounting to anything, the engine weight helps offset holding the pole with blade on it, up in the air.

with not mounting to anything, it means you can MOVE OUT OF THE FREAKING WAY, if branch starts to come down on you.

 

[Deerherd]

There's one that looks like a sickle bar mower that is upright, but the name escapes me. (Sabre or maybe Samurai?)

 

[teg]

There's one that looks like a sickle bar mower that is upright, but the name escapes me. (Sabre or maybe Samurai?)

Cutthat.com | Sabre Samurai

 

[musselmark]

Yeah that sabre samurai looks like what I want, I will look into it further.

 

[Coyote machine]

I checked that Samuri out too. Seems like a very good alternative to the 3PT old style sickle bar mowers.
I gave them a call to find out more when they call me back. One video showed it with a cylinder driven extension arm to allow more reach away from the tractor. That would work best for my uses. I couldn't tell if that rig was on a pair of forks or something similar, or if it is something custom someone added to their Samuri/Sabre?!
Anyone on TBN own one already?!

 

[Egon]

Lots of different equipment available. How much do you want to spend?

 

[musselmark]

The samurai is listed at $1450.00, that is more than I wanted to spend but if it works I will pay that. I was going to try and mount a ride-on lawn more deck vertically to my fel and maybe power it with a cheap 13hp engine or hydraulic motor, but this seems much simpler.

 

[nc redneck]

I made this it will cut 3/4 hardwood branches and pine around 1 inch or more. It will cut in vertical position as high as 12 to 13 feet. Before I made it I cleared 2 miles of horse trail with my 4 in 1 bucket. Anything small the side cutter on bucket will just cut it off large stuff can be pulled off or broken. Bucket is not as fast as sickle mower but will get the job done. I looked hard at samurai before building mine. Some old posts about breaking and gears being destroyed plus cost sent me in this direction.