Limb saw for front end loader?

[rd_macgregor]

Something like the HyReach or Teleclipper might also work, with somewhat less maintenance...assuming you have, or can create, FEL hydraulic remotes.
Tree Shears, Grapples, Brush Removal Equipment from Precision Manufacturing

 

[Sodo]

I have a polesaw. It's strenuous.

My advice is to use a heavy-duty straight shaft stringtrimmer with a 7 1/4" carbide blade (circular saw). You can get a 3 foot extension for the Echo models.

It's much lighter than a chainsaw/polesaw and cuts in an instant. Just like you'd imagine how fast a skilsaw might cut a branch. TING! I have many many hours behind one of these rigs. More info in this other thread, look down towards the bottom of the page. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/347609-brush-cutter-string-trimmer-2.html#post4284626

If you want to get the job done fast with minimum effort this is the way to go. But you have to invest a few $$hundred in a proper weedeater unit that can be adapted to the carbide blade. The ECHO PAS 266 works great - all you have to do is break out the diamond on the skilsaw blade and clamp it on. I do a little fussing to center it before clamping, but it's barely necessary.

 

[DogT]

You're right about the carbide circular saw blade, they're great, I've got a Makita chop saw and it's the best thing going for miters. It's got a 10" blade. Right now I'm thinking about the B&D just for the little limbs around the house where I can't get the tractor. Not sure I want to invest in a whole new Echo setup. I have a fairly good Stihl weed eater and it has blades, but not sure I can get a carbide skill saw type for it, plus I doubt if I can get it to cut straight off the end. I'll look into it though. A 10" carbide skill saw type blade on the one side or the other of the front end loader would be great, it's just mounting and powering it.

 

[Sodo]

I have a friend with a Stihl straight-shaft trimmer. He's 70 years old, very happy with the 7 1/4" skilsaw blade mod. It was easy. Just eyeballed the diamond at center, scribed with a drywall knife, cut with the hacksaw, and then filed it to fit.

I would not use a 10" blade, its much heavier, has SIGNIFICANT gyroscopic forces add difficulty to guide it accurately (at the end of a long pole). It takes longer to spin up and longer to spin down (safety!). It's heavier, and more strenuous (on the end of a pole!). Being bigger it cuts all kinda branches you don't want to cut (if that's the case). The 7 1/4" is better. In fact the smaller blades like 5 1/2" or 6" might even be better but I haven't tried them. Mostly because I have a large stack of used 7 1/4" that I'm working thru.:laughing: It's handy to have a stack of old blades for cutting brush and small trees flush with the dirt. (no stooping saves the back!).

These pics are adapting a smaller ECHO brushblade parts to the Skilsaw blade's diamond. Adapting the Stihl was similar.

Note these pics are NOT the ECHO 266,,,, the 266 can clamp the skilsaw blade with no modifications other than breaking out the blade's diamond. The blade's diamond is slightly bigger than the arbor. I was peening the diamond to fit tightly on the arbor, then just tried it by eyeballing center, and clamping it, and it held 'center' all day. Using the 3 foot 'extension shaft', I think a smaller blade is necessary. I will try the 5 1/2" someday.

 

[Turbys_1700]

I broke down last month and bought a low priced Poulan pole saw on sale at Tractor Supply for $170. Yes it is strenuous but gets the job done. I am good for one or two tanks at a time and that is enough. I looked at the battery powered units and just felt better with a gas powered unit. I take my time and work real easy. You have to. I don't mind the cutting up as much as the clean up.

 

[Sodo]

That's another benefit of the skilsaw. TING TING TING, you trim the cleanup (that's now fallen to the ground) into manageable sizes very easily without bending over. And in some cases you just TING TING TING footlong stubs off the end of the branch. These short plugs fall to the ground and maybe you don't HAVE to pick them up. You can't cut at the ends of a branch with the chainsaw type - you have to cut it right at the trunk. But you can cut anywhere you want with the skilsaw. TING! It's a whole different way to go about it (with speed). You can tell I like it.:thumbsup:

I tellya Turbys,,,, I bought the ECHO 266 PAS system with the polesaw (chainsaw) attachment too. AND the brushblade attachment (the skilsaw mod described above). My polesaw (chainsaw) attachment is still in brand new condition, with very little usage because the skilsaw attachment goes out of the barn EVERY time. Because it is so much faster, easier, and works flush at ground level, and lightweight overhead just cuts so many more branches in the same time. Like 10x more, 20x more? It's significant.

The Echo 266 is kinda heavy, its fully twice as heavy as my "old" unit (which I have at home now, and still running strong) but that's the TBN thing, "buy heavy and don't look back". But I'm not so sure it was worth it. The lighter one "may" not last as long, but you will cut more branches in a day. And as said my lighter unit still runs as strong as ever. There's tradeoff like everything, you have to look at the big picture. The main reason I bought the bigger unit was because of the 3-foot extension stick available, which I have not used much.