Vertical Brush Cutter?

[DaveS]

Been lurking for about a year, and due to all the great info on this board, plan to buy a 425 in a year or two. I've got a couple of questions though. But first a bit of background. We have ten acres and mow 6 of them (we mow around 140 trees /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif). I have a SCAG 61" commercial mower, a 53 Ford NAA, and assorted other powered equip. My biggest probelm however is that the boundary between the woods and mowed area is very long and winding, and keeping the woods and brush (particularly the mutli-flora rose) cut back fro the mowed area is a VERY difficult job. I do it now by hand with a power pole pruner and lots of picking up brush by hand. Doing a few hours each weekend I can barely get around the whole yard in a summer. Has anyone built a vertical brush cutter for use on a Power-Trac? Something with either a rotating cutter blade, or even better a sort section of sickle-type cutter, which would be offset to one side for cutting? I envision being able to drive along the edge of the mowed areas, cutting back the encroaching brush to about 5-6 ft high, then coming back with the grapple bucket to pickup the debris. Also, is the bucket on the grapple bucket the same os the rock bucket? Thanks for you help. This is a great forum!

Dave

 

[Bob999]

Power Trac makes a knuckle boom mower for the 1430 and larger tractors that might serve your needs. They also make a tree shear, that is available for the 425, that might serve your needs.

Both attachments are pictured on the PT web site.

 

[DaveS]

Thanks Bob, I wondered about the boom mower myself, but it would have to be turned on it's side to cut vertically. Then I think it would need a lot of sheilding to protect the operator from thrown debris. I made not made myself quite clear last post. It's the branches and vines, etc. that grow horizontally over the mowed areas I'm trying to cut back. I want to cut a straight vertical wall on the edge of the woods. I'm getting tired of ducking under branches while mowing, and worst yet... having that $#%*@ multi-flora rose trying to grab me and pull me off the mower. Here's kind of what I was thinking about, on a smaller scale http://www.alamo-industrial.com/products/productview.asp?ChildCategoryID=3&ProductID=19

Thanks again for your input.

Dave

 

[Bob999]

"I wondered about the boom mower myself, but it would have to be turned on it's side to cut vertically."

I think the boom mower is designed to cut very steep banks. Not sure if this is vertical but I think it would do the job you are interested in. The issue of safety, both for the operator and for anyone in the general vicinity, is another matter and I suspect that the boom mower is not recommended for use except at ground level. Clearly a sickle bar type cutter offers a safer alternative because it does not throw debris.

 

[Rip]

Dave,

First of all, welcome to TBN and the Power Trac forum...

Looks like the 5' sickle type from Alamo would be adapable to the PT knuckle boom and perhaps the 1430, but preferably a 1845 or 1445 machine. This commercial duty implement plus the size machine and custom work to adapt it would not be cheap.

Useing them as models, however might enable an inventor/fabricator type to come up with something workable in a smaller scale for your application with a 425 size machine.

You might look into subscribing to FarmShow magazine which showcases many one-of-a-kind, ingenious ( and some stupid) solutions to unique and common problems by farmers/ranchers as well as small and large manufactrures.

www.Farmshow.com

If someone there has not done it, it probably can't be done.

The graple bucket is built the same and is just as sturdy as the same size rock bucket for the same class machine, which is to say very sturdy! The grapple arms can be left in place or removed for extensive dirt work.

You might want to check the current and past postings in the Attachments, Customization, Construction, and Agricultural forums here on TBN for ideas or other solutions.

Good Luck,

Rip

 

[Sedgewood]

<font color="red"> keeping the woods and brush (particularly the mutli-flora rose) cut back fro the mowed area is a VERY difficult job </font>

DaveS,

My favorite tool for multiflower rose is my minihoe with thumb. I just reach waay in to the root ball, grab on, and rip 'er right out - roots & all, and carry the whole bloody plant right to the burn pile. All without getting thorned half to death! Love it! Pulling out the roots seems to slow down the regrowth a tad too.


I can see the one I missed from here, climbing a tree - it's already about thirty feet up!
Sedgewood

 

[BLUEBONNET2]

don't know if "proper" or not /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif, but i've seen the county boys running a boom mower up and down trees to about 10' clearing roadside right away......always wanted one since /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

good luck,
bluebonnet2

 

[Sedgewood]

<font color="red"> don't know if "proper" or not , but i've seen the county boys running a boom mower up and down trees to about 10' clearing roadside right away </font>

Yeah, and flinging tree parts a hundred feet in all directions /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif It wasn't long after I last saw that that our guys showed up with one of those neat Alamo sickle bars. Maybe our lawyer saw them out there tossing tree chunks at passing motorists with the flail mower. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Sedgewood

 

[smartguyz]

I agree that a vertical sickle mower would be really a great attachment, and I have looked at the industrial version and thought how cool that would be around the property. I agree though - it is much too large and too expensive for a 425. I'd be interested if someone is building one !

Sincerely,

Rob /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[DaveS]

I'm starting to think about collecting materials for a "trimmer", in anticipation of purchasing a Power-Trac in the future. This use is one of the main reasons for wanting the machine. I'm going to watch for old tractor sickle mowers, both to try to see how to adapt one to a hydraulic motor, and to start collecting parts. I'm also going to watch the hydraulic surplus places for a high speed hydraulic motor to use with 12" wood saw blade. The sickle bar setup for brush and light stuff, and the saw for branches. They could be interchangable on a common boom setup. I have the distinct advantage of having a good friend who runs a good sized machine/metal fab shop /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Half the fun of these projects is the planning, scavaging, and anticipation of the finished project.

Dave