Backhoe Tree Trimming Saw

[smiley]

Man i would kill for an extend-a-hoe for that extra control. One would let you get right on target where I have to keep changing the angles to change my reach or move the tractor. Actually after playing with the set up for a while the "how" to set up part started to come natural to me. Keeping the blade in clear view is the major thing.

Topping pines years ago I realized made them branch more making a better windbreak. The saw on its side using the boom side to side swing should work great.

The extendahoe is great. I try to set up to dig where you normally would with a regular hoe but there's always that little clump of dirt you can't quite reach without moving. Not anymore.

As far as topping the pines, the experts say not to do it, only cut out the leaders, but I've seen a lot of them with tops blown out or cut out to clear power lines, and they seem to do fine.
Smiley

 

[jbooth]

On NorthernTool:
Limbinator Saw, Model# LS8 | 20in. Bar | Northern Tool + Equipment

Awesome looking, not $2000 awesome though.

Yep! $2000 is a bit much for a "might work". I had visions of topping downed trees and possibly cutting firewood if I rack my tree trunks right. Sure would like to have someone I know test it before I drop the $2000 for the saw. I'm 68 yrs. old and trying to stay in the game with some aids.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Yep! $2000 is a bit much for a "might work". I had visions of topping downed trees and possibly cutting firewood if I rack my tree trunks right. Sure would like to have someone I know test it before I drop the $2000 for the saw. I'm 68 yrs. old and trying to stay in the game with some aids.

I would like something like this if I had alot of fence rows to cut back. The backhoe has some advantages but (getting into/change positions/vision) would be easier/better using the loader.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

The extendahoe is great. I try to set up to dig where you normally would with a regular hoe but there's always that little clump of dirt you can't quite reach without moving. Not anymore.

As far as topping the pines, the experts say not to do it, only cut out the leaders, but I've seen a lot of them with tops blown out or cut out to clear power lines, and they seem to do fine.
Smiley

Topping pines with make them bushy and fat. These were on a road bank and i did not want them to get tall. For our area if I had pines as a wind break I would top them so they were better for the first 30 feet and thicker near the gound more like a cedar.

Concerning extend a hoes I really did not know much about them when I bought our old JD back in April. A guy up the road has rebuilt a 410 extend a how that is very nice. I doubt we will ever own one just because our $7K backhoe is about all the money I want tied up in something that is not "required" but is a cool tool. I do not expect to get rid of ours and the kids kind of like it. We use it for unsticking the 265 MF so I like having two tractors. I was going for a FEL for the MF when for little more I could have a BH too. The 1976 265 MF was the FIL's so it will stay in the family and it will not have to be fitted with a FEL. I use it mainly to bushhog or with an 8' box blade. It still has under 1300 hours on it and OEM rear tires. I put new 8 ply 7.50's on the front thinking I was getting a loader.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad119/GaleHawkins/BackhoeTreeTrimming013.jpg
1.25" schedule 40 PVC upgrade that should be done before mounting the first time. About half of the aluminum extenion is showing in the photo and earlier we had it fully extended (because we do not have an extend-a-hoe like some ) tying reach the last limb without moving the backhoe set up. Due to operator error the boom was whipped to the right instead of up and the weigh of the saw extended out like fractured the fiber glass part (orange as seen in other photos). It is 1 3/8th" OD which is the same as the ID of 1 1/4" schedule 40 PVC pipe so we split it in half with a circular saw to make a split for the damaged fiber glass part of the pole.

While at Lowes we were going to pick up a second Remington set up for a spare but all they had was a Polan with round slick plastic tubing for extenion handle. The saws speced the same but after having and aluminum/fiber glass pole there was no way I could expect the Polan pole to work so well even by hand use and never if mounted.

I will try to order one online and will split it before the first cut even by hand.

After seeing the Limbanator I may try FEL mounting of the Remington pole saw now that it is beefed up.

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad119/GaleHawkins/BackhoeTreeTrimming011.jpg
These small electric saws can get leaves and trash around the chain steel sprocks causing the saw to bind some so this is just a shot with the cover off

Then next photo is just a close up of the sprocket after cleaning.

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad119/GaleHawkins/BackhoeTreeTrimming012.jpg

NOTE the chain will install backwards just as easy as forward. Before removing it I had shown my son the direction the cutting edges needed to turn and he caught my mistake before I replaced the cover and all. I was shocked he was even paying that much attention. Kids are hear when they do not seem to be listening.

After today I still think mounting the Remington pole saw is a good idea but it should only be for hobby use or where physical limitations are an issue. One needs an extra set of eyes and someone to cut the power.

I am getting a set of forks that can be chained into any position so I may mount them to the outside edges of the FEL and use hose clamps to get a nice fixed position mounting set up to try a FEL install point.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Loader-Forks-Bucket-Skid-Tractor-Pallet-Fork-Deere_W0QQitemZ270630065873QQcategoryZ41488QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3907.m263QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DSIC%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%252BDDSIC%26otn%3D8%26pmod%3D390060184854%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D5860153655570065760

 

[Gale Hawkins]

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad119/GaleHawkins/BackhoeTreeTrimming.jpg

We cheated.

Delimbing from the ground with the tree on the ground was much faster. After yesterday it became clear the two trees (about 18" at the ground) that really needed some serious trimming were leaning hard towards where the new building is going up next week and they had not 'crown'.

The lot was dozed out of a woods over 60 years ago and newer growth as grown lope sided getting to the light. 10' behind the stump in the photo the gound is about 12' lower. That is why I used the log as a back stop against the stumps. There is a lot of huge old growth trees that are now in view. What we cut was junk wood with a lot of metal in it and in poor health.

Today we took down 10 trees but most were much smaller. We had to fall the two largest trees into they yard and trim them up. Man we were happy to have the backhole.

The other trees we just did the FEL push back method so they would fall into the woods when they wanted to fall in the yard so we did not have to deal with them today. The two big ones just had too much weigh to risk them getting crazy on us.

Most of the trees had some or a lot of hidden decay and the big ones would have been on the roof in another major ice storm. Turning 60 in Feb was on my mine too. Now cleaning the gutters will be more manageable too.

We do still have a lot of places where we will be using the pole saw on the BH but now we are trimmed up for the next 20 years around the new building before it gets build next week.

 

[allenr]

Interesting thread.

I've been using a homemade, hydraulically driven circular saw for a few years now.

The motor is a Plessey gear motor and has been working well for the last 2-3 years since I plumbed a separate return to reservoir line (rather than through the valve).

Another problem has been the hyd fittings coming to grief when they sometimes come in contact with branches etc.

So today I fabricated a protection cover from a bit of old Chev Maple Leaf chassis rail (found in amongst the steel offcuts in the workshop) and a piece of flat steel.

It is easily removed by pulling out two pins - I always unscrew and plug the hyd lines when removing it.

With 160 lpm - about 40 gpm I think, available it has plenty of speed but as with most hyd driven things it will eventually slow in heavy going (1' plus hardwood) and have to be pulled back to recover speed.







Cover removed