Mount chain saw on loader for limb trimming

[Deleted member 367166]

I got this idea to mount my chainsaw on the side of my loader so I can reach up and trim limbs with it. Anybody ever hear of such a thing or see it tried (aside from the obvious safety concerns).

 

[scootr]

A quick google search reveals a bunch of hydraulic driven chain saws "on a stick" that mount on a loader.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I wonder how you would control the throttle?

My other thought would be you better make some kind of a bomb proof attachment design so that saw (presumably at wide open throttle) doesn't break loose and come down on the hood/operating station area. That would be bad news really quickly.

Or maybe check these guys out:

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[2manyrocks]

Have you read Smokeydog's thread? Hydraulic limb saw project.

 

[Deleted member 367166]

I don't know if my JD2032r has got enough hydraulic power to run a hydraulic saw. Besides, it would be out of my budget.

BTW, my wife doesn't know about any of this.

 

[koshari]

prolly be better on an excavator?

 

[workinonit]

It works pretty well. I have a Limb Hog that is a lot like Smokey's. It doessn't take much flow to run them.

 

[2manyrocks]

I don't know if my JD2032r has got enough hydraulic power to run a hydraulic saw. Besides, it would be out of my budget.

BTW, my wife doesn't know about any of this.

Smokeydog also posted that his limb cutting generates a lot of material he has to pickup with his grapple. Once you cut limbs, then something has to be done with them.

 

[workinonit]

The problem with these loader mounted saws is visibility. You can't see the libs you want to cut because of the height of the limb, the cab obscures visibility if you have a cab and the tree limbs around the limb you are cutting get in the way. I have a wireless camera system on my tractor so I put the magnetic camera and battery on the saw frame. It worked perfectly other than the tree limbs broke the camera antenna. So I mounted the camera in a piece of 6" metal pipe about a foot long and attached it to the saw boom. Now I have perfect visibility and it's indestructible.

 

[workinonit]

Yep, I cut limbs and come back with my grapple bucket to clean up. It would be much better with a second tractor and operator. But... my saw works great and is much better than climbing or hiring someone to climb.

 

[Tinhack]

You guys do know that they make pole saws, right?

 

[workinonit]

I have a pole saw. First, it's a lot of work, can't cut large limbs, trimming 38 Live Oak trees with one sucks, did I mention it's a lot of work?

I'll take the Limb Hog any day.

 

[Smokeydog]

Tractor hydraulic pole saw has saved me lots of time, $$$ and personal risk trimming back trees. Only regret didn’t do it sooner.

I’ve cut thru oak limbs and high down trees >20” diameter. Could break or tear off using the FEL. Keeps me out of the danger zone.

Saw works good on smaller tractor with only 7gpm flow.

HST is really a must. Maneuvering for best position and small moves it’s perfect.

My tractors have 4 post ROPS. Overhead protection anytime in the woods a good idea. Have yet to drop a limb on the tractor. Cuts enough in front of the tractor to drop limbs safely. Limbs can fall unpredictably.

Having the backhoe attachment on the back adds to the articulation to align cutting using an outrigger. I’m always on a slope usually.

Made a ssqa trailer mover attachment with two vertical receivers for the polesaw. Improved visibility, height, reduced top heavy weight with loader raised and gave better clearance going down wooded trails. Cut way down on my hand trimming.

A tool that takes a good dose of common sense, but so does the tractor.

 

[5030]

I wonder how you would control the throttle?

I wonder about that as well. Running any gas chainsaw wide open without it cutting anything is a recipe for disaster. Chainsaws aren't meant to free rev to the max without being in a cut.

 

[alwaysworking]

I have ran a limb saw, worked really nice. had a spring on the elbow so not to put to much pressure on the bar. then you just let the spring pull the saw through the limb as the bar eats.

 

[5030]

Actually, if a chain loop is properly ground and the rakers (depth gages) set correctly, the saw chain should self feed with no outside assistance, what so ever. Why chainsaw bars are shaped like they are actually.

 

[SmallChange]

BTW, my wife doesn't know about any of this.

Just my vote: given that there needs to be a running chainsaw up in the air, it's much smarter and safer to be several feet away from it with some steel here and there between you and the saw, than to be up there holding onto the saw with your arms. Which are, after all, made of meat (as long as you only touch the proper parts of the saw).

 

[Torvy]

Just my vote: given that there needs to be a running chainsaw up in the air, it's much smarter and safer to be several feet away from it with some steel here and there between you and the saw, than to be up there holding onto the saw with your arms. Which are, after all, made of meat (as long as you only touch the proper parts of the saw).

The smarter safer way is to hire a professional, but what's the fun in that. Besides, the cost adds up.

Someone is going to read your post and weld up some armor to protect their arms.

 

[2manyrocks]

I think the limbsaw is aimed to sell to farmers who want to be able to trim branches off trees in their fence lines that get in the way of their tractors. There comes a point where it is less expensive to buy the saw than to hire a tree service and then wait on them to get around to you. The tractor mounted saw probably reaches higher and is less work than trying to use a hand held pole saw for this kind of job. The problem with handheld saws is a normal person can only handle so much leverage when working with a long pole saw.

For any FEL mounted saw, I'd think you'd really need a tractor with a HST transmission and the terrain would have to be suited to tractor access.

Although it might be possible to fabricate something to attach a cordless electric pole saw to a FEL and trigger it with a remote switch, I think you'd bend the pole pretty quickly unless you could incorporate some kind of spring to release the tension before the pole bent.

There's a guy on YT who used EMT to extend his Dewalt cordless pole saw. The OP could take a look at what he did and maybe there's some way of using EMT to mount one to a FEL provided you figure out a way to incorporate some relief before you bend the EMT totally out of whack or destroy the cutting head.

 

[Smokeydog]

Two major problems to overcome using a polesaw on a tractor.

1st, control down pressure on the bar. Can’t use loader hydraulic force without bending the blade or breaking something. They use a hinge and the sawhead weight to gently move the bar thru the cut.

2nd, stalling or pinched bar/chain. Again can’t use loader hydraulic force to raise/lower. Hydraulic saw motor is easy to stop, start and even reverse to back out of cut. Full torque at push of button. 17HP and the size of your fist.