How to pick up pine needles?

[Steve_Taylor]

I have a large pile of pine needles that I want to load into a trailer to haul away. When I try to pick up the pine needles with the FEL, I drive into the pile and tilt and lift the bucket and I get a whole bunch of needles but they don't release from the pile and they end up just falling back out of the bucket. It's the same as trying to pick them up with a snow shovel. What works is a pitch fork and I think I need something like that on the front of the bucket. I think it needs to be longer and more tips than a toothbar. Has anyone built anything like this? Any ideas on how to make one?

 

[mboulais]

I have a large pile of pine needles that I want to load into a trailer to haul away. When I try to pick up the pine needles with the FEL, I drive into the pile and tilt and lift the bucket and I get a whole bunch of needles but they don't release from the pile and they end up just falling back out of the bucket. It's the same as trying to pick them up with a snow shovel. What works is a pitch fork and I think I need something like that on the front of the bucket. I think it needs to be longer and more tips than a toothbar. Has anyone built anything like this? Any ideas on how to make one?

It's not exactly what your looking for, but I remembered seeing adds for pine needle balers. Apparently it is the latest craze for landscapers. here is a link, but I didn't find any tools to pick it up loose.


Pine Straw: Harvesting

 

[jsborn]

Around here we let some of the 12 million foreign workers come in and bale our pine straw and sell it for $2 + dollars a bale. Keeps us from raking it up and gives the wonderful visitors from the south a way to make a living doing work Americans won't do.

WOW am I opinionated sorry about that

 

[schmism]

so whats the big deal with pine straw?

its the miracle cure for which cancer?

 

[Steve_Taylor]

Around here, in preparation for the high fire risk season, we are required to clear all loose pine needles and other combustibles for a distance of 100' around any structures. Living in a forest with lots of pine trees, that results in quite a lot, and we have to get rid of them somehow. I don't have enough to sell commercially but on the other hand they charge me $5/yd to dispose of them. in any event, I am looking for an easier way to load them into a trailer to cart them away.

 

[SkunkWerX]

What about a leaf-Vac style system?
Suck them up.

I realize you were trying to use the FEL and looking for a way to improve that process, but i figured I would throw out an alternative.

Can you get some FEL teeth? Those, along with "fluffing" up the pile by doing several lift&dumps may help..but these are purely conjecture on my part, I have no first hand solution...except the Vac system.

 

[HomeBrew2]

Couple of things, attached is a pic of my brush forks. I don't have needles but they work great on moving raked and piled native grass cuttings.
Second, as with a manure shovel, if you have deadman to ram the shovel into, usually you can get a full load. Sometimes I drop my box scraper at the pile and push into the back of it.

 

[Steve_Taylor]

HomeBrew2,

I like your brush forks. Did you make them and do you have any construction details?

Unfortunately, I can't get to all sides of my pile and there is nothing to push against.

 

[HomeBrew2]

Well, I thought I had a dwg file of the forks, but I'll be darned if I can find it now. Theyre about 3' long and made of 1" x 2" x .0625 tube. Yep, pretty light but they take a beating and I have a small machine. Feel free to PM me if I can help any further. Many other folks have made brush forks posts as well.

 

[irwin]

HomeBrew2,

I like your brush forks. Did you make them and do you have any construction details?

Unfortunately, I can't get to all sides of my pile and there is nothing to push against.

I agree. Homebrew2 that looks like a very useful setup. Hmmmmm, some future project for my welding machine I think.