Hydraulic chain saw

David_Kb7uns · Dec 5, 2008

Chainsaws are usually rated in Feet Per Minute. Depending on the pitch of the chain and style you will either use a 7 tooth or 8 tooth sprocket on a handheld professional chainsaws. Now if you are making a firewood processor you may look at processor chains and bars that are a larger pitch and will have a full compliment of teeth and not be skip or semi skip type and not have the anti kickback features but will cut faster and stay sharp longer.

David Kb7uns

Oregon where the weeds are Douglas Fir

Arkhermit · Dec 28, 2008

I would like an update on your processor. I am in the plannig stage of one. I am planning to have a live deck and a conveyer to dump the wood in a dump truck. I need to be as mechanized as possible due to an accident that crushed my right shoulder and broke my back,two ribs, collar bone and collapsed right lung so can't work like I use to. I plan to push trees with D6C, then cut them and load them on the processor with tractor loader w/forks. I am not doing any commercial. Also have son and grandson to do most work.(that helps a lot)

Kfbeal · Dec 29, 2008

We currently use Greenlee: Long Reach Chain Saw 88.5" - Fairmont Hydraulic

for all of our bucket trucks.

Flow Range: 5-8gpm

Operating Pressure: 1,000 - 2,000 psi

Not sure of the RPM's though and of course this is di-electric so you wouldn't be concerned about that either.

skidsteer.ca · Feb 1, 2009

As for the hydraulics, you would need a separate hydraulic pump (or pump section) for each circuit that must run simultaneously. Ie if you want a circular saw and a out feed conveyor, you need at least 3 pumps sections.

The 3rd one would split its duties between the live deck, in feed trough, saw arm and splitter. If would likely be best to have a 4th dedicated to the splitter, so you could be retracting the saw arm and splitting at the same time. Even if you go with a chain saw versus a circular then the saw you still need to turn the chain and drop the saw bar.
If two functions are activated that share the same pump, which ever fuction that moves with the lowest pressure will fuction and the one that needs the highest pressure will not move until the first function pressure demand rises higher then the second. While it is possible to make one pump work 2 cylinders or motors it will be agrivating to operate.
It would seem to me the circular saw would require a lot more gpm then a chainsaw, but will cut faster and if a carbide tipped saw is used will stay sharp a long time. The splitter would also require a large pump for a decent cycle time.
I have a older wood loader with a buzz box slasher (made to make trees into 8ft and load a log truck) Since we don't use it much anymore for this I like to make a processor out of it somehow too. It has a 150hp cat 3208 with a 4 section pump. I have about 40 gpm to the saw and to the main lift cylinders and 2 more 20 gpm pumps. The slasher has a 60" carbide circular saw, so I'm 1/2 way there.
Need to develop a in feed trough, block length stop, encorporate a splitter and eventually a out feed conveyor. Also I like to have these attach to the slasher as attachments so it could be returned to a slasher/loader if required. The loader would also be handy for off loading trucks for log deliveries.

I'd love to see motor sizes for the conveyor, dect and in feed trough. As well as any detailed photos of these parts.
ken at skidsteer.ca

David_Kb7uns · Feb 3, 2009

On the 2 saws that my friends logging processor has on the boom(strips off limbs measures and cuts logs to length) they have a valve set up to that the clamps must be closed and there is a pressure adjustment to set the clamping force and then the extra fluid then goes to the saw and a little fluid going to the cylinder that moves saw through wood as it cuts. They are also using Oregon processor bars(yellow ones) and processor chain with full complement chain and no safety rakers, and will cut very quickly. The chain is spun by a small hydraulic motor with a sprocket sized to chain. If you are making one of these you need to get ther rpm of the sprocket correct and the number of teeth on sprocket set up so that you are running the chain at the optimal FPM for the chain. Trying to use handheld chainsaw chain I think would be slower and prone to more breakage. But the basic design for the chainsaw on the processor head is a arm that the bar is bolted to rotating on an assembly with the shaft of the hydraulic motor in the center and a small cylinder to provide the force. Some systems use a seperate bar oiler tank or some will have a bleed port and use hydraulic oil to lubricate the bar. When they work they work well but trying to machine the parts for the bar assembly will not be easy and if you can find one used I would try it. If you want to keep costs down a hydraulic circular saw will be cheaper for setup and use. In the woods they use either on the machines.

David Kb7uns

laurencen · Sep 8, 2009

any update and pictures of the final product

rodanny · Feb 28, 2010

Hello,
So..has anyone ever done an firewood processors?
I need some information like how many N need to cut with saw blade automatic?
I would like to automatically cut chainsaw blade. What force can push for that without ruin the blade?
Sorry for my poor english.
danny

glastron23 · Feb 28, 2010

we built one last year, here are some pic's ,comments we posted earlier.. Jim will post some more pics. along with the CREW, my dad,my son and my sister who's taking the pics. the log feeder is chain with welded grab dogs and is hydraulic driven. the saw is hand built using a full tooth/semi chisel 404 harvester chain saw/ bar, the motor is a Parker F11 unit from a tree harvester(used unit that i rebuilt), we had to take the saw guard off due to it binding on larger wood (some thing to fix this winter along with adding the 12 foot conveyor,we ran out of time and didn't install it during the build). the bed is made for 12 foot wood, the largest piece we put into it was about 28 inches across, had some trouble splitting it as it was yellow birch and full of knots. we run a triple section pump unit with 2 sections at 10 gpm (1 for the saw,1 for the splitter) and a 5 gpm for all the cylinders using a 15 hp motor
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...show-your-homemade-splitter-pics-img_0369.jpg .
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...show-your-homemade-splitter-pics-img_0371.jpg
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/build-yourself/147897d1260069701-show-your-hom http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...-img_0359.jpgemade-splitter-pics-img_0352.jpg

rodanny · Mar 1, 2010

Hello,
Good pictures. Congratulations.
You could put a hydraulic scheme and some technical details?
What problems you encountered in building it?
What angle of the arm for lifting logs?
Cylinders what might have?

Other pictures you have? Possibly some videos? Detailed picture cutting blade?

Thanks for the help,
danny