ideas for a long boom pole saw

[zotdoc]

I have a few high trees to trim and I was thinking of making a 40 foot long boom pole, that would attach to my front end loader and have an electric chains saw on the end. Anyone out their have experience with such a project? I am thinking of making it out of 3 inch conduit. If anyone else has tried this and failed, I'd like to hear from you. Thanks in advance.

 

[chim]

Sounds like a neat project, but it also sounds like it would be good to get some advice from someone familair with structural strength of materials. There are a couple of things I'd be concerned about. First, I'm not sure 40' of conduit would be self-supporting. I picture coupling problems with EMT and breaking at the threads with IMC or GRC.

The other thing is the amount of movement at the far end. If you curl the bucket an inch at the bucket edge, it'll move more than 3 feet at the saw.

Edit to add: That would likely be quite a lot for the loader to pick up.

 

[npalen]

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/289981-fel-chainsaw.html

Here's my previous thread but don't want to derail this one. I doubt, without doing calculations, that a 40' piece of 3" conduit would support it's own weight and would require a heavy tractor and loader to withstand the cantilever. Starting with a larger diameter piece of conduit and then reducing down in size as it extends might work. I would think that 20' of reach when added to the loader reach might be a good start.
Anxious also to hear new ideas.

EDIT: I see that CHIM and I were posting concurrently.

 

[nc redneck]

I use a electric pole saw from a inverter on my 45-SE after putting the largest and best battery I could find that would fit. It works well for hand use but on the loader bucket I believe it would be hard to get the correct feel on bucket. Conduit would bend, saw or inverter would be overloaded. Check out this post
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/269126-quick-attach-front-end-hydraulic.html

 

[jenkinsph]

Hire it out to someone who climbs and trims for a living. I don't see any of these guys getting rich and they seem to get a lot oc work done for the money.

As far as rigging up to cut half that height, I use a Florian pole saw for the limbs less than 21' in height.

 

[/pine]

How much open space do you have?...
...even with a lot of maneuvering room it will be really tough to get the working end of a 40' saw positioned...JMO...!

 

[Leejohn]

I made one that is 10' from the bucket and it works good. My saw is spring loaded up and down and sideways. At 40' it well not work without braking the saw from it mounts and also the saw. You would need a very light hand on the loader valve. It took me 3 or 4 times braking things before I got it right and 2 saws.

 

[zzvyb6]

You can rent a JLG T350, Bil-jax or Nifty Lift (Towable man-lift) for a few hundred for half a day. I was so intrigued with all it's uses that I bought a used one. Paint the barns, trim trees, service the bird houses, paint the windmills and even raise up the windmill towers and install the fans and tails. Makes a good elevated Christmas tree stand, too. On mine you can remove the bucket platform and put on a jib arm for crane use. 42' at shoulder height.

Why ruin a good saw ?

 

[rourke]

That looks really scary.

 

[Ken45101]

I looked at one electric chain saw and it required manually pushing a button for the chain oil. IDK if any of them come with automatic oilers.