Tree Shear

[Dachshund]

Howdy! FINALLY got to work on building a tree shear! Don't have it 100% done (or Painted!), but it was close enough to test it out on a few Western Red Cedar trees. Cut several 6"+ with ease. It's mounted (or WILL mount!) on the FEL of my IH 460. I scrounged all the parts (including the FREE cylinder). Spent $45 on hoses and fittings - otherwise it was free. Just couldn't afford the $1200 bill to buy one. Now to wage war on the scourge of the western world......

 

[Dachshund]

another view

 

[Wesdor]

I the early 70's I lived in Louisiana and visited with Charles Walters of Olla, LA (north eastern).

He showed me home videos of the very first tree shears that he developed for the Weyerhauser plantations. I believe he must hold most of the patents on them and they have become the way to handle most small to mid-sized trees.

Not sure if a google search will bring up much on him, but I found the weekend I spent there to be fascinating.

Nice job on your shear. It looks a lot like what I saw at the Walter's home.

 

[Rch]

Here is a homemade version also;

Building tree snipper

Using tree snipper

 

[Dachshund]

Hey - great looking machine! I've got this one mounted on the bucket of my FEL for now. I'm hoping to trade for a different tractor/loader so will wait until then to make it fit whatever loader arms I end up with. I snipped a bunch of 6" - 8" cedars this morning with it. Beats the heck outta a chainsaw. I just snip and let lay. I'll come back later and push them up into a pile with my 8N. This part of the country (Nebraska) is infested with western red cedars - I'm hoping to get as many as I can out of the pasture so there is room for Cattle!

 

[EddieWalker]

It looks great!

How do you control the direction of the tree when it falls?

How big of a tree can you cut? I guess the amount of preasure you pump puts out and the size of the cylinder decide the amount of preasure you have, so I'm curious of what you used in case I make one myself.

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[GuglioLS]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( It looks great!

How do you control the direction of the tree when it falls?

Eddie

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Without knowing for sure I would have to guess it would be -
/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Cut and RUN! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Dachshund]

The trees I go after are usually 8" and smaller in diameter, 10-12 feet high at the most. The snip cuts them rather "unviolently" (sometimes I can't even tell they've been cut!) and they fall toward the stationary blade (to the right). I have it mounted on the front of my FEL so the bucket keeps the tree from falling back to the tractor. Used grader blade bits work great for blades, and most county shops (around here anyway) give them away for free, or next to free.

 

[fordman6442]

If you are going to the trouble of grabbing each tree why not make it strong enough to pull tree roots and all? I built and have one that was originally on my 3 point hitch and more you pulled the better your traction, rock back and forward a couple times and out the tree comes. I now mounted on the front of my tractor and push the trees with my JD350C then pick them up to carry to a pile. I make firewood. Trees are all Alder 6-12" at butt and 35-40' long.

 

[radman1]

I used a homemade tree shear built by a university once on my JD 5300. The shear seemed to be very well built with 2, 5" diameter cylinders and 6x6" main beam and heavy shears. It just could not hold up to repetitve use. Imho, I don't think the one Dauchsund built is going to make it for long unless you use it on only small trees. I don't think your stop plate/mount is strong enough. Also if the closing shear gets a little out of alignment, it won't cut well. Not trying to discourage you, but my brother is a state forester and has seen a lot of underbuilt treeshears. The closing cylinder can make 10's of thousands lbs of pressure.

This is the one we use.

Dymax Catalog of Attachments

It is a 1400#, cutting machine and have not had a repair other than minimal maintenance in 3 years. IMHO, it is the best SS mounted one on the market. Ours has the brush rack which keeps the branches back. I will even moved a downed tree out of the way by tipping the jaws over the trunk, close part way, and then tip the shear back and move the tree. I am sure that is not advised with any shear. Plan to tree shears tomorrow with it.