TurboSaw on JD 4300

[beenthere]

Received a new TurboSaw LT3200 and used it on my JD 4300 today to lower the height of 50 or more spruce stumps, cleaning up a red oak/ white spruce plantation after 18 years since planting. Need to remove the spruce to let the oak grow.
The JD 4300 handled the TurboSaw very well, but all that looking back did give the neck some grief.
Pic of the oak after removing many spruce that were between each oak by hand (chainsaw) but getting stumps low was onerous to keep the chain sharp. Will be knocking most of the spruce down with the LT3200 going forward.. prolly 300+ spruce could yet come out.
Very satisfied with the TurboSaw.
(added to an older thread http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/263583-3-point-turbo-saw-6.html#post4803126 )

Couple pics. Thinning done and TurboSaw attached.

 

[atsah]

Never saw one of those, looks like a feller buncher head, pretty cool..

 

[buildinit]

That looks amazing!!! I want one so bad.

 

[larboc]

Never saw one of those, looks like a feller buncher head, pretty cool..

Except without grapples to keep the tree from falling in your head, be careful with that thing!

 

[atsah]

Except without grapples to keep the tree from falling in your head, be careful with that thing!

That's true, that thing could be very dangerous the more I think about it..

 

[beenthere]

Has not proven to be "very dangerous" for the 75-100 stumps cut off at and below ground level so far.
And due diligence and using what is between the ears (as with most equipment we operate or drive) is very important. Probably more dangerous to get behind the wheel and drive out on the highways. Or to grab a chainsaw and without knowledge, cut down trees.

The 30-35' spruce trees taken down with a plan to notch first (don't cut all the way through) and using the push bar to tip them away from the operator before finishing the cut works quite well. But just like sticking ones' hand in a table saw blade, dumb moves need to be avoided or the tree can possibly fall over the wrong way. I plan to avoid that scenario.

The most dangerous trees will be the dead ones. The tops can (and do) break away and fall straight down. This can also happen when chainsawing a dead tree. Its a risk for sure.

When in the OP post, I said "going forward", that did not mean driving forward. Meant "in the future".
Removing so many spruce trees to thin them out of the oak/spruce plantation is a huge chore with the chainsaw method I've been using so far. Have removed about 150 spruce that way.
Need to limb off the lower branches to get close to the stem to chainsaw the tree off, then have to deal with the stump. Very time consuming and a lot of hard work for a 78 year old duffer.
This TurboSaw is THE tool that will allow me to take the tree down in about a minute, then just drag it away through the plantation to stack it with the forks for eventual decay or to burn. And there is no stump.
Would be nice if there was a pulpwood market for low volume, but I'm not in the mood to cut them down, limb off all the branches, buck them to length, and stack them in a pile. There is no market, but a trucker may come by to load them and haul them 90 miles to the nearest pulp mill. That is done at no return to the owner.

 

[rekees4300]

Never saw one of these devices before. Looks like a handy tool to have for cutting stumps since they are too short to fall on your head. However using it for tall trees (especially leaning toward the tractor) would be hazardous IMO.

 

[beenthere]

i.e. don't try to fall trees leaning toward the tractor.. not a hard one to figure out.

I was concerned that the 4300 might not have the hp to run this saw blade.. but it handles it quite well. The HST is a must, IMO.

 

[atsah]

Never saw one of these devices before. Looks like a handy tool to have for cutting stumps since they are too short to fall on your head. However using it for tall trees (especially leaning toward the tractor) would be hazardous IMO.

Agreed.

 

[atsah]

i.e. don't try to fall trees leaning toward the tractor.. not a hard one to figure out.

I was concerned that the 4300 might not have the hp to run this saw blade.. but it handles it quite well. The HST is a must, IMO.

I cut trees for a living for 30 years and I can tell you there are times trees fall in a direction you don't want them to fall and that would be why logging equipment have a cage to protect the operator. Cutting trees part way through with a saw and then walking away from it to get on the tractor (with no cage) to push it over is like playing Russian roulette.

Stay safe.