Hydraulic-Powered Saw Blade Cuts Trees Fast

Hydraulic-Powered Saw Blade Cuts Trees Fast WOODLOT EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous 23-1-36 "It'll cut through an 18-in. dia. tree in just 6 seconds, faster than anything else on the market," says Lorry Marshall about his company's new hydraulic-powered tree cutter that's designed to mount on a skid steer loader. What makes the new tree saw unique is that it consists of a toothed saw blade attached to a pair of hydraulic cylinders that slowly rotate the blade into a tree. "It uses power, not speed, to cut wood," says Marshall. A hub fitted with sprockets bolts to one side of the blade. A length of chain goes around the hub and attaches at each end to a hydraulic cylinder. When one cylinder retracts, the other extends, turning the blade 1/2 turn. Because the hub is mounted to one side, the blade swings out and forward, slicing aggressively into a tree trunk. Half the teeth on the blade point in one direction and the other half point in the opposite direction. "Stabilizer" teeth across the front of the unit "bite" into the tree to hold it while the blade cuts. Because the blade rotates from side to side, it's always ready to cut - you don't have to retract it each time. Once the tree is cut an A-frame guard causes it to fall to the side away from the cut. The A-frame guard and nose guard can be used together to push cut trees into piles. "It works great for clearing pasture land and right of ways because it can cut almost any size or variety of tree and works fast," says Marshall. "You can cut 6 to 7 trees per minute or up to 400 trees per hour. It's designed to cut trees up to 30 in. in diameter, but we've even used it to cut some 48-in. dia. trees. There's practically no limit to the tree size because you can cut the tree from both sides. "I built it because I found that the skid steer mounted tree shears on the market wouldn't cut bigger trees. Also, cutting cedar trees was a problem because the spreading branches blocked the operator's view of the trunk. With this unit I don't have to see the trunk. The saw's long reach makes it perfect for use on right of ways, ditches, and hard-to-reach limbs. The blade can be raised from ground level up to 17 ft. high. Because the blade is so far out in front you also feel safer using it. A shear is much heavier so it has to be mounted closer to the loader, which limits its reach and also puts the tree a lot closer to the driver. "Another advantage is that it can cut right at ground level without leaving stumps. A shear often leaves a stump because it can't cut all the way through the spreading base of the tree. Rocks and dirt are no problem for this unit either because the blade moves so slow. It greatly reduces the chance of flying debris and results in very little wear so the blade rarely needs sharpening. "The unit can also be adapted for use on front-end loaders or 3-pt. hitches, although visibility and maneuverability would not be as good as with a skid steer." Model 1600 with a 14 to 18-in. blade sells for $6,995. Model 1214 with a choice of blades from 11 to 16 in. sells for $6,250. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Marshall Mfg., Rt. 1, Box 51, Sargent, Neb. 68874 (ph 308 527-3860; ph/fax 4240).

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