Buzz Saw Tree Trimmer Mounts On Loader Bucket

Buzz Saw Tree Trimmer Mounts On Loader Bucket WOODLOT EQUIPMENT Saws 24-3-9 After reading an article on Bruce and Roger Elliot's tree trimmer in the "Best of FARM SHOW", Richard Shanks, Martinsville, Ill., decided to make one himself. But with a few differences. "Their machine was mounted on a 3-pt. hitch so you have to turn around to see what you're doing. I decided it would be simpler to attach the boom to a tractor loader," says Shanks. "It also seemed like it would be easier to trim fence rows if the cutter were offset to the side so you could drive along the edge. As it worked out, I wish I had mounted it at the center of the loader because it would be better balanced. As it is, I had to hang three tractor weights on the opposite side to counterbalance the weight. Works fine but can be clumsy in tight spaces. "A 3 by 8-in. cylinder mounts on the side of the bucket to move the buzz saw up and down. A 42-in. long 2-in. dia. cylinder telescopes the boom out so your foot doesn't have to be on the clutch all the time. There's also a small 2 by 4-in. tilt cylinder at the base of the boom that changes the cutting angle of the buzz saw about 8 in. from vertical. Altogether, there are about 5 hydraulic movements you can make. "I converted the lift cylinders on the loader arms to single acting from double acting by unhooking two of the hoses. Converting to single acting, and using a flow restrictor, the boom moves more smoothly and is more easily controlled. "The blade itself can be turned all the way to the horizontal so you can cut off trees at ground level or you can reach up as high as 22 ft. to reach tall-growing branches. "The 29-in. buzz saw blade is powered by a hydraulic motor. I had to machine the mandrell down a bit and make a coupler using standard Deere chopper bearings to connect the motor to the blade. It's powered off the rear remote which I rigged up with a foot control and a spring so the control would go back to neutral when I take my foot off. This is the best part of the whole machine because it makes it easy to control. If I ever get a limb wrapped around the blade I can use the hand remote to reverse the motor to unwrap it. "To increase capacity of the tractor's hydraulic system, I added an auxiliary pump to supply the main pump. Since the rear hydraulic pump on Deere 20 Series tractors stops pumping oil when you clutch the tractor, I needed a way to avoid that. What I did was to take a reel drive pump off a 7700 Deere combine and mount it to the front pto with a belt. Its oil is fed from a nipple end on the cross screen of the transmission and its pressure is sent back through the filter housing. It doesn't pump a lot of oil but is enough to keep your steering and brakes working as well as the motor on the blade. The only disadvantage of this arrangement is that the pto needs to run to make the pump work, but it's not a problem. "What's great about this saw with the extension cylinder is that you can cut all the way up and down the tree without moving the tractor. The blade needs to be sharpened frequently. You can sure tell the difference between sharp and dull with this cutter. "I am putting a heavy expanded metal cage around the operator's platform. I've heard stories about buzz saw blades breaking up, so be sure to use good blades and be careful." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Richard Shanks , 5146 N. 800th St., Martinsville, Ill. 62442 (ph 217 382-6681; E-mail: rshanks@ccipost.net).

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