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General Forestry => Forestry and Logging => Topic started by: northforker on December 14, 2011, 11:48:42 PM

Title: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on December 14, 2011, 11:48:42 PM
Greetings,

I'm new to the forum but have stopped in for a look several times over the years and have picked up lots of useful information from the knowledgeable folks here. I'm not a professional logger or a fabricator, just a guy who has about 50 acres of trees and tired of harvesting them by hand. That said, here's some pics of a fellerbuncher attachment for a skidsteer I recently completed. I only had time to test it with a dozen or so trees before the snow flew, but it seems to work real well and zips right through. It's your basic hotsaw or disc saw scaled way down. The disc is 5/8" X 36" dia T1 steel with 12 Quadco 1-1/8" teeth mounted on the rim. I use my ASV's 25 gpm circuit to spin the disc at 900-1000 rpm and the other circuit for the grab arm. I'll fab a bunching arm for it over the winter. I've designed it to cut a 14" stump maximum for safety's sake. I can't wait 'til spring to use it more!

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/28345/IMG_0924.jpg)

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/28345/IMG_0913.JPG)

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/28345/IMG_0916.JPG)
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: islandlogger on December 15, 2011, 12:00:12 AM
Welcome to this here forum northforker!
Say, that's some nice fabricating you done there! Nice looking unit, I can see you will have plenty of fun with that come Spring!!
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: mad murdock on December 15, 2011, 12:49:55 AM
Welcome northforker. That is serious skookum you got on that tracksteer loader 8) nice job!!
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: sprucebunny on December 15, 2011, 06:51:31 AM
Welcome to the forum !
That is too cool  8)
Any guesses what it cost you to make ? What was the hardest part ?
I think I've found a winter project !!!
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: thecfarm on December 15, 2011, 06:57:12 AM
northforker,welcome to the forum. With a nice looking project like that one,there must be others?
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: Piston on December 15, 2011, 07:28:25 AM
Nice looking project and welcome.  I'd get in trouble with one of those things!  ;D

Look forward to more action shots!
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: chevytaHOE5674 on December 15, 2011, 08:34:48 AM
Quote from: Piston on December 15, 2011, 07:28:25 AMI'd get in trouble with one of those things!  ;D

Very nice work. I too would get in trouble with that. I would have the entire farm treeless just because it was so fun to play with. hahaha  8)
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: Raider Bill on December 15, 2011, 08:55:41 AM
All I have to say it WOW!!! I like it!!!!
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on December 15, 2011, 01:06:38 PM
Thanks for the comments guys! Yeah, my wife saw the "Here's Johnny" look in my eyes the first time I fired it up and was very concerned for her trees. Yes, you do just want to cut everything down just for fun, kinda shaking like a junkie looking for his next fix.

I'd say the hardest part of building this thing was just figuring out how to do it. I went back and forth between building a tree shear, a bar saw feller, and the disc saw. Each has its set of pros and cons and that's why all of these solutions have been around for a long time. Because I have a relatively light carrier, weight played a big part in my decision. I wanted to build something sturdy, but have enough payload left over to actually carry a stem or two without tipping over. This ruled out a shear type of buncher as the high capacity ones (Dymax, Ryans, etc.) weigh in at around 1800 lbs. plus.

The bar saw feller is probably the most lightweight solution as there's no element of brute force to do the cutting. However, even a simple bar saw design ends up being relatively complex and requires a minimum of 3 hydraulic functions, 1 to turn the chain, 2 to grab the tree, and 3 to move the bar through the tree. Then there are the issues of oiling the chain, maintaining proper chain tension, and modulating the bar feed speed with chain speed. It's a fun to think about how to solve these little mechanical challenges, but I wanted to be cutting trees not tweaking a design until I got it functioning right. It seemed that the disc saw is the best combination of light weight and simplicity, just a big spinning disc and an arm basically. Cost-wise, I think all would end up being similar, with the shear being the cheapest and the bar and disc designs costing about the same.

I spent a lot of time just figuring out a workable design and what components I would use. Most fabrication time was spent on turning down the old truck axle. It is hard, hard stuff, probably 4140 chrome moly, and I have a cheap chinese 3-1 machine to do the work. I finally figured out that turning very slowly with carbide tool bits and lots of coolant worked taking off only a few 1000's at a time. Even drilling dimples for the setscrews in this stuff was impossible with HSS drill bits. I finally tried carbide tipped masonry bits (a few bucks at the hardware store) that worked very well.

Cost-wise, I figure I'm in the $2500 range on this project when you add it all up. The most expensive component was the hydraulic motor (~ $700) and the heavy duty type E Moline flange bearings (~ $400 for two). The Quadco teeth were about $150 at Baileys and steel was probably another 6-700 bucks or so. Throw in a few hundred more for hydraulic hose/fittings, double crossover relief valve, nuts/bolts, etc. Adding a bunching arm will cost a couple of hundred more for the cost of a small cylinder plus some kind of circuit splitter/selector valve.  Anyway, not too bad considering that a shiny new one built by real fabricators cost north of $25,000. I'd love to have one of those but, well you know...

Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: Coon on December 15, 2011, 01:19:06 PM
That would be a nice rig to play on, however, on my land you would end up doing just as much if not more hand felling due to timber size and also due to the windfalls and such. 

Why wait for spring? A man's gotta get his fix of sawdust ya know.  ;)  ;D
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: Raider Bill on December 15, 2011, 01:42:18 PM
That would sure work for me as a weekend/monthly wannabe logger trying to thin out my land. Hat's off to you northforker!
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: barbender on December 15, 2011, 01:58:02 PM
Very nice work! I'd like to build a bar saw dangle head for my skid steer. My problem is I only have one hydraulic circuit, and it is only 16 gpm.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: thecfarm on December 15, 2011, 07:01:35 PM
northforker,if Raider Bill ask to borrow it say NO or he'll return it all burnt up.  :D
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: semologger on December 15, 2011, 07:07:22 PM
from were did you learn to do fab work that well at? Very well done.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: simplicityguy92 on December 15, 2011, 08:31:40 PM
did you build or by the saw?
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: Banjo picker on December 15, 2011, 08:37:40 PM
That is one cool build.  And welcome to the forum.  Banjo
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: treefarmer87 on December 15, 2011, 09:57:07 PM
welcome to the forum :) very, very nice job 8)
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on December 16, 2011, 02:09:05 PM
Thank You all again for your comments. Here's a couple more pics from the build. As you can see if you look close, I'm not a great fabricator. My goals are always simple, things that are made to stick together should stay stuck together, things should m/l work as they are designed to, and that nobody gets hurt. Anyway, as my Dad always said, "If you can't learn to be a good welder, learn to be a good grinder."

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/28345/IMG_0902.JPG)

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/28345/IMG_0903.JPG)
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on December 16, 2011, 02:23:15 PM
BB, You can do a lot with 16 gpm as long as you don't want to do it fast or do it all at once. An advantage of the bar saw design is that you grab on to the tree first. This allows you to take as much time as you need to saw through. Have you seen Danzco'z website (http://www.danzcoinc.com/html/standard_saw_components.html)? They sell hydraulic chainsaws and components that you could incorporate in a design. Their basic chainsaws are powered by gear motors using from 10 gpm up to 30 gpm. I have no idea what they charge. I think they are using Cross gear motors that will run a couple of hundred bucks new that you could source yourself. One thing I'd be interested in if I was making a bar saw is their feed and motor control valve. This stuff becomes more important with lower gpm/psi available.

Quote from: barbender on December 15, 2011, 01:58:02 PM
Very nice work! I'd like to build a bar saw dangle head for my skid steer. My problem is I only have one hydraulic circuit, and it is only 16 gpm.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on December 16, 2011, 02:31:22 PM
Quote from: Coon on December 15, 2011, 01:19:06 PM
Why wait for spring? A man's gotta get his fix of sawdust ya know.  ;)  ;D

I hear you on that, but most of my trees are 7+ miles off any kind of plowed road and the snow is *deep*. This is what we use to get there in the winter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGByXUsWsBw&feature=plcp&context=C38a19c8UDOEgsToPDskKD6hd4DPfnGdFjpSZ8SqiS (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGByXUsWsBw&feature=plcp&context=C38a19c8UDOEgsToPDskKD6hd4DPfnGdFjpSZ8SqiS)
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on December 16, 2011, 02:36:16 PM
Quote from: thecfarm on December 15, 2011, 06:57:12 AM
northforker,welcome to the forum. With a nice looking project like that one,there must be others?

Oh I do some stuff here and there. Here's a snowblower I built for the ASV 9 years ago. It's still going strong. I usually bust off a fan blade or two every season or something, but I just cut out a new one and weld it on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYku0xoAmh4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYku0xoAmh4)
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: sandhills on December 16, 2011, 02:51:22 PM
I'm very impressed with the fabrication to say the least!  Welcome to the forum, and with skills like that I think I'd be fabricating some windows for that ASV if I were you  ;).
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on December 16, 2011, 03:07:08 PM
Gimme a break! I've only owned this thing for like 11 years now ;)

Quote from: sandhills on December 16, 2011, 02:51:22 PM
I'm very impressed with the fabrication to say the least!  Welcome to the forum, and with skills like that I think I'd be fabricating some windows for that ASV if I were you  ;).
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: reride82 on December 16, 2011, 03:46:39 PM
With a name like Northforker in the NW corner of Montana, would I venture a guess you are on the North Fork of the Flathead River?
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on December 16, 2011, 07:22:44 PM
That sounds reasonable.

Quote from: reride82 on December 16, 2011, 03:46:39 PM
With a name like Northforker in the NW corner of Montana, would I venture a guess you are on the North Fork of the Flathead River?
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: semologger on December 16, 2011, 07:53:21 PM
northforker you didnt stop at the red light in your first video.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: barbender on December 16, 2011, 08:36:38 PM
Northforker- I have seen that Danzco website. I'll look into it more when I get more serious about the project. BTW, I wouldn't make any apologies about your fabrication skills.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: Taylortractornut on December 16, 2011, 10:31:13 PM
Northforker I d say you fall into the Fabricator bracket to.   I have a 14 gpm loader Id like to build a bar sawhead for it.     I worked in a yard that had  one that ran  was set up on one circuit.  for the saw.  The saw bar had a line teed to the cylinder it then  went to the motor.   The bar would push out as the motor had a restrictor orifice  it that let the fluid go to the cylinder first.  Then the chain hit the trun the chain would run.    The return for the bar cylinder was run off the  grapple opening.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: barbender on December 17, 2011, 09:37:31 AM
Taylor, what was that bar saw on?
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on December 17, 2011, 11:11:40 PM
How well did that bar saw work Taylor? I wondering in the split hydraulic circuit you describe, what would happen if the saw started to bog? It seems to me that more PSI would push the bar out faster in that case and then cause the saw to slow even more. Wouldn't you want the bar feed to slow as sawing becomes difficult? I guess if the saw has plenty of power it's not an issue.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: Ron Scott on December 17, 2011, 11:35:29 PM
Well done on the DIY Fellerbuncher. Do you have a lot of mountain beetle killed trees to work it on where you are located?
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on December 18, 2011, 01:48:46 PM
Thanks Ron. The beetles are not quite here yet but are getting very close. I wouldn't be surprised to see them here next summer. Anybody have any luck with Verbenone?
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: Taylortractornut on December 18, 2011, 09:32:28 PM
They had it on 2 setups.  THe first one was a  small shear head frame on an old Melroe Bobcat.  Then later had it on a  knuckle boom grapple one tim for bucking logs.     I haven seen it in a while. It worked out pretty good.    When the bar slowed down a the cylinder pushed a bit harder then the resistance from the cylinder would make the motor spin faster.    It seemed to work really well.   I think the one line and the set up actually metered itself better than 2 circuits. 
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on December 19, 2011, 05:08:25 PM
Thanks Taylor. That's intriguing. Anyway, it's simple enough to give it a shot and I'm all for simplicity. I use a simple circuit for the hydraulic chute rotator on my snowblower that might work too that used a single circuit. I run the auger through the valve body of an old log splitter valve. This would be in the P-T circuit so it's running all the time that I have the Aux circuit engaged. The motor that rotates the chute uses the work ports on the valve. By feathering the valve lever, I can move the chute fast or slow without robbing the auger motor of much flow at all. I think this could work for a bar saw setup as well, where I would use a bar cylinder in place of the chute rotator motor.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: mad murdock on December 19, 2011, 05:18:42 PM
Quote from: northforker on December 18, 2011, 01:48:46 PM
The beetles are not quite here yet but are getting very close. I wouldn't be surprised to see them here next summer. Anybody have any luck with Verbenone?
We did 5 years of research application for private timber co's and the USFS on test plots in CA, WA, ID, and MT using verbenone, the results were very good.  When the first large(ish) job came up for bid in 2010, The Government awarded the job to a company that had never applied the product, but because they had written a book on how they were going to do a good job, they got the bid, even though we were a bit under them in price.  I don't know if it was because of poor application results on that upscaled job, or if it was because of the government funding woes, either way, there has not been any more of that work.  The results on all of the test plots we had done, were excellent.  The disrupter flakes worked very well it stopping the beetle propagation.  BTW, I would not be ashamed of your fab work either!
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: jr-transport on December 19, 2011, 08:02:27 PM
Quote from: chevytaHOE5674 on December 15, 2011, 08:34:48 AM
Quote from: Piston on December 15, 2011, 07:28:25 AMI'd get in trouble with one of those things!  ;D

Very nice work. I too would get in trouble with that. I would have the entire farm treeless just because it was so fun to play with. hahaha  8)


Ditto.
Looks good, and welcom here!
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: snowstorm on December 19, 2011, 08:17:18 PM
Quote from: northforker on December 19, 2011, 05:08:25 PM
Thanks Taylor. That's intriguing. Anyway, it's simple enough to give it a shot and I'm all for simplicity. I use a simple circuit for the hydraulic chute rotator on my snowblower that might work too that used a single circuit. I run the auger through the valve body of an old log splitter valve. This would be in the P-T circuit so it's running all the time that I have the Aux circuit engaged. The motor that rotates the chute uses the work ports on the valve. By feathering the valve lever, I can move the chute fast or slow without robbing the auger motor of much flow at all. I think this could work for a bar saw setup as well, where I would use a bar cylinder in place of the chute rotator motor.
a priority valve would help.load sensing pressure compensated valves would be even better
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on December 20, 2011, 02:14:52 PM
Thanks Murdock. I've not heard of the flakes and will have to read up on that. Good, so the Verbenone works. The downside is that it's a bit pricey, at least for consumers. It seems cost ~ $20+ for a 2 pack. I read somewhere that you should hang 35 per acre. The $ adds up quick!

Quote from: mad murdock on December 19, 2011, 05:18:42 PM
Quote from: northforker on December 18, 2011, 01:48:46 PM
The beetles are not quite here yet but are getting very close. I wouldn't be surprised to see them here next summer. Anybody have any luck with Verbenone?
We did 5 years of research application for private timber co's and the USFS on test plots in CA, WA, ID, and MT using verbenone, the results were very good.  When the first large(ish) job came up for bid in 2010, The Government awarded the job to a company that had never applied the product, but because they had written a book on how they were going to do a good job, they got the bid, even though we were a bit under them in price.  I don't know if it was because of poor application results on that upscaled job, or if it was because of the government funding woes, either way, there has not been any more of that work.  The results on all of the test plots we had done, were excellent.  The disrupter flakes worked very well it stopping the beetle propagation.  BTW, I would not be ashamed of your fab work either!
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on December 20, 2011, 02:33:15 PM
Quote from: snowstorm on December 19, 2011, 08:17:18 PM
a priority valve would help.load sensing pressure compensated valves would be even better

Good stuff for me to think about. Now you guys have me half starting another project! I get how a priority valve apportions the flow between the saw motor and bar, but would this work if the bar is moved by a double acting cylinder, or would you have to put in a directional valve downstream of the divider on the bar circuit? I'll have to do some more reading on the load-sensing pressure compensated valves. The ones I'm familiar with are used in conjunction with a variable displacement pump. Without knowing anything else (which I don't) ideally you'd be in tall cotton if you had a valve that could sense delta-P across the saw motor and inversely meter flow to the bar cylinder - so that if delta-P increases, bar advances slower and vice versa. Thoughts?
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: snowstorm on December 20, 2011, 05:17:24 PM
rexroth made load sensing pressure compensatered valves  valmet used them. with an open center gear pump. am surprised you have power enought with only 25gpm. what psi are you at?
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on December 21, 2011, 04:38:09 PM
Thanks Snowstorm. I'll look into the Rexroth valve. The saw seems to have plenty of power. Bear in mind that I'm not cutting down 20" hardwood or anything, just up to about 14" softwood. The aux. high-flow hydraulics on my machine are rated for 3000 PSI, but I'm sure I never get close to that. The saw is designed to cut mostly with angular momentum, just a disc weighing a couple of hundred pounds spinning at nearly 1000 rpm. By the time the disc start to lose momentum, I'm already through the tree. I use small teeth (1-1/8") for a relatively narrow kerf too which cuts down on the power requirements.

Quote from: snowstorm on December 20, 2011, 05:17:24 PM
rexroth made load sensing pressure compensatered valves  valmet used them. with an open center gear pump. am surprised you have power enought with only 25gpm. what psi are you at?
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: customsawyer on December 21, 2011, 08:05:44 PM
Nice looking work. You certainly do fine on the fab work IMHO.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: sjfarkas on December 22, 2011, 11:31:11 PM
Nice job.  I like your ingenuity.  I wish I had time to build attachments for skid steers.  A bar saw would be cool too.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: John Mc on December 23, 2011, 10:08:23 AM
Quote from: snowstorm on December 20, 2011, 05:17:24 PM
rexroth made load sensing pressure compensatered valves  valmet used them. with an open center gear pump. am surprised you have power enought with only 25gpm. what psi are you at?

Wouldn't the flow rate just affect the speed? I'd guess the torque would be more a function of pressure.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: snowstorm on December 24, 2011, 07:49:20 AM
Quote from: John Mc on December 23, 2011, 10:08:23 AM
Quote from: snowstorm on December 20, 2011, 05:17:24 PM
rexroth made load sensing pressure compensatered valves  valmet used them. with an open center gear pump. am surprised you have power enought with only 25gpm. what psi are you at?

Wouldn't the flow rate just affect the speed? I'd guess the torque would be more a function of pressure.
well sort of. on a cyl. the more the gpm then it should be faster. with a hydr. motor a little different. lets say you have a pulp loader with a 25gpm pump 2100psi. the main boom will lift a lot. but the bucket rotator dose not have a lot of turn power. most full size hot saws run what 70gpm??? at 4500psi???. at one time i had a morbark shear 14" rapid buncher it stood up well worked good and was happy with 25gpm. there used to be quite a few around here
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on December 24, 2011, 05:45:02 PM
Quote from: snowstorm on December 24, 2011, 07:49:20 AM
well sort of. on a cyl. the more the gpm then it should be faster. with a hydr. motor a little different. lets say you have a pulp loader with a 25gpm pump 2100psi. the main boom will lift a lot. but the bucket rotator dose not have a lot of turn power. most full size hot saws run what 70gpm??? at 4500psi???. at one time i had a morbark shear 14" rapid buncher it stood up well worked good and was happy with 25gpm. there used to be quite a few around here

It's all a matter of scale. Let's look at it this way, a Quadco C series 52" disk (their smallest) weight with teeth and holders is 604 lbs. My 36" disk with teeth is ~ 200 lbs. We can calculate the moment of inertia (discs' resistance to change in rotation) with the formula 1/2*mass*r^2. The Quadco's moment of inertia works out to be ~1409 lbft^2 whereas my disc's moment is only 225 lbft^2. The Quadco disc's moment is 6.26 times greater than mine. Now, given that torque=moment of inertia*acceleration, it follows that to accelerate either disc to any equal speed requires the motor driving the Quadco disc to supply 6.26 as much torque as my motor, and that much more torque to keep the disc spinning at a constant speed when encountering any resistance during cutting. So the big hotsaws require much more power and torque just to get them up to speed compared with mine, this is before anything is cut.

Obviously, the moment of inertia works in the larger saws favor as once that sucker is spinning, it's going to take that much more cutting resistance to slow it down. Once my little saw starts bogging down, it will rely more on the torque of the motor as opposed to disc momentum. That's why if I scaled it to cut let's say 20" trees it probably would not work well - I wouldn't be through the cut before the disc lost momentum. I would probably have to stop halfway through to let the blade speed up again. However, for the small timber I'm working with, softwood up to 14" or so, this hasn't been an issue so far.

Thanks again to everybody for the comments. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy sawdust-filled New Year!

Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: snowstorm on December 24, 2011, 06:47:19 PM
all the math makwes my head hurt. i know the vp at quadco. interesting guy
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on December 24, 2011, 06:50:44 PM
Yeah, mine too. I was hoping someone would check it for me! What a cool job it would be to work at a place like Quadco. Imagine getting paid to do this stuff.

Quote from: snowstorm on December 24, 2011, 06:47:19 PM
all the math makwes my head hurt. i know the vp at quadco. interesting guy
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: John Mc on December 24, 2011, 09:13:09 PM
Northforker -

I believe those moment of inertia formulas only work if all of the mass is concentrated right at the rim of the disk. To find the true moment, you have to do integration (integrate as r goes from 0 to 26" for the Quadco disk). It's been too long since I've had to do that to even attempt it.

Also, you may be missing a time variable in your torque calculations: "to accelerate either disc to any equal speed" in the same amount of time...
With identical torque, if you were willing to wait a whole lot longer for the Quadco disk to come up to speed.

The last time I dealt with this stuff was a couple years out of college (and I probably had to look it up then), so I may be all wet on this...
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on December 24, 2011, 10:41:47 PM
 Thanks for checking John! Nope, it's not that complicated. Start here. Moment of inertia for a point mass is just the mass multiplied by the distance between the point and the rotational axis squared, that is to say I=M*r2. The same equation can be used for an infinitely thin hollow cylinder with mass M with radius r, no? Okay, one step further. Let's suppose we have a hollow cylinder with a finite thickness rotating about its axis. It's moment of inertia will be the mass of the cylinder multiplied by the radius of the average thickness of the cylinder or I=1/2M*(cylinder's inside radius2 + cylinder's outside radius2) or I=1/2M*(ri2+ro2). Okay? Now last step, let's look at a solid cylinder (a disc in our case). Let's take the last formula and substitute "0" for ri since our cylinder is no longer hollow. That leaves us with I=1/2M*(0+ro2) or as I put it earlier I=1/2M*r2  ;) .

Yes, you are exactly right about the time variable that is what I meant to imply "in the same amount of time." There's no doubt that I could get the Quadco disc up to speed eventually, but life is short. Plus, what would I do once I cut through a 20" tree grasped by my little ASV loader... :o? Okay, enough geek stuff for 2011 already.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: Ron Scott on December 25, 2011, 07:36:57 PM
Northforker: Are you located near Polebridge, MT?
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on December 25, 2011, 11:09:16 PM
Yes Ron, pretty close. My home is south of P'bridge and have a cabin north of there. Are you familiar with the area?

Quote from: Ron Scott on December 25, 2011, 07:36:57 PM
Northforker: Are you located near Polebridge, MT?
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: barbender on December 26, 2011, 12:31:54 PM
Wow, you fellas get talking about moment of inertia and all, I have to tap out :) My wife and I went to NW Montana on our honeymoon back in '98. We stayed at a B n B in Eureka. I was amazed at all the logging and mills out there at that time.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on December 26, 2011, 02:14:59 PM
You'll see a lot less logging and mills up there if you were to see it now. Stimson pulled out of the old Libby Mill in 2003 I think. What was left burned to the ground in 2010. Owens and Hurst in Eureka closed some time ago as well. The area ran out of timber sales and trucking in trees from Idaho was too expensive. The American mill in Olney shut down too as did Trout Creek over in Thompson Falls. I'm sure there are others that I forgot about but needless to say there's hard times for Lincoln County now.

Quote from: barbender on December 26, 2011, 12:31:54 PM
Wow, you fellas get talking about moment of inertia and all, I have to tap out :) My wife and I went to NW Montana on our honeymoon back in '98. We stayed at a B n B in Eureka. I was amazed at all the logging and mills out there at that time.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: Ron Scott on December 26, 2011, 05:34:42 PM
Quote from: northforker on December 25, 2011, 11:09:16 PM
Yes Ron, pretty close. My home is south of P'bridge and have a cabin north of there. Are you familiar with the area?

Quote from: Ron Scott on December 25, 2011, 07:36:57 PM
Northforker: Are you located near Polebridge, MT?

I've been to Polebridge a few times and out to Bowman Lake, etc.so know the area some. A neat place. There have been several forest fires in the area and my son Todd lived in Whitefish as a fishing and rafting guide on the Flathead and worked at Big Mountain. I also have some good  friends that live in Whitefish and Kalispell.

My son Todd and his wife live in Bozeman now. He and his wife were here over Chritmas and just left here today.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on December 27, 2011, 03:05:53 PM
Ron, Your son did a fine job of pairing his interests with geography. Smart kid. We had big fires up here in 2001 (Moose) and 2003 (Wedge,Robert). 2003 was a bad year for us but could have been a lot worse, The Wedge fire started a few miles from our cabin and was about a mile away when we went up and evacuated what we could and brought it home and put the stuff in the garage. Five days later, the Robert fire started and came within 1/4 mi. from our house on its initial run. We had to evac in a hurry. It's not a good feeling looking in the rearview mirror and wondering if your house was up in that cloud of smoke. Tough summer as the fires started early and burned nearby for a couple of months. Both our home and cabin survived thanks to the work of the firefighters and a little luck in wind direction.

Give me a holler if you make it out this way again.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on June 02, 2013, 04:47:17 PM
It's been a while since I've posted on the DIY fellerbuncher and have been meaning to add a video. It's been working pretty well for me. I made some modifications like adding a bunching arm and lengthened the main arm so I can grab and cut downed timber to length. I plan on adding a second arm to better keep the stem from flopping around while carrying. As I expected, cutting capacity far exceeds carrying capacity for my little track loader (I can fell a 15" diameter tree). I haven't quite tipped it over yet, but have to be careful on uneven terrain. For the bigger trees, I just fell them then cut them into manageable lengths for carrying.

http://youtu.be/Tuvc5FUM6KA (http://youtu.be/Tuvc5FUM6KA)

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/28345/fb_pile.JPG)
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: clww on June 02, 2013, 09:01:14 PM
Great to see it's still running well for you. :)
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on June 04, 2013, 04:41:00 PM
Here's a pic of the business side showing the saw disc and teeth. The carbide teeth are holding up pretty well, but it's time to rotate them. Anybody know how to sharpen these quadco teeth? I figure I would make my own sharpening jig using a right-angle drill attachment and a spherical stone bit.


 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/28345/fb_disc%7E0.jpg)
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on June 04, 2013, 05:07:48 PM
...meant to say "HSS teeth."
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: barbender on June 04, 2013, 06:09:51 PM
Is the drive hub the rear axle off of a pickup? It looks familiar.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on June 04, 2013, 06:19:12 PM
Ha! You are correct sir. Dodge, I believe. I figured why reinvent the wheel...or at least the axle.

Quote from: barbender on June 04, 2013, 06:09:51 PM
Is the drive hub the rear axle off of a pickup? It looks familiar.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: barbender on June 05, 2013, 12:19:08 AM
Oh I can totally appreciate repurposing items. That is a slick unit you built, you should be proud of it. Just don't be flipping the ASV over ;)
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on June 05, 2013, 12:48:19 PM
Thanks! And I'll try an keep the tracks under me.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: barbender on June 05, 2013, 12:51:39 PM
This side up ;D
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: redneck logger on June 12, 2013, 06:25:26 PM
Hey Northforker have you done any good size cutting with that rig as far as small woodlots and stuff,also you should look into building a stroke harvester or something along that line and keep up the good work,I always love seeing what people can build and stuff like this just blows my mind smiley_clapping
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on June 13, 2013, 02:10:40 PM
Thanks redneck_logger! The biggest tree I've felled with this is probably about 16-17" and that's much bigger than I'd dare grab on to. I actually thought about building a stroke harvester at the time I was building the disc saw. There's no reason it couldn't work. What I've learned is that my ASV has a plenty of power for felling trees, but has a pretty limited carrying capacity, basically 2200 lbs. at the bucket. I envisioned cutting trees and carrying them upright through the timber, thus keeping the weight close to the bucket. The video below shows that it's easier said than done, even in a stand that's fairly open.. So my next project will be designed to cut a tree down, cut it into manageable lengths, then carry or skid them. I'm designing a grapple right now that I can add a saw cassette module to when I get around to it, then possible adding some CTL module, either stroke or wheels.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A781qAyS8-U (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A781qAyS8-U)

Quote from: redneck logger on June 12, 2013, 06:25:26 PM
Hey Northforker have you done any good size cutting with that rig as far as small woodlots and stuff,also you should look into building a stroke harvester or something along that line and keep up the good work,I always love seeing what people can build and stuff like this just blows my mind smiley_clapping
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: redneck logger on June 15, 2013, 09:50:45 PM
Right on buddy that sound like a good idea, id say by the look of things you would have no problem fabbing up a harvester head of some sory
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: Adeleron on November 14, 2017, 03:18:03 PM
NorthForker,

Do you have any pictures of the motor assembly including the coupler to the hub?
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: northforker on November 17, 2017, 05:03:31 PM
I don't have any pictures (and it's now covered in snow), but I made my own flexible mount of sorts. I used a rigid coupler between the motor and hub shaft with a shear pin on the hub side, but mounted the motor to the frame on rubber mounts and with slightly-oversize mounting holes. This way, the motor can wiggle a bit if it needs to.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: mike_belben on November 17, 2017, 07:24:16 PM
Pretty awesome attachment.  Now that youve got some time on it.. Anything youd do differently if there was a version 2.0?
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: maple flats on November 17, 2017, 09:40:31 PM
My brother has one slightly similar. It is on an ASV85. The differences are that he bought a shear, then he built the part to grab the tree. He has 2 shears, only one wears the holding part to grab a tree. He finds he has plenty of GPM and pressure to do the job. He does not carry the trees though, unless rather small, he cuts then tips it where he wants to set it down.However, he also has a stump grinder attachment and that works better on his Bobcat Toolcat, a little more GPM and about 200 more PSI.
What model is your ASV, his has 25 gpm at 2700 PSI the toolcat has 27 GPM at 2900 PSI. What seems like just a slight difference makes a big difference with the stump grinder.
On his ASV he also mounted a Fransgard V4000 rigid mount on the back, drives the winch with a hydraulic motor.
While my brother is a retired aircraft mechanic by trade, he has a small machine shop ( 2 lathes, a milling machine and some other things and does some machine work for hire, he is also an excellent welder and fabricator, while I've only successfully welded one thing that did not fall apart.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: Southside on November 24, 2017, 09:55:49 PM
Quote from: northforker on November 17, 2017, 05:03:31 PM
(and it's now covered in snow)

To say that on November 17th is wrong, simply wrong.   :D

Took this today....



 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/34297/Cows.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1511578529)

Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: Gobeylogger on November 30, 2017, 01:18:02 AM
Very impressive fabrication work.  Should work really well for small pine and hardwood. Just be careful with larger trees. I have been a feller buncher operator for 22 yrs now and when u are cutting and trying to carry your trees just be car full because all that weight in the top will turn u over really quick. Should work well for what your wanting to do with it. Nice work. Would love to hear how it performed for u
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: DDW_OR on December 26, 2017, 02:51:25 PM
here is a link to northforker's bypass grapple
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,67465.0/all.html

FYI i grew up in Columbia Falls.
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: Riwaka on December 26, 2017, 03:14:29 PM
Malwa forwarder to harvester - dual -use machine

https://youtu.be/htG73mr5uC4
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: mike_belben on December 26, 2017, 08:26:59 PM
So the black suitcases were just ballast weight?
Title: Re: DIY Fellerbuncher
Post by: Southside on December 26, 2017, 09:16:54 PM
That is a slick machine - perfect for a one man CTL operation.  Anyone know what one of those cost?