I know a guy that is trying to put together a skidsteer with a cutting head on it to fell big timber.
Personally I don't think it will ever work.
Do any of you guys know anyone who is currently cutting timber with a skidsteer?
There was a company that used big Bobcat skid steers for a feller. It may have been Barko.
It was a Barko 1080c.
Did they cut big timber? Or just small pulp?
What would you call "big timber" ??
And what size skidsteer ??
What for a cutter head? chainsaw type?
I don't think it would handle really big timber. Google Barko 1080c images and several come up.
@Beenthere, He wants to put a saw bar on it to cut 20 inch up to say 28 inch trees.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHp4MZGtzi8
Seems to work OK for those smaller size trees, but I don't think I'd want to be grabbing hold of 28" trees with only a skid steer?
I'd think any 20"+ hardwood would have enough weight to tip a skid steer over if it was clamped onto the tree when it cut.
My neighbor cleared out a good size apple orchard with his 16" tree shear. It made quick work of those smaller trees, but I don't think it would do great with large ones.
how tall are those trees? looks like about 40+ ft tall, I need one of those.
I have seen some pretty big trees cut and even "bunched" with Bell cutters so I think it may work out on a decent sized skid steer.
Laws of physics dictate that the weight of a 28" hardwood tree will destroy a skid steer if it falls on it. That is why these use excavators with huge cutting heads. The center of gravity of a hardwood is way up the tree relative to pine.
If it's a fixed head, no way. I've seen that size of wood flip an 843 Deere on it's side. However, watch some of the youtube videos of Bell fellers with a danglehead bar saw. They are dropping some big hardwood and handling it fine, and they look like they are built to handle impacts. I'm assuming the Barko machines would be well guarded as well.
My brother uses a tree shear mounted on an 85 HP ASV to cut up to about 14" hardwood. The shear just topples the tree as it is sheared. The knife acts like a full width wedge. It does not hold the tree. Once on the ground he limbs it with the shear as much as he can, might need to do some with the chainsaw, then he pulls the tree length pole to a landing using a Fransgard V4000 mounted on the rear by means of a custom rigid hitch, and stacks it, where he processes the firewood at a later date. I don't think it would be wise to grab or even drop larger. The fall protective cage is not sturdy enough to protect against larger.
They will cut 20" aspen all day long with a seasoned operator.And you can bunch it on level ground.I worked behind one for a few years.We tried to fill 3 40ft trailers a day with 2 men limbing and bucking it all in the woods.It was all skidded with a forwarder.Most days i was well over 1000 100" sticks.We didnt get paid doubles we got 14cents a stick.Ahh to be 18 again.It was 68 miles one way to the job.Most days i wore sneakers so my feet didnt get so hot.July in a jackpine plantation is hot!I have also seen them standing on there nose with a large tree still in the jaws because a green operator didnt let go fast enough.
ryans equipment makes a bell type dangle head for skid steers they also make a sawhead. they would be nice in a plantation thinning on flat ground
If there are any photos or more info avail on the ASV setup I would be very keen to see. I have a similar machine RC85 ASV, and am looking at a shear head, and some sort of rear mount cable/grapple arrangement.
DTR
Trying to cut that size hardwood and hold on to it with a skidsteer is a disaster waiting to happen. The skidsteer is too light and too narrow, it will end badly.
Quote from: deastman on June 24, 2013, 12:20:14 PM
Trying to cut that size hardwood and hold on to it with a skidsteer is a disaster waiting to happen. The skidsteer is too light and too narrow, it will end badly.
X2 don't try it
we are considering using the ASV for plantation thinning, 10-14". Fall , bunch, then skid out for processing at a landing.
DTR
Quote from: mnmdad on June 24, 2013, 12:36:33 PM
Quote from: deastman on June 24, 2013, 12:20:14 PM
Trying to cut that size hardwood and hold on to it with a skidsteer is a disaster waiting to happen. The skidsteer is too light and too narrow, it will end badly.
X2 don't try it
X3, Don't try it with trees that big! I have some experience at this. All may seem okay until you hit a dip or the log shifts in the jaws. That tree becomes a big, heavy moment arm real quick and your skidsteer will be at the losing end, especially if pulled sideward. At 15k - 20k lbs., the Barko/Clark/Melroe fellerbunchers are in a different league than even the biggest conventional skidsteers and are capable of handling proportionally bigger trees, but still...a 28" hardwood tree? Green leaves alone on a tree like this could weigh a ton...no joke.