running a feller buncher?

treefarmer87 · November 01, 2010, 03:20:23 PM

A man i asked about a job a few weeks ago called me and asked me to run a buncher for him. he told me starting pay is $12 hr. i have never run one, is it hard? what works the accumulator arms? how many trees can i hold with the sawhead? its a rubber tire like a hydro ax i believe.

mad murdock · November 01, 2010, 03:24:02 PM

in good wood and decent terrain, I would think a guy could snip 4-6 truckloads a day. If it is a hydro-az, they have a bunching finger on the head that will allow you to make a couple grabs before you have to lay the trees down. I have never run an 'ax, but on a tracked machine with a shearhead, you have to be aware of the terrain, and the wind, as you have a long arm (the length of the tree), which can lever you on your side easily if you aren't staying on top of things.

Gary_C · November 01, 2010, 04:56:17 PM

I'm sure he will give you some training time but they are not too hard to run. To tell you exactly you would have to know the type of head and controls. There are hot saws, bar saws, and even some leftover shears. My 311B has either a shear or bar saw head and there are foot petals for forward and reverse plus a foot petal for cutting. The head is moved with a single lever joystick with two buttons for the clamp arms. I've never run a hot saw but from what I know you just drive thru the tree and pull it in with the clamps.

There are two clamp arms that work together and the single arm is the accumulator arm that is spring loaded and can be pulled out from under a bunch of trees in the head.

There, that's all there is to it. :D :D

treefarmer87 · November 01, 2010, 05:07:20 PM

O OK ill give it a whirl in the morning

Woodhauler · November 01, 2010, 05:40:39 PM

You ain't run one till you have had it upside down! They are very easy to gt the hang of! Make sure you try it on flat ground till you get the hang of it! Good luck ;D

Gary_C · November 01, 2010, 05:45:23 PM

Well ya, you do have to watch when you are cutting on a side slope for tree lean. With a fixed head machine it is not good to cut a tree that is leaning sideways to the machine or it could pull you right over on it's side. I've never done it but from what I hear it's no big thing. Just pull er back upright and go again.

northwoods1 · November 02, 2010, 10:13:55 AM

Quote from: treefarmer87 on November 01, 2010, 03:20:23 PM
A man i asked about a job a few weeks ago called me and asked me to run a buncher for him. he told me starting pay is $12 hr. i have never run one, is it hard? what works the accumulator arms? how many trees can i hold with the sawhead? its a rubber tire like a hydro ax i believe.

A bar saw can be tricky to learn how to cut with and not wreck the bar :D not that I have ever done that! No I haven't wrecked a bar in so many years I can't remember when but there is definately a learning curve regarding knowing how to grasp the tree and make sure there is no pressure on the bar through the cut. A big hot saw like is on the hydro ax picture you show that is a different story. For the kind of wood he is cutting you would not have to stop the machine you would drive right through the cut. If its a clear cut like that, learning how to move the machine around efficiently can take a while to get the hang of. Like in the pic, after he lays that bunch down he will back up, turn 45, drive pretty much straight ahead cutting where he needs to be laying the next bunch down, back up turn at 45 drive ahead , lay bunch down etc., you want to be moving the wood from the stump to the pile with the least amount of moving around as possible. Every little bit of extra motion adds up to determine how much you can lay down in a given time. And you haven't bunched much wood till you have tipped it over :D I like my hydro ax 3 wheeler if a tree starts to pull you over you can turn the machine into the fall and get control of it or just drop it.

Meadows Miller · November 02, 2010, 10:29:33 AM

Gday

Tf you should have no dramas picking it up I had a crack on one of the largest 4x4 Prentice with shear head years ago and it was not hard to pick up Mate ;) ;D 8) a Mate of mine has the contract to clear alot of the power and gas lines around the state and runs two of them he also has the mulching head to fit one of them ;) Like any bit of equipment just take your time and the speed will come once you get in tune with it Mate ;) ;D ;D 8)

Regards Chris

treefarmer87 · November 02, 2010, 11:36:02 AM

thanks im getting ready to go leave and meet him right now

Woodhauler · November 02, 2010, 07:20:52 PM

How did it go?

treefarmer87 · November 02, 2010, 07:50:06 PM

didnt get to run it, it was a 720 tigercat. the hydralic fluid filter had a rub hole in it in one from a hose fittings. so i limbed 3 trailer loads of large pine from 12 till 3. the guy paid me $30 for 3 hrs work and told me he would call me if he needed me :(