where can i find ,,,,,,,,

[robotguy]

i just found out that there was, is, a mechanical way of de-limbing a tree by using a device that has saws mounted to it & is spirals up the tree cutting the limbs as it goes,, can anyone point me in the right direction ,,  thanks,,, robotguy.

[isawlogs]

 I'd like to see a picture of that.
  A ladder , a saw and go around the tree  

[Ianab]

hi Robot

A lot of time and head scratching has been spent on that problem here in NZ. But no one has yet come up with a practical way of doing it  
I guess the problem is to find a system that wont damage the tree, will prune correctly (not cut too flush or leave a stub), adjusts for different tree growth, is portable, is fast.... and costs less than a NASA space mission.
If you do find something that works let me know... we could make a killing with it here  

Untill then we are stuck with manual pruning..thats Isaw's ladder, some heavy loppers and a good saw...and yup.. it's hard work

Ian

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Y'all ever seen a Citrus Grove pruner Looks kinda like a tractor with an arm on each side. The arms are equal length. On the ends of each arm, there is a circle saw blade. The operator drives down the row and the arms rotate, with the saws running. Trims both sides of the row like a hedge trimmer. THEN, somehow, they trim the tops off flat, so the trees stay short enough for the pickers with their ladders.
 I just GOTTA start carryin the camera. Bet Y'all don't believe me  

[Ron Wenrich]

They showed us one of those tree pruners when I was in college.  It was a new idea back then, now its an old one.  

They were fine for pine, but we have mainly hardwoods, so there isn't much use for them.  I'll have to see if I can find any info.

[Don P]

They limbed the power lines around here this winter with one of those rigs less tractor, 7 blades...from a chopper  . I guess as he spirals in he could do it.

[Ron Wenrich]

I can't find anything on the Net about these pruners.  But, I do remember what they look like.

They were basically wheels that were put on a round frame.  The frame was hinged so that it could be opened and closed around the tree.  I believe the frame could be adjusted for different sized trees  There was also a chainsaw blade that was close to the tree.

It was driven by an on board motor, probably about 5 hp.  When started, the frame would spiral up the tree and prune the limbs.  At a height of 17', it would shut off.  You had to take a pole and trip something on the frame to make it revolve back down.

With the electronics of today, you could probably build a better one with remotes.  

[Kevin]

Are we talking pruning or harvesting?

[beenthere]

Ron
You are talking about the 'tree monkey'. I think the scandanavians built it (don't now if they continued it) but it would spiral the tree (I will dig out some pictures and scan them) to a pre-set height, and support a vertical chain saw that would prune the limbs on the way up. Then when it reached the pre-set height (may really have been a pre-set diameter) it would kick into reverse and spiral back down the tree. As you describe, it was carried from tree to tree and worked pretty good in a plantation, removing live and dead limbs.

Went to a demonstration of this machine, and the following day a collegue (personnel type) asked where we were (missing from coffee break) the day before. We said we were out watching a demo of the 'tree monkey', and told what it would do (leaving out the mechanical details of wheels, etc and leaving the impression this was a monkey carrying a chain saw up a tree!)    He asked "How do you get a monkey to go up a tree?"  We answered falsely that they put a banana up in the tree.  After some long thought, and other conversation, this guy silently asked "How did they get the banana up in the tree?"  We broke out in lots of laughter at his expense.

[Kevin]

this guy silently asked "How did they get the banana up in the tree?"

That's easy ... another monkey.  

[Ron Wenrich]

Yep, that's what it was called.  I saw it back in the late '60s.

[Gus]

I've worked around delimbers some but this tree monkey is a new on on me.  I'd love to see one.

8)Gus