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Felling Heads

Started by treefarmer87, February 06, 2010, 07:31:24 PM

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treefarmer87

what do you prefer saw or shear head
1994 Ford L9000
2004 Tigercat 718
1998 Barko 225
1999 John Deere 748G
FEC 1550 slasher
CTR 314 Delimber
Sthil 461
Sthil 250

timberfaller390

shear heads are a thing of the past for logging purposes. They damage too much of the butt log.
L.M. Reese Co. Land Management Contractors
Stihl MS390
John Deere 50G excavator
John Deere 5103
John Deere 440 ICD dozer

treefarmer87

thats what ive heard i wanna get a cutter but i only cut saw logs and on ocassion pulp wood all the guys tell me it to stick with my chainsaw and the cutter would be something else to break down
1994 Ford L9000
2004 Tigercat 718
1998 Barko 225
1999 John Deere 748G
FEC 1550 slasher
CTR 314 Delimber
Sthil 461
Sthil 250

timberfaller390

A cutter is great but you sound like you have nearly the same operation as me and I can tell you that a buncher is an expense you don't need. One thing to think about is will the rest of your equipment keep up with a buncher? If not it is worthless because if you gain alot of time cutting with a machine and lose it all in skidding bucking and loading then the machine is not really doing you any good.
L.M. Reese Co. Land Management Contractors
Stihl MS390
John Deere 50G excavator
John Deere 5103
John Deere 440 ICD dozer

Bobus2003

I love my Patu (Kesla) Harvester Head.. Not as fast as say a Hot saw, but its multi functional.. Cut and Bunch for a few days, then Skid till i cant skid anymore then use the Harvester to process the wood.. its a great cycle

timberfaller390

what size wood will that machine handle?
L.M. Reese Co. Land Management Contractors
Stihl MS390
John Deere 50G excavator
John Deere 5103
John Deere 440 ICD dozer

treefarmer87

that is an cool looking machine bet it does good in tight spots
1994 Ford L9000
2004 Tigercat 718
1998 Barko 225
1999 John Deere 748G
FEC 1550 slasher
CTR 314 Delimber
Sthil 461
Sthil 250

Twig farmer

Given this a lot of thought...as I wanted a fellerbuncher too..

The first thing you want after a skidder (I assume you already have one) is a decent loader / slasher / delimber.
Like a Prenitice 210 / 310 or similar.

80% of the labor & time involved with logging is in limbing, bucking, and stacking the wood out of the way.

Cutting high value sawlogs is best done with a chainsaw, you can get the cut really low and not waste 1 inch of wood...as we all know, this can sometimes be the difference in getting an 8'6" sawlog or a 9'6" veneer log...and it isn't labor intensive..

Skidding isn't that hard, and a cable machine can serve fine for the time it takes to pay off the loader/slasher...

Limbing and bucking is where the time and labor and danger is.

After the loader is paid off and you have a nice cushion in the cookie jar, then buy a nice grapple skidder, and make it a big one..a 648 Deere uses hardly any more fuel than a 548, but it will do a lot more work and they tend to be no more money to buy..

Only after you have the loader and a grapple should you buy the fellerbuncher. And it should be a hotsaw on 4 rubber tires to start, lots cheaper and easier to deal with.
C5D Twig Farmer, Deutz power, "Mona".
Husky 575.
Husky 372.
F550 4x4 PSD.
Bull Strength and Ignorance.
Live FREE or die.

chevytaHOE5674

Quote from: Twig farmer on February 07, 2010, 11:38:16 AM
After the loader is paid off and you have a nice cushion in the cookie jar, then buy a nice grapple skidder, and make it a big one..a 648 Deere uses hardly any more fuel than a 548, but it will do a lot more work and they tend to be no more money to buy.

A big skidder is great until you start bouncing it off leave trees and doing more damage to the residual stand than is acceptable to the landowner. Sometimes a smaller skidder does a better job as it is more manageable in the woods (unless your doing larger clearcuts then go big).



Quote from: Twig farmer on February 07, 2010, 11:38:16 AM
on 4 rubber tires to start, lots cheaper and easier to deal with.

Depends on the terrain, UP here 4 rubber tires would leave you parked 10 months of the year. tracks or tracks over 8 tires is the only way to go in snow, hills, mud, etc IMO/IME.

stonebroke

You have to remember, up in NH they have rocks, lots and lots of rocks

Stonebroke

chevytaHOE5674

Quote from: stonebroke on February 07, 2010, 12:19:35 PM
You have to remember, up in NH they have rocks, lots and lots of rocks

Stonebroke

Didn't see where the OP lived in NH.


Also we have large rock outcrops here. Rather avoid them with the tracked machines than park them 90% of the year because of snow, hills, and mud.

stonebroke

Twig farmer has NH lakes region in his avatar

Stonebroke

stonebroke

Who is OP anyway?

Stonebroke

Twig farmer

Quote from: stonebroke on February 07, 2010, 02:09:28 PM
Who is OP anyway?

Stonebroke

OP = Original Poster.

A rubber tired cutter with good chains on will go about where a skidder will...in really rough spots you'll end up just dropping the tree or using a chainsaw, but snow and mud won't stop it any more than it will a skidder. Main reason I said rubber over tracks is that a rubber tired machine can be had for $40,000 or so and still have a lot of life left in it...$40K will buy a tracked machine, but it will be well used..very well used.
Now, compare a new bottom on the tracked machine to a new tube or even a new tire....the costs that go with a track machine are far greater than the rubber machine.
Tracked cutters are for the guys who are well established and have the coin to keep one in the woods. A small outfit that is building from scratch should follow the outline I gave above..but it's JMO.
C5D Twig Farmer, Deutz power, "Mona".
Husky 575.
Husky 372.
F550 4x4 PSD.
Bull Strength and Ignorance.
Live FREE or die.

Twig farmer

Quote from: chevytaHOE5674 on February 07, 2010, 11:49:58 AM


A big skidder is great until you start bouncing it off leave trees and doing more damage to the residual stand than is acceptable to the landowner. Sometimes a smaller skidder does a better job as it is more manageable in the woods (unless your doing larger clearcuts then go big).





A single arch 548 is a great little machine, but the single arch is limited in range of motion, and the width difference between the 648 and the 548 isn't hardly enough to consider...I have run a 648, and yes it's a big machine....but with care and planning you don't damage any more than a smaller machine. I know my Twig Farmer is 1/2 the size but isn't nearly as maneuverable in the woods, and I accidentally scar trees now and then just because the axles are locked in full time..it crab walks.
Since the 648 can be had with the dual arch (BIG difference) and uses about the same fuel...and isn't really any more money...I'd try for it over a 548 every time.
C5D Twig Farmer, Deutz power, "Mona".
Husky 575.
Husky 372.
F550 4x4 PSD.
Bull Strength and Ignorance.
Live FREE or die.

nhlogga

Quote from: Twig farmer on February 07, 2010, 11:38:16 AM
Given this a lot of thought...as I wanted a fellerbuncher too..

The first thing you want after a skidder (I assume you already have one) is a decent loader / slasher / delimber.
Like a Prenitice 210 / 310 or similar.

80% of the labor & time involved with logging is in limbing, bucking, and stacking the wood out of the way.

Cutting high value sawlogs is best done with a chainsaw, you can get the cut really low and not waste 1 inch of wood...as we all know, this can sometimes be the difference in getting an 8'6" sawlog or a 9'6" veneer log...and it isn't labor intensive..

Skidding isn't that hard, and a cable machine can serve fine for the time it takes to pay off the loader/slasher...

Limbing and bucking is where the time and labor and danger is.

After the loader is paid off and you have a nice cushion in the cookie jar, then buy a nice grapple skidder, and make it a big one..a 648 Deere uses hardly any more fuel than a 548, but it will do a lot more work and they tend to be no more money to buy..

Only after you have the loader and a grapple should you buy the fellerbuncher. And it should be a hotsaw on 4 rubber tires to start, lots cheaper and easier to deal with.





I agree 100%
Jonsered 2260
Husky 562xp

nhlogga

Quote from: Twig farmer on February 07, 2010, 02:37:38 PM
Quote from: chevytaHOE5674 on February 07, 2010, 11:49:58 AM


A big skidder is great until you start bouncing it off leave trees and doing more damage to the residual stand than is acceptable to the landowner. Sometimes a smaller skidder does a better job as it is more manageable in the woods (unless your doing larger clearcuts then go big).





A single arch 548 is a great little machine, but the single arch is limited in range of motion, and the width difference between the 648 and the 548 isn't hardly enough to consider...I have run a 648, and yes it's a big machine....but with care and planning you don't damage any more than a smaller machine. I know my Twig Farmer is 1/2 the size but isn't nearly as maneuverable in the woods, and I accidentally scar trees now and then just because the axles are locked in full time..it crab walks.
Since the 648 can be had with the dual arch (BIG difference) and uses about the same fuel...and isn't really any more money...I'd try for it over a 548 every time.



648 is the way to go. I too have run both. Even if the 648 uses a bit more fuel than the 548, you can haul out 2 - 3 times as much in one trip.
Jonsered 2260
Husky 562xp

chevytaHOE5674

Quote from: Twig farmer on February 07, 2010, 02:29:06 PM
but snow and mud won't stop it any more than it will a skidder.

UP here in snow country nobody runs a rubber tire buncher unless its 6 or 8 wheel drive with tracks on it in the winter. Had a jobber try a 4x4 buncher and he just couldn't manage the snow. Our skidder tackles the snow by following in the tracked bunchers tracks, without following in the tracks even the skidder is dead in the snow here.

Twig farmer

Quote from: chevytaHOE5674 on February 07, 2010, 02:44:10 PM
Quote from: Twig farmer on February 07, 2010, 02:29:06 PM
but snow and mud won't stop it any more than it will a skidder.

UP here in snow country nobody runs a rubber tire buncher unless its 6 or 8 wheel drive with tracks on it in the winter. Had a jobber try a 4x4 buncher and he just couldn't manage the snow. Our skidder tackles the snow by following in the tracked bunchers tracks, without following in the tracks even the skidder is dead in the snow here.
Yes, snow that gets too deep does stop most rubber tired machines. At that point I usually switch to shoveling roofs.
C5D Twig Farmer, Deutz power, "Mona".
Husky 575.
Husky 372.
F550 4x4 PSD.
Bull Strength and Ignorance.
Live FREE or die.

stonebroke

Quote from: Twig farmer on February 07, 2010, 02:29:06 PM
Quote from: stonebroke on February 07, 2010, 02:09:28 PM
Who is OP anyway?

Stonebroke

OP = Original Poster.

Aha, Thank You for enlightening me. Someday I will catch on.

Stonebroke

chevytaHOE5674

Quote from: Twig farmer on February 07, 2010, 02:50:13 PM
Yes, snow that gets too deep does stop most rubber tired machines. At that point I usually switch to shoveling roofs.

Never switched to shoveling roofs, just let the skidder follow behind in the bunchers ruts. Been working years like that.

Bobus2003

Quote from: timberfaller390 on February 07, 2010, 09:19:56 AM
what size wood will that machine handle?

3"-16" is Optimun Size for the machine.. Smaller than 3" the grapple tends to Break or Slip on the Wood when delimbing.. have cut a 19" tree a few times, the grapple and knives don't fit around trees very well to hold the tree, and my bar barely makes it through (Length), but it cant hold the tree upright so it generally breaks before I can cut all the way through, causing a barber chair. Plus I cant delimb it very well as it tends to fall out of the Grapple and knifes or pushes the machine around

Quote from: treefarmer87 on February 07, 2010, 09:54:17 AM
that is an cool looking machine bet it does good in tight spots

It actually does quite well,  I do mostly selective Harvesting so its nice to get around in tight spots

barbender

Rubber tired bunchers do fine around here, but we don't get as much snow as the U.P. There are big outfits around here that have both track and rubber tire machines working, there must be benefits to both as these guys can run whatever they want. I have seen them bolt duals on the rubber tired units for spruce swamps.
Too many irons in the fire

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