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Bell Harvester

Started by IMOWOOD, June 22, 2010, 07:14:32 PM

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IMOWOOD

I have for a while thought about the Bell Harvesters but I have never found any one that has ran one for any amount of time to find out how well they really work.  I have seen a few with dangle head bar saw and thought they looked like they could really get around and do alot. 

What do you all think/know about them, any one with any experience on one?

Mark K

A mill just north of me owns a Bell with the dangle head. He seems to like it other than being on hills. He's flopped his a couple of times. I guess as long as your going straight up or down you will be fine. I know the visibility is poor also. He seems to do all right though.
Husky 372's-385's,576, 2100
Treefarmer C7D
Franklin 405
Belsaw m-14 sawmill

IMOWOOD

I kinda figured they would be a little tippy with three wheels,  do you know if he can cut the tops up with the saw head also.

Mark K

I don't think it can, but could be wrong. He's had it for a couple years now and it has held up well. He cuts mainly softwood for his own mill. I don't know his # but he goes under Spencer Logging. He's just north of me in McConnelsville. 
Husky 372's-385's,576, 2100
Treefarmer C7D
Franklin 405
Belsaw m-14 sawmill

aksawyer

The Bell works very well in the right timber.They are mostly seen on the east coast,or in a area where a lot of leaf trees are being harvested.Dont know about the ability to top with it but seems possible to me.We cut the base plate out of a Rolly and could top with it.Had to resharpen the pusher teeth alot,as they tend to get turned up nand pushed through the dirt alot.Aksawyer.......88 degrees in Fairbanks today.....but passed rains knocked fires down for now

JamesE. PikeLogging

My dad had one of those with a shear head but it was a morbell and was red instead of yellow

treefarmer87

My best friend has one he wants to sell me  for $6500. it has a brand new pump in the head and a brand new deutz motor. he cuts pine,and hardwood sawlogs, and pulpwood with it, it  has a 30 in bar on it. he can top the planted pine and straight hardwoods, i have seen them with a koering sawhead, pincher, and a bar saw. the new ones on the bell website have a roller debarking head on them also. i like them, but i  would rather have more than 3 wheels on the ground. it wouldnt be too bad here, because its fairly flat. they are still kinda tippy though, my friend cut a big spruce pine with it and didnt let go in time and was sitting up facing the ground, he said hydralic fluid ran down the side window, and he set it back down and let the fluids settle, and went back to work. here are a couple links:
http://www.machinerytrader.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=6642455

this one is a nice one: http://www.machinerytrader.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=7037287

http://www.machinerytrader.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=7037287
1994 Ford L9000
2004 Tigercat 718
1998 Barko 225
1999 John Deere 748G
FEC 1550 slasher
CTR 314 Delimber
Sthil 461
Sthil 250

IMOWOOD

How do those dangle heads work in terms of directional felling?  I dont see how they would work on anything with any sort of back lean. 

aksawyer

The dangle heads dont directional fall well although some have a stand cylinder witch will stand it up,to grab the tree.It works better to just walk around the hard leaners,buck them up than pull them around in direction once they are short logs.The other brand that someone spoke of is Morbark not Morbell.Aksawyer.......cabin kit orders starting to finnally come in now thank God.

JamesE. PikeLogging

Quote from: aksawyer on June 23, 2010, 10:49:21 PM
The dangle heads dont directional fall well although some have a stand cylinder witch will stand it up,to grab the tree.It works better to just walk around the hard leaners,buck them up than pull them around in direction once they are short logs.The other brand that someone spoke of is Morbark not Morbell.Aksawyer.......cabin kit orders starting to finnally come in now thank God.

It was a 1981 morbell shear not morbark, morbark started making bunchers in the mid 90's
ours had a deutz engine

treefarmer87

the man told me when you get ready to cut them you pick up on the boom and put a little pressure on the tree and it will go on over the way you want it to.
1994 Ford L9000
2004 Tigercat 718
1998 Barko 225
1999 John Deere 748G
FEC 1550 slasher
CTR 314 Delimber
Sthil 461
Sthil 250

arojay

Bell has a tracked version in the size of the three wheeler.  The carrier looks like a brush cutter type, with a swing boom ala loader/backhoe.  I'll try to find a link.
440B skidder, JD350 dozer, Husqvarnas from 335 to 394. All spruced up

oldseabee

I worked for Bell North America for 9 years and do have some tech info on them  for any one interested.

nhlogga

Bell's are an extermely versatile machine. With the dangle head you can do many things. I have cut 'em down, skidded 'em short distances,Cut the tops off 'em, bunched 'em for the grapple skidder, sorted and stacked logs, bucked firewood into treelength,diced brush,cleaned up woodlots after cutting was completed, even fed the chipper with one. The ones to buy are the Ultra T's and Ultra C's. They are a tough machine to catch onto as well as tippy but with a little common sense you'll do fine. They are like a ride at the fair. They can be really fun to run. They can also make you wanna crap your pants. They can be extremely frustrating to run when you are learning operate them.
Jonsered 2260
Husky 562xp

treefarmer87

if i ever get a cutter, thats what im going to get
1994 Ford L9000
2004 Tigercat 718
1998 Barko 225
1999 John Deere 748G
FEC 1550 slasher
CTR 314 Delimber
Sthil 461
Sthil 250

ephnyb

I just put some vids of the Bell Feller Buncher on Youtube  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1k0M70juHk  Hope this helps
There are Old Loggers and there are Bold Loggers, But No Old Bold Loggers

treefarmer87

very good vid. makes me wanna go buy the one from my friend. there is another one on youtube on tracks working a swamp.
1994 Ford L9000
2004 Tigercat 718
1998 Barko 225
1999 John Deere 748G
FEC 1550 slasher
CTR 314 Delimber
Sthil 461
Sthil 250

Tug Hill Walt

I don't know what you consider eastern NY but there are at least three of them working right around the Sylvan Beach area in central NY.

IMOWOOD

Quote from: Tug Hill Walt on July 16, 2010, 08:55:47 PM
I don't know what you consider eastern NY but there are at least three of them working right around the Sylvan Beach area in central NY.

Eastern NY for me is the border of Mass.  There used to be a few around me but they have all disapeared.

Tug Hill Walt

I guess that is about as east as you can get.  This area is a lot flatter than you, which may be the reason for their use.

Ron Scott

We use to have a few of them working here in our pine plantations on flat ground, but haven't seen any working here for some time. There may be some pictured in the Timber Harvesting and Equipment Thread.
~Ron

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