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Bell cutter with dangle head saw

Started by Randy88, August 06, 2014, 06:25:19 AM

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Randy88

I've pondered this before and never got too excited about it, but as they years have gone by, somewhere along the line, I've gotten older, and yesterday I was cutting firewood logs out and realized its really becoming a lot of work, rather than fun.   

So my question is, do the bell cutters work, can I replace most of the back breaking hand labor with mechanized machines to do the felling and cut up work, saving a lot of the chainsawing I'm doing now or am I just dreaming that is what would happen.   

There are none anywhere near me at all, I've never seen one in person, been around them and only ever watched them on the internet.   

My first thought was a excavator of sorts with a dangle head on it, but by the time I'd get one put together, I'd have over 50k in it.    The bells are far cheaper, and I'm wanting something that will do more than just some of the felling, I'm wanting it to do the cutup work as well or most of it anyway, will these machines do that, or am I going to spend more time climbing in and out than its worth.   
   

BargeMonkey

 Dont feel bad, ive asked this same question on the FF .   :D

If you can stand getting beat up, and becoming a bug on the windshield your all set. They just had one on some pretty steep stuff by me, I think they will lay down some wood in a day. I dont know what the parts scenario is.

ga jones

I know a few guys with bell. They work great. They work on steep ground but the operator has to be real good. They don't cut anything that's veneer grade with them.
380c timberjack c4 treefarmer international trucks jonsered saws. Sugi hara bars d31 komatsu 350 tj grapple

Randy88

Do they do a descent job of working up the tree once its on the ground, I'm not interested in cut to length or anything technical, just random logs for firewood.   

Next question is how small and cramped is the cab, by the looks of it, you almost have to be a tiny person to even fit in one, I'm 6 feet 6 inches tall, would I even be able to get into one?

rkultra

  They do have a small cab but they are surprisingly comfortable. You are in the cab with your legs stretched out and you are low to the ground so you don't  have the pitch and sway like you do in a skidder. I am 6' 6" as well and I cut the rods for the foot pedals and added a couple inches to them when I moved the foot pedal mounts ahead. As far as cutting up firewood,I use mine for that often and it works fine.
1993 Bell Super T,1989 John-Deere 548-D, Hahn 110B Short Wood Harvester,
Dolmar 7900, 7300,6100,5105

Randy88

Thanks for the information and replies, I've been looking on the internet and they advertise them with either a duetz air cooled or some with cummins or perkins, I myself prefer cummins but does anyone know anything about a duetz engine?   

Also what size of dangle heads did they put on them, I've been told anywhere from 20 inch to 32 inch, is there any difference other than the size, are all the heads the same brand or did bell buy heads from whoever they could and put on the machines?   

Anyone near Iowa that has one I can come look at and possible run to see what they are, so far the nearest one to me is about 900 miles one way. 

Corley5

Nothing wrong with a Deutz except if you need flywheel bolts they have to come from Germany  :-\
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

treeslayer2003

the duetz is a good engine that starts well and sips fuel. bell makes the heads, 25 and 30. stick with .080 guage bars n chains.

it is comfortable. do not be intimidated by it the first time you go to run it. they are different but you get on to it pretty fast. they do best at wot, at idle the controls aren't smooth.

the saw is gas pressure return and that needs to charged properly, a slow return will cause you to pinch the bar.
remember, lift, push, cut, cut until tree pops up off of stump.

BargeMonkey

Quote from: Corley5 on August 06, 2014, 09:18:49 PM
Nothing wrong with a Deutz except if you need flywheel bolts they have to come from Germany  :-\
We had trouble getting the correct injectors for our 68hp deutz in our bandmill. We have 1 in a powerscreen portable track screen and its been pretty good. I see alot of the newer ones with cummins engines. Personally if your cutting smaller diameter stuff why not buy one with the hot saws ? Didnt John Deere basically put a stop to the production of these machines when they partnered up with Bell ? I dont see alot of newer ones around. What about parts ? Brookside had a semi clean one in MA about  4yrs ago I could have had for 8k, thrown in when we bought our newest big loader, I should have jumped on it..

Randy88

I've only ever watched a rubber tired feller, four wheel version, run a hot saw, but by the looks of them, I can basically only fell tree's with it, I'm looking to fell, cut up and then drag and move around tree's and firewood logs, I'm not thinking a hot saw would work very good for me in the type of work I'm wanting to do, unless I've got the wrong idea about a hot saw.   

For felling, cutting up, dragging, moving cut up logs and debris around, I figured a dangle head was the way to go, if I"m wrong on this can someone explain it to me who's run one.

We've watched the video's of them running, and by the looks of them, you have one foot pedal to control each hydraulic motor on each drive tire and you operate those with your feet. from there its just a matter of what lever runs what function to lift, tilt and angle the saw along with running the bar, is this the jest of it?

Another question, how do you load the bell on a flatbed trailer, is it about the same as a skid steer loader but needing three ramps.   

Anyone know how wide the machines are at the widest point, along with how long and how far out the front the dangle head sticks and how much reach you have to do cutting up of the tree when its on the ground.   

Also by the looks of the dangle head its not a 360 degree swivel, so how much does it swivel each way and how high can you reach with the head off the ground.
   

treeslayer2003

head swivels almost all the way around but not quite. yes, you can cut up wood with it and move stuff aroud.
mine is about 9' wide, i would have to look it up or measure the rest. it is heavyer than you think. yes it drives by those pedals but neutral is a fine line...........never take your feet off the pedals till its shut off.

kiko

You load on the low boy backwards.  Turn into the ramps and let tail wheel go up one ramp , line up the front tires and back up the ramps. It may sound easier than it is.

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