Tree Sheer on my John Deere

Dan Hunter · May 12, 2013

I've had the M&M Hydra Snip for a while but couldn't use it without ballast. With the barrel ballast complete, I finally got a chance to use it.

The barrel was a good match for the shear. It controlled any bounce from injudicious FEL movement on all but the most rugged terrain. Without it, the rear tires came off the ground quite easily. I ran it for 4.5 hours. I'd considered another brand on reputation but they refused to build one for a tractor because they said there wasn't enough visibility. I've landed a supersonic aircraft from the back seat of which there really isn't a view of the runway ahead of you; big deal. As I lined up on a tree I had the sheer tilted back so I could ensure a maximum opening of the cutting tools and then lowered it as I maintained a track and leaned over the left side to level the tool and put it on the surface. It was easy to determine if the sheer had engaged the tree and if it hadn't I'd take the time to rake the branches off for a better view. Generally, cutting at the surface was easy to achieve.

Regarding, the performance of the shear - I was impressed. The cutting surfaces show no wear although the paint is gone. I don't know how you'd get paint to stay on steel with that much chromium in it. Another detractor I was warned about is the slower cycle rates that my John Deere would achieve compared to a skid steer. Having no reference, it's noticeable but not annoying. If you don't actuate any other components it's about 4-5 seconds. Maybe I'm patient but it didn't bother me. The sheer is supposed to be capable of cutting a 12" tree. This is true but it depends on the tree. Some of the oneseed red cedar that have the first branch coming out of the ground had to be smaller. If the tree your cutting has branches six inches or so from the ground then it'll have clearance for the assembly and might cut something even bigger.

In summary, I was very impressed with the M & M Tree Snip and would recommend it. It made quick work of a few areas I mauled. Next week I'll take out the Ranch Rake grapple and build some piles. Finally, I'm making progress on the weed tree.

Don87 · May 12, 2013

Sounds like you had fun. Keep us posted on your progress.

kneedeep · May 13, 2013

How bout some pics of the tree wacker wacking trees?

A little shot of roundup on those fresh stumps from a squirt bottle might help to rot them out quicker

Dan Hunter · May 13, 2013

Red Cedars croak if you cut it below the lowest branch. I'll take video next time I'm out; this time I worked alone most of the time.

rekees4300 · May 13, 2013

What prevents a tall tree from falling over the guard onto the tractor/operator?

Dan Hunter · May 13, 2013

Fair question and a concern I had but the mass of a cedar is low as is the foliage so they're bottom heavy. Still, you can cant in forward and load the tree with the brush guard. Though the cut won't be flat you can come back at it. Anyway, nothing even came close to coming back.

Xfaxman · May 13, 2013

Dan Hunter said:
Fair question and a concern I had but the mass of a cedar is low as is the foliage so they're bottom heavy. Still, you can cant in forward and load the tree with the brush guard. Though the cut won't be flat you can come back at it. Anyway, nothing even came close to coming back.

Watch out for Junipers with two trunks! :laughing:

The ROPS saved me, but I could not drive out from under it!

Dan Hunter · May 16, 2013

Lots of BIG photos of shear-induced devastation.

Willl · May 16, 2013

Not fare Dan, we need pictures of the business end of that chopper !

Dan Hunter · May 17, 2013

I'm helping my daughter move Saturday but hope to get out Sunday and will try to get some video.

Xfaxman · May 17, 2013

Let us know how well the Ranch Rake grapple does picking them up.

And if it works at any angle, or do you have to be parallel to the trunk to grab it.

Dan Hunter · May 17, 2013

I've already given the Ranch Rake a couple workouts on previously cut trees. As you've probably surmised, if they're parallel and pushed together it has a greater capacity. It'll pick up at about any angle but I won't grab anything heavy at an angle to avoid tweaking the FEL. It also has an impressive crushing capacity considering its relatively light weight.

Dan Hunter · May 25, 2013

I sheared trees for six hours today. The speed sensor on the MFWD went out trashing the cruise control but it didn't get in the way. I've learned that if I have a good alignment and level and the front end doesn't give a good thunk and walks around during the close it'll NEVER cut the tree...too many branches too low. Rather than continue to attempt to cut it, I now just bash the branches off so a chainsaw could get to the base of the trunk easily. The ballast barrel makes this all possible but I long for the day that I have a place to store the tractor at the ranch and don't have to worry about taxing the 1/2 ton 6.5 TD Chevy and can fill the tires with Rimguard. It does seem that the schedule of two shear days and one grapple will work for a while. I have so many downed trees now that are making it hard to get to the remaining trees.

Dan Hunter · May 28, 2013

The truck/trailer/tractor is at the dealership. I just seemed easier to leave the whole thing behind. I was getting an "error 6" code - speed sensor on the MFWD - along with noticing that all the lugs on the front left wheel were loose (no of the others, though).

Dan Hunter · May 29, 2013

Dealership tightened the lugs and started asking questions which always impresses me. Wanted to know if I'd been bouncing and indicated that there was a code for me being out of the seat. They couldn't duplicate the error 6 code for the MFWD but also saw a few codes for both pedals depressed which probably happened while I was bouncing in the seat with no cruise. The sounds a bit upset that they're driving it around and can't get any more errors. I'll take it out and next time note the time, use and conditions it spits codes.

kevin37b · May 30, 2013

I am going to guess F-14 on a carrier . Nice work and intelligent posts .

Dan Hunter · May 30, 2013

T-38.

Piston · Jun 7, 2013

That's a really neat setup. What size tractor/model are you using the shear on?

I've often dreamed about a tree shear for my tractor but always thought it was way too much for my FEL. Did you consider the Turbo Saw at all?

Dan Hunter · Jun 7, 2013

It's my sole tractor - a JD 3720 with a CX300. I considered the Turbo saw briefly but since half my neck is fused turning around that much isn't an option. Also, I feel shearing to ground level is more controllable as I can lower it AND tilt it if the tree isn't on the same plane as the tractor. Finally, the shear won't throw anything; I'd be more concerned about someone being around an unguarded saw blade than my MX5 as far as projectiles go.