ideas for clearing grown in trails

[Capricious]

How about this?


Helicopter chainsaw clears trees near North Georgia lines | Times Free Press

 

[Capricious]

On a more serious note:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/hydraulics/317751-need-expert-hydraulic-opinion.html#post3840389

 

[musselmark]

That helicopter cutter idea seems simple enough. How about this, mount a circular saw blade on a 5/8" bolt, then put through a 5/8"flange bearing on the "cutter"bar attached to fel. Then a sprocket on a 5/8" weld on hub. Have several of these in a row on the bar and have a chain weaving around the sprockets so each blade is rotating opposite to the one next to it and then the chain is driven by a hydraulic motor.

 

[Piston]

Similar to the samarai, but probably cheaper, simpler, and work much better.....

Why not just build a hydraulic chainsaw bar like you see on firewood processors? You could have it whatever length you want, use standard saw chain, be unlimited in what you could cut, and just mount it in the bucket?

Seems simple enough.

(I've never done this, so I have no idea if it's actually doable or not )

 

[Chain Bender]

I haven't read all 47 pages of replies so I'll blindly throw this out there. Why don't you wrap a small chain around them if they are only 3/4" diameter and pull them out of the ground? Then there's no stub to run over with a 4 wheeler of stumble over walking/jogging the trail. I bought some sort of "tree grabber" from Northern to do basically the same thing. Dang....I'm 6'1", 235 and better than average strong and there was no way I could open the jaws of this thing. The closing spring was a SOB. I had to replace the spring. Work will go 3-4 times faster if you have some one driving the 4 wheeler and some one manning the grabber. I've got a Suzuki Vinson 500 and I have successfully pulled up 3" gum trees in NW FL. Or attach it to your FEL or 3 point hitch. No maintenance, chain to sharpen or jump off and gas and oil can to tote around.

Good luck with what ever you decide(d) on.

CB

 

[musselmark]

the ground is clear, it is the branches that grow in from the trees that are outside the trail

 

[rd_macgregor]

I mostly walk my trails, mowing with the tractor only once or so per year. Most of the time, I lop off overhanging/encroaching branches with extension-handle bypass loppers (like these: Premium Grade Pruning Loppers: Professional Pruning Loppers, Tree Loppers) as I walk. Sometimes I will just bend saplings back into the other brush and wedge them there, rather than cutting them. I occasionally will haul out the brush cutter and hack off trail invaders at ground level, or bring out the tractor with tooth bar or grapple rake to really rip things up...but most of the time, I clear invading foliage along my trails by hand.
Bob

 

[NCMau]

Here is my two cents. The Samurai is a good idea for 1/2 in. or smaller twigs, anything bigger would probably damage the knives. After looking at the Samurai, I built one by using a 4 ft Walk-behind Gravely sickle bar. It uses basically the same hydraulic HP. The Samurai is a nice little machine but little bit overpriced for my once or twice yearly use. Also, it will not cut stuff bigger than 1/2 in.
I am planning to make another attachment, with the same concept, using either a small lawnmower deck or a standard saw blade. I do know yet, I am still playing with the idea.
Here are pics of my attachment, the only difference is that now I install the bar to the bucket. It is a simpler move without dismounting the bucket.

 

[Coyote machine]

Here is my two cents. The Samurai is a good idea for 1/2 in. or smaller twigs, anything bigger would probably damage the knives. After looking at the Samurai, I built one by using a 4 ft Walk-behind Gravely sickle bar. It uses basically the same hydraulic HP. The Samurai is a nice little machine but little bit overpriced for my once or twice yearly use. Also, it will not cut stuff bigger than 1/2 in.
I am planning to make another attachment, with the same concept, using either a small lawnmower deck or a standard saw blade. I do know yet, I am still playing with the idea.
Here are pics of my attachment, the only difference is that now I install the bar to the bucket. It is a simpler move without dismounting the bucket.

That's inaccurate info on the Samurai. It cuts up to 1 1/2" NOT to 1/2". See the details on their website,Cutthat.com | Sabre Samurai