Backhoe Tree Root Cutter Winter Project
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For basic dimensions, just measure up your existing bucket, pin dia and hole spacing. My welding wasn't gusseted, clincher is the machined slot and the weld doesn't take the direct prying action. 200 amps of dc reverse 3/32 rod warmed the welder, it wouldn't have broken any way. Slots being milled back to back photo attached. SteveV
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This is a picture of the boring bar going through the plates forming the attachment to the dipper stick. Boring bar is enlarging the drilled holes to their finished diameter for the pins. This should give a pretty good idea of the mounting. Don't think I have a picture of the tooth but it's 2 plates bolted and welded together. It had a lot sharper edges when it was built than it has now. SteveV
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have_blue
Veteran Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( You might want to take a look at the attached picture on this post. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif )</font>
Well, it looks easy yanking a stump out of that... that potting soil there. I'll bet it would have been a real challenge in heavy clay.
Back to the original idea, maybe attach the root cutter device on the FEL. Hook it into the soil, back the tractor up, and cut most of the roots. I think you could get more power into the root cutter by pulling it with the tractor than with a small hoe. Once a few roots are cut, the hoe with regular bucket could finish it off pretty easily, and no tool changing necessary.
Well, it looks easy yanking a stump out of that... that potting soil there. I'll bet it would have been a real challenge in heavy clay.
Back to the original idea, maybe attach the root cutter device on the FEL. Hook it into the soil, back the tractor up, and cut most of the roots. I think you could get more power into the root cutter by pulling it with the tractor than with a small hoe. Once a few roots are cut, the hoe with regular bucket could finish it off pretty easily, and no tool changing necessary.
have_blue
Veteran Member
Looks like you have half of a huge lopping shear there. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I've often thought of the brute power even a 24" hand operated pruning lopper has. Just think of 1 foot jaws with powerful hydraulics! I bet it would shear 3" roots like nothing. You could shear the roots on a dozen stumps in 5-10 minutes, and pluck them out with the FEL. Of course it takes very hard, heavy jaws and large hardened pins, but it would be a unique project.
I've often thought of the brute power even a 24" hand operated pruning lopper has. Just think of 1 foot jaws with powerful hydraulics! I bet it would shear 3" roots like nothing. You could shear the roots on a dozen stumps in 5-10 minutes, and pluck them out with the FEL. Of course it takes very hard, heavy jaws and large hardened pins, but it would be a unique project.
ns_in_tex
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</font><font color="blue" class="small">( </font><font color="blueclass=small">( maybe attach the root cutter device on the FEL /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif )</font>
)</font>
Don't know when I will get it done, but have started just this project. I am thinking 8"x1/4"x5' (because that is what I have) & cut teeth on both bottom & top sides. Maybe weld 1-1/2" angle against both sides at center for stiffeners.
I figure, with this setup, I can either go under or over the roots. With the HST I could use a sawing action if necessary.
Biggest thing I am wondering about now is what shape & depth the teeth should be cut at?
I have no idea how well this will work, but if it doesn't fold over sideways, should be a lot better than using one fork to try & pry them out.
)</font>
Don't know when I will get it done, but have started just this project. I am thinking 8"x1/4"x5' (because that is what I have) & cut teeth on both bottom & top sides. Maybe weld 1-1/2" angle against both sides at center for stiffeners.
I figure, with this setup, I can either go under or over the roots. With the HST I could use a sawing action if necessary.
Biggest thing I am wondering about now is what shape & depth the teeth should be cut at?
I have no idea how well this will work, but if it doesn't fold over sideways, should be a lot better than using one fork to try & pry them out.
ns_in_tex
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you can see, I still havn't figured out how to use the "quote"
HaveBlue....
Oh baby, you make it sound so sweet & easy !!!
Here, I'm still on the fence whether I'm gonna tackle this & you make it sound like I've just gotta do it.
A dozen stumps in 5-10 minutes eh, maybe I need blue instead of green. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Oh baby, you make it sound so sweet & easy !!!
Here, I'm still on the fence whether I'm gonna tackle this & you make it sound like I've just gotta do it.
A dozen stumps in 5-10 minutes eh, maybe I need blue instead of green. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
ns_in_tex
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</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Any Pics Neal... )</font>
No Pics yet. If it works, I will post some.
No Pics yet. If it works, I will post some.
have_blue
Veteran Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( HaveBlue...
On a more serious note, have you seen a compact hydraulic shear as an attachment ?? I saw one here on TBN but it was big, bulky & more designed for cutting smaller trees above the surface rather than buried roots. If you have any other info, please share..
Eric )</font>
All seriousness aside, I have never seen a shear other than the one you saw.
I think a BH would be a perfect platform for a nice compact shear. Not only would it be quick and agile at shearing roots, but hey, you could even prune tree branches with it. A 3" capacity would take care of most roots (although you may have to shear them 2-3' away from the stump) and most shaggy branches that hang down in the way. Sounds like it would be a very fun tool to use. Well, we can dream! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
On a more serious note, have you seen a compact hydraulic shear as an attachment ?? I saw one here on TBN but it was big, bulky & more designed for cutting smaller trees above the surface rather than buried roots. If you have any other info, please share..
Eric )</font>
All seriousness aside, I have never seen a shear other than the one you saw.
I think a BH would be a perfect platform for a nice compact shear. Not only would it be quick and agile at shearing roots, but hey, you could even prune tree branches with it. A 3" capacity would take care of most roots (although you may have to shear them 2-3' away from the stump) and most shaggy branches that hang down in the way. Sounds like it would be a very fun tool to use. Well, we can dream! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
slydog
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Ok..I've seen some of the stuff on here you guys have engineered, and I'm wondering why no one has suggested making a root "cutter" instead of a ripper. Pattern it after the tree pruning sheers with bypass beak type blades, add a hydrualic cylinder, and go to town. You could also use it for trimming big limbs off of trees. Of course you would have to have the roots exposed to use it. Impractical? Impossible? Just a thought.
Ken
Ken
jmc
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Just a couple of point against a "root shear":
The shear would work best if its square with the root. Cutting a big root at a 45 degree angle may try to spread the blades. Staying fairly square to all those roots would be a lot of tractor maneuvering.
Some larger stumps have deeper roots you probably couldn't get to with a shear. In fact, even a root breaker may not work as well for a tap root as a normal bucket but at least you can grab the stump and try to pry it loose.
The shear would work best if its square with the root. Cutting a big root at a 45 degree angle may try to spread the blades. Staying fairly square to all those roots would be a lot of tractor maneuvering.
Some larger stumps have deeper roots you probably couldn't get to with a shear. In fact, even a root breaker may not work as well for a tap root as a normal bucket but at least you can grab the stump and try to pry it loose.
markct
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</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I'd want it so I could attach it with pins or at most 2 bolts, while still leaving the bucket on. That way, I could rip roots and quickly take it off to use the bucket.
)</font>
umm think about that, the bucket is only held on with two pins so why not simply attach it there, instead of puttin added stress on the bucket lip and all, and besides the closer to the boom arm it is the more ripping force you have, i agree that on a fullsized excavator changing a bucket is some real work, i have done it a few times before so i know, a 48 inch bucket can weigh 2000 lbs, however the bucket on a compact tractor can be easily handled by hand most times so its not very hard at all to change
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umm think about that, the bucket is only held on with two pins so why not simply attach it there, instead of puttin added stress on the bucket lip and all, and besides the closer to the boom arm it is the more ripping force you have, i agree that on a fullsized excavator changing a bucket is some real work, i have done it a few times before so i know, a 48 inch bucket can weigh 2000 lbs, however the bucket on a compact tractor can be easily handled by hand most times so its not very hard at all to change
Henro
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<font color="blue"> however the bucket on a compact tractor can be easily handled by hand most times so its not very hard at all to change
</font>
For me it would not just be the time it takes to change the bucket (5 to 10 minutes, including time to get the hand tools and put them back) to the ripper and then back to the bucket, but also the time it takes to go where the bucket is, unless I carried the bucket and ripper with me all the time.
Then with my luck, if I tried to carry the bucket or ripper in the front end loader, I would probably end up somehow burying one or the other by mistake, then especially considering the cost of a bucket, I would spend a lot of time looking for it and hopefully finding it...so it just seems like the time requirement could be a lot greater than the bucket change time alone.
So, in my case I would rather risk just loosing the ripper (root cutter) if there was a way to attache/detach it from the bucket, with the bucket staying on the stick all the time. Especially if time was also saved doing it that way.
Perhaps there would be a way to attach something to the front of the bucket, so that leverage was not lost, not too much anyway...
</font>
For me it would not just be the time it takes to change the bucket (5 to 10 minutes, including time to get the hand tools and put them back) to the ripper and then back to the bucket, but also the time it takes to go where the bucket is, unless I carried the bucket and ripper with me all the time.
Then with my luck, if I tried to carry the bucket or ripper in the front end loader, I would probably end up somehow burying one or the other by mistake, then especially considering the cost of a bucket, I would spend a lot of time looking for it and hopefully finding it...so it just seems like the time requirement could be a lot greater than the bucket change time alone.
So, in my case I would rather risk just loosing the ripper (root cutter) if there was a way to attache/detach it from the bucket, with the bucket staying on the stick all the time. Especially if time was also saved doing it that way.
Perhaps there would be a way to attach something to the front of the bucket, so that leverage was not lost, not too much anyway...
Henro...
I'm still working this in my head & the reason for my original post was to ask for ideas & I want to say thanks to you and all that have posted. Further to your posts, I scratched on paper a possible redesign along the lines of what I think that you're talking about. Take a look at the attached pic & tell me whether that's what you're thinking or something else ?? Thanks, Eric
I'm still working this in my head & the reason for my original post was to ask for ideas & I want to say thanks to you and all that have posted. Further to your posts, I scratched on paper a possible redesign along the lines of what I think that you're talking about. Take a look at the attached pic & tell me whether that's what you're thinking or something else ?? Thanks, Eric
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