Root Grapple with shears

[classacthollow]

I am thinking about getting a root grapple with my new tractor, but was wondering if anyone has ever done this. I want to add a set of side plates that could be raised and lowered and used as shears on the limbs as you grab a big bite of the brush pile. Would the hydraulic cylinder be strong enough to cut through a big mouthful of brush? just add them to one side. I don't even have my tractor yet and I'm modifying the stuff for it.

 

[Egbert]

I'm thinking this messes up the usefulness of your grapple. What you'll have will be more like adding a grapple to a bucket, in that the end (shear) will be in the way of the load. Otherwise, I would say - yes, it will have the strength to cut.

 

[classacthollow]

if I put it on with a heavy spring pin, it could be locked out of the way, or locked down to use it. maybe a 1" shear jaw that would lock out of the way when not in use to the side of the jaw.

 

[TomSeller]

I would guess the cylinders would not have enough oomph to cut a large load or a load with large branches. I actually want my load to extend way beyond the grapple to carry as much as possible. What is the reason to shear it off? Seems you would end up with a lot of short ends that would have to again be picked up.

 

[classacthollow]

I have a huge mountain of trimmings from a logging company that bought my cedar, I wanted to reduce it down so it would become compost. it is about 10 ft. high and 100 ft. long. I don't want to burn it up, and it is too much to run through my chipper/shredder. I was tackling it my chain saw but thought about this idea as the days wore on. I am not sure whether it or I will become compost first.

 

[J_J]

Purpose of a grapple is to pick things up, not trimming to fit.

As someone said, what about all those little pieces you trim off.

You might consider bringing in a large truck tub grinder and get it done and over.

 

[Daves3032E]

I know that my Frontier AV20H wouldn't even come close to having enough power on the lid to shear a mouthful of brush. I'm guessing that an option would be to have another cylinder(s) with alternate mounts that you would pin on when you needed to shear??? Or, if you are up to it, fabricate something like a tree shear set up vertically with 2-3 jaws on it - or one good size jaw that would reach deeper into the pile.

What I would probably do though, since you seem to have time on your side, is to just let the pile(s) sit for a while to dry out, then just come back with the FEL and stomp it down. A lot of the brush would probably break.

 

[Daves3032E]

Something like this could work if the grapple lid isn't full with (like my AV20H). The geometry would need to be figured out to get enough pressure. Might even be able to get the shears bypassed enough to clear for normal grapple use when not needed.

Or better yet... Chain saw(s)!!!

 

[Daves3032E]

Something like this would allow the shears to be permanently mounted (at a weight expense). You would want to adjust cylinder strokes and mounting points so that the shears would open to at least what the lid does.

I could see something like this being useful if you needed to get brush through a narrow area without it catching / rubbing on stuff.

 

[J_J]

You do mean cutters plus the grapple, or just cutting grapples.

If done well, you could reach up in trees and trim branches.

 

[BukitCase]

Personally, I don't think I'd take a chance on using cedar for compost - apparently neither would quite a few others -

Cedar shavings in a home compost heap (composting forum at permies)

Love the thought of an OPTIONAL shear though, gonna watch this thread... Steve

 

[J_J]

You could easily build one of these.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/141126-hydraulic-limb-snipper.html

 

[classacthollow]

that shear might be fine, maybe I should just do that separately, the brush is deep into my woods and I don't even want to get rid of it, just clean up the huge mess the tree guys left. chop it up and condense it so it will disintegrate faster. In 2009 we had a horrible ice storm and it left hundreds of the trees dead or dying and the cleanup is massive. I could burn the piles but there are critters using them for homes and I would just as soon tidy it up and leave some smaller, manageable piles. I wasn't going to use the cedar for garden cedar, but maybe line some of the trails in the woods with it.

 

[classacthollow]

that is what I was thinking, something like that but maybe I should just make that a separate attachment.I will have the hydraulics on the bucket mast, I could just make a boom with the cutter on it.

 

[Midniteoyl]

If done well, you could reach up in trees and trim branches.

A option to run one side only.. reach up, grab the branch and shear it off. No limbs dropping on your head..

 

[Daves3032E]

You do mean cutters plus the grapple, or just cutting grapples.

If done well, you could reach up in trees and trim branches.

I mean with the grapple and shears.

Rough idea:

 

[TomSeller]

I mean with the grapple and shears.

Rough idea:

You sure do nice looking " rough ideas"

 

[Daves3032E]

You sure do nice looking " rough ideas"

Thanks. There is a lot of work in getting a product designed and ready for production, which this is clearly not ready for, but it gets the point across and ideas going.

 

[classacthollow]

that is exactly what I had in mind, I could add a second set of hydraulics and use them when ever I needed them. It sure would clean things up quick.

 

[TomSeller]

Thanks. There is a lot of work in getting a product designed and ready for production, which this is clearly not ready for, but it gets the point across and ideas going.

I bet. If you could disable one shear to where the previous idea of cutting off tree branches and grabbing them at the same time would be nice.

The main problem that i see here is that most loaders really don't go that high if you re talking big trees. So getting up to the branch you want to cut may not be possible. Also, crushing the branch under the grapple portion if it is bulky would lower the shearing ability of the cutter at the end.