Sabre Samurai Cutter attachment

[mxm3904]

Old post, but i know I usually read through old stuff when I am looking for information:
I would caution anyone looking at getting one if you plan to cut anything woody. The design of the blades make the top blade push down and the bottom blade push up if it contacts any resistance, like woody sticks. This makes the sections contact and get stuck together (top tooth stuck to bottom tooth). I spent many hours talking to their support on the phone. They have great customer service, but it just isn't made to cut anything woody (not even the 1/8th inch shoots of my rabbiteye blueberries). I got one to replace a homemade version because it was old and would require complete disassembly to change out the damaged teeth. The Sabre Samurai Cutter is just not heavy duty enough even though their website says it can cut upto 1 1/2in and they have a video of blueberries being hedged.
If you are only cutting tender plants or the smallest of new growth this will probably work great, but don't expect a heavyduty cutter, my converted sickle-bar with the welded on hydraulic motor would cut stuff 5 times larger than this and it had the same size if not smaller hydraulic motor as the Samurai Cutter.

 

[Rustyiron]

Thanks for a user's real world tip. I had been interested in one but it will need to be able to cut small limbs, 1"-1.5".

 

[Coyote machine]

Old thread, maybe, but the Samurai will cut through 1-1.5" branches. Cutting this size, in my experience, takes stopping the forward motion of the tractor and waiting while the teeth 'chew' through the branch. Trying to force a large diameter branch between the teeth will just stop the cutter from cutting at all- hence branch stuck between the rows of teeth. Patience will prevail, and a large diameter branch- up to 1.5" in most cases can be chewed through/cut. YMMV.

 

[BukitCase]

I ALSO found that hard older growth on laurel hedge will stop the Samurai in its tracks unless you go REALLY slow - there's been too many distractions since I last posted, so never made the changes I intended - today I finally ordered a directional control valve to add to the mix; without that, if the cutter stalls out on a hard 1"+ branch there's no EASY way to get it loose.

Here's the valve I ordered, it's 3 position with detents and it's open to tank when in neutral. (All necessary for controlling a motor instead of a cylinder)

1 Spool 2 GPM Prince RD-2575-M4-EDA1 Motor Valve | Prince Mfg | Brands | www.surpluscenter.com

There's another one on surplus center that sounds like this one, it's a few $$ cheaper - do NOT fall for it, it's the same valve but with a SPRING RETURN to center. In english - you have to HOLD THE LEVER to get it to work...

the GOOD news about that linked valve - it also has a built in adjustable relief valve, so if you end up plumbing things in AHEAD of your loader valve without realizing you just BYPASSED your main RELIEF VALVE, you won't GRENADE your hydraulic pump like I did - THAT was a $450 lesson...

My install is STILL a work in progress (note that "progress" is in small letters) - eventually I will add a couple more articulated joints and a pair of small hydraulic cylinders so this thing can reach across the fence and trim the blackberries, etc, my useless neighbor can't/won't control. Guess it's always good to have goals and ambitions :laughing: ... Steve

 

[Coyote machine]

My cutter is run through my loader joystick 'trigger' via a diverter valve which feeds my front torsion bar of the loader. When I get stuck on a branch I pull the loader's joystick toward me and then away from me while holding the trigger. And, if needed back up or go forward slowly using the weight of the sickle bar to free it from the branch in question. I find it takes some finagling to get it free but it almost always does. Also when seeing that I may run into larger branches I slow the tractor forward motion to near stop while allowing the teeth to chew through the branch diameter.

Today I did stage two of my semi-'permanent' mounting QA plate, then did a trial run. I took the QA plate I had a bracket welded to a year or two ago and added some improvements: I replaced the Allen screws that came with the OEM bracket and added some 2.5" grade 5 bolts. I had the location of where the rear bolt now contacts the horizontal plate the OEM bracket slides onto, on my QA plate drilled to create a recess in the plate's base so the bracket CANNOT move due to vibration, the weight of the entire setup, or for any other reason. I had another piece of metal welded in place to keep the bracket from moving fore or aft by forces exerted when cutting branches, and/or when I move the QA plate to positions other than vertical in order to 'attack' overhead branches etc.

These two items FINALLY make the 'system' work as intended. I cost me $120 in customized welding on the QA plate, in two visits to my local welder, each session done when I dropped by unannounced, and completed between other projects he had in process. And $10 tip today for rush work over both sessions. Also the QA plate cost- around $150 IIRC. I am pleased with the functionality now and hope to get a lot done with it over the next few days, and future use as well.

Note, the other bolt, which replaces the supplied Allen screw is located too close to the edge of the OEM bracket to be of any real use, so I did NOT drill a recess in my QA plate's custom designed bracket. Rather I tighten the forward bolt with a socket and breaker bar until tight but NOT over-torqued so there is less chance of the bolt or any other part of the OEM bracket damage due to un-warranted pressure or other stresses/metal fatigue. If, over time the above mentioned bolt indicates need to recesses into the base I will do so, cautiously.

CM out.

 

[Coyote machine]

Well today began well. I got a couple of hours of run time on the Samurai, then this afternoon it all went wrong. I was cutting the edge of mu field where it's a fairly steep, varying terrain slope with a currently dry streambed. As I cut around a corner of the stream the grass/brush was about four feet tall. There were a few small but tall saplings too. Sumac, I think, and I was cutting the area for the first time this season. In past seasons I had used my brush hog, but I came too close to losing the rig over the bank further down the slope in past efforts, so I was trying the sickle as a safer and possibly better way to tackle this section.
At some point I began to back up to shake off the accumulated grass and see what was up. I noticed the bar seemed to be twisted. I stopped to inspect closer and discovered it was badly damage and the bar was indeed damaged and twisted to the point of no longer being able to slide the knives in either direction. I suspect when I was cutting the tall grass and brush that the bar got held from moving with the tractor and was being held by one of the downed saplings. At one point the whole bar seemed to release itself from where it was caught and that is when I noticed something wrong.

Nothing broke, including teeth, but the main structural yellow bar that everything bolts to is racked and twisted to the point that the cutters cannot move.
The whole process took very little time, so I'm surprised at the amount of damage that was rendered.
I had taken pictures before the damage occurred, earlier in the day, and then more after the damage occurred.
I'm going to contact the manufacturer to see what I may be able to do to rescue the cutter.
Stay tuned....

 

[Rustyiron]

Darn! Hope they aren't too greedy in the parts department.

 

[805KubotaL39]

Well today began well. I got a couple of hours of run time on the Samurai, then this afternoon it all went wrong. I was cutting the edge of mu field where it's a fairly steep, varying terrain slope with a currently dry streambed. As I cut around a corner of the stream the grass/brush was about four feet tall. There were a few small but tall saplings too. Sumac, I think, and I was cutting the area for the first time this season. In past seasons I had used my brush hog, but I came too close to losing the rig over the bank further down the slope in past efforts, so I was trying the sickle as a safer and possibly better way to tackle this section.
At some point I began to back up to shake off the accumulated grass and see what was up. I noticed the bar seemed to be twisted. I stopped to inspect closer and discovered it was badly damage and the bar was indeed damaged and twisted to the point of no longer being able to slide the knives in either direction. I suspect when I was cutting the tall grass and brush that the bar got held from moving with the tractor and was being held by one of the downed saplings. At one point the whole bar seemed to release itself from where it was caught and that is when I noticed something wrong.

Nothing broke, including teeth, but the main structural yellow bar that everything bolts to is racked and twisted to the point that the cutters cannot move.
The whole process took very little time, so I'm surprised at the amount of damage that was rendered.
I had taken pictures before the damage occurred, earlier in the day, and then more after the damage occurred.
I'm going to contact the manufacturer to see what I may be able to do to rescue the cutter.
Stay tuned....

What was the resolution - im in the process of trying to buy one of these currently!

 

[Coyote machine]

I'm waiting on delivery of a bunch of Nylock nuts to put the whole thing back together with a 'new' design bucket bracket made by Sabre Samurai.
I ordered many parts to make the unit whole again, and will use the 'deluxe' bracket on my Kioti bucket, rather than the QA I custom bracketed to allow the 'breakaway' design to hopefully keep me from pretzeling the cutter again.
Let's hope this new bracket will keep me from trashing it this time.
They worked with me to help me figure out what I needed, and I took a couple of the bent pieces to my local welder and he used his press to get the pieces as straight as possible. I hope to have it reassembled in the next few days. I need to use it for what I was doing before it broke.

 

[coolconnection]

if any of you are interested I have a Sabre Samurai for sale under "items for sale". Includes a flow control and some hydraulic lines as well.

 

[Gregster613]

coolconnection, Where do I find the "Items for sale" section? I tried looking but couldn't seem to find it. Is it on the TBN page? I went to store but did not see any Sabre Samurai there. Thanks for some directions. Greg

Nevermind, I found it at the very bottom after I had already posted. Sorry. Guess my initial search wasn't very efficient. Greg

 

[Industrial Toys]

I wasn't too thrilled that my knives were buggered after half an hour or so of trials, on hardwood branches of smaller diameter than claimed. At that point, they were in no condition to cut grass and weeds any more.

The jury is still out as to whether this was a wise buy or waste of money. But, I don't really have a better (or cheaper) alternative.

 

[Coyote machine]

I wasn't too thrilled that my knives were buggered after half an hour or so of trials, on hardwood branches of smaller diameter than claimed. At that point, they were in no condition to cut grass and weeds any more.

The jury is still out as to whether this was a wise buy or waste of money. But, I don't really have a better (or cheaper) alternative.

What's the extent of the damage to the unit? Show us some pics, please. Maybe without too much effort you can recover your initial investment instead of having a tool you can't use at all? That's what I'm working on this weekend. I just have to reassemble the Samurai to a replacement yellow base plate, then I should be good to go...

 

[aczlan]

What's the extent of the damage to the unit? Show us some pics, please. Maybe without too much effort you can recover your initial investment instead of having a tool you can't use at all? That's what I'm working on this weekend. I just have to reassemble the Samurai to a replacement yellow base plate, then I should be good to go...

It sounds like the knives on the cutter bar are dull/nicked and no longer sharp enough to cut grass.

Aaron Z

 

[Coyote machine]

UPDATE: I've purchased all needed parts, I hope, to reassemble my Sabre Samurai. I say I hope because I don't have a press anymore and two critical pieces that got twisted were supposed to be straightened by my local welder, but I'm finding he may not have gotten the pieces straight enough to prevent excess wear on the two moving bars of the cutter assemble. I'm currently trying to get the section that houses the motor and 1/2 the cutting teeth to lay flat when sandwiched between the other pieces. I'm not sure if I will have to replace this plate too, to get the cutter back up and running with the new bracket version I upgraded to, so I can cut embankments and some more steep slopes, hopefully.
Everything else is ready to go. I will keep you all posted as to final assembly and trial use once reassembled...

CM out.

 

[LouieJunior]

Wondering about how your cutter is working now -- after repairs?

I use my Samurai to cut back the jungle along my roads and fields -- mostly oriented vertically.
I only use it a few days each year. Is the deluxe mount something worth considering?
Besides the break away feature, are there any other advantages?

Video - My Samurai Sabre sickle attachment

 

[Industrial Toys]

The break away feature is MOST usefull. My loader would destroy the sabre instantly if it hit a tree or something. BUT, I have an issue with the sickle falling over from vibration. And I have to flip the bucket to get it back center. MOST annoying. The other thing, is from the vibration of the sickle, you almost can't clamp the bracket to the bucket hard enough. Sometimes it just falls off!









I am trying to locate the pictures of the wrecked knives, from cutting branches that were within spec for twenty minutes.

I am eager to try this on my Steiner, as I would much rather drive around my pond bank with a small low machine.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Found some pics.



Was NEW about twenty minutes earlier!



Collected the heaviest of the branches off the ground. These were very much in the minority, with the majority being very small branches.

 

[LouieJunior]

The break away feature is MOST usefull. My loader would destroy the sabre instantly if it hit a tree or something.

I just purchased the deluxe mount. It arrived yesterday. I have a few questions, if you don't mind...



When attaching to your bucket, do you fasten the mount first, and then bolt-on the cutter -- or do you assemble everything before tightening to bucket? Either way, this seems to be a 2-man job!

Do you know why there are extra holes drilled in the mount -- the ones indicated in my photo. What purpose do these serve?

Thanks!

 

[BukitCase]

Louie, look on the picture; those holes are to LOCK OUT the breakaway feature, should you need to -

Deluxe Samurai Bracket | Cutthat.com - Your Cutting Edge Technology Expert

HTH... Steve