Tree hogging with a CUT

patrick_g · May 4, 2008

barneyrb said:
We have what I think is a Brown Tree Cutter at our camp. It has 4 blades and will cut ANYTHING up to about 12". It is bad for cutting a sweet gum thicket. Brown Mfg Corp - 2000 series Folding Deck Tree Cutter

Barney, That is a slick machine! The website says to consult with the factory for use outside of the published HP ratings and the lowest rated unit they list is 50-90 HP SO...

Looks like that is a couple points scored for the bigger tractor guys. My Brush hog is rated for 80-85 HP (don't recall which) but it dopes pretty good with 39. For tree cutting duty it would probably be a good thing to make their minimum suggested HP (50 HP for the smallest unit.)

With a unit like that optimized for tree cutting and the right sized tractor I'd be the brush-tree killer from Hades!!!

Can't have a post with HE double toothpicks in it or it is replaced with **** but Hades posts just fine!

Pat

Charlesaf3 · May 4, 2008

6"? wow!

at that point I'd be a little worried about trees falling on me

barneyrb · May 4, 2008

Yeah, we run it on a 55hp tractor. You back into everything and the top bar is spring loaded to retract when pressure is applied. The 4 blades obviously swivel and are around .750 thick. Each blade has the opposite bevel and when it hits a tree it acts like an axe alternating angle blows. It will throw chips about as big as a deck of cards. I'm telling ya it is wicked.

sandman2234 · May 4, 2008

Pat,
I am surprised you haven't seen more of those tree cutters. I saw my first one at an auction in your neck of the woods. Brinkley was selling a couple of them when I was out there last time. One sold for 1300 and I dropped out on the second at just over $2,000. Sure did want one, but figured I could build one from junk in the back yard cheaper than that.
David from jax

patrick_g · May 5, 2008

WHOA!!! Not only had I not seen one I was blissfully ignorant of their existence. Now it will eat on me that there is a CORRECT TOOL for doing what I am doing.

Oh, well. Maybe I can console myself that I will run out big stuff to cut down and it would not be reasonable to buy one.

Pat

N80 · May 6, 2008

They cleared the right of way for my powerline with something similar. Instead of blades and a stump jumper it has a big, thick steel disk with 4 short thick blades attached to the disk. The guy did not stop for ANYTHING! Rocks, stumps, tree trunks. It ate them all. Powdered a cinder block like it wasn't there.

My B-I-L's theory is that if his tractor can push it over, his 14' JD dual spindle can cut it up. I've seen him breeze through 5" pines.

I have a light duty mower. I solve my tree problems with the FEL. It truly solves them once and for all.

This is a picture out front of my cabin. Our pond is way down below. It is like two terraces (hills) down to the lake and the cleared area is about 2.5 acres total. It looked just like the pines on either side before I cleared it.

This is just to agree with Patricks point that these little machines can do a lot more than what the owners manual says. However, in both his case and mine, I feel pretty sure we're probably knocking off a few years of our tractor's lives. At least in my case, clearing those trees, stumps and rocks required the tractor to be used to its maximum both in terms of hp and hydraulics. So even though the machine can do it, I'm not sure I'd recommend it.

npaden · May 6, 2008

I have a 42 PTO hp machine and a medium duty cimmaron rotary cutter and I have used it for 3" trees and maybe a little bigger. I've never sharpened my blades in 3 years so it more or less breaks the trees apart than actually cutting them.

8NLUGNUT · May 8, 2008

Here's one of my shredders. It's 5' and I pull it with a 24HP Hinomoto.

It will cut 2 to 3 in thick brush if I do it right. If I hit it with the FEL just right I end up with sticks that I toss into a brush pile for the little animals.

It could be used more effectively if I had more horsepower but I don't.

patrick_g · May 8, 2008

npaden said:
I have a 42 PTO hp machine and a medium duty cimmaron rotary cutter and I have used it for 3" trees and maybe a little bigger. I've never sharpened my blades in 3 years so it more or less breaks the trees apart than actually cutting them.

Nathan, I sharpened the blades (well didn't actually make them sharp just sort of made the leading edge of the blade's cutting zone thinner than the trailing edge) once in 5-6 years before a blade broke in half at the mounting hole and I bought a new pair. The cutting edge of the new ones got hammered flat fairly quick. My cutter is the 6 ft HD Cimmaron rated for either 80 or 85 PTO HP, I don't recall which.

I could never keep the pins on the mower that go into the lower arms of the 3PH tight. I used a 3/4 drive and cheater but they constantly loosened so I welded them. Lasted 3-4 years and the pin broke. I cut the required material out of the way with a plasma cutter and installed a new pin and tightened it with a longer cheater (4-5 ft) on the 3/4 drive breaker bar. It is holding so far but the pin bent with use.

Pat

npaden · May 8, 2008

patrick_g said:
Nathan, I sharpened the blades (well didn't actually make them sharp just sort of made the leading edge of the blade's cutting zone thinner than the trailing edge) once in 5-6 years before a blade broke in half at the mounting hole and I bought a new pair. The cutting edge of the new ones got hammered flat fairly quick. My cutter is the 6 ft HD Cimmaron rated for either 80 or 85 PTO HP, I don't recall which.

I could never keep the pins on the mower that go into the lower arms of the 3PH tight. I used a 3/4 drive and cheater but they constantly loosened so I welded them. Lasted 3-4 years and the pin broke. I cut the required material out of the way with a plasma cutter and installed a new pin and tightened it with a longer cheater (4-5 ft) on the 3/4 drive breaker bar. It is holding so far but the pin bent with use.

Pat

Looking at your pictures, my mower looks basically the same except for all the extra bracing on the top of the deck. Mine has a couple pieces of angle iron and that's it.

I've never had an issue with the pins. I use a harbor frieght quick hitch but not sure if that would make any difference. I've pulled a pin off my tandem disc but never had an issue with the mower.

I couldn't find a good picture of it with my Kubota, but I did find this old picture of me using my Farmall M with it though!