westcoaster

So, here is an idea.

Take a look at the first image. Typical bc backroad that has been neglected for several years. This can be anywhere and more overgrown than this one





Now take a look at the video. Ok, maybe not the whole thing, just the first few seconds of the saw blades.



edit:
Just for reference sake here are the specs on the saw in the video

I don't plan on it being THAT big, maybe with a few large brush saw blades....



The idea is for a smaller hitch or bumper mounted one of these for clearing some road brush. The idea isn't to do a proper clearing job but to knock back the majority of the branches to make the road enjoyable again (or just passable). I'm sure there have been a few trails that have been lost to brush taking things over.

Anyway, discuss:

power requirements?
Drive mechanisms?
Engine direct drive? belt drive? hydraulic? combination of the three?
Driver protection (breaking blades?)

I was actually thinking of having 2" box steel come out horizontal from the bumper of the truck on the right side (pointed straight out the side). This would then "T" into a vertical piece of steel about 8' long with the blades mounted to the vertical piece. The biggest west coast chainsaw power head I could find would drive the blades.

pind

ok, only problem I can see with your idea, is the fact that it will beat the living snot out of whatever truck you mount it on.

Your best bet, is to get some form of a side boom mower, mounted on a 4wd tractor, and go from there. they are hydraulic drive, and can be set on the vertical plane, then moved up and down with the boom, to clear horizontal growth.

PistolWhipt

Do a google search on unimog accessories .... they have those kind of attachments for them (mounted and driven from front and side) and that might give you some ideas.

Cheers,
PISTOL

Totallyrad

You might find a variant of something like this a little more economical. There are towable versions for tractors available and you could add a power unit so you just hook and go.

http://www.skidsteersolutions.com/Sk...Mower_s/69.htm

cincydiesel

Siclebar mower for a tractor will do the same thing at lower levels.. Sorry, if I would have looked at T-Rad's post I would have seen he already posted one...

Bark

Saw one of those in action a couple of years ago close to where AKTallPaul lives. They only leased it for a couple of weeks. For some reason it didn’t work well enough on our birch, cottonwood and spruce trees to make it feasible.

I agree with the above posts. A hydro axe or something along those lines would probably be better in the long run.

http://www.google.com/url?q=http://w...tb8MVObKzzbabg

westcoaster

I'm not planning on cutting anything big. For the most part the branches will be 2" and under. Mostly the diamater of your thumb. That's why the idea for brush saw blades anything larger gets the chainsaw. It also has to be compact and fly weight. It would more than likely be attached to the suzuki samurai.

I would like to "widen" several miles of road in a remote area.

The idea of a tractor or other machime just isn't realistic on a personal cost basis. This is a road on crown land that goes to a lake I like to fish at.

Bark

Well..... Maybe two guys on a sturdy platform in the back of a Dodge PU with chainsaws. Oh! Forgot the beer.