Thanks Kevin! I'm trying hard to think of the best ways to market the service to farms in my area for next year. I'm hoping that I can offer a pretty competitive price since I didn't have to spend $40k on a mulcher head 🙄
@zaccheus Check in with your county/counties OSU Extension Office/s. They get all kind of questions and requests. See if there is some hard data on acreage loss on field perimeters due to tree line encroachment and maybe do a "clinic" at the Extension office? Just thinking out loud.
@bioniclife Ohhh that's an excellent idea! Thanks for sharing! Some basic math gets me to 4,400ft of field edge at 10ft wide is a an acre 🤷♂️ I was looking into getting a vibratory plow to sever roots that are also sucking moisture out of the ground. I quickly realized that would turn into cutting gas/oil lines and ripping up field tile 😅
0h man ! Grear stuff ! I really like how you go about things. Don't panick,just figure a solution. Would really enjoy a day hanging with you ! You just have fun ! Thanks for sharing ! Have a great safe day !
Haha thanks! I have to admit that I've tried panicking before. Turns out, it doesn't help fund a solution 😅. If you need help with those trees that are downed near the creek at the farm, let me know. I'd be willing to come hang out for some tractor/chainsaw fun 😊
Zach, that cutter head is a beast and is very efficient. You will probably get many field trimming jobs after people know you have such a capable machine for trimming trees. Blessings to you.
Thanks Bill! I've heard word of mouth is really strong among farmers so I'm hoping the word will get out after a few jobs. It's a tough thing to advertise for 😅
Thanks, Jon! I think you're right. I'm sure it'll take only a couple weeks in a row to make me ready to get back to earth sculpture. I feel the same way after every big demo job too.
Hi Zaccheus. I am a french arborist and following you for a while now. I really enjoyed when yo started to show us other jobs like excavating, demolition etc. It gives me ideas of how i will be able to diversify in the future to get more customers etc.. Thanks a lot and continue to create great content !
I saw the thumbnail that mentioned he got a new machine. Those grapples are sweet, but they're so heavy for mini excavators. I'm glad to see he is making good money though. That's what we work for 🤷♂️
Hey Zack, that was awesome! Nice work! I did some field trimming for my father in law on their farm several years ago... Riding along in the bucket tractor with a pole saw... Sketchy but effective-this looks likea safer, fun, very effective alternative. And I'm always a fan of an ingenious way to do a job solo.
Aw man. I've been there. Bossman sent my and my uncle put to trim a field with just a chainsaw and a TLB. It was probably one of the more hazardous things I've done 😅
@groundpounder24365 Ugh, that's the worst. I don't have any stories like that, but I have had a $20 shaft seal ruin a day. I learned pretty quick that having newer stuff is kinda worth it a little. Just gotta figure out a way to pay for it.
I like and can see that you do as well. It is rewarding to make something that works out and lets you have fun working it AND getting paid, though the pay part is an extra bonus.
Wire one of back up cameras somewhere on the front and you can get a monitor right in the cab. Might be kinda cool to get a live feed for a better view. Awesome machine dude!
3/26/24..Hey Z man, your video of your hydraulic shear works very well ! Congratulations! Maybe next version has bright colored painted tip to help you see it better...maybe little shorter 'stick' ?? Anyway, enjoyed your creative endeavor & encourage more 'fine tuning'..👍🔧⚙️🔩💪✅️
Great creation man!! You look like you got it mastered! It's nice you can make things like that... I just bought a welder ,grinder ECT. two weeks ago.. plan on learning the trade myself. Cool video tho man, really enjoy your videos pal!!
Thanks man! Thays awesome that you got some stuff to use for building things. It's so handy to be able to fix and build stuff on your own. It's not always the most profitable, but it certainly helps as a creative outlet 😅
hey that does look like fun! Could very easily get carried away and forget when to stop cutting! Nor sure if it would work or last very long, but maybe weld some smooth rod IDK 8,10, 12" long to each cutter as a visual aid? good job
Haha, I might have trimmed a little more than I agreed to just because I got a little carried away 😂 That's an interesting idea! I might have to try that if I have trouble with seeing in the future. I have some 1/2 rod that would probably work.
@zaccheus I would definitely like to see the fabrication videos. I've enjoyed all your videos. It's cool to see a young person visualize something and build it.
@5chris520 Okay! That's really helpful feedback. It's a little bit different to film than the stuff I usually do. Hopefully future videos will be an improvement over this one.
Zach, it worked perfectly. Cuts were quick and clean. In your repair, since you had to cut off the pipe and re-weld on, I would of welded 2 square plates to the pipe and bolted it on so as discussed before cold service the hydraulic cylinder easier. But great project at a budget price thumbs up on design skills 👍
That's a fair thought for sure. I had actually already welded it up the second before you had made the suggestion. I just wasn't able to get the video posted fast enough to illustrate that. If I ever have it apart again, I'll definitely look into a way to make it easier to service.
Oops yea now that you mentioned it i should of realized it was done a while ago my friend wanted to know where you purchased the aluminum ramps you use on your dump truck@zaccheus
@robertvannicolo4435 I just got them from discountramps.com. they were pricey, but still cheaper than a trailer at a time when I didn't have lots of money to work with.
Fair thought, there is no rated FOPS on this machine, only ROPS. I kind of don't think it can cut off anything big enough and high enough to crush or pierce the cab, but I suppose it could shake a tree hard enough to knock some way high off. Thanks for bringing this up. I'm going to have to think about this.
I’m a climber , also have Been a blacksmith. If after you weld that peace heat it to a red and let it cool slowly, it will illuminate it breaking like that .it equalizes the molecules in the steel
Mmm, that's makes sense. I have heard that electrode welding does induce stress into the structure. That would also make sense with how it broke where it did. I just need a way to heat it 😅
@@zaccheus dig a small pit , put a hollow pipe approximately 3/4 of an inch or smaller,put wood or Cole in it and light it off . Put the portion u wish to heat in it after it’s going good put a regulated amount of air to it and you got a forge ! You’ll probably have to feed more fuel to it during the process ocasionly rake the coles away so you can see the color of the steel, carful you don’t melt it !let it air cool . Get on u tube and learn about all the different ways to make a temporary forge ! Lol
u should put a push bar on the sheer so u can tilt the head and make the tree or limb fall the opposite way of the excavator but great work i hope u made a video of u making this because id love to make one, gunna go look right now haha
I think that if you were to have cut a hole straight through that horizontal pipe on the shears, big enough to have the long pipe plunge straight through the horizontal pipe out the other end just a little bit and get a good weld all the way around on the both sides of the horizontal pipe if that makes sense.
It does make sense! I had considered that myself the first time around and I think you're right, it would have made it wayy stronger. I just don't have the tooling to make those two holes well aligned. All I have is an angle grinder and a welder. I don't even have a torch 😅 maybe if I find more projects to do, I'll be able to invest some money in better tools.
I assume the cutting head was originally designed to shear rods or plate metal. If I may suggest, a small double acting hydraulic cylinder to rotate (and maintain) the head at the desired position would be most helpful.
I believe the shear head was previously mounted on a skid steer. I bought as just the shear head. I like the cylinder idea, I would definitely do that, but I don't know of a was to make it go a full 180°
@@zaccheusWouldn't you only have to rotate 90 degrees. From vertical (to trim parallel to the main trunk) to horizontal? Retired machinist here. My gears are spinning. I want one for the front of my Kubota.
@honkie247 That's awesome, you probably have a lot of skills that I'd like to have someday 😅 I think 90° of rotation would be possible to work with. The challenge would be how to deal with limbs on both sides of the tree that have an upward angle. As much as it it reasonable, I want to make the cuts close to the branch collar so the tree can heal. To do that, I need the cutting angle to be as perpendicular to the branch as possible. So this particular shear, it also cuts best when square with the branch. My best though so far is to mount a rack and pinion type cylinder on the end where it hitches to the machine. I'd have to find a used one in a junkyard somewhere though. They're pricey new.
@@zaccheus OK, now I understand why you said 180 degrees, to trim both sides of the tree without moving your machine to the opposite side. I'll give that some serious thought and see what I can come up with as far as a simple solution. You don't want too much clutter at the end of boom near the cutter to get tangled in branches. Do you recall what the cutter head was called? Probably some type of shear.
@honkie247 I have no idea on model or manufacturer for the shear head. I bought it from a golf course just the way you see it in this video and the video about building it. And you hit the nail on the head, often time the fields are lined with woods and it's either too crowded to get into the wooded side of the tree or takes too long. I think your right. Even just the hydraulic lines that are out at the now are almost too much. I'd much rather add a rotating mechanism to the tail of the unit back where it attaches to the excavator.
Ohh, that's an interesting thought! I think Reon Rounds did something like that on his Merlo. Gopro batteries only last an hour or two. He had something figured out with a m18 battery. Maybe I'll have to go back and watch his video on that stuff.
@brandon-rustystreecare I've been thinking about how to do that aswell. They are rather exposed, and I don't like that. I might try to tuck them into something 🤔
Thanks for the thought. I have a friend who is a patent attorney and he can help me out with it if I pursue the matter. The reality is that this isn't any new technology. There are several better attachments like this already out there.
Digging the pleasant funk backdrop of one mans epic adventure in DIY machinery design. That thing is epic.
Haha thanks man!
I still turn my head and look elsewhere when you’re welding! Old habits 😂 I enjoy your videos, much appreciated. The Old Retired Laborer
Haha, that's a good habit! I probably shpuod worry a little more about how the camera does with that. I'm sure it's not good for it 😅
I bet there are a ton of farmers that will love to have that done. I HATE dealing with tree limbs encroaching into a field. Nice work dude!
Thanks Kevin! I'm trying hard to think of the best ways to market the service to farms in my area for next year. I'm hoping that I can offer a pretty competitive price since I didn't have to spend $40k on a mulcher head 🙄
@zaccheus Check in with your county/counties OSU Extension Office/s. They get all kind of questions and requests. See if there is some hard data on acreage loss on field perimeters due to tree line encroachment and maybe do a "clinic" at the Extension office? Just thinking out loud.
@bioniclife Ohhh that's an excellent idea! Thanks for sharing! Some basic math gets me to 4,400ft of field edge at 10ft wide is a an acre 🤷♂️ I was looking into getting a vibratory plow to sever roots that are also sucking moisture out of the ground. I quickly realized that would turn into cutting gas/oil lines and ripping up field tile 😅
0h man ! Grear stuff ! I really like how you go about things. Don't panick,just figure a solution. Would really enjoy a day hanging with you ! You just have fun ! Thanks for sharing ! Have a great safe day !
Haha thanks! I have to admit that I've tried panicking before. Turns out, it doesn't help fund a solution 😅. If you need help with those trees that are downed near the creek at the farm, let me know. I'd be willing to come hang out for some tractor/chainsaw fun 😊
Great video. Awesome to see your project work out so well. No weld failures is a success as well.
Thanks Kevin! You're right! That's a perspective I had forgotten to consider. For me in my skill level, that is a success milestone 😅
Zach, that cutter head is a beast and is very efficient. You will probably get many field trimming jobs after people know you have such a capable machine for trimming trees. Blessings to you.
Thanks Bill! I've heard word of mouth is really strong among farmers so I'm hoping the word will get out after a few jobs. It's a tough thing to advertise for 😅
looks good zack! I'm sure it will be fun for a while but it all becomes part of "just what we do". Nice to have a new implement though.
Thanks, Jon! I think you're right. I'm sure it'll take only a couple weeks in a row to make me ready to get back to earth sculpture. I feel the same way after every big demo job too.
That’s awesome man I want one
Haha, they are out there fir the buying. I think the good grapple shears are in the $10k range and require two auxiliary circuits though 😬
Hi Zaccheus. I am a french arborist and following you for a while now. I really enjoyed when yo started to show us other jobs like excavating, demolition etc. It gives me ideas of how i will be able to diversify in the future to get more customers etc..
Thanks a lot and continue to create great content !
Hey Felix! Thanks so much for watching and for leaving a comment! I'm glad the channel has been helpful for you!
That's really cool man. Great job
Thanks!
Have you seen cotton tops new Hyundai mini with the robotech grapple saw on it? He's big money man way outta my league!
I saw the thumbnail that mentioned he got a new machine. Those grapples are sweet, but they're so heavy for mini excavators. I'm glad to see he is making good money though. That's what we work for 🤷♂️
Hey Zack, that was awesome! Nice work! I did some field trimming for my father in law on their farm several years ago... Riding along in the bucket tractor with a pole saw... Sketchy but effective-this looks likea safer, fun, very effective alternative. And I'm always a fan of an ingenious way to do a job solo.
Aw man. I've been there. Bossman sent my and my uncle put to trim a field with just a chainsaw and a TLB. It was probably one of the more hazardous things I've done 😅
Gooood morning. If you break it again, it looks like you may have to go with 1/2 wall
Haha, I guess so 🤷♂️ I certainly hope it doesn't come to that. It's an inconvenient thing to break 🙄
@zaccheus breakdowns are very costly. I've had my entire operation come to a hault over a 89 cent keyway
@groundpounder24365 Ugh, that's the worst. I don't have any stories like that, but I have had a $20 shaft seal ruin a day. I learned pretty quick that having newer stuff is kinda worth it a little. Just gotta figure out a way to pay for it.
I like and can see that you do as well. It is rewarding to make something that works out and lets you have fun working it AND getting paid, though the pay part is an extra bonus.
Haha, thanks, John. I've been doing my best to have fun at work. If you're not having fun, why are you there 🤷♂️😂
The thing is pretty sweet man!
Thanks Austin!
Nice job, keep going forward.
Thank you!
Wire one of back up cameras somewhere on the front and you can get a monitor right in the cab. Might be kinda cool to get a live feed for a better view. Awesome machine dude!
Hey that's a great idea. Someone suggested a gopro, but the back uo camera would be much more sustainable. I like it! Thanks for sharing!
3/26/24..Hey Z man, your video of your hydraulic shear works very well ! Congratulations! Maybe next version has bright colored painted tip to help you see it better...maybe little shorter 'stick' ?? Anyway, enjoyed your creative endeavor & encourage more 'fine tuning'..👍🔧⚙️🔩💪✅️
Thanks James! Thank you for those thoughts! There is always room for improvement!
Great creation man!! You look like you got it mastered! It's nice you can make things like that... I just bought a welder ,grinder ECT. two weeks ago.. plan on learning the trade myself. Cool video tho man, really enjoy your videos pal!!
Thanks man! Thays awesome that you got some stuff to use for building things. It's so handy to be able to fix and build stuff on your own. It's not always the most profitable, but it certainly helps as a creative outlet 😅
That’s badass!
Thanks man!
hey that does look like fun! Could very easily get carried away and forget when to stop cutting! Nor sure if it would work or last very long, but maybe weld some smooth rod IDK 8,10, 12" long to each cutter as a visual aid? good job
Haha, I might have trimmed a little more than I agreed to just because I got a little carried away 😂
That's an interesting idea! I might have to try that if I have trouble with seeing in the future. I have some 1/2 rod that would probably work.
That thing is the cats meow. You done a great job building it. Cant wait to see what video you have next
Thanks, Chris! I have some more "fabrication" projects I'm considering. Based on your comment, I'm thinking you'd suggest filming them?
@zaccheus I would definitely like to see the fabrication videos. I've enjoyed all your videos. It's cool to see a young person visualize something and build it.
@5chris520 Okay! That's really helpful feedback. It's a little bit different to film than the stuff I usually do. Hopefully future videos will be an improvement over this one.
@zaccheus i thought it was a awesome view when you put the camera by the cutter
@@5chris520 Awesome! That's helpful, thank you!
Zach, it worked perfectly. Cuts were quick and clean. In your repair, since you had to cut off the pipe and re-weld on, I would of welded 2 square plates to the pipe and bolted it on so as discussed before cold service the hydraulic cylinder easier. But great project at a budget price thumbs up on design skills 👍
That's a fair thought for sure. I had actually already welded it up the second before you had made the suggestion. I just wasn't able to get the video posted fast enough to illustrate that. If I ever have it apart again, I'll definitely look into a way to make it easier to service.
Oops yea now that you mentioned it i should of realized it was done a while ago my friend wanted to know where you purchased the aluminum ramps you use on your dump truck@zaccheus
@robertvannicolo4435 I just got them from discountramps.com. they were pricey, but still cheaper than a trailer at a time when I didn't have lots of money to work with.
Kinda spooky without a beefed-up forestry cab on your machine.
Fair thought, there is no rated FOPS on this machine, only ROPS. I kind of don't think it can cut off anything big enough and high enough to crush or pierce the cab, but I suppose it could shake a tree hard enough to knock some way high off. Thanks for bringing this up. I'm going to have to think about this.
now you are a handyman arborist :D
Haha I feel like all arborist are creative people on some level. I'm just taking ti time to dive into it 😅
I’m a climber , also have Been a blacksmith. If after you weld that peace heat it to a red and let it cool slowly, it will illuminate it breaking like that .it equalizes the molecules in the steel
Mmm, that's makes sense. I have heard that electrode welding does induce stress into the structure. That would also make sense with how it broke where it did. I just need a way to heat it 😅
@@zaccheus dig a small pit , put a hollow pipe approximately 3/4 of an inch or smaller,put wood or Cole in it and light it off . Put the portion u wish to heat in it after it’s going good put a regulated amount of air to it and you got a forge ! You’ll probably have to feed more fuel to it during the process ocasionly rake the coles away so you can see the color of the steel, carful you don’t melt it !let it air cool . Get on u tube and learn about all the different ways to make a temporary forge ! Lol
@randyshaffersr.785 That is a possibility I had not considered 😅 thanks for sharing that!
u should put a push bar on the sheer so u can tilt the head and make the tree or limb fall the opposite way of the excavator but great work i hope u made a video of u making this because id love to make one, gunna go look right now haha
Yes, I did! There's a video about it in my channel. The push bar is a great idea
I think that if you were to have cut a hole straight through that horizontal pipe on the shears, big enough to have the long pipe plunge straight through the horizontal pipe out the other end just a little bit and get a good weld all the way around on the both sides of the horizontal pipe if that makes sense.
It does make sense! I had considered that myself the first time around and I think you're right, it would have made it wayy stronger. I just don't have the tooling to make those two holes well aligned. All I have is an angle grinder and a welder. I don't even have a torch 😅 maybe if I find more projects to do, I'll be able to invest some money in better tools.
Just a friendly suggestion it was fun watching you build it though and to see at work. 🙂👍
@lifeonmttammanyridge2565 Thank you, I really appreciate idea sharing I the comments. I've earned so much from others here.
I charge by the hour but I also have a saw so it’s way faster, I’m sure you will be able to figure out a way to charge. Take care
I was thinking about getting a saw. I didn't find any that reached real far when I was looking last year. What saw to you have?
@@zaccheus I built mine, I think there is a couple of videos on my channel from a long time ago
@@a.l.l.firewood8883 I'll look it up, thanks
I assume the cutting head was originally designed to shear rods or plate metal. If I may suggest, a small double acting hydraulic cylinder to rotate (and maintain) the head at the desired position would be most helpful.
I believe the shear head was previously mounted on a skid steer. I bought as just the shear head. I like the cylinder idea, I would definitely do that, but I don't know of a was to make it go a full 180°
@@zaccheusWouldn't you only have to rotate 90 degrees. From vertical (to trim parallel to the main trunk) to horizontal? Retired machinist here. My gears are spinning. I want one for the front of my Kubota.
@honkie247 That's awesome, you probably have a lot of skills that I'd like to have someday 😅
I think 90° of rotation would be possible to work with. The challenge would be how to deal with limbs on both sides of the tree that have an upward angle. As much as it it reasonable, I want to make the cuts close to the branch collar so the tree can heal. To do that, I need the cutting angle to be as perpendicular to the branch as possible. So this particular shear, it also cuts best when square with the branch.
My best though so far is to mount a rack and pinion type cylinder on the end where it hitches to the machine. I'd have to find a used one in a junkyard somewhere though. They're pricey new.
@@zaccheus OK, now I understand why you said 180 degrees, to trim both sides of the tree without moving your machine to the opposite side. I'll give that some serious thought and see what I can come up with as far as a simple solution. You don't want too much clutter at the end of boom near the cutter to get tangled in branches.
Do you recall what the cutter head was called? Probably some type of shear.
@honkie247 I have no idea on model or manufacturer for the shear head. I bought it from a golf course just the way you see it in this video and the video about building it.
And you hit the nail on the head, often time the fields are lined with woods and it's either too crowded to get into the wooded side of the tree or takes too long.
I think your right. Even just the hydraulic lines that are out at the now are almost too much. I'd much rather add a rotating mechanism to the tail of the unit back where it attaches to the excavator.
Could you put a gopro at the shear & view it off your phone to make it easier to aim? Just an idea...
STAY SAFE
Ohh, that's an interesting thought! I think Reon Rounds did something like that on his Merlo. Gopro batteries only last an hour or two. He had something figured out with a m18 battery. Maybe I'll have to go back and watch his video on that stuff.
To make the pipe stay in and not slide out make the inside pipe stick out enough to weld a two inch pipe on it like a T and it can still spin
That's a great idea. If the angle iron method I used doesn't work out, I'll definitely consider that. Thanks for sharing your idea!
@@zaccheus yeah and also be awesome to put your lines threw some pipe to help protect them like 2 inch as well
@brandon-rustystreecare I've been thinking about how to do that aswell. They are rather exposed, and I don't like that. I might try to tuck them into something 🤔
@@zaccheus yeah I was thinking the same thing maybe weld a 2 inch pipe on the sides and run them threw that
@brandon-rustystreecare or even just one one the top 🤷♂️ I'll have to check amd see what I have in the steel pile next time I am out in the shop
That was shear terror 😱 (sorry in advance)
Lol, love it 😂
You need to patten this quickly, do not show these before you have a patten pending just giving you heads up
Thanks for the thought. I have a friend who is a patent attorney and he can help me out with it if I pursue the matter. The reality is that this isn't any new technology. There are several better attachments like this already out there.
For krist sake, find a proper trailer
Lol, why?