Thinning with an 8t excavator and head

[briquette_seller]

Has anyone fitted a harvester head to an 8 tonne excavator, or similar, for thinning's?

 

Is it cost effective?

[renewablejohn]

Has anyone fitted a harvester head to an 8 tonne excavator, or similar, for thinning's?

 

Is it cost effective?

 

I use a kesla shear head on a 3 tonne excavator and its very cost effective for thinning.

[Stephen Blair]

John would you put some pictures up please, this is a route id like to take with my 3 tonner

[briquette_seller]

I use a kesla shear head on a 3 tonne excavator and its very cost effective for thinning.

 

Do you think an 8 tonner would be too big?

[renewablejohn]

Do you think an 8 tonner would be too big?

 

Always think they look awkward at APF if your using them for thinning. My 3 tonne is only 4ft wide so handy for taking out a full line and thinning the adjacent rows.

[briquette_seller]

Always think they look awkward at APF if your using them for thinning. My 3 tonne is only 4ft wide so handy for taking out a full line and thinning the adjacent rows.

 

Hmmmmmm.

Mine is about 7 foot wide, no tail swing, with a slewing boom.

 

What kinda money was in the head, if you dont mind me asking?

Less than 20K, or more?

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Spent 18 months "assembling" such a machine (8 tonner) and had to abandon; wish we hadn't as the concept has many merits. You're talking tiny stems and nowt but first thinnings. This vid is as good as it gets, especially on a 7 tonner with a roller head.

 

[ame]

[/ame]

 

Hydraulic excavators really struggle with the hydraulic flow; by the time you've sorted a seperate power pack, the cost benefit analysis doesn't add up. Dinoma and Nisula operate heads that are very acceptable; again cost ends up meaning you might as well get a tidy used purpose built machine.

 

[ame]

[/ame]

 

The reality is you never get jobs with 99% small stems and you end up on a saw. Typical UK hairy trees make it less preferable again.

 

Speak to Kenny Dobson at FMS for an update on the dinoma; last I heard it was back to the drawing board for modifications to deal with spruce and pine; fine in DF and hemlock.

[briquette_seller]

why did you abandon?

[renewablejohn]

Hmmmmmm.

Mine is about 7 foot wide, no tail swing, with a slewing boom.

 

What kinda money was in the head, if you dont mind me asking?

Less than 20K, or more?

 

Think it was under 4k but came with my kesla forwarding trailer so dont have a separate bill.

[Robert McTurk]

Caledonian forestry services at Auchterarder has got an 8ton JCB for sale just now