Custom Tree Trimmer Uses Skid Steer-Mounted "Bobsaw"

Custom Tree Trimmer Uses Skid Steer-Mounted "Bobsaw" TRACTORS Skid Steer Loaders 27-5-25 When Ammon Brenneman, Guthrie, Kentucky, a long-time FARM SHOW subscriber, read an article about a 3-pt. mounted saw made by another reader a few years ago, he figured he could improve on it. "After a bit of experimenting, I came up with a saw that fits on the quick-tach mount on my skid steer loader," he says. He started with a 30-in. buzz saw blade and mounted it on an arbor he made using off-the-shelf bearings and a 1-1/2-in. shaft. The saw sits at the end of a 20-ft. length of steel tubing. He powers the blade with a hydraulic motor, which drives a B65 V-belt to a pulley on the arbor. The motor mounts on top of the steel tube. He says the hydraulic system on his loader can easily deliver more than the 18 gal. per minute needed by the motor to run the saw at optimum speed. He tried several blades before he found the carbide-tipped blade he's now using. It holds its edge better than anything he tried, so even when he's busy 8 or 10 hours a day, he doesn't need to sharpen it more than once a week or so. While the blade he's using is tougher than others, he says he's had to replace it once or twice when contact with a tree or branch caused it to bend. With the 20-ft. tube, Brenneman's saw works far enough in front of the loader that he doesn't have to worry about branches falling on him. Mounting it on the skid steer arms allows Brenneman to raise the saw nearly 25 ft. high. "Because the arm is 20 ft. long, just a little movement of the loader arms can make a big difference in the saw height, so it takes a little while to get used to running it," he says. "It's a lot more maneuverable mounted on the skid steer than it would be on a 3-point hitch," he adds. "You can run right down a fence row with it in a hurry." Brenneman farms and does custom tree trimming in the off season. He mostly trims branches around buildings, power lines, and along fence rows. "I'm usually busy with it from October until April," he says. Brenneman also makes a few of his "Bobsaws" for sale. "I only make them when I have time, and right now I have orders backed up," he says. The selling price is just under $6,000, not including shipping. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ammon Brenneman, Bobsaws LLC, 2585 Old Trenton Rd., Guthrie, Ky. 42234 (ph 270 265-7297; fax 270 265-9507).

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