[AT] Fwd: saw

[Richard Walker]

That photo of the boom-mounted single circular saw tree trimmer sure 
brought back memories to me.

In the citrus orchards of Southern California, various methods were 
employed by growers to hedge the tall rows of eucalyptus trees planted 
as orchard windbreaks.  This prevented their lower branches from growing 
out into the citrus trees, which reduced crop yield.

Most small growers like us could only afford hand methods like 
chainsawing from ladders or skiploader buckets.

But a large-acreage grower near us shopbuilt an ingenious rig from an 
old ten-wheel truck crane from the '40's.  It was used from the early 
'50's on up to the '70's on groves near us.  About a 3' diameter circle 
saw blade run by a hydraulic motor at the tip of its boom.  The rig 
would start-and-stop drive along the windbreak to be pruned, with its 
operator slowly swinging the boom up and down during the stops.  For 
miles you could hear the blade whine while cutting.  Unfortunately I 
have no photos.

However another shop built hedging rig in my area (see photos) pruned 
windbreaks and also between citrus tree rows.  It was built on a WWII 
surplus 4x4 truck, having a tower mounting roughly two dozen circle saw 
blades.  Power transmission was by individual V-belts daisy-chaining all 
the saw arbors together. A separate GM diesel engine provided the 
power.  Retired from service many years ago, this rig has been at the 
Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum in Vista, CA for over 30 years.  One 
wonders about the mechanical efficiency of daisy-chaining that many saw 
spindles together using a series drive by V-belts.  Also I would not 
have liked to be the guy who had to do belt tightening!  One slipping 
belt downstream would affect power to all blades above it.




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