Forestry Cutter Attachment is a Smashing Success

The forestry cutter attachment is the most cost-effective way to selectively remove trees.

The forestry cutter, a new, powerful land-clearing attachment, features an exclusive forestry applications kit for both operator safety and protection for the machine. Best of all, the attachment package is available without sacrificing production rates.

The Bobcat® forestry cutter attachment has a 60-in. cutting width with 30 double-tipped carbide cutting teeth for fast production. Mounted with the Bob-Tach™ system, operators can shred large-diameter trees with the attachment and quickly bring the uppermost limbs to the ground. Then, the forestry cutter's tube-style drum cuts through the rest of the tree, even working below grade to process mulch in the soil. That mulch acts as a barrier and slows the re-growth of material.

The attachment is compatible with select, new Bobcat skid-steer, compact track and all-wheel-steer loaders with high-flow auxiliary hydraulics, a proper cooling package and required safety components such as the 3⁄4-in. laminated polycarbonate forestry door with an emergency exit feature, and the forestry applications kit.

Attachment speeds production rates
Customers working for developers and government agencies in California, Washington and Georgia are already reaping the benefits of this new attachment and the forestry applications kit with their Bobcat loaders.

Scott Dipman says the forestry cutter is "probably five times more cost effective than doing it by hand."

Scott Dipman operates S & C Tree Service in northern California. He purchased a new T300 compact track loader equipped with the forestry applications kit and the cutter attachment from Bobcat West in Sacramento. It was a natural fit for his busy tree care operation. He says without the attachment it would take many manual labor hours to replace what one machine and forestry cutter can accomplish in a short time.

"A product like this is a very time- and labor-saving device. There is no other practical way to remove invasive trees," says Dipman. "It's the only way to remove trees other than a large amount of manual labor, and it's probably five times more cost-effective than doing it by hand."

Dipman goes on to say that the package is certainly worth the return-on-investment.

“The attachment will pay for itself within 12 to 18 months because of the labor saving and productivity it provides."

A little further north in Washington, Jerry Miller of JMC Contracting recently decided to replace an older forestry cutter from a different manufacturer with a new Bobcat T300 and forestry package from Bobcat of Portland. Miller works with developers, homeowners and realtors to provide tree and overgrowth removal in heavily wooded areas.

Jerry Miller says the Bobcat forestry cutter out-cut the other cutting head he was using.

"We tested the Bobcat forestry cutter and it out-cut the other cutting head that we were running," says Miller. "It performed quite a bit better than the previous model."

One challenge for Miller is the difficult vegetation that grows in the heavily wooded areas near Vancouver, Wash. He says a majority of the area is covered with a species called Viney Maple. Miller's production rate often depends on the thickness of these problem maples.

"We can clear half-an-acre of the big stuff—the Viney Maple—in 8 hours," he says. "For medium brush, we can clear an acre in 8 hours, whereas with lighter brush we can remove as much as 4 acres in a day."

Selectively remove trees
Not all projects require removing every tree. For example, some developers may opt to keep some mature trees to provide shade and enhance a new residential community. Another example is a contractor such as S & C Tree Service, who is called upon to create firebreaks in wooded areas in California. That's where the Bobcat forestry cutter package becomes such an invaluable resource.

"We do a lot of work for different federal and county agencies—fuel management issues or aquatic restoration—where we work in creek beds to remove a lot of non-native, invasive species," says Dipman. He can selectively remove invasive trees while efficiently creating fire breaks at the same time because of the compact size of his machine and attachment.

It's not only the compact size and production of the package that impresses Dipman, but also the light footprint left by the machine. "In the environmentally sensitive job conditions we work in, our clients are concerned with ground pressure and amount of disturbance that is created, so for us, a Bobcat compact track machine suits the purpose better," he says.

Miller says that selectively removing trees is also important to his business and his customers because without it he would likely use larger, more expensive equipment. "Without the forestry cutter attachment, we would have to use an excavator to clear the trees," says Miller.

Once the trees are removed, there's still the issue of loading them in a haul truck and paying to have them taken away. Some contractors burn the trees once they are removed, but Miller says that’s becoming more and more difficult.

"Burn bans move out farther and farther, and a lot of people don't like to burn,” he says. “With the forestry cutter, you can go in and selectively take out the trees they want you to, grind them up and mulch them into the soil. There's no burning, no hauling off."

Bobcat equipment complements heavy iron
Lonergan and Son is a sub-division contractor outside of Augusta, Ga., that also purchased a T300 and forestry cutter attachment. While the firm already owns a substantial inventory of heavy equipment, the T300 and forestry cutter can go where other equipment can't.

"The Bobcat equipment's niche is its ability to get into tight spaces and cut down debris," says Tripp Lonergan, vice president for Lonergan and Son.
"We bought this machine to help us reduce the volumes of underbrush on our development sites, complementing the larger equipment we already own."

Lonergan says he's impressed thus far with the performance from the package and how quickly it removes unwanted debris. "I like the attachment cutting head—it's great, and I like the size of material that the unit can handle. I recently ground about a 60-ft.-wide swath, 4,000-ft.-long in about four days."

Forestry application kit makes big difference
What makes the Bobcat model different from other products is an exclusive forestry applications kit for operator and machine protection. Because many customers use this type of attachment in the toughest conditions, Bobcat enhanced its already durable cab with a special 3⁄4-in. laminated polycarbonate door that protects operators from flying debris. Without the unique polycarbonate door installed, the forestry cutter attachment won’t work, keeping operator safety top-of-mind.

The forestry applications kit includes an ISO 3449 Level II Falling Object Protective Structure (FOPS), top and rear windows of 1⁄4-in. polycarbonate, as well as guards to block debris from the muffler, lights and hydraulic components.

As the old adage says, "work smarter not harder." That's exactly what Bobcat offers with its latest labor-saving attachment. Create the ultimate land-clearing package with a Bobcat compact loader and forestry cutter attachment, and see your productivity and profits grow. View a video clip of the forestry cutter attachment in action at www.bobcat.com/forestry.