The use of excavator-mounted tree shears has widely grown in popularity in recent years. This growth hasn’t just been in Ireland, but across the UK and Europe. These machines have revolutionised the way trees are taken down and handled.

Tree shears can cut down and clear trees much faster than more traditional methods, while doing so in a much safer manner. The accuracy of where you can place the cut-down tree afterwards is also another plus, while doing all of this with one machine. Ireland is home to several manufacturers of excavator-mounted tree shears, such as MDE, Oriel, McElhill Engineering and Keltec.

Located just outside Kanturk in Co Cork, Eoin Lynch and his brother Niall carry out agricultural and plant hire works in the surrounding areas. Being involved in a lot of digger works such as land reclamation, Eoin noted that a tree shears was a must-have addition to their business. After hiring out and going to see different machines in action, the duo explained that they soon came to the realisation that a Keltec shears was the only machine for their business.

Keltec

Located just outside the town of Kilmallock in Co Limerick, Keltec Engineering first entered the tree shear market over seven years ago. With more than 30 years of experience manufacturing machinery for the agricultural sector, the firm now offers four models. These come in 8in, 12in, 14in and 16in variants.

The first is the 200 model (200mm, 8in capacity) single-arm model which weighs in at 145kg, followed by the 300 model (300mm, 12in capacity) single-arm weighing in at 334kg.

Next up is the 350 model (350mm, 14in capacity) twin-arm variant which weighs in at 765kg, and finally the flagship 400 model (400mm, 16in capacity) single-arm model which weighs in at 820kg.

The firm explained that its shears are manufactured from Hardox steel, with the blades bolted on. The shears can be supplied with a headstock to suit any machine while a hydraulic rotator comes as an optional extra. Prices start from €3,700 plus VAT.

Eoin Lynch noted that the use of Hardox steel in the shears’ construction means it should last a long time.

Design

The Keltec tree shear has a simple but effective design that firmly holds a tree when it is being cut. This allows the operator to control the tree once it has been cut, meaning it can safely be placed where desired. There is only one double-acting ram on the tree shear. This operates the single moving arm that holds and pushes the tree against the blade. This ram is built into the body, giving it protection.

The blade is attached in a bolt-on configuration, allowing it to be easily removed. The Hardox steel used throughout its body gives it a heavy-duty build. The shears can come with a hydraulic rotator as an optional extra.

Verdict

“We tried out and went to see five different brands of tree shears in action, and we reckon there’s nothing out there as good as the Keltec machine. We opted for the 350-twin arm model which has a 14” capacity, and we are very happy with it,” Eoin said.

“In fact, it actually will cut up to 380mm. It’s a serious tool. We run it on a Hitachi ZX-130 – it’s fit for it, but you just need to be a steady operator when handling larger trees. We have a lot of work done with the machine since we got it, and there is little to no wear beginning to show on any part of the machine. The fact that it’s engineered from Hardox should mean it will last us a very long time. We recently completed a job alongside a road, felling hardwood trees underneath a power line. We cut 84 trees in four hours. The vast majority of these were Ash trees, suffering from Ash dieback. The twin arm was a gift here; it just meant that even rotten trees were staying together until there were placed on the ground.

“I’ve seen single arm machines cutting Ash dieback infected trees, and the tree can snap mid-air. Based on our experience, we would recommend the twin-arm version. From a weight distribution point of view, the shears is very close to the digger’s headstock. The only thing we might add is a lifting eye, for transporting it on a jeep and trailer. Overall, the Keltec tree shears is well built and it offers a very clean cut. We couldn’t be any happier with the machine,” Eoin said.