Tree shears for excavators

Why choose a JAK Tree  Shear?

The quality and efficiency of JAK Tree Shear are trusted by countless excavator contractors, farmers, forest owners and operators specializing in energy wood contracting.

When proper equipment is used, the productivity of the work increases and the result of the work is also visible to the end customer. All of our tree shears have reached their current form as a result of long and purposeful recearch and development work. We have not made any compromises in terms of quality or efficiency, which is why we have gained firm trust among customers around the globe. The tree shears we manufacture are already used in more than 40 countries, and new distributors appear on the map regularly.

Our customers also know how to appreciate the fact that our products are manufactured from start to finish in our own factory in Finland. This practice naturally enables a very thorough quality control, which is why every product that goes out into the world will definitely live up to the expectations set for it. Our production is also based on an operating method that respects people and environmental values. All of our tree shears are patented or otherwise protected, and we also give our products a full 24-month factory warranty.

Benefits and features of JAK Tree Shear

Our tree shears are known for their efficiency and durability, but they are also associated with many other features, the most important of which you can read in this list:

• Superior cutting power
  • – JAK Tree Shear has superior cutting power, which is based on the power of two hydraulic cylinders.
  • – The indicated cutting diameter is measured from the base of the birch, using only the clamping force of the grapple.

• Centers trees perfectly
  • – JAK Tree Shear concentrates the trees thanks to its structure.
  • – The wood will definitely stay in the grip of the grapple and it won’t tilt or come off.
  • – This makes wood handling safe and secure.

• Removable cutting blade
  • – By removing the blade, the grapple can also be used for loading as an standard wood grapple.
  • – We use Hardox steel as the blade material, thanks to which our blade is flexible, hard and stays sharp for a long time.

• Precise & Fast
  • – The two-cylinder system enables easy and fast handling
  • – Thanks to the grapple’s precision, you can easily cut down even smaller trees and twigs.

• Made to last – Hardox In My Body
  • – Only first-class steel grades are used in JAK Tree Shears
  • – As wear steel, we only use SSAB’s Hardox steel.
  • – The origin of every steel we manufacture can be traced using a material certificate.
  • – Quality and durability also mean cost efficiency.

• Easy to use and maintenance-free
  • – Setting up and using the JAK Tree Shear has been made as easy and effortless as possible.
  • – The design-protected structure helps to keep the tree shear clean, and the high-quality raw materials ensure the continuity of the work without additional maintenance breaks.

• Can be equipped according to the purpose of use
  • – There are plenty of different accessories for the JAK Tree Shears from which each user chooses the most suitable entity according to the purpose of use and needs.
  • – Tree shears accessories improve work productivity, diversify the possibilities related to the purpose of use, and make working more comfortable.
  • – Accessories for tree shears can be delivered pre-installed when purchasing a new grapple, but they can also be easily installed afterwards to a tree shear model already in use.

• Design, manufacturing and production in Finland at our own factory
  • – All of our products are manufactured in our own factory in the city of Mänttä.
  • – Our production is based on an operating method that respects people and environmental values.
  • – The actual end users of the industry are also genuinely involved in product development, so that we can make sure that the products work even in challenging conditions.

• Design-protected structure
  • – JAK Tree Shears has protected structures, thanks to which we dare to promise a high-quality product and a long service life.

• CE approved
  • – JAK Tree Shears meet the legal requirements and are safe to use.

JAK Tree Shear makes work more profitable and safer

JAK Tree Shear brings unprecedented efficiency and ease to clearing trees and debris. The tree shear is designed for heavy use and offers versatile features for handling trees. Whether you’re clearing roadsides, power lines, train tracks, field edges, lots or forest and landscape areas, the energy grapple makes clearing work safe and efficient.

Our tree shear is a powerful, fast and very durable tool, the reliability of which is trusted by several industry professionals around the world. With an JAK Tree Shear, wood can be easily and precisely cut at the desired location, after which the wood can be lifted to the desired location for further processing. Due to the design of the tree shear, handling and cutting wood is also excellent on the ground.

The clearing of trees with an tree shear is at its best when you want to thin out wood unsuitable for other uses from the site to be sold, for example, for the needs of power plants. The tree shear is also a great tool, for example, for removing dangerous or old trees from difficult places such as near buildings or parks. The tree shear is also used to clean up fallen trees and other damages caused by various storms or fires.

The tree shear increases the utilization rate of the excavator

There is a huge number of excavators of various sizes, most of which remain unused especially during the winter time. This is a waste of resources, because even if the ground is frozen, an excavator can do more than dig. Excavators are also excellent clearing machines when they are equipped with a high-quality tree shear. And there is plenty of wood to clear.

By purchasing a high-quality and durable tree shear, you can significantly increase the utilization rate of your machine, especially in winter, and through this offer versatile additional services, such as the restoration and taking care of young forests. You can then share the costs of the tree shear evenly with the income from the tree you collect, and at the same time keep the utilization rate of your machine high every day of the year.

The efficiency of felling wood with an tree shear depends above all on the quantity and quality of wood on site, the terrain, the reach and size class of the undercarriage, and the driver’s experience. At best, work productivity can be brought to a really high level, especially if mass collection is used in connection with the tree shear.

The tree shear is also a handy accessory for caring for your own local forest or, for example, for removing problematic or dangerous trees in the neighborhood. So if you already work with machines, the tree shear is a good addition to the different possibilities of the work done with the machine.

How does the tree shear work?

The operation of the tree shear is based on the combined effect of jaws moving with hydraulic pressure and a strong cutting blade, between which the tree trunk is as if squeezed across. The operating principle is clearly different from the typical harvester end of a forest machine, where the wood is transported on rollers through the grapple and sawn to size. These are two different methods and purposes.

In general, the tree shears consists of a few main components, which include, for example, the body of the tree shear, jaws, cutting blade, hydraulics, fasteners and accessories.

The body of the tree shear

The body of the tree shear serves as the basis of the product. The body of the tree shear must be made of extremely strong material, as it receives a large load in the space between the boom and the tree to be cut. For this reason, the design of the frame is based on more than a decade of development and testing work, which combines the optimal shape, weight and, of course, durability of the grip.

The jaws of the tree shear

The jaws of the tree shear are perhaps the most visible parts of the grapple’s moving parts. The function of the jaws is above all to hold onto the wood and press the wood to be cut against the cutting blade. Regarding the jaws, their unfailing grip is of course particularly important, but also a design that enables the tree shear to work easily and smoothly. The jaws of the tree shear are also used for loading wood, which is why the tip of the jaws in particular must be long enough and shaped in the right way in order to obtain a balanced and safe loading grip on the wood.

Cylinders of the tree shear

The cylinders and the related hydraulics act as the tree shears power source, which above all enables the grapple’s squeezing and opening movement. Other functions of the tree shear, such as rotation or the use of various additional devices, can also be connected to the hydraulic operation with the help of various valves.

In its basic principle, hydraulics means power transmission by means of fluid pressure and flow. In work machines, the diesel engine rotates the hydraulic pump, which in turn transfers the force along the pipes and valves to the desired destination. The hydraulic forces can be really high, which is why the tree shear must also be robust in all respects, including the hydraulic cylinders.

The tree shears cutting blade

The cutting blade of the tree shear is the part of the grapple that cuts the tree in the end game. Since when felling an tree, the wood is pressed across against the blade, the blade must also withstand extreme stress. For this reason, the cutting blade of the JAK Tree Shear is designed and shaped in such a way that cutting takes place as effortlessly as possible and that the blade remains usable for as long as possible. The cutting blade can also be removed for maintenance.

In some tree shear models, the function of the cutting blade can also be changed to a separate guillotine or saw unit, which enable felling of trees larger than the energy grapple’s default cutting diameter. With such functions, the tree shear also becomes an even more versatile tool, especially in terms of its loading properties

Coupling of the tree shear

The coupling of the tree shear connect the grapple to the machine. The bracket of the tree shear is attached to the rear part of the grapple, whereby the upper part of the bracket forms the desired grip on the counter part of the machine. The tree shear can therefore be fitted with an excavator bracket according to the customer’s wishes already at the factory.

Common brackets for the tree shears are, for example, MS01, MS03, MS08, MS10, S30, S40, S45, S60, S70, CW30, pin bracket, etc. It is also possible to change the detachable bracket of the tree shear to a different model afterwards. More special coupling solutions can also be implemented for the tree shear according to the user’s machine type and wishes.

Accessories of the tree shear

Accessories of the tree shear improve work productivity, diversify the possibilities related to the purpose of use, and make working more comfortable. There is a demand for various accessories, especially because in different situations and in different countries, the uses and requirements of energy grabs vary a lot. For this reason, the tree shear can be purchased as accessories with desired additional functions that are not necessary for the operation of another user.

Commonly used accessories for tree shears are, for example, collector, rotator, extension boom and quick valve. Accessories for tree shear can be delivered pre-installed when purchasing a new grapple, but they can also be easily installed afterwards to an existing tree shear model. You can find more information about the accessories intended for the JAK Tree Shears on each device’s own sub page.

More information about various tree shear models

Although the operating principle of the tree shear is basically the same, there are plenty of different types and models. JAK-Metalli Oy’s selection includes tree shears for excavators, telehandlers and loaders as well as timber loaders for tractors and forestry machines. All of which are also available in several different sizes depending on the weight of the machine type.

The universal tree shear with its operating principle is a two-jaw model, the efficiency and accuracy of which is emphasized especially in year-round professional use. With two jaws, even cutting power and versatile different working angles are achieved. The loading features of the two-jaw model are also top class. Thanks to the model-protected design, cutting the wood is very easy.

Another typical type of tree shear model is the single-jaw model, where the force is concentrated laterally on the side of one clamping jaw. The single-jaw tree shear is a versatile and slightly more affordable option due to its lightness, and it can be used on a large scale in machines of different sizes. In terms of its cutting power, a single-jaw tree shear reaches almost the level of a double-jaw grapple, so it is also a viable option for more experienced users.

The cutting of wood with an tree shear takes place simultaneously due to the combined effect of the compression of the jaws and the cutting blade. However, there are also different cutting functions, where the wood can be cut even after the actual compression grip. A guillotine unit can be installed in place of the tree shears cutting blade, when used, the grapple’s jaws always close first and the wood is cut with the cutting blades only afterwards. The guillotine function can also be used to increase the cutting diameter of the wood and enhance the grapple’s loading properties.

There are also differences in terms of mounting methods related to chassis machines and in terms of the accessories that can be used. In addition to excavators, various tree shear models are also available for, for example, tractors, wheel loaders and telehandlers.

Uses of the tree shear – What is the tree shear used for?

Most commonly, an tree shear is an additional device for an excavator that is attached to the end of the excavator’s boom with a bracket suitable for the purpose. Tree shear is sometimes also called an energy wood grapple, guillotine grapple, and as the name suggests, it is mainly used for felling and collecting wood from the forest, on the edges of fields and roads, and for removing problem trees near settlements. Tree shears is also used to some extent in the treatment of trees and bushes in parks and other green areas.

An tree shear is used to cut down and collect wood that is usually slightly thinner in trunk thickness, unfit for pulpwood or other further use, and whose main purpose is the production of heat energy. Wood felled with an tree shear can be cut into suitable firewood, which can be used as it is or it can be used to make biomass for pellet stoves or, for example, as a raw material for the production of bio gas. Branches and twigs that have fallen off an  tree are also suitable for the same purpose.

Suitable uses for the tree shear include:

• – Cleaning the edges of roads and fields
• – Clearing land of the power lines
• – Maintenance of the edge of railway tracks
• – Thinning of forest areas
• – Felling problematic or dangerous trees
• – Landscaping work
• – Land clearance
• – Storm damage clearance
• – Restoration of the young forest
• – Landscape thinning

Cut down the problematic or dangerous trees safely with an tree shear

The tree shear is a great tool for cutting down various problematic trees, which can be difficult, dangerous or too expensive to cut down with many other methods. With the tree shear installed on the boom of an excavator or a telehandler you can reach the trunks of trees well even from a little further away. The cutting blade of the tree shear also does not spread into the environment the same kind of mess that is created, for example, by logging with a chainsaw.

A typical problem tree is an old and rotten yard tree, which there is not enough space in the environment to cut down. In this case, you should cut down the tree by chopping it piece by piece, starting from the top. In this way, the tree can be brought into the country without cutting it down causing danger to the environment or people. At the same time, large branches can be cut off and raised to the ground in a controlled manner. With this method, even a large tree can be quickly cut into small pieces without major disturbances or dangerous situations.

Tree shear for damage prevention and control

When clearing storm damage and wildfires, the safety of residents and rescue personnel is the number one priority. With JAK Tree Shear, you cut down fallen trees. The double-jawed high structure holds a full-length tree securely in its firm grip during rescue and demolition work. In this way, the clearing of trees felled by the storm is easy, fast and safe. JAK Tree Shear is suitable for excavators, loaders and telescopic handler as well as lumber loaders of various tractors.

Examples of applications:

• – Wildfire protection zones
• – Investigating storm damage
• – Demolition of wooden buildings

You can clear the protection zones of wildfires effortlessly with the help of the JAK Tree Shear, which in turn prevents the occurrence of major damages. JAK Tree Shear is an economical and safe way to cut trees in the protection zone

Implementation of the tree shear

When using the tree shear, it is important to familiarize yourself with the included instructions. Installation on the chassis machine is easy, as long as you are careful about connecting the fastening and hydraulics correctly. Therefore, make sure that the grapple and all the necessary connections are correctly aligned, the hydraulics are tightly closed, and that the connection between the tree shear and the boom is definitely installed correctly.

When the tree shear is installed on the boom of the excavator, before actual use it is a good idea to test whether the grapple’s functions work as desired. While the chassis machine is running, the jaws of the tree shear can be opened and closed a few times in place to see if the hydraulics are working correctly. After the first tests have been done, it can then be checked whether there are, for example, possible leakage points in the system.

When the initial preparations and the necessary checks and measures have been completed, you can use the tree shear to move on to trying the actual cutting of the tree. You should get used to handling the grapple at first by trying it on easy targets and thin trees. If the pressure remains constant, the cutting force is good and the tree shear works otherwise as it should, the tree shear is ready for actual use.

When you get a feel for handling and the use of the tree shear becomes familiar, you can start to increase the thickness of the wood to be cut. However, it is immediately important to remember that you should not try to cut thicker wood than the stated cutting diameter of the tree shear.

Using the tree shear in different situations

Tree shear can cut reasonably large trees, so when working you must always remember to use common sense, observe safety distances and occupational safety regulations. However, using the tree shear is not difficult in itself if you already master the use of the platform machine in various situations. It is good to always take into account the characteristics of the platform machine, especially when handling heavier trees.

Perhaps the most important point in the correct use of an tree shear is the way the grapple is placed in relation to the tree before the actual cutting. In order to achieve maximum cutting power, the wood should be directed horizontally, preferably directly between the inner base of the grapple and the cutting blade, where cutting by pressing is the easiest and fastest of all.

If there is limited space for cutting wood, a large-sized tree can also be cut in sections conveniently, starting from the top. In the hands of a skillful driver, a piece of suitable size is cut from the standing tree at a time, which is then brought to the ground in a controlled manner. In this way, especially large trees can be felled safely without the fear that the tree will fall on, for example, dwellings or a machine.

The tree trunk can also be pruned easily in a vertical position by moving the tree shear open against the trunk, which will easily break smaller branches. For larger branches, cutting should be done with a grapple. Trees can be cut into shorter pieces also on the ground and loaded into neat piles.

If, for example, a collector is used, it is good to note that you do not try to forcibly cram too much wood into the grapple so that the collector is able to function properly. The use of an tree shear equipped with collector is at its best when you want to clear smaller, densely grown trees and other vegetation from the environment.

Tree shear maintenance and warranty

It is good to monitor the condition and operation of the tree shear regularly. Although a high-quality tree shear lasts a very long time even with heavy use, it should always be cleaned and inspected for possible damage or leaks. As a primary maintenance procedure, regular greasing helps the energy grapple to remain in good condition and reliable for a long time.

When the tree shear is not in use, it should be stored in a dry and sheltered place if possible, so that unnecessary moisture or, for example, direct sunlight cannot make its parts brittle or spoil the appearance of the tree shear. JAK Tree shear are also sought after used and have a good resale value, and for this reason, you should take good care of the tree shear and store it according to common sense principles.

When used correctly, all our tree shears last well and are therefore also popular with professionals. We can proudly give our products a full factory warranty. However, it is important to note that the warranty does not cover breakages or malfunctions caused by misuse or negligence. In problem situations, we help our customers to the best of our ability.

Would you like more information about our tree shears? Feel free to contact us?

If you need more information about a specific tree shear model or accessories, or would like help choosing the most suitable products for you, feel free to contact us. We help you find the solution that best suits your needs.