by Nick Drew | Thu 08 Oct 2015
Ollie gets to grips with new SMP tree shear
I'm back off my holidays with a report on well known rubber duck owner/operator and great supporter of the Digger Man Blog Ollie Kitchin, who has recently taken delivery of his new SMP tree shear which he completed a deal on at Plantworx earlier this year and has sent in some photos to share with the readers.
The SMP tree shear was purchased in a deal from new SMP UK dealers QCE (Quality Construction Equipment) with SMP and Engcon working together to offer Ollie the perfect solution to fit his existing Engcon top, something that impressed Ollie who commented, “How many companies would do that over here?”
Ollie has staged a few demonstrations of the new tree shear in action so site management and operatives can see first-hand what the attachment is capable of. Early reports suggest that they were very impressed with the whole concept, especially the idea that Ollie can grab hold of the tree to be cut with the integral gripper grab on his Engcon before cutting the limb, making the whole procedure a safe and secure one man & machine task.
The fact that Ollie can securely hold the tree’s to be cut on a batter along the roadside also means no labour have to be involved working on often steep inclines with chain saws which can be hazardous in itself.
During the demonstrations Ollie was using 8" limbs that had been previously cut by tree surgeons. The shears are in fact able to cope with trees as wide as 10” in diameter if required. The attachment will be assessed for safety on the site and is expected to be given the green light, enabling Ollie to offer this latest attachment in his arsenal to his customers.
The combination of tree shear under a tilt-rotator enables the operator the flexibility to gain all sorts of angles when de-limbing a tree and cutting down the main trunk. Another nice touch is the addition of two prongs on the rear of the unit which facilitate the “grubbing” out of roots too.
It’s clear to see that this new attachment is going to be a very popular addition for Ollie, a man who has always had an eye on staying ahead of the competition with his Scandinavian inspired approach to excavator work and tools.