Tree Shear

Superior Cutting Power

• Superior cutting power due to the force of two hydraulic cylinders.
• The specified cutting diameter is measured at the base of a birch tree, using only the compression force of the tree shear.

Excellent Tree Centering

• The tree remains securely gripped by the shear, preventing it from tilting or coming loose.
• This ensures safe and secure tree handling.

Removable Cutting Blade

• The blade material is Hardox® steel, known for its flexibility, hardness, and long-lasting sharpness.
• By removing the blade, the shear can also be used for loading.

Precise & Fast

• The two-cylinder system allows for easy and quick handling.
• The precision of the tree shear enables easy felling of smaller trees.

Easy to Use and Maintenance-Free

• Our products are designed for easy and effortless use.
• The patented design helps keep the shear clean, and high-quality materials ensure continuous operation without unnecessary maintenance interruptions.

Adaptable for Different Uses

• JAK Tree Shears come with a variety of accessories that each user can choose from based on their specific needs and purposes.
• The accessories enhance productivity, diversify usage possibilities, and make the work more comfortable.
• Accessories can be delivered pre-installed with a new tree shear or easily installed later on existing models.

Designed, Manufactured, and Produced in Finland at Our Own Factory

• Our products are manufactured in Mänttä at our own factory.
• End-users are genuinely involved in product development to ensure functionality in challenging conditions.

Patented Design

• Our products feature patented structures, allowing us to promise a high-quality product with a long lifespan.

CE-Certified

• Our products meet legal requirements and are safe to use.

The JAK Tree Shear brings unprecedented efficiency and ease to clearing trees and brush. Designed for heavy use, it offers versatile features for tree handling. Whether clearing roadsides, power lines, railway tracks, field edges, properties, or forest and landscape areas, our products makes clearing work safe and efficient.

Our products are powerful, fast, and extremely durable tools trusted by professionals worldwide. They allow for easy and precise cutting of trees at the desired spot, after which the tree can be lifted to the desired location for further processing. The design enables excellent handling and cutting of trees even on the ground.

Tree clearing with a tree shear is particularly effective when thinning trees unsuitable for other uses to be sold, for example, to energy plants. It is also an excellent tool for removing problem trees from difficult locations such as near buildings or parks. It is also used to clean up damage caused by storms or fires.

Finland has many excavators of various sizes, most of which remain unused during the winter. This is a waste of resources, as even if the ground is frozen, an excavator can do more than just dig. Excavators make excellent clearing machines when equipped with a high-quality tree shear, and there is plenty of energy wood in Finland.

By purchasing a high-quality and durable tree shear, you can significantly increase your machine’s utilization rate, especially in winter, and thus offer versatile additional services, such as young forest maintenance, to new customer groups. You can then share the cost of it evenly with the income from energy wood while keeping your machine’s utilization rate high year-round.

The efficiency of tree felling with a tree shear depends primarily on the number and quality of trees on site, the terrain, the reach and size of the base machine, and the operator’s experience. At its best, productivity can be very high, especially if a bunching grapple is used with the tree shear.

The tree shear is also a handy tool for managing your nearby forest or removing problem trees in the neighbourhood. If you already work with machines, our products are a great addition to the different work possibilities your machine can offer.

More information on different tree shear models

Although the basic principle of the tree shear is fundamentally the same, there are many different types and models available. JAK-Metalli Oy offers tree shears for excavators, telehandlers, and loaders, as well as timber cranes for tractors and forest machines, all available in various sizes based on the machine’s weight.

The most common tree shear is the two-jaw model, whose efficiency and precision are especially highlighted in year-round professional use. The two jaws provide consistent cutting power and versatile working angles. The loading capabilities of the two-jaw model are also top-notch. The patented design makes tree cutting extremely easy.

Another typical tree shear type is the single-jaw model, where the force is concentrated laterally on one gripping jaw. The single-jaw tree shear is a versatile and slightly more affordable option due to its lighter weight, and it can be used in a wide range of machines of different sizes. In terms of cutting power, the single-jaw is nearly on par with the two-jaw shear, making it a viable option even for more experienced users.

Tree cutting with a tree shear occurs simultaneously through the pressure of the jaws and the cutting blade. However, there are different cutting functions where tree cutting can also occur after the main grip. A guillotine unit can be installed in place of the cutting blade, allowing the jaws to close first, followed by tree cutting with cutting blades. The guillotine function can also increase the cutting diameter and enhance the shear’s loading capabilities.

Use cases for JAK products

Most commonly, a tree shear is an attachment for an excavator, mounted to the end of the excavator’s arm with a suitable connector. Sometimes called a tree grapple or guillotine shear, it is primarily used for cutting and collecting energy wood from forests, field and roadside edges, and removing problem trees near inhabited areas. Tree shears are also used to some extent in the maintenance of park and green areas.

The tree shear is generally used to cut and collect thinner trees, not suitable for pulpwood or other uses, which are mainly intended for thermal energy production. Energy wood cut with the tree shear can be chopped into suitable firewood, used as-is, or processed into biomass for pellet stoves or as raw material for biogas production. Branches and brush detached during energy wood cutting are also suitable for these purposes.

Suitable use cases for the tree shear include:

• Cleaning roadside and field edges
• Clearing power lines
• Maintaining railway surroundings
• Thinning forest areas
• Cutting problem trees
• Landscaping
• Clearing building plots
• Cleaning storm damage
• Young forest management
• Landscape thinning

The tree shear is an excellent tool for cutting various problem trees that are difficult, dangerous, or too expensive to cut by other means. Mounted on the boom of an excavator or telehandler, the tree shear can effectively grip tree trunks even from a distance, if necessary, avoiding bushes or other plantings in the environment. The cutting blade of the tree shear does not spread sawdust around like a chainsaw would.

A typical problem tree is an old, rotten yard tree, where there is not enough space for traditional felling. In such cases, the tree should be cut piece by piece from the top down. This allows the tree to be brought down without posing a risk to the surroundings or people. Large branches can also be cut and lowered to the ground in a controlled manner. This method allows even large trees to be quickly cut into small pieces without significant disturbance or safety issues.

The cut trunks can also be loaded at the same time onto a trailer, for example, or chopped into suitable lengths for firewood. Thus, it is not advisable to use a chainsaw to cut completely rotten or otherwise problematic trees. Tree felling with a tree shear is controlled and safe.

Safety of residents and rescue personnel is paramount when clearing storm damage and wildfires. The JAK Tree Shear cuts fallen trees. Its high, two-jawed structure keeps a full-length tree securely in its grip during rescue and demolition work. This makes clearing storm-felled trees easy, quick, and safe. The JAK Tree Shear is suitable for excavators, loaders, and telehandlers, as well as timber cranes on various tractors.

Examples of use cases:

• Creating firebreaks
• Clearing storm damage
• Demolishing wooden structures

Easily clear firebreaks for forest fires with the JAK Tree Shear, which helps prevent major disasters. The JAK Tree Shear is an economical and safe way to cut trees on firebreaks.

When using the tree shear, it is important to familiarize yourself with the accompanying instructions. Installing it onto the base machine is easy, provided the attachment and hydraulics are correctly connected. Ensure that the shear and all necessary connections are properly aligned, the hydraulics are tightly sealed, and the attachment between the shear and the boom is correctly installed.

Once the tree shear is mounted on the excavator boom, test its functions before actual use. With the base machine running, open and close the jaws of the tree shear a few times to ensure the hydraulics are working correctly. After the initial tests, check for any potential leakage points in the system.

After completing the initial preparations and necessary checks, proceed to test the actual tree cutting. Start by using the tree shear on easier targets and thinner trees to get accustomed to its handling. If the pressure remains steady, cutting power is good, and the shear functions as expected, it is ready for actual use.

As you become familiar with handling the tree shear, you can start cutting thicker trees. However, it is crucial not to attempt cutting trees thicker than the specified cutting diameter for the tree shear.

The tree shear can cut reasonably large trees, so always use common sense, maintain safety distances, and follow safety regulations. Using the tree shear is not difficult if you are already skilled in operating the base machine in different situations. Always consider the base machine’s capabilities, especially when handling heavier trees.

A key aspect of correctly using the tree shear is how it is positioned relative to the tree before cutting. For maximum cutting efficiency, guide the tree horizontally between the shear’s jaws and cutting blade. This way, cutting occurs most easily and quickly.

If space is limited for tree felling, large trees can be cut in sections from the top down. In the hands of a skilled operator, sections of the standing tree can be cut and lowered to the ground in a controlled manner, ensuring safety.

Tree trunks can also be easily trimmed while standing by running the open shear along the trunk, which easily breaks smaller branches. For larger branches, use the shear’s cutting function. Trees can be cut into shorter pieces on the ground and neatly stacked.

When using a bunching grapple with the tree shear, do not overfill the shear with too much wood, ensuring the bunching grapple functions correctly. The tree shear with a bunching grapple is best for clearing dense, small trees and other vegetation.

Regularly monitor the condition and operation of the tree shear. Even though a high-quality tree shear endures long-term heavy use, it should always be cleaned and checked for potential damage or leaks. Regular greasing helps keep it in good condition and reliable for a long time.

When not in use, store the tree shear in a dry, sheltered place to avoid unnecessary moisture or direct sunlight that could deteriorate its parts or appearance. Our products are also desirable used and have good resale value, so it is worth taking good care of it and storing it properly.

All our tree shears are designed to last when used correctly, making them popular among professionals. We proudly offer a full 24-month factory warranty on our products. However, the warranty does not cover damage or malfunctions due to misuse or neglect. In case of issues, we assist our customers to the best of our ability.

The tree shear operates through the combined action of hydraulic pressure-driven jaws and a robust cutting blade that compresses and cuts the tree trunk placed between them. This principle differs from typical forestry harvester heads, where the tree is transported through the shear with rollers and cut to length. These are two different methods and purposes.

• Frame: The tree shear’s frame serves as the foundation. It must be extremely durable to withstand the high stress between the boom and the tree being cut. The design is based on over a decade of development and testing, combining optimal shape, weight, and durability.
• Jaws: The jaws are the most visible moving parts of the shear, designed to grip the tree and press it against the cutting blade. The jaws’ design ensures a firm grip and easy, smooth operation, essential for safe and balanced tree handling.

• Cylinders: The hydraulic cylinders and related hydraulics power the shear, enabling the opening and closing movement. The hydraulic system can also include additional functions like rotating or using different accessories.
• Cutting Blade: The cutting blade is the part that ultimately cuts the tree. It must endure extreme stress, and JAK Tree Shear blades are designed for effortless cutting and long-lasting sharpness. The cutting blade can also be removed for maintenance.