If you're staring down a field full of invasive brush or overgrown cedar, a bobcat tree saw is going to be your new best friend. There's something incredibly satisfying about sitting in a climate-controlled cab while you do the work of ten guys with chainsaws in half the time. It's one of those attachments that makes you wonder why you ever bothered doing things the hard way. Whether you're clearing a fence line, thinning out a woodlot, or just trying to reclaim a pasture that's been lost to scrub, this tool is a massive step up from manual labor.
Why a Saw Beats a Shear Every Time
A lot of people get confused between a tree shear and a bobcat tree saw, but they really aren't the same thing at all. A shear is like a giant pair of scissors; it grabs the tree and crushes through it. That's fine for some stuff, but it's slow. You have to cycle the hydraulics for every single cut.
With a saw, you've got a high-speed disc with carbide teeth that just eats through wood. It's a continuous process. You don't have to stop, squeeze, and release. You just drive up, let the blade do the work, and move on to the next one. Plus, a saw leaves a much cleaner finish. If you're clearing land where people are going to be walking or driving, you don't want those jagged, shattered stumps that a shear leaves behind. The saw cuts them off clean and flush with the ground, which is way easier on your tires later on.
Fixed vs. Rotating Heads
When you start looking at getting a bobcat tree saw, you'll realize there are two main "flavors": fixed and rotating.
Fixed saws are exactly what they sound like. The blade sits horizontally, and it's meant for cutting trees off at the base. These are usually a bit more affordable and have fewer moving parts to break. If you're just clearing flat land and you don't care about anything but getting those trees on the ground, a fixed head is probably all you need.
But then you have the rotating heads. These things are cool. You can tilt the blade 90 degrees or even more depending on the model. This means you can use your bobcat tree saw to limb branches that are hanging over a driveway or reach into tight spots where a flat blade won't fit. It turns your skid steer into a sort of "mechanical arborist." It costs more, sure, but the versatility is hard to beat if you have a lot of vertical work to do.
Safety Isn't Just a Suggestion
Let's be real for a second—you're operating a massive, high-speed spinning blade. It's not something to be casual about. The biggest thing you need to think about, besides the blade itself, is what's falling on you.
If you're using a bobcat tree saw on anything taller than the cab of your machine, you need to make sure your Bobcat is properly armored. I'm talking about a heavy-duty polycarbonate door (Lexan), not just the standard glass. Standard glass will shatter the moment a limb pokes it, and that's a bad day for everyone. Most guys who do this for a living also add some "falling object protection" (FOPS) to the top of the cab.
Also, watch out for the discharge. These saws throw chips and chunks of wood at incredible speeds. You don't want anyone standing within 200 feet of you while that blade is spinning. It's basically a wood-chipper without a guard.
High Flow vs. Standard Flow
Before you go out and buy or rent a bobcat tree saw, you have to check your machine's hydraulic specs. Most high-performance saws require "high flow" hydraulics. If your Bobcat only has standard flow, the saw might spin, but it won't have the torque needed to cut through anything substantial without stalling out.
It's a common mistake. People see a great deal on a saw attachment, get it home, and realize their machine can't push enough oil to make it useful. Check your GPM (gallons per minute) and make sure it matches the requirements of the saw. A saw that's starved for oil is just a giant, expensive paperweight.
Keeping the Teeth Sharp
You wouldn't use a dull kitchen knife to cut a steak, so don't try to clear an acre of oak with dull teeth. The teeth on a bobcat tree saw are usually made of carbide, which is incredibly tough, but they aren't invincible.
If you hit a rock or a piece of old T-post hidden in a tree, you're going to chip a tooth. The good news is that most of these saws use bolt-on teeth. You don't have to replace the whole blade; you just swap out the damaged teeth. It's a good idea to keep a handful of spares in the cab or the truck.
Pro tip: Take five minutes every couple of hours to just look at the blade. If the teeth look rounded off or if you notice the saw is taking longer to get through a trunk than it was this morning, it's time to rotate or replace them. Sharp teeth mean less strain on your hydraulics and faster work for you.
The "Flush Cut" Advantage
One of the best things about using a bobcat tree saw is the ability to get a truly flush cut. If you're careful, you can get the blade right down to the dirt—sometimes even a little bit below the surface.
This is huge if you're planning on mowing the area later. There is nothing worse than hitting a three-inch stump with a brush hog and shearing a pin or ruining a blade. With the saw, you can "shave" the stump until it's gone. It's much faster than grinding stumps later, and it keeps the landscape looking clean right from the start.
Renting vs. Buying
If you've only got a weekend's worth of work, renting a bobcat tree saw is a no-brainer. They aren't cheap attachments, and they take up a fair amount of room in the shop. Most rental yards will have a few different styles, and they'll usually make sure the teeth are fresh before you take it out.
However, if you own a lot of land or you're starting a land-clearing business, buying one is a solid investment. These things hold their value pretty well. Since they are built out of heavy steel and high-grade hydraulics, they can take a beating and keep on ticking for years if you grease them and keep the oil clean.
A Few Final Tips for the Field
When you're actually out there in the dirt, don't try to rush it. Let the RPMs stay high. If you hear the engine start to bog down, back off a little and let the blade speed recover. It's the speed of the blade that does the cutting, not the force of the machine pushing into the tree.
Also, pay attention to the wind. If you're cutting a tall tree and the wind is blowing toward your machine, that tree is coming at you. Even with a protected cab, you don't want a 30-foot cedar landing on your hood. Always try to cut so the tree falls away from you or to the side.
Using a bobcat tree saw really does turn a grueling, week-long project into a fun Saturday afternoon. Just keep your eyes open, your teeth sharp, and your hydraulic fluid topped off, and you'll be amazed at how much land you can clear. It's a beast of a tool that honestly makes the job feel a lot less like work.