As bored as me? Let's have a little fun. How would you tackle this scenario???

[Piston]

I've started a couple of threads for 'how to' of clearing my land, but it never hurts to start another right? I'm interested in some more ideas from you guys.

This thread is more for fun, and sort of an exercise to see different ways to do things, or different opinions on the best ways to get it done, as well as provide entertainment, anything goes.

I'm interested to see how you guys would tackle a project I have coming up. I have 2 weeks until I start and a bunch of "sitting in front of a computer" between now and then, so this will keep me entertained :laughing:

I don't need to finish it in 5 days, but I have 5 days to work on it, so whatever I get done is a bonus, I have all summer and fall to finish.

I'll give a scenerio, along with pics, and I would like to hear your ideas on how you would best approach the job.

You own 31 acres of mixed hardwoods. There is a transition zone from an all pine site, to a mixed hardwoods site. A nice stone wall separates the two zones. The site is gently sloping 5-10% grade or so.
There aren't many neighbors and your house lot is about 600-700' into the woods. (Don't worry about the driveway, there is a whole nother thread on that:laughing
You want to build a house right in this 'transition zone' and have a 2 acre 'spot' picked out.
You don't have a lot of expendable income because you have a baby on the way :laughing::laughing: (Okay, that might be more specific to my situation:laughing

The equipment you have available (I.E. already own) is as follows:
A full size backhoe (John Deere 410)
A 45hp tractor with FEL
A FEL grapple
Heavy duty box blade with hyd scarifiers
Top N Tilt
Landscape rake with gauge wheels
Ratchet Rake

Also assorted hand tools, chainsaws, polesaw, brushcutter (weedwacker syle) etc.

You have one helper who is very good at running equipment.

You'll be clearing your land for a house lot. Use whatever landscape scenerio you would prefer, whether it is a barely cleared site because you like the 'forest' look, or a totally open site with manicured lawn, whatever you personally prefer.
How would you go about clearing the land?

How would you choose which trees to take/leave?

How would you use the equipment I listed to achieve your results?

What would you hire out to get done, and what would you do yourself?

I have my ideas in my head but it's good to get other people's perspective as well. If history repeats itself, I will learn a great deal from you guys and will realize I didn't think of many things, that you will have brought up.

Sooooo,
What's YOUR plan?

EDIT: If you could add one more implement to what I've listed to help out, what would it be and why?

(Pics to follow)

 

[Piston]

Here are some pics, this is an example of the trees you will be taking down.

(More next post)

 

[Piston]

Some more pics....

 

[Dingo Man]

Well I don't know about the entire game plan, but do you have any wood there that would be appealing to a saw mill. You mentioned having a bit of a budget issue. I would think if you could locate a local that has a portable saw mill you may be able to make a little money. Only other thing is the older white pines drop alot of branches and create a mess so I would drop any larger pines around where I would be building.

 

[retiredmgn]

awghvdgas

 

[TRR]

I'd mark the trees I want to keep then cut the rest for either a sawmill, firewood, fence poles, etc. Then I'd get a stump grinder and grind the stumps or possibly a mulcher to grind the stumps.

 

[LeadPoison]

Step One: Figure out exactly where you want the house. Mark it off with some flags, tape, etc.. Include your "yard area."

Step Two: Figure out the road way in/out and flag, tape it, etc...

Step 3: Use a chain saw and drop every tree too big to be bulldozed in the zoned areas.

Step 4: Drop every tree that is too big to be bulldozed that has the potential to fall on the house. Even if it's a healthy tree. It's cheap insurance.

Step 5: Drop every unhealthy tree that could fall across the road.

Step 6: Hire a dozer and clean it out. Wayyyyyyy faster. Have him de-stump what he can and use the backhoe to give him a hand if necessary.

Worry about the lawn later after construction of the house.

 

[scoutcub]

I'd mark out where the house/yard/road/landscaping/well/septic, etc. will be. Then mark trees I wanted to take/keep. Think about it long and hard.....where does the sun rise/set....dominant direction of the wind.....views....tops of trees versus impacting the roof...etc.

I would jump on the 410 and start digging out the root of the tree, and push it over with either hoe or bucket. Hoe is quicker, but easier to slip off the tree, more dangerous. I've also dug around some roots, and left...after a good windstorm they will drop. Little more risk there, needs to be managed properly.
Cutting trees and dealing with stumps.....been there, done that, hated it. Dozers are terrible for removing stumps. On a good sized tree, your 410 will take quite awhile on a stump. I have a CAT 312 and some stumps have taken me several hours to pop. Grapple the logs in a pile, grapple the stumps for burning or burying. If burying, find a spot out of the way as it will settle with decomposition.
Sounds like you have the time and equipment, I would save the $$ and do it yourself.
Good luck!!

 

[buck12]

Not sure exactly how to go about it as that will be dictated by time and money. If it were my home site I would remove every pine that would be near my house and yard. I had pines at my last house and hated them.

 

[schmism]

your going to have to spend money on outside work. (least a smart person is)

very first thing.

1) Survey. Pay for a proper topo survey of the area in question. you want to know grades, how much dirt to move, were waters moving etc.

Once you have your survey you can lay out your house, driveway etc on paper and block it out with stakes and flags in the field to verify design.

Once ive considered wind direction, what areas get sun, what areas stay wet, what areas drift with snow, i start marking trees to take out.

With your full size backhoe you should be able to drop a decent size tree. (check out letsdig18 youtube channel on how he drops pines with his trackhoe) but make no mistake, your backhoe (even full size) is still a poor excuse compared to a 25,000 lb excavator.

after ive marked the trees, id hire out an excavator to drop the trees by digging stumps. he could clear in hrs what would take you days on your backhoe. at $4 a gall for fuel , you may quickly find it was cheeper to hire it out for 8 hrs vs spending days doing it yourself.

After he drops the trees its up to you to to buck them to log length skid them out and bring in a portable sawmill to turn them in to lumber. saw on shares keeping half of the lumber for your new pole barn, the sawer gets the other half as payment, your out no money for that job.

dig a hole and burry the stumps or burn them with the tops in a pit.

after the site is clean, you bring in the construction equip to start building the house.