TLB capabilities

   / TLB capabilities #1  

finspop

Silver Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2007
Messages
108
Hi,

question for all you TLB operators: I am clearing about 5 acres of thick forest. It's mostly 8-12" poplar and birch, with some larger fir/spruce/hemlock. Any experience with the stumping capabilities of L39/48 machines, or similar from other manufacturers? I have been considering the purchase of a construction size loader/hoe, or a smaller excavator, but also like the idea of having only one machine (I currently own a Ford 2120 and yes, I could put a hoe on it, but I like the idea of a machine that has an integrated hoe). If I got a TLB, I could sell the 2120 and use the TLB for other farm tasks. If I buy a construction hoe or excavator, I'd need to keep the 2120. But I'm worried that a smaller TLB will be too slow for the amount of work I need to do (100's of stumps)

Any thoughts much appreciated.
 
   / TLB capabilities #2  
There are very few tractors to compare in this class. Its bascily the Deere 110, or the Kubota L39/L48/M59. Thats it. The Kubota backhoe has some serious advantages over the Deere for what your doing. The L39 and above all drive the hoe with two pumps, one for each stick. Deere only uses 1. That way you get full flow when doing things like swinging and curling. You'll be very productive with any one of these machines. A compact excavator would be faster, but less versitle.
 
   / TLB capabilities #3  
Depending where you are you can get either a dozer to clear it or a mulcher. Price for 5 acres is in all likelyhood going to be under $5000. I just had a dozer clear slightly smaller poplar and in 2 10 hour days, he cleared about 3.5 acres. Of that 20 hours, he spend 4-6 working on the forest road to the property. Depending on your area and the machine size, a dozer is 100-175 an hour.

Mulching would be a better solution than dozing for a lot of reasons. If you want more info on it, post a Q in the construction forum, lots of mulchers there.

If you are really set on getting more equipment (nothing wrong with that!), I would get the largest construction hoe you can afford. A case 580, ford 550, 650, 750 or similar. "Thick forest" will have thousands of trees per acre. A small CUT or UT size machine will take several to many minutes per stump. A construction machine will do it in one swipe. Also, you will NEED a hydraulic thumb to grab and position the tree / stump. Heck, if you can find a crawler loader / hoe that would be even better. Around here they can often be found for less than a TLB.

jb
 
   / TLB capabilities #4  
How is the forestry industry in your area?

We have 40 acres in northern MN and the cabin site was way over crowded. We called around and found that a couple of the loggers up there would PAY US for the opportunity to do the work provided he got to keep the timber.

Well we didn't need the fire wood, and if we did need wood, there was plenty to be had outside the cabin site to choose from. So it was a no brainer.
 
 
Top