It has finally begun...

[schoolsout]

Will add more as it progresses. So far, it's just a bunch of trees/limbs on the ground starting to form in piles. I'm starting to think that we should burn the big trees off and let the smaller limbs rot away. Still not sure what to do about the stumps. I want them out, but have been reading that having a dozer come in can strip soil. Soil out there isn't all that great and the more organic matter I can get into it, the better it will be...or so I think.

 

[schoolsout]

Went back out to property Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was the perfect weather and we decided to start burning. Overcast and a good breeze, but it had rained a good bit the prior week so we lit some piles and once the straw on the ground dried up a bit more, lit it, too. Went back Sunday and burned some more. Ground was still somewhat moist, but worked against the wind hoping to have a slow burn to take care of some of the limbs. Burned well where the piles of pine limbs/pine needles were, but not so much in other areas.

 

[deezler]

Nice progress. Quite the clearing you have now!

That Rhino looks mean. How does it do with a full trailer of wood?

 

[schoolsout]

Nice progress. Quite the clearing you have now!

That Rhino looks mean. How does it do with a full trailer of wood?

Thanks!

I think the Rhino (450) is rated to tow about 1,500 lbs or so, but I've had much more on the back and have never encountered a problem. I put it in low and just go at a reasonable rate of speed. It used to be at my parents' house and pops would sometimes use it to trailer his 17' Montauk (17' center console boat) down to the neighborhood ramp ~1 miles down the road. I'd probably say the boat/trailer weighed about 3k lbs. max.

Those are also 27" tires on it so that probably affects bottom end a little bit as well, but I've never really felt I needed more power (even though I'd gladly welcome it )

 

[IronHog]

You NEED a rachet rake.



You can windrow all that slash and cut your handwork by 95%.

 

[schoolsout]

You NEED a rachet rake.



You can windrow all that slash and cut your handwork by 95%.

I think one of those is in the very near future.

Will they attach to a WR Long 4n1 just as easily as the reg buckets?

 

[IronHog]

I think one of those is in the very near future.

Will they attach to a WR Long 4n1 just as easily as the reg buckets?

Not sure why it wouldn't go on as long as the rake fits over the cutting edge of the bucket....... just don't open the bucket with the staps in place.


I clean up slash behind logging jobs all the time...... the rachet rake will make short work of your job once you get the hang of it...... and you'll be able to get taller piles which will burn the slash much better (keep the straps out of the fire). You can use a old box blade on the back of the tractor to keep the piles pushed up and burning good.

A grapple might be better..... but they are expensive and I use the bucket a great deal too.

 

[schoolsout]

Thanks

The cutting edge of bucket isn't that thick, but it does get thicker just behind the edge, I believe.

 

[schoolsout]

Met with the guy that will be prepping the area for the pole shed today. Asked him about getting the stumps out the small field (the one we've been working on) while he was out there and gave us a price of $2k to get stumps out of pole shed site, bring in 4 loads of dirt and get most of the stumps out of the field. Will have a dozer and track hoe out there.

I'm getting a bit more excited now. May have a "field" before the end of year and can really start playing around with it.

 

[schoolsout]

Saw where TSC carries the Ratchet Rake so will probably pick it up in the near future.

Dozer and trackhoe are out there today (of course Beryl is about to dump up to 7" of rain in the area) so we'll see what all gets accomplished today.

Pops decided he doesn't want to live with any second guessing so the guy who built his house is building the shed. Will only do the 24' x 40' part right now (freaking $15k) and add lean tos later as time/money allows.