The War on cedar trees has begun.

   / The War on cedar trees has begun. #1  

sparkkky

Gold Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2004
Messages
298
Location
Oklahoma
Tractor
Kubota B21
Got a good start on our war with the cedar tree's. We have thousands that must be cut by hand because of the steep slopes and amount of them.

We would cut the outer tree's at the top and I would drag them out with the Kubota B21. Some of them are sixty to eighty foot tall with bases between twelve to twenty inches across.

Skidding the trees whole is different than a hardwood with limbs removed. Bet my B21 looked really funny dragging tree's ten times larger or more.

Was it a mistake to tie them to the hooks on my FEL, where should I tie up? liked dragging backwards because its easier to see what I am doing.
 
   / The War on cedar trees has begun. #2  
with that many trees, why not sell them to a logging company and let them do the work and you collect the money? Cutting trees can be very dangerous work if you don't know what you are doing, and you only get one chance if something drastically goes wrong. I have read about too many amateur's cutting trees that are now employed as harp players with wing......
 
   / The War on cedar trees has begun. #3  
I agree with junkman:

cedar is verry expensive wood to buy should be very marketable in those sizes!

MarkM /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
   / The War on cedar trees has begun. #4  
One of the things I really like about cedar trees is the ease they fall over. Nothing else pops out of the ground as easy as a cedar tree, root and all.

I'm saving my cedars for posts. After they are down, I delimb them and drag to pile for future use.
 
   / The War on cedar trees has begun.
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Well, I am not new to cutting tree's but thanks for the worrying!

Can't find anybody that wants them, even for free. Going to keep and stack some of the big ones, burning the rest.

What about dragging with my FEL, is that a bad thing?
 
   / The War on cedar trees has begun. #6  
Have you tried contacting anyone on the state level? I know that in some states, they have contacts with the paper pulp industry and other users of wood pulp. Sometimes they can put you in contact with the right people. It might be a case of your not knocking on the right doors..
 
   / The War on cedar trees has begun. #7  
I just cleared three acres of mostly cedar trees. They were a little larger than the ones you mention. I skidded many of them with my fel. Use the proper caution though. Keep the bucket low and go slow. BTW in Wash. those trees go for alot of money. We made a tidy profit out of ours.
 
   / The War on cedar trees has begun. #8  
Hi Sparkkky,
Man I know what you are going through. I just got my TN65 and working to get a grapple to help me with about 10 acres of Cedars. I bought my Homeplace from my parents. The last 8-10 years my Grandparents got sick and my Dad moved all cattle to their farm to take care of and have them in one spot. Well about 10 acres of the 30 Grew Up with Cedars adn they average 15-20 ft high. SO my wife and I have been cutting a Full Tank of Chainsaw Gas every other evening or so. All the neighbors have stopped by and commented on "How Good" it looks, but No One has offered to help! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif They do cut easy enough. I am cutting themoff at ground level. Chainsaw Chain is holding up very well!

SO, the TN65 with FEL and I am going to add a Grapple soon for the Bucket, watching Pineridge and some others with their Grapples. I figure it will take several nights/evenings, just gets so dark so early right now.

Good Luck with getting them cut. I need to post some pictures of my work! You have got me to thinking about it.
 
   / The War on cedar trees has begun. #9  
Love to see some pictures. Do not give up sellling those logs. Here in Iowa the size you are talking are worth a great deal of money. Do a search for saw mills and send a picture of the pile of logs you have. I believe you can make this pay. My tree project is about 60 acres of hedge trees. I started cutting them last summer and did find a guy to purchase some saw logs out of what I have taken down. Good luck, be careful and have fun!
 
   / The War on cedar trees has begun.
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Thanks, guys I finally found a buyer. Now I am thinking about going ahead and buying a Tajfun skidding winch so I don't tear up me or my tractor.
 
 
Top