Clearing 80 acres with a Mastacator

[monkeymonk]

Boy are we tired! Last few days we have been clearing our property with our friends,John deere 160 excavator with a 160hp diesel piggy back motor that powers just the hydraulic Head/brush hog.. did i say 1 machine I meant 2 machines Pic1 and 2.

These machines are used for clearing trees and brush. These guys were already in the area, actually right next to us thinning forest service plantations and when i say these things thin trees I MEAN BUST TREES, these are narly machines when their on you better be far away from the head PIC 3.They take tress/brush and turn them into little pieces

We got about 30 hours of mastacating in and could use about 30 more but thats another time.

This here seems to be the fastest method for clearing brush and trees. Our newest property burned twice in 77 and 1987 (before we owned it)and wasnt replanted so what grew back was Madrones,chinkapin,Oaks,Manzanita,wild cherries,elderberries,some Fir and Pine and LOTs and lots of brush...acres and acres you couldn't even walk the old road let alone drive it. There are a few natural flats/openings. before pic 4 and after pic 5. now we can drive the roads and see the flat areas as well as the hillsides. These machines will crawl up slopes you wouldn't believe..Very steep hills and work like animals. Our biggest hang up was twisting/binding a choker cable around the head......that took some talking to too get it un stuck! more later

 

[EddieWalker]

Sure is an impressive set up!!!

Do you just let the debri rot on the ground? Looks like it would be realy good mulch, but impossible to get grass to grow.

Thanks for the pics,
Eddie

 

[For God and Texas]

Great photos. We are looking at renting a Fecon Bull Hog (Fecon Incorporated - Fecon.com) this fall to do the same thing. Man do they chew it up. The one we are looking at is more the size of a skid steer but will do incredible work.

Good looking property you have.

 

[monkeymonk]

Yo Eddie
Most of the debris will be left on the ground as mulch,to hold the soils down and compost back. Eventually I'll be taking a rake to some ares(tractor) and piling debris to be chipped.Don't really expect grass to grow as the property once was Thick old growth forest, and the area around is heavily forested firs and such.There are several natural meadows on the property and there will be grass around structures someday. It's hard to imagine a healthy mixed forest here,but before the fire thats what it was........one day when Im dead and gone.

some debris are bigger that others,once they get the brush/trees down on the ground they place the head as close to the ground and it turn it into smaller pieces, in turn the root/stumps of the brush are pulverized and have a really hard time growing back at all.