Brutus is unleashed

[Richard]

Well, I now have 2 days (about 4 hours total) of experience on the mighty JCB backhoe /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. Though there are a number of items we are looking to do, I can obviously only do one at a time. Soooo, I have started to clear some of the trees off my land. I only have about (guessing) 50 trees or so that I want to come down. Many of them are 4-inch pine trees up to maybe 18-inch diameter pines. I am also taking out the cedar.

So far I have been able to push over the trees I have approached. Since the house is in the middle of the lot with hills to consider, I have to be very careful not to OOPS and push one the wrong way. As such, I have to drive this behemoth of a machine backwards into the woods, wedging it between some trees so I can get one in the front sights and push it AWAY from the house. So far, piece of cake. The 5 trees I pushed over last night and then dragged into field took maybe 90 minutes or so. Yard is scratched up a bit, but nothing like I would anticipate a dozer to do. I haven’t approached the BIG trees yet, probably 8 to 10 inches diameter the current max. On the trees that are large, I doubt this thing will push them over /w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif, so I might take the chain saw and cut my wedge to fall away from house, then instead of making the felling cut, bring out Brutus and THEN “simply” push it over /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif. Followed up by digging out the remaining stump. Once I clear up/out the trees, I can try to bring this thing in closer to the back patio that we are trying to grade down. Of course, my better half wants the patio done NOW and the trees I can do later. She doesn’t seem to sense that this thing won’t physically FIT in the area (with the trees/hills complicating the issue) so I just go on my merry way /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif.

This has been an interesting experience so far, must say, I DO enjoy it. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Since this thing needs a new paint job, would anyone get mad at me if I painted it Kubota orange and put “L-99” stickers on it and sent a photo to Del??? /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[glennmac]

Richard, for us compact tykes, what is a JCB. How big, heavy, and how much horse?

Glenn

 

[Richard]

Glenn

How big? BIG, How heavy? HEAVY, Horses? YES!!

Seriously, I am such a novice, I don't know if I can honestly answer the above. It's a full sized loader/backhoe like the Ford/Case/New Holland that you sometimes see driving down the road. This one is 2 wheel drive, has a cab though the front, side (large) and 2 side (small) windows have been broken out and the paint job is currently "fugly". It's some kind of hydro trans. There is a stalk where the "GST" type forward/reverse lever is though this one is electronic. Simple forward/reverse "click" and that's it...REAL easy. I suspect from some of the initial reading I've done this thing weighs 8,000 lbs though I don't know if that is this type unit or a 4wd. Horses is I think 80 or so...again, I'm not sure, haven't read ANY stuff on "this" unit. Only read info on units that are newer and since I don't understand the modeling nomenclature they use, I could be looking at brochure for larger (or smaller) machine.

That said, this thing has simply pushed these trees over, took some patience while tree bent some but no problem on the 8 to 10 inch healthy pines. I went through the woods with the 8 foot (I'm told roughly 1,500 pound) bucket raised and pushed a swath through little sapplings like they were pixie sticks. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

When the septic field was installed they just dozed a section maybe 75 feet by 100 give or take and just HEAPED the fallen trees down a 100 foot pile. I spent MONTHS and MONTHS with trusty Husqvarna in hand and piece by piece cut, disassembled and burnt the ENTIRE pile. I couln't just torch it as was because it was way too close to house. I am SO glad now to have some hydraulic power to help. If my darling would have listened to me a couple of YEARS ago, my 'Bota could be paid for by now. As is, my scheme is to use this Beast, knock out the heavy work, sell it THEN try to get a 'bota to "maintain". If that comes to pass, I think I can pass off L4610 (with goodies) as an "adequate" machine to use. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Thomas]

Richard,
By the sounds your having way to much fun. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Is your JCB 4 wheel drive?
Have you try useing the backhoe to push and guide the tree to the ground?

Have fun and be careful.

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Richard]

Thomas, I AM /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif having too much fun.

2-wheel drive, bummer, got in tight spot in woods last night and wheels just spun in a certain area with some roots. Had to immediately learn how to gas in reverse, while simultaneously rolling the bucket backward to push while simultaneously using brake to hold machine from rolling forward while reloading bucket for next push backward.....whew...(I was SOOOOO happy I was out of sight from house...I would nave NEVER lived that one down)

To be even MORE honest (and please tell me if this was stupid) I even successfully reached the hoe straight out backwards, while I was stuck on a very mild downhill slope with hoe on uphill side, and hooked bucket on back side of BIG tree and while in reverse, flexed the hoe and used it to help get me over the slippery spot I was stuck on. Once I was out of the slippery area, I immediately folded the hoe up.

I also discovered (kinda by accident) that I could scoop a tree up by "pinching" it with the hoe bucket folded up and carry the tree some. Obviously, the downside is the tree becomes perpendicular to machine and calls for WIDE path. As I'm taking these to field to burn, I'm think I can pull that off adequately. Saturday I intend on getting up early and actually trying to put some bonafide hours in, clearing these trees instead of rushing home after work, eating dinner, changing, kissing the wife, kicking the dog (kidding about the dog /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif) and rushing out to do something before it becomes to dark.


Gotta say, one of the MAIN thoughts through my mind as I was in woods doing the polka dance with bucket/brakes/reverse was..."Is what I'm doing safe...am I doing ANYTHING stupid that can get me hurt"

It isn't "primarily", but actually EXCLUSIVELY because of this board that this type of thinking has been instilled (partially anyway) in me. Having read what I've read I now at least try to think and forsee items of danger where before I would have ignorantly just charged ahead.

For that awakening to potentials of danger, I'm grateful to you and **ALL** the others.

/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Thomas]

Richard,
Nobody likes to get there reactor stuck,/w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif and by useing the hoe to get out of a pinch..well I know I would have,also useing common sence at the same time./w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif
You are just learning as you go..so keep going and be careful.

Don't work to hard this weekend. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Kubota-monkey]

8000 lbs??? only 2000 more than my L35?

 

[Richard]

Sorry, that 8000 lbs is with the loader AND the hoe REMOVED!! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Actually, I don't really know the weight. I looked this weekend for the brochure I THOUGHT I had with no luck, so it was just a guess on something I THINK I saw.

This weekend, I did look at the yard and feared digging trenches in it with the tires. None there, so I guess the tires are fat enough to give decent flotation (as contrasted with having the I/H 444 in yard with ag tires)

went up to what I THOUGHT was a dying pine tree roughly 24 inches in diameter..turned out to be a dead one...placed bucket on it and with just a whisper, tree fell over. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif That was a death trap just waiting for right occasion. Man, I'll be soooo happy to get rid of all these beetle infested pine trees.

If your pushing a tree over, is it more recommended to use the loader and "drive" it over, or use the hoe where you can maybe reach higher for leverage but not drive?

Curious minds wanna learn more.

/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[scruffy]

I would be very cautious on pushing them over. The dead one in your post could easily have broken up high, and unless you had an extremely strong cab, it could get rather deadly. Limbs and treetops from dead trees can and do become 'Widow-Makers'.