OP
Piston
Elite Member
Hmm, looks like some of my pics didn't upload. 
(edit: fixed)
(edit: fixed)
Clearing forested land with a backhoe and tractor/grapple
- Thread starter Piston
- Start date
Dave Matthews you say? :thumbsup: I hope it included some of the older stuff though. I don't love much of what they've been doing lately.
Almost forgot...Nice pictures. Looks good. I'm sure you already know to watch out for "widow makers" and all that stuff. Stay safe out there.
Almost forgot...Nice pictures. Looks good. I'm sure you already know to watch out for "widow makers" and all that stuff. Stay safe out there.
yellowdogsvc
Veteran Member
looks like a fun job. I'd feel safer with a ROPS over my head, though. When I see pines, I think about widow makers.
OP
Piston
Elite Member
All I have is the older stuff! :thumbsup:
We are very careful with widow makers. Ideally I'd like to get some falling object protection on the tractor. We make sure to check out the tops of the trees in the area before pushing any over. Thanks for the suggestions and hope you guys enjoyed the pics.
Gale Hawkins
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2009
- Messages
- 11,809
- Location
- Murray, KY
- Tractor
- 1948 Allis Chambers Model B 1976 265 MF / 1983 JD 310B Backhoe / 1966 Ford 3000 Diesel / 1980 3600 Diesel
We have a worn out 1983 JD 310B backhoe. It is a a speed demon (neither is the operator ) and with time the seems to be few limits to clearing ground. While we do not have a grapple for the FEL we do have four chain on pallet forks for moving brush/logs over distance and to make burn piles we do have a 32" thumb on the hoe so I can care a wad of brush/small logs on each end reducing my trips to the burn pile.
Since we live on the place we are clearing I can work for 15 minutes or put in 15 hour days (summer) but it is amazing how much you can get done just working 1-2 hours a day. The thumb was a simple and needed solution that cost $420 including installation.
Looks like you are off to a good start with a nice set up.
) and with time the seems to be few limits to clearing ground. While we do not have a grapple for the FEL we do have four chain on pallet forks for moving brush/logs over distance and to make burn piles we do have a 32" thumb on the hoe so I can care a wad of brush/small logs on each end reducing my trips to the burn pile.Since we live on the place we are clearing I can work for 15 minutes or put in 15 hour days (summer) but it is amazing how much you can get done just working 1-2 hours a day. The thumb was a simple and needed solution that cost $420 including installation.
Looks like you are off to a good start with a nice set up.
OP
Piston
Elite Member
Gale,
Where did you get the thumb for so cheap? I've been working on building one for the 410. It's gonna cost me more than that to run the hydraulics and buy a cylinder. I have the steel cut and started welding it together, it got put on the back burner though. I need to get back to that project and finish it this winter so I can have it ready for use in the spring when I bring the 410 up to my land.
It would sure be helpful if I lived up there right now!
Where did you get the thumb for so cheap? I've been working on building one for the 410. It's gonna cost me more than that to run the hydraulics and buy a cylinder. I have the steel cut and started welding it together, it got put on the back burner though. I need to get back to that project and finish it this winter so I can have it ready for use in the spring when I bring the 410 up to my land.
It would sure be helpful if I lived up there right now!
Gale Hawkins
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2009
- Messages
- 11,809
- Location
- Murray, KY
- Tractor
- 1948 Allis Chambers Model B 1976 265 MF / 1983 JD 310B Backhoe / 1966 Ford 3000 Diesel / 1980 3600 Diesel
Piston I got a manual 8"x32" thumb from eBay My World - gc-manufacturing but they have had some negative replies and pulled all listed items. From the feedback it looks like they went over the 'financial' cliff last month perhaps. Just they just did not want to wait until Jan.
The manual version is quite heavy and works well. It was about $360 and I think the welding cost was $60
I do not have any photos of it uploaded. I just did not want to get into the work to go with a hydraulic thumb BUT that would be a nice feature. My bother's 1996 Case is plumbed for a thumb. Another thing is I work active burn piles.
Have you considered making in manual now but ready to take a cylinder at a later time?
The manual version is quite heavy and works well. It was about $360 and I think the welding cost was $60
I do not have any photos of it uploaded. I just did not want to get into the work to go with a hydraulic thumb BUT that would be a nice feature. My bother's 1996 Case is plumbed for a thumb. Another thing is I work active burn piles.
Have you considered making in manual now but ready to take a cylinder at a later time?
OP
Piston
Elite Member
Gale,
I have considered making it manual at first, but then I sort of dismissed it, because I know that if I make it manual, I will not use it nearly as much as if it were hydraulic.
Do you have any idea how much it weighs? Mine weighs close to 350lbs. My front end gets a little light when I have the wide bucket on it, so I'm concerned that adding all this weight on the hoe will make it even more light. Do you have any problems with this?
I suppose that if I started doing wheelie's on a regular basis, I could add weight to the bucket on the front as well.
I have considered making it manual at first, but then I sort of dismissed it, because I know that if I make it manual, I will not use it nearly as much as if it were hydraulic.
Do you have any idea how much it weighs? Mine weighs close to 350lbs. My front end gets a little light when I have the wide bucket on it, so I'm concerned that adding all this weight on the hoe will make it even more light. Do you have any problems with this?
I suppose that if I started doing wheelie's on a regular basis, I could add weight to the bucket on the front as well.
Gale Hawkins
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2009
- Messages
- 11,809
- Location
- Murray, KY
- Tractor
- 1948 Allis Chambers Model B 1976 265 MF / 1983 JD 310B Backhoe / 1966 Ford 3000 Diesel / 1980 3600 Diesel
Ours weighs about half that would be my guess. Fed X worked it over towards side of the drive and left it.
It was all mounted on a 5" back plate that we just had to position and tack to the stick. After testing it in all positions it was welded in place. I liked it being just one unit.
Ours can not be unpinned like some and removed because the pins are welded instead of being removable keepers which is alright in our case. I have done a lot of ditching after installing it and it did not get in the way.
I would like a hydraulic set up but I was not willing to go to that effort/cost since we have no plumbing with the OEM setup plus I use it in live burning brush piles.
It was all mounted on a 5" back plate that we just had to position and tack to the stick. After testing it in all positions it was welded in place. I liked it being just one unit.
Ours can not be unpinned like some and removed because the pins are welded instead of being removable keepers which is alright in our case. I have done a lot of ditching after installing it and it did not get in the way.
I would like a hydraulic set up but I was not willing to go to that effort/cost since we have no plumbing with the OEM setup plus I use it in live burning brush piles.
tungularafishcamp
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2010
- Messages
- 1,449
- Location
- kodiak island, Alaska
- Tractor
- kubota L2800, 1/2 of a L48
Piston I also have the manual one on my tractor and it is just a few seconds to swing down when I need it or up out of the way and at half position, I can still dig relitively unencumbered but have it ready for rocks or whatever. I got it when I got the tractor but I think it also was only a few hundred dollars. It is not as handy as a hydraulic one but a whole lot cheaper, and at this point when I am busy with the tractor I welcome a minute to get off and move around a bit, I might not feel that way in 20 years but then again I may even feel stronger that way!