swnoel
Silver Member
Excavator all the way! All you'll do is to beat up your 60... as someone suggested use the grapple to haul it away.
I thin at least 12 to 15 stands of small ( 1" to 6" ) Ponderosa pines every spring ( ~ 950 small trees ). Its not so difficult to pull - think pluck - pines from 1" to 3" - - my M6040 weight 10,100 pounds with a very HD grapple. Much above 3" and its a PITA. Half the time I just skin the tree of all bark and limbs with the skinned trunk still standing straight and tall. Besides when I thin its not in great cleared swaths - its one here, three over there and two just behind me. Can't do that with the big 'ol M6040. For me - thinning is with a small Stihl.
Thinning is - - identify, cut, drag to pile, come by in a couple days and chip all the piles. Dragging to pile is a PITA - chipping is the fun part.