Clearing Eastern Red Cedar Trees from 12 acres

[Western]

I'm not familiar with a puller. Is that a winch? If the trees are spread out and there are not very many of them, I can see where something faster to get from tree to tree makes sense, but don't understand how that's faster getting them out of the ground? Nothing is faster then sitting in the seat and either pushing them over, or quickly cutting the roots and pushing them over. Getting in and under those branches on the cedar isn't any fun, and having the reach of the hoe stick will make a huge difference after just a few trees. Same with climbing in and out of a skid steer. Something that gets old very quickly!!!!

It's not that I hate skid steers, I just dislike them very much. They are painfully uncomfortable, and everything they do, something else does a lot better. They are handy at doing a lot of different things and easy to transport, but not something I ever look forward to operating and never something that I would want to own.

Eddie

Eddie, if it was LARGE cedars, say 20'+, excavator would do nice, but I never ran into a cedar that my 140hp tractor couldn't push right over and that would still be quicker. Hard woods, whole "nother" story.

 

[Xfaxman]

I'm not familiar with a puller. Is that a winch? If the trees are spread out and there are not very many of them, I can see where something faster to get from tree to tree makes sense, but don't understand how that's faster getting them out of the ground? Nothing is faster then sitting in the seat and either pushing them over, or quickly cutting the roots and pushing them over. Getting in and under those branches on the cedar isn't any fun, and having the reach of the hoe stick will make a huge difference after just a few trees. Same with climbing in and out of a skid steer. Something that gets old very quickly!!!!

It's not that I hate skid steers, I just dislike them very much. They are painfully uncomfortable, and everything they do, something else does a lot better. They are handy at doing a lot of different things and easy to transport, but not something I ever look forward to operating and never something that I would want to own.

Eddie

My tree puller was in post #26.

And the V417 is more comfortable than a skid steer. :thumbsup:

Here it is pulling a cedar tree: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/277824-tree-puller.html#post3444397

 

[ovrszd]

And the V417 is more comfortable than a skid steer. :thumbsup:

A track Bobcat will make your V417 look silly in this situation.

 

[EddieWalker]

I see the error of my thinking. I had to go back and watch the video again. In my comments, I had forgotten how small those trees where and was thinking about the size of mine. Seeing the pics of the Grubbers, and the fact that he has a skid steer available to use, this does seem like the best way to do this. Too bad he didn't have something more comfortable to use, but it's just pain and it will go away with a few beers and a hot tub.

Eddie

 

[Xfaxman]

A track Bobcat will make your V417 look silly in this situation.

Wrong! :thumbdown:

Have you ever operated a V 417?

I have done a direct comparison with a Bobcat T300, and the V417 out performed it in every thing I did.

That includes pushing power, as in filling this bucket in hard clay and sand rock.

The V417 is 6' wide, 6.5' high and 13' long. Tire size is 14x17.5. Top speed is 15.5 mph, drawbar pull is 7,000 pounds, boom breakout force is 6700 lbf, bucket breakout force is 4700 lbf and it will lift over 5,000 pounds, 17 feet high.

 

[dave1949]

Wrong! :thumbdown:

Have you ever operated a V 417?

I have done a direct comparison with a Bobcat T300, and the V417 out performed it in every thing I did.

That includes pushing power, as in filling this bucket in hard clay and sand rock.
View attachment 364230 View attachment 364231 View attachment 364232
The V417 is 6' wide, 6.5' high and 13' long. Tire size is 14x17.5. Top speed is 15.5 mph, drawbar pull is 7,000 pounds, boom breakout force is 6700 lbf, bucket breakout force is 4700 lbf and it will lift over 5,000 pounds, 17 feet high.

I'm always impressed by what you get done with your V417.

 

[Xfaxman]

I'm always impressed by what you get done with your V417.

Thanks, Dave.

For trees too big to pull, I use the stump bucket. Had to dig on each side first.


Old cedar stumps pop out very easy. Just like using a long handled shovel. :thumbsup:


Using it on a 40' tall dead oak tree: TODAYS SEAT TIME - Page 263

 

[big bubba]

Short fenceposts?

some excellent advice in terms of removal equip. great idea using the cedar for fence posts. however given their given their young age, they may not make a good fence post as a lot of the growth would be sap wood which would break down quickly in the ground esp. if unseasoned. plus even a 12 yr old tree would be fairly small...guess you figured this out already. just a suggestion. i recently made a dock out of red cedar heartwood (steering clear of treated pine) worked great...... best of luck

 

[ovrszd]

Wrong! :thumbdown:

Have you ever operated a V 417?

I have done a direct comparison with a Bobcat T300, and the V417 out performed it in every thing I did.

That includes pushing power, as in filling this bucket in hard clay and sand rock.

The V417 is 6' wide, 6.5' high and 13' long. Tire size is 14x17.5. Top speed is 15.5 mph, drawbar pull is 7,000 pounds, boom breakout force is 6700 lbf, bucket breakout force is 4700 lbf and it will lift over 5,000 pounds, 17 feet high.

You get so defensive......

I never said anything about specs of any kind. I said A track Bobcat will make your V417 look silly in this situation I stand by that statement.

For example, what's the turning radius or your machine?? A SS turning radius is the size of the machine.

If you pull a tree and want to drop it to your right/left your machine requires multiple movements. If a SS pulls a tree and wants to drop it straight behind itself, it's done in 2 or 3 seconds. 2 or 3 seconds later it's grabbing another tree.

Every machine has it's niche. For some reason you always think your machine perfectly fits EVERY niche. In this case, that is certainly not true.

Next Summer I'll post a video pulling a few trees. Then you can post a video doing the same task. Then we can continue this discussion.

 

[dave1949]

The V417 would make a heck of snow bank pusher. Just run the extender out with the bucket on it, the snow is moved back while the machine sits on the driveway. No need to worry about dropping the front end down in the ditch.