Clearing Eastern Red Cedar Trees from 12 acres

ovrszd · Mar 7, 2014

Yep, it's a great variable reach. But a SS, it's not. A tractor, it's not.

Xfaxman · Mar 7, 2014

ovrszd said:
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. My bad, I should have asked what "this situation" was.

For example, what's the turning radius or your machine?? "Inside Turning Clearance, 59 inches." 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. No, just one, with 4 wheel steer, turn the steering wheel left as it backs up and drop the tree in the same spot the SS would. If a SS pulls a tree and wants to drop it straight behind itself, it's done in 2 or 3 seconds. The V417 would take 2 or 3 seconds to back straight up and drop it straight behind where it was. 2 or 3 seconds later it's grabbing another tree. Same for the V417.

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. I don't see much difference for pulling cedar trees, not enough to make the V417 look silly.

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.

See my responses in blue in the quote above. I have already posted pictures of it pulling trees, I don't have a video camera.

What is the lift height of a tracked skid steer?

ovrszd · Mar 9, 2014

Xfaxman said:
See my responses in blue in the quote above. I have already posted pictures of it pulling trees, I don't have a video camera.

What is the lift height of a tracked skid steer?
View attachment 364322

Again, you want to change the subject.

All of your answers in blue evaded the issue.

For example, your inside turning radius is totally off the subject. We're talking about the outside radius.

Secondly, backing up with the wheels turned, dropping the tree, then returning to the next tree will take you much longer and use up much more space than with a SS. But, you already know that.

Thirdly, if you pull the tree, back straight up, drop the tree, how do you move forward to the next tree since you just dropped one in the way. But again you know that. You also know the SS can drop a tree behind itself, turn within it's size and pick another without the one just dropped being in the way. Again, you know that.

You also know that a SS can work in this situation much more effective than your machine. it doesn't mean your machine isn't any good or that there's anything wrong with it.

As I said, every machine has it's niche When a Variable Reach is needed, your machine is the one of choice. When a SS is needed, one with tracks is the machine of choice. When a tractor is needed, nothing else can replace it and it becomes the machine of choice. All the specs in the World does not change that.

I've used a 10K Rough Terrain Variable Reach a lot. Actually probably 300 hours. In it's World, it's awesome. Out of it's World it becomes awkward and inefficient.

It's all good.

macecase · Mar 25, 2014

I wanted to give an update what I ended up doing. I purchased the burn permit from the county for one dollar and waited for the right day. A beautiful day with very calm winds presented itself and I, along with two friends, set the field on fire.

The burn went well and consumed some trees that I had used a tree shear from the skid steer to fell. Others, left standing, caught fire themselves and left only a charred trunk. Some trees did not even burn.

My plan from now is to let the grass return. I will install a fence around this property which adjoins mine. By the time I get the fence done, I feel that the cows will probably be able to graze. In the fall, I will complete the felling of all of the trees. Possibly next year I will re-seed and fertilize.