Buying Advice Bought 100 Acres. Upgrade my tractor or hire some work done?

[radioman]

wow --- all these comments. i still cannot get over the MUST HAVE IT NOW mentality. its 100 acres . clearing a nice trail is an invitation to trespassers. I dont even know how much you can do to drag deer. who knows you might be lucky with deer close to a path . how much can you clear a year via the slow going way? is this acceptable to you or you must have a clear trail all the way around NOW?
Having a nice set of acreage for hunting , I'd would be putting in sweat equity. you never know -- while working the land you probably will change the path, or plans. if you hired it out - the person doing the work will have to have a plan and most likely wont change for the better.

sorry -- im just a bit old fashioned here ...

 

[jeff9366]

Chain saw trauma is the #1 Emergency Room admittance category for outdoor work.

Using a chainsaw some, when rested and not overheated, is fine.

Otherwise, find another way to do the work ~~~or hire tree work out.


A battery powered reciprocating saw would be a worthwhile investment for tree cutting, 2-1/2" or less.

Instant on, instant off, faster than a chainsaw on small stuff, MUCH SAFER. A battery powered reciprocating saw could reduce your number of chainsaw 'cuts' by half.

I have tried multiple brands of PRUNING blades. Most "pruning" blades are thin and too often deform when a blade is pinched. Milwaukee's blade called THE AX, which is thicker and more rigid than pruning blades, is faster and lasts longer than alternatives. I buy 5/packs in 9" length of THE AX when I see them. Five inch lengths of THE AX common, 9" is not.

I also use a Stihl MS 261 for tree work.

 

[jeff9366]

Good point about the hydro pumps. Go to YouTube and look at some videos of that Marshall Tree Saw. I just assumed it would work on a tractor the same as a skid steer.

Mechanical tractor PTOs are relatively efficient.

For Skid Steers to power tractor-equivalent hydraulically powered Skid Steer implements requires more fuel and produces a great deal of heat.

 

[Milo]

Chain saw trauma is the #1 Emergency Room admittance category for outdoor work.

Using a chainsaw some, when rested and not overheated, is fine.

Otherwise, find another way to do the work ~~~or hire tree work out.


A battery powered reciprocating saw would be a worthwhile investment for tree cutting, 2-1/2" or less.

Instant on, instant off, faster than a chainsaw on small stuff, MUCH SAFER. A battery powered reciprocating saw could reduce your number of chainsaw 'cuts' by half....

Sure chain saws can be dangerous Jeff just like a table saw or tractor for that matter, so like anything else one needs to learn the right way to use it and what not to do. But if you're going to own wooded property I couldn't imagine not using a chain saw, heck my saws probably get used more than any tool I have due to mostly heating with wood and having to cut up trees that fall on trails etc. Reminds me I have about seventy 75' pine trees to cut down come Spring to allow sun to hit a section of yard. Brush cutter for scrubby brush, loppers if only cutting limbs an inch or so, and chain saw for everything else. Safer sure but I can't imagine a little cordless reciprocating saw cutting through a small 2" oak limb even close to as fast as a chain saw does. I can see the usefulness of a recip saw if you're just pruning a few 2" limbs in a yard but not working all day on trail clearing.

 

[Xfaxman]

Yep, a cordless reciprocating saw is not fast, but it is effective.

This is a 26' tall cedar tree, cut with a Craftsman 20 volt cordless, with a 12" pruning blade:

 

[TripleR]

Man you guys like to spend money!!! Wish you were my neighbors. I'd gladly open ATV trails for $100 per hour. Actually I'd be a good Grandpa and let my Grandsons have the jobs. I could serve as overseer!!!

You wouldn't believe how hard it is to hire anyone to do manual labor in some places and it's especially true with chainsaw work. I was able to get two people come out over the years and they didn't last two days and their production sucked.

 

[jeff9366]

I can't imagine a cordless reciprocating saw cutting through a 2" oak limb as fast as a chain saw does.

Instant on, instant off, saves a lot of time. Oaks are what I cut.

Changing a battery is faster than fueling with gas. No Bar Oil. Changing a reciprocating saw blade takes 40 seconds, much less time than replacing a chain. Reciprocating saw blades are minimally affected by dirt on the wood.

When new, a battery would last me six hours in the woods. Now, after years, half that time. The Milwaukee Sawzall I purchased came with two batteries in the package. Batteries fully charge in 30 minutes.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

I didn't read all the replies but I have put in miles of ATV trails which I make wide enough for a truck to get threw, all I have ever used is two chainsaws, a machete and a ATV, I personally wouldn't pay someone $10 an hour to cut ATV trails, I might hire some HS kids if the work is too much for you. I grab my 660 magnum which I bought used when I was 18 and my MS 201 Stihl arborist saw which I also picked up used for a few hundred bucks. Yes it's a slow process but that's the part of being a land owner, invite some buddies to come over, pack a cooler full of beer, a work radio, chainsaws ext and get to work and have fun, I bet I could clear faster trails with the set up I just suggested than that guy charging $100 an hour. Cut everything at ground level, throw/roll it all off to the side and keep going, once you get going, it goes fast. I'm 25 now and if you comfortable running a chainsaw safely and felling trees then I would say your set.

Another thing to add is I don't make my trails strait, I kinda zig zag them, that way your saving a lot of time clearing brush vs trees and if someone wanders on the property they don't pop out in the back yard.

Now if you want nice flat roads your better off paying a guy with a bull Dozer to cut one. ATV Trails are easy. Only thing I would use a tractor for is FEL cutting into banks to drop down in creeks.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

My question also would be, who will maintain the trails? Some years clearing old trails are harder than making new ones, perks to an All Terrain Vehicle is you have the ability to go around things pretty easy, tree falls in the trail, it either gets cut and rolled out of the way or driven around and a new section to the trail is cut.

 

[ovrszd]

You wouldn't believe how hard it is to hire anyone to do manual labor in some places and it's especially true with chainsaw work. I was able to get two people come out over the years and they didn't last two days and their production sucked.

I hear ya Larry. I totally have sympathy for a land owner that has to hire work done for whatever reason. I'm Blessed to not be in that position, yet.....

But here we are talking about a self acclaimed 33 year old in good health. Jeez, crank up the chainsaw and have at it. Will be good for the Soul!!!!

As to the rechargeable sawzall,,,,, really??? Can it be done?? Yes.. Is it efficient and timely?? No.. :confused3: