SCUT cutting Fire Breaks, Best Tools?

[CompactTractorFan]

Well Now , If you want to talk " Fighting " the fire , my vote goes this route :

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4 speed auto trans similar to the old APC M113 carriers but at a slower top speed of 14 mph. ( nothing like being inside one of the old M113's and hitting a tree at top speed . Crammed all 8 of us into the space that the front 2 were sitting at . )

1300 gallon tank ( No dozer can compare )

And the list is longer of other goodies .

Fred H.

I have never seen anything like that. Do you know who owns it?

 

[Rock knocker]

I have never seen anything like that. Do you know who owns it?

Lots of photo's here


Wildland Fire Photo Pages

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Lots of photo's here


Wildland Fire Photo Pages

Thanks. :thumbsup:

 

[CBW1999]

Just came across this on E-Bay. Nifty looking implement and not to hard to build if you have access to the parts.

 

[spruce Deere]

The machine in fredh's post is a KMC, predecessor to the FMC. A high maintenance, high speed steel track machine originally back in there heyday designed for skidding logs while offering very low ground pressure, or that was the theory anyway. After operating a couple of them for a few years, They are better suited to setting around waiting for mop up on a fire in my opinion.

Older models were powered by 653 Detroits, newer models powered by 5.9L Cummins. Operated both and the cummins power models were equal in power and less noisy, less oil leaky..... did I mention less noisy.

They are built in British Columbia, Canada. See a few set up like that around here and different parts of Montana.

They look real cool, but believe me not so cool when one throws a track or gets high centered shoulder to shoulder to a fire or in front of one, or pull a track in half trying to build fire-line.

They make better mop up machines with there water ability. Let the high track D-4, D-5 dozers with there 6-way blades build fire-lines, routs and roads for crews and the kmc.

 

[Boombollie]

As a wildland firefighter, I'd first say that I can't imagine anything without tracks out ahead. That said, either a back blade or dozer blade for cutting line. The idea is to move a lot of material from one side to another.

 

[scollins]

Not being savvy, yet, to flail mowers and tillers I have a question(s).

Bonus points if you are a Fireman or VERY well versed in Wildland FireFighting.

I have a BX25, a small pit bull, manuverable and nimble and will
go all day long on a tank of fuel+ . I can hang any implement or combination
of said on my tractor. My tracotr is a BX25 ONLY, no other tractor, just
a BX25 in this scenario.

If I wanted to cut a professional fire line / break what would be the best
accessory / implement, front and rear would you want? Would a flail unit
at the rear and a toothbar on the FEL to pop out shrubs be wise or would a
tiller and toothbar be better or another combo or what would YOU
want to have at your disposal helping you or your men to make a fire
break/line quickly and efficently saving mens backs.

Of coarse no major hill traversing w/ a BX25, lets say it is fairly easy going and
a mixture of grass, shrubs etc need to be knocked down.

In this scenario it is NOT out of the question to have a crew with me
w/ shovels, Mcleods, Pulaskis etc. What would those boys LOVE
to have knocking stuff down in front of them? REMEMBER, your tractor
is a Kubota BX25, no substitutions. :thumbsup:

Artisan;
Check out this web site for attachments
Kubota BX 25 - Specifications - Attachments

I have a similar-sized tractor - a JD 2305 - wth a 48" wide rotary cutter on the back and a blade on the front to push smaller small logs, etc out of the way.

I use it for "trail building", as the small tractor can snake in between the trees. The rotary cutter is "rated" for material up to one inch. I have not tried it for "suppression", but use it to brush out fire breaks, dividing the woodlot into smaller "blocks". Rocks, however, are **** on these mowers when you hit one hidden in the brush. Your area is so dry, there is the risk of starting a fire just from a mower blade striking a rock. The trail is finish-mowed to remove light grass and leaves.

The best "tool" for the job, depends on your vegetation type, if the soil is very rocky or not, if the ground can be "broken" with a disc or plow, and certainly the terrain, In Manzanita, that stuff is so hard that it takes a saw to cut it. The problem with plowed and disked trails is "erosion".

A toothed "shearing blade" might work on the FEL. The FEL is useful for shoving stuff out of the way, but would be slow for constructing fireline through weeds and brush.

Here are other options:
A 55 gallon rear-mount PTO 10 GPM sprayer mounted on the 3-point for "suppression", with the FEL in front to assist crews in removing debris. Watch Out, though, on steep hills with tipping.
For grass and breakable ground on level terain, a plow or disk might work. In Florida, the standard equipment is a Cat with middle-buster plow and blade, but plows have not been favored on steep terrain in CA.

As a firefighter, what I would "want" would be to have the brush removed 100' back from structures, and ready-made fire trails to "burn out" from, ahead of time, placed in a strategic location where they could safely be burned out and "held" by fire crews. Whatever you can do with your BX25 to accomplish that would be great. Mow when things are still "green" so that the exhaust or mower striking a rock does not start a fire.

A rear-mount landscape rake could also be used to remove pine litter and debris from a fire break that has been sawn and brushed out.

What works in what part of the U.S. does not necessarily work in other places.

SC

 

[Artisan]

Oh nice link scollins. I have been to ETA many times
but never fell upon that link. Thank you for the input,
it is most welcomed. Were regrouping here. Water is
a good thing to have in an area w/ little, and portable
water is even better. A rotary mower, like a 48'er might
be the ticket but in steep slopes and wooded area a
flail might be more manuverable. I wish I could just
buy one of each and try them all...

 

[Terrah]

G,Day artisan .
The offset scalloped three point disc is by far the best tool for the job ,that is all that is used over here in Western Australia and as said there is nothing as good as the disc plow to slow a fire down ,it is also cheap to repair and easy to use you will be an expert in a day.
Regards
Hutch.

I'm in WA too Hutch, just wondering if you could share the make and model of your set up as I'm in the market for one

Cheers
Chris

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

Just came across this on E-Bay. Nifty looking implement and not to hard to build if you have access to the parts.

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I think this is a ditch cleaner.

 

[dieselscout80]

Just came across this on E-Bay. Nifty looking implement and not to hard to build if you have access to the parts.

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That’s a firebreak plow.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

That’s a firebreak plow.

Only thing I've ever seen one used for was to clean irrigation ditches.

But I live in steep granitic mountains, and mechanical equipment is seldom used to cut fire breaks. So, the ones I have seen may have been repurposed.

 

[dieselscout80]

Only thing I've ever seen one used for was to clean irrigation ditches.

But I live in steep granitic mountains, and mechanical equipment is seldom used to cut fire breaks. So, the ones I have seen may have been repurposed.

We had ditchers that were similar but the blades that cleaned the sediment out were much longer see attached picture.

That one has two disc blades (great for not getting caught on roots) and is much heavier than needed for cleaning ditches.

 

[oosik]

I live in NE Wa state. 25 miles SW of Spokane. Almost 100% of our fires are wildfires and are wind driven. Back, many years ago, I created a fire break with my rototiller. I have 80 acres and this firebreak was 12 feet wide and just around my house and out buildings. About 850 feet if rototilled firebreak.

Then 16 years ago - here comes the first wildfire. The WaterMellon Hill wildfire. From atop a very tall bunn - I watched it coming right at my property from the West. A change in wind direction saved my property from totally being burned.

I learned a very valuable lesson 16 years ago. My meager fire break would have had no effect on this wildfire. The wind was lobbing "fire bombs" up to 1/4 mile ahead of the fire.

IT WAS THE CHANGE IN WIND DIRECTION THAT SAVED MY PROPERTY.

However - I would suggest either a rototiller or disk harrow if you do need a fire break. The heaviest your tractor can handle.

 

[chim]

Wildfires are one thing we don't experience here. The only knowledge I have is from watching news and YouTube. The horrifying things I've seen make me believe the fire breaks need to be MILES wide when the big fires start rolling.

 

[jyoutz]

How many bonus points for being ex-vol. rural firefighter AND a BX owner?

Dirt is better than low grass, so I wouldn't consider any mower.

On the bucket I'd use a Ratchet Rake or Pirahna toothbar, not the conventional digging-style toothbar.

On the rear I would try an offset disc before buying anything powered and much more expensive.

Subject to change for your conditions, of course.

Bruce

An offset disc on a BX? Doubtful that would be useful.

 

[jyoutz]

Wildfires are one thing we don't experience here. The only knowledge I have is from watching news and YouTube. The horrifying things I've seen make me believe the fire breaks need to be MILES wide when the big fires start rolling.

No fire line will stop a running crown fire. Firelines are used to burn out from and burn out fuels ahead of the wild fire.

 

[chim]

No fire line will stop a running crown fire. Firelines are used to burn out from and burn out fuels ahead of the wild fire.

Thanks. I learned something today.