Brush Cutting Armor and Clothing

[Harv]

Glenn -

I've been following this thread with interest 'cuz I have a lot of similar clearing work to do pretty soon myself.

If you're serious about armored clothing, get yourself a Labonville catalog (order one from their website) and check out the duds they offer -- clothes that are impervious to brambles, stickers, rattlesnakes and even chainsaws!

And/or try a different approach to your jungle. I don't know if you saw my thread about "Blazing Trails", but the response I got from that convinced me to not use my brush hog until I had made some preliminary runs with the FEL and box blade. In doing so I uncovered a variety of nasty obstacles and hidden menaces that would likely have tripped me up "big time" had I just launched in with the hog.

My conclusion from that experience is that I will be using the brush hog much more next year after I have prepped the area the slow way this year. There are a few areas that look to be fairly flat and obstacle-free that I might try backing into as Von has suggested.

When I bought the brush hog I thought I was just going to zip around giving the property a military haircut and be done in a single weekend, but reality has once again prevailed, and I'm now willing to take it slow this season so that all future seasons will go faster.

I also learned, as I think you did, that although it's fun to go 4-wheelin' through the woods on the tractor, it's basically a foolhardy thing to do in uncharted territory. My face is still healing from being slapped by branches on my little escapade. I will precede the next one with my pole saw, ax and loppers.

I enjoyed climbing the culvert learning curve with you, and it sounds like we have a lot more climbing ahead of us. Thanks for taking the lead on this one -- sorry it cost you as it did. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[gordon]

Wow Glenn you have had quite a day. Yes that learning curve can be very steep at times. The woods is one of the most dangerous places to run a tractor. If you do a search under skidplate or skid plate you will come up with quite a few great ideas. Here is one with pictures http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/showthreaded.pl?Cat=&Board=owning&Number=14891&page=&view=&sb=&vc=1#Post14891 This skidplate is alot like the one I have under my tractor.

There is one thing that I really wouldn't like to see---you get hurt---I know I have said this before and maybe now it will set in alittle more. When going over virgin ground you must go slow and after today you have learned how a log can come out of nowhere and raise alot of cain. Von uses the same method I do in the tall stuff back in alittle at a time then go forward and look and the underbrush before venturing in deeper. Another good way is to use the front bucket and knock the stuff down first. Run slow with the bucket curled back that way if you hit a stump that you can't see the bucket will start to raise up onto it instead of jarring the tractor to a quick disc brake stop.

It does't matter if you only get 10 feet of the brush cut compared to 100 feet the main thing is that you do it safely. Remember that things jump out of nowhere in the woods so I don't know if I have said this before go slow.

I have a cab on my tractor and a skidplate as well so I don't usually have to contend with the limbs in the face. But a week or so ago I had the side window open and not thinking twice about it. A limb was riding up my front brush bar from the grille guard going up to the top of the cab. Next thing I knew thawack and guess what the limb found its way into the cab I ducked put the tractor in neutral. Then I backed up closed the window and drove on. I didn't have any trouble with that same limb on the way into the woods. Why? It ran across my drivers door window, instead of coming into the open hole and scaring the tar out of me. A good wake up call.

As for clothes they make alot of different stuff that holds up well in brambles. It's about the time of year to get the Carharts out and it sounds like it would be a good investment as well. Another thing that would come in handy is a chainsaw helmet with a mesh face screen. The ear muffs are an added bonus. Come in handy not only for noise reduction but to help keep the ears warm during winter with a rag stuffed in each one.

Bottom line Glenn run through it first with the front end loader. Go slow and remember the ten ten rule!!!/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I've got a list of alot of the things that I have broken on my tractor over the last ten years and almost every one of them happened in the woods---be careful---
Gordon

 

[Billc]

Glenn, sorry 'bout the accident. Glad you weren't hurt.

As to your question on clothing: I do a lot of brush cutting. Unfortunatly I've got bad allergies, but I like what I do.

When using my Bushhog, I usually wear work boots, jeans, long sleeve shirt, often a bandanna around my neck, work gloves, baseball cap, safty glasses, dust mask, and ear plugs. I know I look pretty silly but I don't sneeze nearly as much. I wear this same outfit when I'm doing really dusty work as well.

I've learned to ALWAYS have on ear and eye protection. If you brush cut for a bunch of hours without ear protection there's a ringing in your head for hours after you get off of the tractor, the ear protection really helps. As too the safty glasses, after you've been hit in the face by a branch or two that you didn't see coming, well, you'll get safety glasses...especially after the ROPs or canopy holds a branch back, and after there's just enough tention in the branch to take your head off, it lets the branch go...you'll never see it coming, nor will you get your eyes shut in time. Safty glasses are as important as the seat belt, IMHO.

As to tractor technique, guess I'm a lot like the other fellas. If I am cutting land I've never been on, I walk it first, to get a general idea as to what I've gotten myself into. Usually I brush cut with my bucket low...it is my stump and rock feeler; in this area we have lots of stumps and rocks! If I get into really heavy brush where I can't see what I'm mowing over I mow backwards. I do like what some one else said, I mow backward into the heavy brush about 10 to 15 feet SLOWLY and with my Bush Hog as high as it will go. I move forward to see the path that I cut checking for whatever, then lower the Bush Hog and do it again.

This takes a long time but my customers don't offer to pay for my tractor when I break it.

 

[TomG]

Yes, to several comments: Get a chainsaw helmet with screen visor and ear protection. A major danger in the woods is bumping a tree and having a dead limb break off and fall on you. Nothing much but a skider cage is going to stop the big while pine limbs we have around here, but a steel canopy is something. Without a canopy, there is only the hard hat. Ear protection also is good. Doesn't take too many years of tractor operation before 'WHAT' becomes a favourite word.

Regarding protective clothing, I was surprised when I asked about chain saw pants in a work clothes store--the type that shred and clogs the sprocket. The store said that they don't carry them any longer, because they no longer meet industry standards (in Canada maybe). I'm not sure what that means, maybe somebody else does.

 

[uppermich]

There are areas on my place that I know will cause trouble when I get my brush hog. My approach is even more cautious - wait till spring when there is no undergrowth before doing anything so that you have maximum visibility. It's been there this long anyway, it isn't growing over the winter and the tractor and I stay safe and sound. In the long run, it will save time, money, nerves, and dents and scratches on both of us. A broken tractor or human is no good to anyone for awhile and very costly and time consuming to repair. About 6 weeks on a pair of crutches will give anyone a whole new perspective on safety and handicap accessibility of buildings!

Tightly woven Nylon wind breaker type clothing also works for burrs or stickers, but not thorns. Definitely wear eye protection!

Pat (Techno-Tractor Mom)

 

[geneP]

Glenn, I don't have a belly mower, and never have had one, so I can't comment on the skid plate's effect on mounting one.

Gene

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Glenn,
Have you seen or heard of Carhartt® brand "Ranch Clothing?" T O U G H S T U F F

Just got a "sale flyer" this AM.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/specialsection.html?section_id=1364

I have been doing business with Sportsman's Guide for a few years and most stuff is as advertised but there is an unconditional money back return policy if you aren't pleased with an item.

I have some Carhartt® clothing. It wears like iron. In my experience their heavy duty stuff is pretty much
impervious to thorns and the like. I have seen cactus needles that could be made to penetrate it but not
without trying. (I've seen crossbow bolts less lethal looking than those particular thorns.)

Hmmm??? I would have thought "Sharp and thorny problem makers" would have shown professional
courtesy.

Patrick

Note: No warranty expressed or implied for the fitness of purpose of any ideas conveyed.

 

[glennmac]

OK, went to war with my brush again today a little bit better prepared. I won this round but took some licks.

Wore a heavy, tightly woven old nylon rain jacket. Took my chain saw and loppers. (The chain saw turned out to be on the fritz.) Bought a Peltor forest helmet with mesh face guard and hearing protectors. It is even Kubota orange, as it is logoed for Husqvarna. I consider this to be a MANDATORY safety device for anyone who is cutting among trees and branches. Let me repeat: I would give up my seat belt and ROPS before I went back out into the brush without this helmet. I got slammed several times in the face and head -- it is unavoidable in this kind of terrain -- and the helmet saved me at least from bruises and lacerations. The silence of the hearing protectors is also terrific, as brush cutting can make an Apocalyptic racket.

What I am cutting is wall-to-wall sticker bushes that are mixed in with other woody brush all among trees, some of which are leaning or fallen. The brambles have climbed the trees so they hang down on you as well as being all aroung you. Some of the bramble branches are 10 feet long or so, and they are always snaking and grabbing at you. Then, of course, there are the whacking branches from the trees.

I did use a different technique as recommeded by Von and Gordon. Often I would smash things down and plow them with my bucket without the cutter running. I backed in a lot more often. Sometimes, in these tight quarters, there are unpredictable Murphy's Law dangers on every side. You back into a tree. Try to turn around and brambles whack you. Then your bucket hits something. Distracted, you don't notice the ditch or stump. Slow, slow, slow. Look, look, look -- on all sides. Once when I was backing through hanging brambles, branches and vines, and looking behind me at the brush cutter, all of a sudden the front of the tractor lurched up vertically. The branches had swept along my loader joystick as I was backing and had pushed it forward, lowering the loader to the ground. Began to use my flipdown joystick protector plate.

Because my chainsaw was broke, I used the loader, very carefully, with up pressure and down pressure to try to break branches off large fallen trees. I can see where the term "widow maker" comes from. If any of those heavy branches had snapped back at me, the force would have been tremendous.

I even found a use for my tiltable steering wheel. I found that if I tilted it up as high as possible, I could easily stand up on my (now buckled) operator's deck to cut branches with my loppers. (I need much better loppers.)

Finally, my progress was blocked by a creek that is a tributary of my main creek. Looks like another bridge is necessary.

This is a very fun and rewarding experience. I now have a series of partially completed trails through my woods where I can walk my dogs or just contemplate nature.

For those of you who have recommended Carhartt's, do you have any particular clothing items of their's in mind?

Glenn

 

[Harv]

Glenn -

Great report. I'm taking notes for my next trip up to the property next weekend.

The reality is that I may or may not get to do any of that fun jungle-blazing you described so well. I still have a little water channel work to do in a couple of areas that I simply can't get the tractor to. I don't mind using a pick and shovel so much -- but I hate when I have to also use my back /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif

At the very least it sounds like I have still more shopping to do. Helmet, face guard, hearing protectors, shoulder pads, armpit shields... does it ever end?

 

[Bird]

Fun, Glenn? I did that sort of thing last January/February and besides my arms and legs looking for two weeks like I'd been sacking wildcats, I also got poison ivy on my arms./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

And nope, Harv, it never ends./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird