Clearing 1/2 Acre...You Want How Much???

[Carl_NH]

MarkV,

I agree its what I would do too. Originally Kyle said he didnt have the time to do this, but I guess he has his eyes on a new much bigger tractor so sweat equity doing it himself for a new tractor is a great idea!

Its been hot here too - did a cord of wood this weekend and sweating a lot here 85* and 75% RH,,

Carl

 

[scoutcub]

So I started the process myself yesterday. I cut for about 3 hours before it got too hot and brought down about 40-50 trees. Next weekend I'll rent a chipper that can handle 6" limbs and that will clean-up the majority while the rest goes for firewood. I am cutting the stumps as close to the ground as possible because right now the area is just to open it up and I'll use the bush hog on next year. After I'm through chipping, I may look at pulling out with my BH any of the small stumps as they usually come up quickly and I have to level the area somewhat. There are some large stones and little dips so that all needs to be sorted out prior to bush hogging. Hopefully today I'll get the remainder of the trees down and then I'll be ready for the chipper.

Thanks everyone for your ideas/input, it seems there are many different ways to go about this and I figure I'm taking the easiest and cheapest for now. Got to save my money for my new tractor that I believe I may be buying next week. Going from 20hp to 50hp, should make a difference!

Kyle -

Great decision. Now for each hour you work on it you can pay yourself XX amount of $$$ towards the new tractor! :thumbsup:

 

[forgeblast]

Kyle, I just wanted to say, make sure you have someone else with you when chipping.
Crazy things happen, better to be covered.

 

[Brad_Blazer]

Kyle,
It's hard to believe you didn't keep that business card. Most TBN members would love to have such a contractor available locally for job quotes. That $8400-14,000 was exactly what you were looking for to justify a tractor upgrade.

 

[Kyle241]

Kyle,
It's hard to believe you didn't keep that business card. Most TBN members would love to have such a contractor available locally for job quotes. That $8400-14,000 was exactly what you were looking for to justify a tractor upgrade.

You sure have that right!!! "Honey, instead of paying this guy $10k or so, why not make that a downpayment on my new tractor?"

 

[greasemonkeyok]

My guess is the Contractor recognized you and thought, "if this guy is stupid enough to hire me again, I'm going to make it worthwhile."

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Kyle, I just wanted to say, make sure you have someone else with you when chipping.
Crazy things happen, better to be covered.

If you don't believe forgeblast, just watch "Fargo"... :laughing: I have not been able to use one since!

Seriously though, I had a guy cut down 2 big bradford pears at my city house a few years back. he had the most amazing chipper I'd ever seen. The first tree he fed ito it in pieces. the second one, whole. He hooked a winch around the base. The trunk was like 14" and it had multiple forks etc. He winched the base into the chipper and cranked the rpms. In the next couple minutes it devoured the entire tree. [BURP!] It took a hour for my jaw to come up off the floor...

Be well,
David

 

[Kyle241]

Kyle, I just wanted to say, make sure you have someone else with you when chipping.
Crazy things happen, better to be covered.

Yup, definitely. Chippers are one of my nervous machines, that and chainsaws as both can be deadly real quick. I have used the big commercial chippers that handle 15" trees a long time ago when I worked at the city during the summers between terms. I saw what it can do and always, always had great respect for it. I remember when I was down in Virginia Beach on business and read that a local teenager got pulled into a chipper...while his dad was with him. I believe he was using a shovel or something like that to push brush into the unit. Very, very tragic.

 

[mx842]

Darn, reading this makes me not feel as bad for my friend on the farm behind me. He has a boarding kennel, sells all sorts of animals chickens, goats, cows, but mainly Labs. He used to raise beagles and he had about 35 ac fenced in to train them in. This last storm uprooted about 20 trees along the fence line and smashed the fence. He had a local contractor come out and give him and estimate to remove the trees and they quoted him $23,000.00. What is even more strange his insurance company agreed to pay it.

Things sure have changed in the bulldozing business since I was in it back when I was doing it we were clearing land for between $500 and $1000.00 an ac. That wasn't the hauling off the brush price as we would go in there with a D6/D7 or D8 with a KG blade and the size tractor depended on the size of the timber. We would also put a 977 Cat on the job with a root rake to pile the remains of what was left after the KG blade finished it's act.

 

[treman]

Wow, I cant believe that someone honestly thought it would take more than a day to do a half an acre with 5 guys, especially with 5-6" trees. I know when i clear fence lines in the winter time I can cruise at about 3-400' per hour in a 30' wide fence row. It does really help to have a good loader operator to get it all out of the way to get to the next tree. either way I think you made the right choice to do it yourself. Hope your being safe and havin fun.