Clearing 8" diameter pines

[nuke]

Re: Clearing 8\" diameter pines

I found a small company that clears by the day ($1,000/day) with a trackhoe. If I can trust this company, how long should I expect it to take to clear 600 ft of road (30' wide or 0.4 ac) + 2 acres for house and drainfield?

8" pines max still with some smaller stuff, very few stumps as any present have been rotting for 18 years and will wiggle with a firm kick. I am banking on 4 days, but HOPE 3 days with a good operator will get it done.

 

[KentT]

Re: Clearing 8\" diameter pines

Others could probably answer better, since the one I used I was paying by the hour on the meter, and he only logged about 10 hours on the track-hoe (as I recall) over a 3 day period.

What does he consider a day? 8 hours on the hour-meter, or what?

IMO, the challenge will be the roadway. At 30' x 600' he will have to make many piles of slash. Once he starts working in the clearing, it will go much faster. They work much better and much faster with "elbow room" where they can swing things onto a pile, rather than driving over to pile it somewhere, and then driving back....

 

[daTeacha]

Re: Clearing 8\" diameter pines

Anyone with experience in your area should be ready, willing, and able to give you either an estimate or a firm price for the job. Find someone who will write a firm contract and then ask what he'd charge by the hour instead. Usually a firm contract price is a bit higher than per hour cost will be, just in case something comes up that makes the job take longer than estimated. Either the contractor takes a risk on a few hours of time, or you do. Your call.

 

[SnoFalls]

Re: Clearing 8\" diameter pines

Like KentT said, a "plan" of how where the trash will go will help the operator. He may just throw it "wherever" where as you may wanna setup rows, or big piles, or a "hedgerow" along this propline, or ... without it clear, they may just leave stuff all over and end up a huge mess to cleanup. Your plan may mean an extra 180 swing for him (no biggee with the speed they can swing), but unless he knows, he may not bother.

I think you should also consider maintaining a buffer along the property lines that aren't cleared. Dunno what you have for neighbors, but maintaining some of the bigger pines on _your_ side of the prop line is a good thing. This also means keeping the trackhoe outta the drip line on those (and especially the dripline of trees that ARE NOT yours). Use tape, metal fence poles, etc so it's clear to the operator what he's to avoid!

 

[KentT]

Re: Clearing 8\" diameter pines

Another tip. Get several rolls of plastic surveyor's tape and use it to mark the boundaries of the driveway and the house site that you want him to clear. You can get it at Wal-Mart in the sporting goods section... or at a large hardware store.

Also mark VERY, VERY clearly which individual trees (if any) you want to keep in the actual house site -- then point them out to him. Then, watch him carefully while he's working in that area, just in case. It's very easy to damage a tree with this size equipment, swinging whole trees around like sticks, and he'll be focused more on tearing things down than on protecting things...

 

[Marlowe]

Re: Clearing 8\" diameter pines

If I only had one piece of machinery to do your job, make it a fairly large tractor with a back hoe and front end loader. Don't worry about taking a long time to learn to operate one. It only took me an hour or so before the backhoe was like an extension of my arms. Once you are pretty good with the hoe, you can drag it along just below the surface and uproot those pesky little trees that leave those tire shredding stubs when you brush hog them. The FEL also comes in handy for more than just carrying dirt. They make a great diesel powered wheelbarrow too for anything you need to carry.

Tom

 

[MMM]

Re: Clearing 8\" diameter pines

It was $85/hr round here for CAT320 last summer. I'm not sure if fuel is higher now and may have driven price up.
I prefer a trackhoe/dozer operation that keeps hoe busy digging with dozer piling and raking, That really leaves a nice finished job you won't get with just a trackhoe

 

[Highbeam]

Re: Clearing 8\" diameter pines

"I found a small company that clears by the day ($1,000/day) with a trackhoe. If I can trust this company, how long should I expect it to take to clear 600 ft of road (30' wide or 0.4 ac) + 2 acres for house and drainfield? "

Without burning the slash or saving the timber the road can be done in a day and the 2 acres over 2 to 3 more days. That assumes a 200-300 class machine in a forest that can be walked through. You need to realize that the "cleared" area will be cleared but not necessarily graded or raked. This guy isn't a landscaper or a road builder. Also realize the pile of slash from this amount of clearing will be about the size of the house.

If the guy is paid by the day then be careful not to let him just keep milking it. Also be ready for an extra delivery and setup charge. If he bids the job as a whole then it is in his advantage to go fast. You seem to know exactly what to clear so I would get a bid for the job.