swnoel
Silver Member
Excavator all the way! All you'll do is to beat up your 60... as someone suggested use the grapple to haul it away.
clearing trees and roots with a grapple
- Thread starter Lowcountry Rebel
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DieselBound
Elite Member
OP didn't mentioned having an excavator.
I totally sign on to the "use an excavator" bandwagon. Depending on root structure you can just push over small diameter trees: of course, SAFETY is paramount- I've got a fair amount of hours operating tractors and excavators. I believe that I'd used a 9k lb machine to knock over some easily 4" diameter Alders: I also rent a 19k lb machine, so it's possible that it was that machine, but I cannot recall). But...
One way to properly assess the amount of work it might take to do a job one is best to seek out some bids from professionals. I had a huge cottonwood tree that I needed taken down (too close to the house- I was not going to attempt it myself). One guy beat around the bush and told me that he'd taken down a similar-sized cottonwood and hauled it away for something like $3k. No idea how much more the disposal cost, but I did not require such. He talked about bringing in a crew and climbing and cutting: I suspect that he'd had an "insurance event" and wasn't going to risk dropping from the ground. This guy never got back with a real quote. Another guy that I had come by and quote did the job for $500; he (and a helper who was mostly just watching) dropped the tree w/o even putting a guide rope in it- in a mater of a few minutes he had it down, perfectly set; he even felled another tree for me (right next to the cottonwood- was all in the way of my proposed fence line). I did the cleanup and in the process I killed my chainsaw (stupid me- I overworked it, high ambient temps and was running non-stop cutting into the massive trunk).
Anyway, look to get a quote from a professional as it'll give you a better understanding of how much work it really is likely going to be; you also might get some insights into how you might go about doing it (I've gotten excellent pointers from good professionals, folks that knew I'm a DIY-er).
I totally sign on to the "use an excavator" bandwagon. Depending on root structure you can just push over small diameter trees: of course, SAFETY is paramount- I've got a fair amount of hours operating tractors and excavators. I believe that I'd used a 9k lb machine to knock over some easily 4" diameter Alders: I also rent a 19k lb machine, so it's possible that it was that machine, but I cannot recall). But...
One way to properly assess the amount of work it might take to do a job one is best to seek out some bids from professionals. I had a huge cottonwood tree that I needed taken down (too close to the house- I was not going to attempt it myself). One guy beat around the bush and told me that he'd taken down a similar-sized cottonwood and hauled it away for something like $3k. No idea how much more the disposal cost, but I did not require such. He talked about bringing in a crew and climbing and cutting: I suspect that he'd had an "insurance event" and wasn't going to risk dropping from the ground. This guy never got back with a real quote. Another guy that I had come by and quote did the job for $500; he (and a helper who was mostly just watching) dropped the tree w/o even putting a guide rope in it- in a mater of a few minutes he had it down, perfectly set; he even felled another tree for me (right next to the cottonwood- was all in the way of my proposed fence line). I did the cleanup and in the process I killed my chainsaw (stupid me- I overworked it, high ambient temps and was running non-stop cutting into the massive trunk).
Anyway, look to get a quote from a professional as it'll give you a better understanding of how much work it really is likely going to be; you also might get some insights into how you might go about doing it (I've gotten excellent pointers from good professionals, folks that knew I'm a DIY-er).
oosik
Epic Contributor
I thin at least 12 to 15 stands of small ( 1" to 6" ) Ponderosa pines every spring ( ~ 950 small trees ). Its not so difficult to pull - think pluck - pines from 1" to 3" - - my M6040 weight 10,100 pounds with a very HD grapple. Much above 3" and its a PITA. Half the time I just skin the tree of all bark and limbs with the skinned trunk still standing straight and tall. Besides when I thin its not in great cleared swaths - its one here, three over there and two just behind me. Can't do that with the big 'ol M6040. For me - thinning is with a small Stihl.
Thinning is - - identify, cut, drag to pile, come by in a couple days and chip all the piles. Dragging to pile is a PITA - chipping is the fun part.
Thinning is - - identify, cut, drag to pile, come by in a couple days and chip all the piles. Dragging to pile is a PITA - chipping is the fun part.
You just need different equipment...
Extreme Tractor Tree Ploughing | #Forest Field #Root Plow | Brush Clearing - YouTube
Rock N Root Rake Video - YouTube
LukeDuke30
Bronze Member
Save your tractor, rent an excavator or hire it out. I started down this path with my tractor. We had 11 acres overgrown with bradford pears, thorn trees, and generally thickets everywhere. I did what I could with the tractor, but then realized there are better machines for this work. I rented a John Deere 35d excavator with a thumb for $300 for an entire weekend. What took 15 mintues each tree with a stump bucket or pulling, took less than a minute with the excavator. I could grab the roots with the thumb and pull them out. I used the little dozer blade on the excavator to fill in the hole.
When I was done, I put the scarifiers down on the box blade to pull small roots out, and remove debris, then level with the blade. Below is before, and after:
When I was done, I put the scarifiers down on the box blade to pull small roots out, and remove debris, then level with the blade. Below is before, and after:
oosik
Epic Contributor
ddbackhoe - First - I would have to use any of that equipment just to widen the driveway. Some of those boys must have felt like Rommel - coming over the dunes when he retook Tobruk. I didn't watch it all but I was surprised to see so many that just knocked the trees down. I expected to see more of the "forrest mulcher" type operation. Those lands with all the trees lying down flat - pretty hard to immediately plow into producing fields.
4570Man
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2015
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- 18,409
- Location
- Crossville, TN
- Tractor
- Kubota M59, Kubota L3800, Grasshopper 428D, Topkick dump truck, 3500 dump truck, 10 ton trailer, more lighter trailers.
Tractors aren’t meant for that work. A 100 hp skid steer sure, but the tractor will tear up. Use the excavator and use the tractor for the cleanup.