clearing trees
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MChalkley
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- EarthForce EF-5 mini-TLB (2001)
Obviously you remember how I found out how important the length of the chain is. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Yep, as you say: Live (hopefully) and learn.
Mark
Mark
MChalkley
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Almost forgot: I spent part of the afternoon helping a friend clear some trees and brush out of his yard. He said I got as much done in two hours as he does the hard way in two days. He spent most of the time standing there shaking his head. He asked me during a break in the action where the grubbing tongs came from - he'd never seen anything like them before, but said when he buys a tractor, they're going to be one of the first accessories he gets for it. He wants a 4-in-1 bucket, too, but doesn't think that'll be as easy to justify the cost of.
Mark
Mark
gordon
Veteran Member
Mark wish I could say I've never done the same thing but I would be telling a very very big fib to say the least.
Here is one of my favorite pictures http://www.madsens1.com/1stdayon.htm/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Gordon
Here is one of my favorite pictures http://www.madsens1.com/1stdayon.htm/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Gordon
gordon
Veteran Member
Nothing better than a tractor to do the bull work.
Mark are your grubbing tongs like skidding tongs? I remember a post awhile back on them but don't remember what you said they look like. Thanks
Gordon
Mark are your grubbing tongs like skidding tongs? I remember a post awhile back on them but don't remember what you said they look like. Thanks
Gordon
MChalkley
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- EarthForce EF-5 mini-TLB (2001)
Gordon - Yeah, kinda sorta. They don't have hooks on the the ends of the tongs, though - they're blunt and rely on the scissoring action of the tongs to grip and hold the tree. I waited a lot longer than I wish I had to order them because I didn't think they would work, or more likely, that they would work ok until they broke. Finally, because of the unconditional "forever" guarantee, I decided to get them. When I got them out of the box, I said to myself "Well, I see why they're unconditionally guaranteed for life - it doesn't look like I'm going to break them." They're monsters. And they work.
Mark
Mark
Anonymous Poster
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Was walking just now on the property and thinking about my previous post, forgot a couple of things. If you decide to make a road or tunnel through brush, and you make it longer then the tractor without making it wider then the tractor first, be ready to have a stick break a valve off a wheel, or even jam itself between the tire and the rim.
The tractor has no feeling, it will just keep on pluggin' forward, it doesn't care if it's hurting itself (or you).
An on the subject of brush damaging the undersides, one time I was pushing some junk around, and somehow something pushed on the sideways mounted shock absorber on my 1710 hard enough that it bent it. I had also been trying to move the load while turning. The effect after I backed up was that the steering felt jammed. I was sure I had damaged one of the two gears in the steering box as damage to the rod wasn't apparent. Priced them out. Think it was about $1400.00 for the pair. Fortunately I noticed the outer shock tube was hitting the inside tube, removed it and presto steering was fixed. I was ready to tear it all down. Moral of the story, when I'm in any brush I always have the bucket teeth angled down just skimming the surface to keep stuff from going under the tractor. This isn't very easy with just a bucket edge.
Any serious amount of brush work, consider making some hooks on the sides of your 4-post overhead protector to hang some more of that expanded metal. I usually wear my hardhat while on the tractor and once even wore my dirt bike helmet, you can get hit by slapping limbs and brush. It's amazing how it works its way around the 4 posts to "find" you!.
Just go slow, try to expect the worst.
My Ford has alway thought it was a D8, by L35 thinks it's a D9, my wife on the BX thinks she's on a D11.../w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
del
The tractor has no feeling, it will just keep on pluggin' forward, it doesn't care if it's hurting itself (or you).
An on the subject of brush damaging the undersides, one time I was pushing some junk around, and somehow something pushed on the sideways mounted shock absorber on my 1710 hard enough that it bent it. I had also been trying to move the load while turning. The effect after I backed up was that the steering felt jammed. I was sure I had damaged one of the two gears in the steering box as damage to the rod wasn't apparent. Priced them out. Think it was about $1400.00 for the pair. Fortunately I noticed the outer shock tube was hitting the inside tube, removed it and presto steering was fixed. I was ready to tear it all down. Moral of the story, when I'm in any brush I always have the bucket teeth angled down just skimming the surface to keep stuff from going under the tractor. This isn't very easy with just a bucket edge.
Any serious amount of brush work, consider making some hooks on the sides of your 4-post overhead protector to hang some more of that expanded metal. I usually wear my hardhat while on the tractor and once even wore my dirt bike helmet, you can get hit by slapping limbs and brush. It's amazing how it works its way around the 4 posts to "find" you!.
Just go slow, try to expect the worst.
My Ford has alway thought it was a D8, by L35 thinks it's a D9, my wife on the BX thinks she's on a D11.../w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
del
Cowboy
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- Agri-Power-7000,Case 580-SE, Case 480-LL, Ford Golden Jubilee/ Miller 8' Offset Plow,Woods 15' Brush Mower,Rhino 5' Brush Mower,Vasser Digger, Case BackHoe, Case Loader's, Roadmaster 6' Box Blade...
I added my 2 cents worth. It's my story and I'm sticking to it. Tractors are not designed or, built to push tree's with. plus! It's Dangerous!
My D-5 Cat 96j that I recently sold, showed no sign of falling tree wounds however, I had a few fall back on the ROPS which normally occured while, pushing a tree upward from a creek or pond edge. the 6 point ROPS proved unshakeable and, I only had to worry with pulling the vinyl seat cover out of my...well you get the picture. Another serious situation I encountered was, while pushing a large pile of brush, one tree worked its way to where, it was going length wise with the dozer. I saw a sharp pointed limb working it's way over the top of the blade brush guard, I did'nt give it another thought at the time, due to the fact I was pushing some 18 to 20 tree's in front of the machine, my only other thought was...the brush sweeps will catch it and carry it above the cab area, when I looked back through the center of the cab section, the jagged limb was headed for my chest, by the time I stopped the dozer, the limb had me trapped against the seat back, the jagged point pressed squarely, in the middle of my chest. I was thankfully, not injured. That happened about 8 years ago, It has not happened since...why? speerence./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
All of my dozers had, heavy gauge expanded metal enclosures (except my current, it has a ROPS enclosed cab). I have had tree's knock dents the size of grapefruit in the expanded metal (and again we're talking heavy gauge) and, they were'nt all big Texas oak tree's that did that amount of damage.
The dozer I have now is around a 115 H.P. at 2100 RPM,and weighs about 34,000 pounds, it has a 10 foot semi-u blade, and a 4 foot x 22 inch pin on grubber (with the tree kicker option, excellent insurance to keep the trees up front and not on top) I also have a 10 foot finish rake that, leaves the surface plow ready. I could clear 5 heavily wooded acres in about 5 to 6 hour's, then rake and pile the same in about 2 hour's. Total cost to the customer, 480.00, a person can do more damage to a tractor than that amount in 15 minutes, in brush. PLUS...Your bodily damage. a broken finger will cost more than the 480.00!
Okay, so I have rambled on about this and shared some bad experiences I've had. If your decsion is to use your tractor to clear with...Be Careful!!! We might all miss your post's and comments on this forum, not to mention what your love one's could miss.
Cowboy
BigBoyz Toyz
real down and dirty one's
My D-5 Cat 96j that I recently sold, showed no sign of falling tree wounds however, I had a few fall back on the ROPS which normally occured while, pushing a tree upward from a creek or pond edge. the 6 point ROPS proved unshakeable and, I only had to worry with pulling the vinyl seat cover out of my...well you get the picture. Another serious situation I encountered was, while pushing a large pile of brush, one tree worked its way to where, it was going length wise with the dozer. I saw a sharp pointed limb working it's way over the top of the blade brush guard, I did'nt give it another thought at the time, due to the fact I was pushing some 18 to 20 tree's in front of the machine, my only other thought was...the brush sweeps will catch it and carry it above the cab area, when I looked back through the center of the cab section, the jagged limb was headed for my chest, by the time I stopped the dozer, the limb had me trapped against the seat back, the jagged point pressed squarely, in the middle of my chest. I was thankfully, not injured. That happened about 8 years ago, It has not happened since...why? speerence./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
All of my dozers had, heavy gauge expanded metal enclosures (except my current, it has a ROPS enclosed cab). I have had tree's knock dents the size of grapefruit in the expanded metal (and again we're talking heavy gauge) and, they were'nt all big Texas oak tree's that did that amount of damage.
The dozer I have now is around a 115 H.P. at 2100 RPM,and weighs about 34,000 pounds, it has a 10 foot semi-u blade, and a 4 foot x 22 inch pin on grubber (with the tree kicker option, excellent insurance to keep the trees up front and not on top) I also have a 10 foot finish rake that, leaves the surface plow ready. I could clear 5 heavily wooded acres in about 5 to 6 hour's, then rake and pile the same in about 2 hour's. Total cost to the customer, 480.00, a person can do more damage to a tractor than that amount in 15 minutes, in brush. PLUS...Your bodily damage. a broken finger will cost more than the 480.00!
Okay, so I have rambled on about this and shared some bad experiences I've had. If your decsion is to use your tractor to clear with...Be Careful!!! We might all miss your post's and comments on this forum, not to mention what your love one's could miss.
Cowboy
BigBoyz Toyz
real down and dirty one's
W5FL
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Great post, cowboy /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Alan L.
Elite Member
I have struggled with my B2710, my chainsaw, and my brushcutter, and next week the Dozer man is coming to clear about 150 4" - 8" mesquite and cedar trees on 12 of my acres. I'm getting an 800' road done, and 1.5 acre pond dug, the tree clearing, and three house pads done for $15,000. He says the tree clearing is only about $500. He is also going to dig a hole and bury my collection of antique appliances that someone gifted to me anonymously. My S-I-L and I spent about 6 hours in 98 degree heat today with the tractor draggin those babies out of some draws and putting in a pile. There are still lots more in a deeper draw - I wonder how deep a draw a man can get his bulldozer into.
The power of the tractor continues to amaze me, being able to pull old refrigerators full of dirt and sunk halfway into the heavy clay, and pull from an upward angle. Awesome display of power in a small package. But pushing over trees has proven to be a real problem traction wise, as I don't have any type of ballast in the tires.
Actually I don't know which equipment he is going to use for the land clearing. He is bringing a scraper for the pond that moves 14 cubic yards of dirt per pass, plus a road grader and the dozer.
We marked some trees with orange plastic tape today. There are actually a few fairly nice looking mesquites, some cedar elm, and box elder on this part of the property that we decided to keep.
I also put tape on my NEW water well so they don't mess up the wellhead. Can't wait to get some power to see how the water is, but the driller says it is producing about 32 gallons per minute.
Sorry for getting off subject. I got too much sun today.
The power of the tractor continues to amaze me, being able to pull old refrigerators full of dirt and sunk halfway into the heavy clay, and pull from an upward angle. Awesome display of power in a small package. But pushing over trees has proven to be a real problem traction wise, as I don't have any type of ballast in the tires.
Actually I don't know which equipment he is going to use for the land clearing. He is bringing a scraper for the pond that moves 14 cubic yards of dirt per pass, plus a road grader and the dozer.
We marked some trees with orange plastic tape today. There are actually a few fairly nice looking mesquites, some cedar elm, and box elder on this part of the property that we decided to keep.
I also put tape on my NEW water well so they don't mess up the wellhead. Can't wait to get some power to see how the water is, but the driller says it is producing about 32 gallons per minute.
Sorry for getting off subject. I got too much sun today.
