Driveway and lot clearing progress and what are you all up to?

PowerTracManiac · Mar 20, 2020

Wel, I am working about 1/2 as much as normal so I have time to work on the driveway and lot clearing for the new shop. My PT1460 machine has plenty of power to push over trees up to about 6-12 inches depending on species. The problem happens with the trees that just bend over and then come back up. Best way to get those out would be the single fork idea to get under the trees and then lift them out. I don't have that tool, so I'm just using a mattax on the small stuff and a sawzall with carbide blade on the medium size stuff.
I have the 4 in 1 bucket and I am able to get the big trees I cut picked up and moved out of the way with no problem. My impression is that if you are considering a 4 in 1 bucket or a brush grapple, I would recommend the brush grapple over the 4 in 1 bucket. I am not having an issue with getting flat tires that I was worried about.
The cleared area in attached photos is about 50 by 60. There are some bigger trees I haven't cut yet at about 2 feet diameter. My thoughts on those are to cut them down and then burn the stumps?
Hope you all are staying safe and working on the tractor is good times in this current situation.

Thomas · Mar 21, 2020

Looks like good dirt...keep updates coming.

MossRoad · Mar 21, 2020

PowerTracManiac said:
Wel, I am working about 1/2 as much as normal so I have time to work on the driveway and lot clearing for the new shop. My PT1460 machine has plenty of power to push over trees up to about 6-12 inches depending on species. The problem happens with the trees that just bend over and then come back up. Best way to get those out would be the single fork idea to get under the trees and then lift them out. I don't have that tool, so I'm just using a mattax on the small stuff and a sawzall with carbide blade on the medium size stuff.
I have the 4 in 1 bucket and I am able to get the big trees I cut picked up and moved out of the way with no problem. My impression is that if you are considering a 4 in 1 bucket or a brush grapple, I would recommend the brush grapple over the 4 in 1 bucket. I am not having an issue with getting flat tires that I was worried about.
The cleared area in attached photos is about 50 by 60. There are some bigger trees I haven't cut yet at about 2 feet diameter. My thoughts on those are to cut them down and then burn the stumps?
Hope you all are staying safe and working on the tractor is good times in this current situation.

View attachment 646330
View attachment 646331

You can't hide behind that tree! :laughing:

PILOON · Mar 21, 2020

What am I up to?
LOL, with this virus I'm at home on the TBN web as it is to cold and too much snow to do anything outdoors.

Besides my drive is pure ice.
All restaurants are closed as are many stores.
People have gone crazy hoarding all kinds of stuff.
Perhaps I should start making TP as there is such a shortage.

Maybe if I really get bored I might do somethin useful like sorting my nuts and bolts, LOL.

Oh well another hour or two and I'll enjoy a 'favorite beverage'.
I did stock up a few 'fifths' and judging by the lineup and full baskets hospitals will be very busy in nine months.

PowerTracManiac · Mar 21, 2020

Yeah, I am kinda hiding out (not behind that tree-:laughing

and I wanted to post so anyone interested could join in some conversation. My place is rural with no one else really around so I am kind of self isolating. Have supplies for about a month, if necessary. Several states in the US have declared stay at home rules and I think Virginia will do that if the cases here jump up.
Weather is getting warmer and my plan is to work on some projects that I have been wanting to do for a while to stay active (start shop layout, fix electric bike, clean out storage area, extend access road to pond, work on some old cars, etc.)
Might have to go get some adult beverages myself as I'm going to be sore from all the tree work I need to do.

woodlandfarms · Mar 21, 2020

We had a pipe break in our house in LA and do some 70k in damages. I have been at that house supervising the repairs. Everyday they continue to close more and more stores and are telling people to shelter. Unsure of what my line in the sand is when I say heck with this and try and catch a flight back to the farm. If my vendors are still available I should be done in 10 days.

MossRoad · Mar 21, 2020

Home repair stores were one of the ones that were allowed to stay open and people are allowed to go to during this crisis here in Indiana.

ponytug · Mar 24, 2020

MR: Home repair stores are allowed to be open in California, as well, but the contractors, e.g. plumbers are not, unless it is an emergency. (Ask me how I know...)
Woodlandfarms: I hope that your contractors keep going!

All the best,

Peter

MossRoad · Mar 24, 2020

We're supposed to be starting an addition to our garage this year. I'll be doing it all myself except for the concrete. Pulled the permit last week. Gave them full description, scale drawing, everything. Concrete guy tells me yes, you gave them everything, but they didn't tell you everything. :laughing:

Existing garage is 24' wide by 20' deep. = 480
Addition going behind it is 24' wide by 24' deep = 576
480 + 576 = 1056

Yeah, so?

Anything over 720 requires a footing below frost line. Can't do just a slab.

It's not over 720.

It will be with the addition.

But, but, but.... the existing garage is on a slab with no footing.

Too bad. That's what the inspector will tell you when he comes out and tells you to remove all the forms, dig a trench 4' deep, put in a 12" wide footing, wall, backfill, compact, etc....

GRRRR!!!!!

Called building inspector last week. He finally got back to me today. Confirmed.

If it was a pole barn addition, I'd only have to put posts down below the frost line every 8', even though it would have a slab the same size. It's a regular framed addition, not a pole building. Can I just put a 12" pier down below frost line every 8'? Inspector says sure. That's perfect.

YEESH!

Anyhow, now it's gonna be just a slab like I'd planned before with the addition of a 12" x 4' deep hole every 8' filled with concrete.

So now I have to ask the contractor when he'll be able to do it, and order the garage materials to be delivered a couple weeks after that to give it time to dry/cure.

woodlandfarms · Mar 24, 2020

Yup. Big bix stores are open. You have to stand in a line outside 6 ft apart. They hired extra people to manage the lines. As 5 go out 5 get to go in. In la contractors are still working as housing is considered critical. At least for the moment. So new concrete floors are in today. Paint and trim on Thursday. I decided to redo my bbq island and pour concrete countertops and for my first time it came out pretty good. Z-form countertop forms.

MossRoad · Mar 25, 2020

Very nice!!! :thumbsup:

RalphVa · Mar 25, 2020

Got a new pooter and reinstalled everything. Office 365 install was a PITA because MS does not tell you anything: gotta click on each icon.

Shredding up piles of vines, limbs and autumn olives left by the wife when dry enough to get the tractor down the back hill. Using the MacKissic TPH-122, 15 years old.

Ralph

PowerTracManiac · Mar 29, 2020

Woodland: Glad you are able to keep working and awesome job on the countertops. :applause: I am going to follow your lead and do concrete countertops when the time comes. Did you get special concrete gfrc mix? I was checking into gfrc concrete mixes they are quite impressive.

Moss: I am still working on the garage clearing and started the plans for the garage/shop. I know the garage size is going to be about 22 by 46. Still debating on pole barn style vs regular construction style?

RalphVa: Hey neighbor in Virginia. You are prolly about 30mins from me. Good to hear you are staying busy!

MossRoad · Mar 29, 2020

Got the estimate from the concrete guy.... YIKES! $6500 in concrete for a $5200 garage. Nope.

Guess who's going to learn how to do concrete? :laughing:

I've done foundations and walls before (when I was a young man). Haven't done flatwork before. This'll be a good place to learn, as it's just a storage room and behind view from the street.

I already figured out the concrete will cost $1800. I'll have to figure in rebar and forms, + tools. I've already started the excavation this evening with my little PT425. Got half of it done in about an hour.

marrt · Mar 29, 2020

I just put an extension on the back of my pole barn and paid $270 per yard for 5K PSI with fiber! That's $2700 for 10 yards of concrete alone. Insane. But I had no choice. All the concrete companies around here stay busy. They won't even promise a specific DAY they will deliver....never mind a day and time. So, some enterprising guy figured out he can charge double using one of those mix on site trucks. At that price, I could pick my day and time. This was two weeks ago. Business has almost stopped now. Late last week I received an email from the company indicating they were offering special deals due to the virus impact.

woodlandfarms · Mar 31, 2020

PTM thanks for the comments. I bought quikrete countertop mix as it was the only thing available locally. It worked ok but if I were to do it again I would make sure I use a retarder as it set up way too fast for someone like me with no experience.

I am massively unemployed. The movie business was the first thing to get shut down in la. Only people who work directly for the studios (corporate) still have a job. Today I fly back to the farm. Not looking forward to the flight but probably way less crowded than my local Home Depot.

MossRoad · Mar 31, 2020

My nephew works on a popular Netflix series. They were 2 weeks away from finishing next season when the plug got pulled due to the current virus. No pay while production is halted.

woodlandfarms · Mar 31, 2020

Oh and I need to pour a monolith for my new shop (3500 sq ft). The cost is higher than the shop. Guess what I am not getting this year.

PowerTracManiac · Mar 31, 2020

Safe travels Woodland and glad you were able to finish the needed work then go home.

Seems like several of us are in the shop building mode.
I just finished clearing the garage/shop area and checked with transit and I have a slope down from front (where the doors will be) to the back of the building of about 2 feet over 30 feet. Will be good for drainage around the shop but I think a little too much out of level to do a monolithic slab pour.
So now I am thinking of either just doing pole barn style and filling in concrete floor later or going all out and doing a footing and block wall foundation. Seems the footing and block wall will ramp up the amount of work needed and cost alot?

I would like to get something built as I have stuff that needs to get under covered space (like the PT1460). I could live with crushed stone for a while before the slab got done.