Levelling the land...

sendero · Nov 30, 2004

Well I understand your feelings about what you want to do and not do on your land. I've expanded my pond and cleared some cedars - but overall I intend to leave everything be. What nature does trumps what I can do except for a few small areas /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

As for the disc, I do have one. But - I've tried using it to level out a small garden plot (say 20' x 90') and have not found it all that effective. It seems to me it would take 50 passes to get the job done. On the other hand, wifey and I dragged a chain across it and that worked pretty well, but it was pretty hard work after the 2nd or 3rd pass /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

One thing I probably should have mentioned in my original post, the dirt in this "meadow" is very, very "soft". I'm sure there is a better more technical term but I don't know what it is. The dirt is very easy to move around with your foot, it is loose and one tends to sink into it pretty good, especially in the high spots left by the dozer.

ns_in_tex · Nov 30, 2004

I burn piles of trees & brush sometimes, but wait till it is raining (because of where it is), then light it with a propane torch. Works good for me.

Normally have it going in 5 to 10 minutes.

SCB · Nov 30, 2004

Recently I had to burn in excess of 80 stumps and all the limbs that came off the trees from those stumps. It had rained all week and everything was soaked. We made a pile roughly 20 feet across and an easy 18 feet high. The Guy helping me taught me a trick. Used a pump up garden sprayer.The two gallon $6.99 kind. I filled it with diesel and sprayed a little in a small area at the base of the pile. We lit that and turned on a fan once the diesel was lit. Then we used the sprayer directed into the base of the pile where it was burning. It created a furnace effect and we kept spraying until it was empty. Within a half hour the fire had breached the top of the pile and we loaded and burned for the next 4 days. Best way I have ever seen for getting a large wet pile going.

sendero · Nov 30, 2004

I love these creative ideas for burning brush/tree piles!

I have the 3 cedar piles, and I don't think they will be hard to burn if I let them dry out a couple more months. That's because there is a good complement of small and large brush.

I have another pile that is going to be tough though. I tried to burn it a couple weeks ago, wasted 6-8 gallons of diesel. The problem is it is mostly large trunks bulldozed into a pile with little in the way of fine kindling type brush.

One thing I have learned, if you don't have some wind you can forget getting a good burn pile going. Or can ya - I never thought about using a fan. I wonder how many more 100' extension cords I'd have to buy? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Anyways - thanks everyone for the useful ideas on levelling my meadow and for burning wood piles. It really helps!

SCB · Nov 30, 2004

I went to the local rental yard and rented one with a little Honda 4.5 horse gas motor powering it. Worked real well. It was on a wheeled cart and I could move it around to whatever side of the fire I needed to.

KiotiJohn · Nov 30, 2004

( One thing I have learned, if you don't have some wind you can forget getting a good burn pile going. Or can ya - I never thought about using a fan. I wonder how many more 100' extension cords I'd have to buy? )
You can buy a 12V fairly high output fan that you'd be surprised by. The kind sold for autos put out enough air that you'd be surprised how much it would help get the flames going, and just plugged into your cig. lighter outlet. John

LBrown59 · Dec 1, 2004

Not only that, it's a pain trying to light the burn pile. Last Friday, I took advantage of a few days break in the rain to burn my pile. 2-1/2 gallons of diesel later, it still wouldn't stay lit on its own. I'm ready for a few weeks at least of drier weather, but don't know when we'll actually get it.
sneaky_pete
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I keep a 5 gal can of used fluid and oil and a few old tires around for this.

Instead of just pouring the diesel on the pile put some in several tin cans and place them under the brush pile at different spots.

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sneaky_pete · Dec 1, 2004

Thanks everyone for the fire starting ideas. I thought about using my gas-powered leaf blower for a fan, but I haven't used or started it since we moved to the country. I like Neal's propane torch idea. You could also use it to burn weeds under fences and etc.

Pete

LBrown59 · Dec 1, 2004

( Thanks everyone for the fire starting ideas. I thought about using my gas-powered leaf blower for a fan, but I haven't used or started it since we moved to the country. I like Neal's propane torch idea. You could also use it to burn weeds under fences and etc.

Pete )For snow removal
Just mount 3 of the torches on the front of your bucket & throw the tanks in the bucket.
LOL

B8FISH · Dec 1, 2004

Leafblowers work really well to get the air moving in the pile as well (and you can always dump some of the 2 cycle mix on the pile as your "starter" fuel) /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif