Mini-ex in steep terrain?

[sea2summit]

Moved to some new property in GA and about 10 acres of the property is choked up with what we call around here "wait a minute vines" which is basically a nice way to say you ain't getting through there. I was thinking about getting a little tiny mini excavator and clearing some of the vines and doing some selected removal of a lot of the small pine trees that appear to be working on growing among the more desirable species. Only problem is the terrain is steep drainage and I know I can't get some of it but a lot of what I'm thinking about attacking is 10-15% grade. Could a mini-ex safely operate in there without having to tear up the ground too much building working pads etc? Specifically I'm looking at renting a Kubota k-008 or kx-18 size mini-ex.

 

[coldsteelva]

Is the soil typical GA clay? 15% ~30-degrees is a decent slope; I'm not sure rubber tracks can hold, but a smaller ex with metal tracks could do it.

 

[TractorGuy]

You should be able to negotiate a 15% grade with your tractor. If it has a loader and you have a bush hog type mower I would attack the vines and small trees with that first. A mini EX is more tipsy than a tractor IMO. Great care and remembering to keep the grader blade low would be needed on any decent slope.

If you are talking a 15 degree slope that is a different animal but should be able to approach in forward or reverse.

 

[Snobdds]

If I am working on a steep slope, I build a level pad up under the excavator. Get to where you want to work, work bottom up, and then dig a hole next to the machine and make a pad. Then drive over onto the pad. It will take a zig saw pattern to get to the top of the hill, but it's definitely doable.

 

[sea2summit]

Is the soil typical GA clay? 15% ~30-degrees is a decent slope; I'm not sure rubber tracks can hold, but a smaller ex with metal tracks could do it.

Mostly sand here, clay starts for me about 18" down.

 

[sea2summit]

You should be able to negotiate a 15% grade with your tractor. If it has a loader and you have a bush hog type mower I would attack the vines and small trees with that first. A mini EX is more tipsy than a tractor IMO. Great care and remembering to keep the grader blade low would be needed on any decent slope.

If you are talking a 15 degree slope that is a different animal but should be able to approach in forward or reverse.

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Lots of stuff I wouldn't be able to safely side hill or turn on and lots of tight spaces between trees so that's why I was thinking a mini-ex might be a better choice. Tractor may get enlisted for some of it though.

 

[Firemanbuck82]

As a proud new owner of a Yanmar O35 mini-ex, I have to say that they are the bomb for ripping out vines. I have Himalayan blackberry on portions of my property and I hate, hate, hate them. I've attacked them with Crossbow and with a brush trimmer on more occasions than I care to remember over the years. The excavator is the perfect tool for ripping them out and piling the vines for burning. I love it.

15% is only 8 degrees and should be easily negotiable by the excavator as long as you keep the tracks perpendicular to the slope. Even 15 degrees should be doable, just don't go along the side slope unless you have the bucket pointed downhill for additional support if you should need it.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

As a proud new owner of a Yanmar O35 mini-ex, I have to say that they are the bomb for ripping out vines. I have Himalayan blackberry on portions of my property and I hate, hate, hate them. I've attacked them with Crossbow and with a brush trimmer on more occasions than I care to remember over the years. The excavator is the perfect tool for ripping them out and piling the vines for burning. I love it.

15% is only 8 degrees and should be easily negotiable by the excavator as long as you keep the tracks perpendicular to the slope. Even 15 degrees should be doable, just don't go along the side slope unless you have the bucket pointed downhill for additional support if you should need it.

Perpendicular??? I attack my steep terrain straight on with the blade downhill so I can use it to lift up and level me off and to dig in. Just be EXTREMELY careful when swinging a full bucket, lots of inertia there...

 

[Firemanbuck82]

Yes, tracks pointed downslope is perpendicular to the slope. Parallel would be tracking along the slope at the same elevation.

 

[Rustyiron]

Perpendicular??? I attack my steep terrain straight on with the blade downhill so I can use it to lift up and level me off and to dig in. Just be EXTREMELY careful when swinging a full bucket, lots of inertia there...

Beat me to it. :thumbsup:
Just "scratching" vines with little to no weight you can relax about swinging over the side. 15% OR 15* is still an easy slope to operate on, but being "new" to a rental machine and not sure of it's limits, start out slow.