Monster Mulcher visits MossflowerWoods

[fishfactor]

My post rambled a little. The important point is to use a grapple on your FEL, not a landscape rake. Using a landscape rake you will pull it for a few minutes then spend 10 minutes trying to get all of the debris out of the tines. After you use the grapple to get all of the debris up, use the landscape rake to do the finish work.

 

[Ken45101]

I am trying to determine how best to do that. Is it a landscape rake? Back dragging the tooth bar on my bucket? Or just back drag the teeth on the grapple and grab the piles?

David,

I think the tooth bar and the grapple will be the most effective although probably no one implement will do everything for you.

Ken

 

[MossflowerWoods]

My post rambled a little. The important point is to use a grapple on your FEL, not a landscape rake. Using a landscape rake you will pull it for a few minutes then spend 10 minutes trying to get all of the debris out of the tines. After you use the grapple to get all of the debris up, use the landscape rake to do the finish work.

Colby,

EVERYTHING you are saying makes sense.

I've been offered a brand new Woods RB84 for $650...

Will a rear blade will be more effective at moving dirt for the finish work?

I can use my little 4' "Yorkie" and my JD LX266 to rake in the seed.

I probably need to respond oday if I want the blade...

When using the root grapple, do I "float" the FEL with the teeth just touching, or do I dig in a couple inches? Do I go forward or reverse and backdrag?

All the stumps will be just at dirt level, so I'm worried about hitting .

THANK YOU for all your advice sir!
It is VERY Valuable!

Be well,
David

 

[MossflowerWoods]

David,

I think the tooth bar and the grapple will be the most effective although probably no one implement will do everything for you.

Ken

Ken,

You and Colby have convinced me!

David

 

[Combustix]

I have always used the grapple and rake when cleaning up and yes the rake will get filled with debris. I have never used a toothbar so I cannot say of it works better. I will also drag the rake filled win debris as it will pull other debris with it. I just bought a tiller 4 months ago I'm trying hard not to get something else. At least until the new year

 

[brin]

That as been my observation about the way mulching turns out. I've never used a mulcher for clearing just seen the after effects.

I'm glad Moss is sharing his experiences.

brin, do you think it would have helped to use a landscape rake and rake up a lot f the chips into a pile?

two_bit_score, No , I have a landscape rake and the tongs are too far apart..the chips just hop and pop about...it is not like raking pine straw as an example...the chips do not collect..they are all varying shapes and sizes and just jump around...only time will compost them I suppose.

 

[two_bit_score]

From what everyone who has done it before is saying sounds like a grapple is best, no landscape rake.

Now about moss's question on float vs. digging in a little? What is the consensus on that?

I don't think I would go to float but I wouldn't try to engage soil, just below the debris and at the soil level.

My only experience with chips is very limited but I ave several acres behind my house in east Texas where I am considering mulching. The one time I used a chipper and just spread the small chips around in the grass they were gone in about 6 months. But the pics in this thread show some pretty big debris that would seem to take a while to decompose.

Fishfactor obviously has a lot if experience in this area. Thanks for your help.

Moss don't mean to be highjacking your thread here but it's a good topic that involves a current project so I appreciate being able to get some help here.

.

 

[Ken45101]

From what everyone who has done it before is saying sounds like a grapple is best, no landscape rake.

Now about moss's question on float vs. digging in a little? What is the consensus on that?

I'd say "whatever works best". Soil conditions (unevenness, looseness, vegetation, rocks, etc.), grapple tines angles, what you are trying to scrape up, etc. all contribute to experimenting to find out what works best. And what works best in one spot may not work best 100' away.

Ken

 

[fishfactor]

I'd say "whatever works best". Soil conditions (unevenness, looseness, vegetation, rocks, etc.), grapple tines angles, what you are trying to scrape up, etc. all contribute to experimenting to find out what works best. And what works best in one spot may not work best 100' away.

Ken

Exactly. We use a grapple on a skid steer when customers want the mulch removed. We don't use float, just try to skim. But we have much better visibility of the end of the times in a skid steer. It will take several passes to get it up without getting a lot of dirt mixed in.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

All I can say is WOW.

They left after dark tonight. They showed up at 12:30 and ran the next 6 hours. I am AMAZED. I told Lotscapes to use me as a reference.

Now, I said to Mark (the co-owner) to not worry about the big chunks, I can grapple them, and not to fuss over the big patches of dead slash, but to get rid of all the green, and get it so I cold get out in my tractor and manage what is left.

It is NOT bush-hog ready, I MUST clear some debris and touch-up some stumps,but he cleared pretty close to FIVE ACRES and it looks AMAZING.

I did some work while he was grinding and here is what I found to work well.

In the very clean areas, his spotter and I were just grabbing the big chunks and making little piles, these are easy to grapple and haul away.

In the heavy chips & chunks areas where he ground up some of the heavy slash layer, what worked best so far was to open the grapple, back drag it about 1" deep (when I hit a stump lift to clear and go back down) when a good pile builds, raise the FEL, curl the grapple, drop grab and haul it away. this method worked VERY well until a few small stumps were exposed.

In the heavy untouched slash areas, I needed to pluck out the big or long pieces I could see on top, and then try to grapple, remove, grapple remove, and as it got manageable, back-drag until I had a pile, and move it.


Two Bits,
I am THRILLED if I am helping anyone. You can hijack any time sir!

Colby,
You have been awesome help.

Ken and Brin,
Thanks for the support.

Combustix,
Me too. But I'm thinking pretty hard about a 7' rear blade (Woods BR84) for $650 I was offered today (along with a used set of Pallet forks 4000lb rated). I'm trying NOT to buy for a little while at least.

Pics tomorrow, I PROMISE.
Be well all of you!
David