Overgrowth, honeysuckle, and vines... Oh my!

[jeff9366]

I hit the wisteria vines with my loader several weeks ago and that stuff was like steel cables. Would a rotary mower chew it up?

Respondents are leery of replying because your question is one of those "I know its max; should I try it?" Yet you have not told use what R/C you might use.

No one wants to be responsible for damage to your R/C nor to your corpus.

R/C's store a tremendous amount of inertia power. Under theoretical circumstances sufficient inertial power to flip a mower on to the tractor. Your tractor is very light.

Three most hazardous implements are 1) chippers 2) Rotary Cutters 3) Tractor Log Splitters.

Chainsaws are more hazardous than above, but of course not implements.

The safe way to remove your Wisteria would be with chain, cinching the Wisteria at one end and attaching the chain to the the tractor rear/center drawbar on the other end, then slow speed ahead in 4-WD.

 

[Cataclysm]

Hello all,

Long time lurker here who needs a little help. I recently purchased two major things.

One, a B2601 TLB with a MMM. Great tractor that has been serving me well so far.

Two, a ranch style home on 2.25 acres. That home just needs updated and is in great shape! The yard has started to be really reclaimed by nature.

I have 4 major issues I'd like to address with the property in the most cost effective way I can.

One, I have about 1/4 to 1/3 acre that is a grove of dead or dying ash trees. Many I could push over with my loader. The grass is about waist high there and there are several logs within the grass where someone attempted a cleanup before.

Two, in the front yard near the road, there is a very old and well established wisteria vine(s) that have over taken at least 3 trees. I say at least, because you can't really see through the stuff, its thick.

Three, honey suckle everywhere. Although, I have found that while it dulls a chain saw surprising quick, they have weak root systems and I can normally pop them out with the loader just by hitting them low.

Four, a large brush piles where the previous owners had gathered sticks and ...well, they just gathered them. Perhaps to make a snake layer, not sure. :laughing:

Oh, and there is a 5th item, but it's not as impressing as the first four. I have several trees that have multiple trunks from the ground up that I'd like to take out before they split and fall. None of them are in danger of hitting anything, so I am not worried about them immediately.

My goal is to have a nice lawn, front to back.

I called one tree service company and he wanted $8,500 for it all. I said great, when can you start! A few weeks later he called with his tail between his legs and stated he grossly under bid the job. He won't even re-estimate it. Called another company and they wanted $19,000!!!! :shocked: I called a 3rd company that has been known to clear 7 acres of land in 2 days. They won't even call me back (I guess the job is too small).

So I guess my question is, how much of this can my B2601 handle with the right equipment or other ideas to clean it up. I really would love to rent a forestry mower and just chew the **** out of everything, but I cannot find one to rent. Can a B2601 and rotary bush hog handle heavy vines? The Ash trees I figured I could get a grapple, cut them into 6 to 8 foot lengths, and just load them into a landscape dumpster (theres little in the way of limbs left on most of them).

Other ideas? Anyone have better equipment in Cincinnati and want to make some $$?

Chad

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A chainsaw, you tractor with a wicked root grapple (brand specific) a BB (boxblade) and a burn pile will take care of everything you have there. Look at some of the you tube video's of the wicked root grapple and read through the thread on this site. It is designed to take out the viney under growth and appears to work well. Just to be clear I don't own one but sorely wish I did.

You can cut those trees up and haul them to the burn pile, then pull out the viney stuff and haul it to the burn pile along with all the dead fall on the ground. Use the BB to smooth up the ground for mowing.

 

[smokinmad]

To bad you dont work for a Ag Farm Fertilizer Co. I spray that stuff, with the Rinse Water, that we clean our tanks with, it works real good on that stuff. And a good Stihl Chainsaw will take care of the rest

 

[Streetcar]

Welcome
How close are you to Cincinnati?
Honeysuckle is easy to pull with tractor.
Can you have burn pile or fire for grilling

 

[MossRoad]

Welcome to TBN. :thumbsup: That yard looks like my Aunt and Uncle's house near Sharonville...

I'd have that fist picture cleaned up in about an hour with my PT425 using my bucket and brush cutter. Then I'd drop those trees with a chainsaw. As others have mentioned, pushing dead trees is iffy, at best. There's a real good chance of dropping limbs or tops onto yourself instead of them going the way you're pushing.

Do yourself a favor and drop, remove, drop, remove, drop, remove. Don't be tempted to drop them all at once, or you'll have a tangle to sort out. Easier one at a time, most times.

Worst vines we have are grape vines. Biggest are about 2.5" in diameter. We cut them with chainsaws at ground level and put straight roundup on the cut stump end. That kills them. We just leave the roots. You have a backhoe. Just dig the roots out with that.

Honeysuckles I've dealt with by using my brush cutter. However, my brush cutter is on my FEL arms, so I can raise it 4.5' in the air and slowly grind the thing down to the ground. So, in your case, I'd try and push them over with your FEL as much as you can, then use a chainsaw on them. Then use your backhoe to dig out the stumps.

Honestly, with your machine, FEL, backhoe and chainsaw, I'd bet you could get all but the standing trees and brush cutting done in just a couple days at most.

 

[CattleDog]

What is the trick to convincing a significant other that a few thousand in implements is worth it? lol

I can't burn here; at least as much as I'd need to. Thought about buying a used diesel chipper, chipping what I can, and then selling it afterwards for little loss. Do vines do okay in a large chipper or do they tend to just wrap around the blade?

I've also been looking for a forestry mower to rent in my area.

Thanks for all the great advice!

 

[jeff9366]

I used to effortlessly chip grapevines through a Wallenstein Three Point Hitch chipper on a tractor with 25-horsepower at the PTO.

The blades on Wallenstein PTO chippers only protrude a few 1,000s of an inch from the rotor into the drum. There is nothing for a vine to wrap on. I think larger chippers have the same style of chisel blades but I could be wrong.

Too tiring for re-cyling large amounts of woods debris. Chipping is infinitely more effort than burning.

Ignite a small burn pile, preferably in a pit; push in small amounts of debris with your FEL bucket for days.
[[ Remove all dry grass around burn pit/pile. Extra burning caution required until bare dirt surrounds burn site. It is grass fires the burn down communities.]]

Burn pile in photo incinerates yard debris for about 60 dwellings. You can see burn pile sits in the middle of about an acre of bare ground, maintained bare with my tractor. I do not like to incinerate more debris than you see in the photo. On this day the pit was about 3' below grade. I had not removed ash for some time. Berm is about six feet above grade. Prevailing wind blows toward the berm. Not visible, but there is a lime rock farm road behind the berm offering further bare ground protection.

Ratchet Rake on bucket (Photo #2) is helpful in maintaining bare ground. Great for permanent sod removal. Very fine for pushing brush. Not absolutely necessary; helpful.

 

[smokinmad]

What is the trick to convincing a significant other that a few thousand in implements is worth it? lol]

Well Dog......Here is what you do....Work her butt off ALL DAY helping clearing that crap, she will be More than Happy to go write the Check......

Mine complained about buying our Loader Tractor....till it went down...THEN you should have heard her Crying.....lol

You don't have a community recycling center that you can dump it at......LOL ...pile it by the road, then when dries, throw a cigarette on it and tell the fire dept a passer-by'er did it....
it will be burned up by the time they get there...lol

 

[MossRoad]

What is the trick to convincing a significant other that a few thousand in implements is worth it? lol

I can't burn here; at least as much as I'd need to. Thought about buying a used diesel chipper, chipping what I can, and then selling it afterwards for little loss. Do vines do okay in a large chipper or do they tend to just wrap around the blade?

I've also been looking for a forestry mower to rent in my area.

Thanks for all the great advice!

The trees, if you cut into sections and set near road with FREE FIREWOOD sign will be gone shortly.... but chain down your dog, lawn furniture, swingsets, etc.... because they'll disappear too.

 

[Streetcar]

Even in the city of Cincinnati I can burn. I just need to have pack of hot dogs to cook. No maximum size for corking fire. Larger stuff disappears if cut to firewood length and moved close to road