Aggieforester
New member
Howdy. I've been ghosting, appreciate learning from y'all over the last few years. I'm having some technical challenges and would like your input. Bottom line up front- having challenges blazing trails and can't decide if dry weather is good enough or I should just pay for a dozer to level the trails.
We've got 97 acres of hilly land near Lynchburg, VA and I got tired of cutting the walking/hunting trails by hand. It's got a stream running lengthwise (long rectangular property) and ravines running down to the stream from the sides. I let it grow up too much, should have kept on it more and now it's almost impassable. It was cut and replanted in pine 4 years ago but is getting pretty thick now. It's very hilly, the logging trails run 5-10% grade or better- but it's the side slope that worries me the most. My Kioti CK3510 with filled rear R4 tires and a FEL handled the flat areas fine on Saturday. It's heavily eroded clay and sand soil with some mulch on top. I'm using a towed mower, was worried about binding a bushhog up when transitioning down a slope, through a ditch and up the next slope. Between the 2" oak/poplar/locust saplings growing between the pine rows and the wild grapes and killer briars, I really needed something better than using my Stihl FS130. I upgraded my 24hp Cub Cadet with FEL and belly mower to the CK3510. I'm adding chains (just ordered), that'll help some with traction.
The tires are properly inflated but that clay soil really holds the water- I was slipping around and felt pretty unbalanced on even small side slopes when I was cutting for the first time this weekend. The ridge tops and flat areas were fine driving, no worries.
I've got 100 hours operating time on my old Cub Cadet but only 15 on the new Kioti (so I'm still a raw newbie on this one). Should I hire a dozer to cut the brush and trails level and then keep it mowed with the tractor? The old logging trails were replanted and are overgrown- I'd like to keep them clear for walking/hunting paths but they grow faster than I can cut by hand. Or will a couple weeks of no rain (August) improve the ground enough to be more stable for driving the tractor? I came close to flipping it several times going down into steep gullies with the clay and sand rutting in on me- but the side slopes and soft soil on the next ridge were even worse, had to use my bucket to keep from tilting.
Thanks for the help.
We've got 97 acres of hilly land near Lynchburg, VA and I got tired of cutting the walking/hunting trails by hand. It's got a stream running lengthwise (long rectangular property) and ravines running down to the stream from the sides. I let it grow up too much, should have kept on it more and now it's almost impassable. It was cut and replanted in pine 4 years ago but is getting pretty thick now. It's very hilly, the logging trails run 5-10% grade or better- but it's the side slope that worries me the most. My Kioti CK3510 with filled rear R4 tires and a FEL handled the flat areas fine on Saturday. It's heavily eroded clay and sand soil with some mulch on top. I'm using a towed mower, was worried about binding a bushhog up when transitioning down a slope, through a ditch and up the next slope. Between the 2" oak/poplar/locust saplings growing between the pine rows and the wild grapes and killer briars, I really needed something better than using my Stihl FS130. I upgraded my 24hp Cub Cadet with FEL and belly mower to the CK3510. I'm adding chains (just ordered), that'll help some with traction.
The tires are properly inflated but that clay soil really holds the water- I was slipping around and felt pretty unbalanced on even small side slopes when I was cutting for the first time this weekend. The ridge tops and flat areas were fine driving, no worries.
I've got 100 hours operating time on my old Cub Cadet but only 15 on the new Kioti (so I'm still a raw newbie on this one). Should I hire a dozer to cut the brush and trails level and then keep it mowed with the tractor? The old logging trails were replanted and are overgrown- I'd like to keep them clear for walking/hunting paths but they grow faster than I can cut by hand. Or will a couple weeks of no rain (August) improve the ground enough to be more stable for driving the tractor? I came close to flipping it several times going down into steep gullies with the clay and sand rutting in on me- but the side slopes and soft soil on the next ridge were even worse, had to use my bucket to keep from tilting.Thanks for the help.
