"Tactical" Question FEL on steep hill

[SCRich]

No seat time this weekend . Took the tractor out and I was sinking into the clay on the food plot. The rain we have had in the past day had it looking like cookie batter once I drove on it and it felt that way also. I hardly had steering, and was afraid to get it stuck without a backup way to pull it out so I turned out of the plot and back to the container.

The big question now is how soon will it dry up so I can do something usefull? We have had VERY little rain this year and go figure, the weekend AFTER I get the tractor it rains!

 

[SCRich]

OK here are some actual photos from the trail and the piles.

Trailhead near food plot and you can see the burn pile to the left. Notice all the debris which I had mentioned, branches and pine needles so traction even with loaded tires may be an issue once I head up or downhill. Trying to avoid buying a rake but I may need to.



Downhill from trailhead, 3 successive berms not big but right next to each other with a lot of debris.



Uphill from berms to one last berm and the trailhead/burn pile behind it.

 

[MossRoad]

Moss, Can you post a picture of your tractor?

...
Pat

Sure. Here it is.

 

[MossRoad]

Thanks a lot for the URL. Interesting equipment. I never saw one of those before. It is too small for my needs but I'm sure there are tasks at which it excels. When "ARTICULATED" is mentioned I always thought of much bigger machines than I would be interested in, not smaller.

I tried to "RIGHT SIZE" my tractor and suppose I got close since it is too small and underpowered just about as often as it is too big to get in or maneuver where I want. Most of the time it is just about exactly what I need (Kubota Grand L-4610HSTC) My favorite two features are HST and A/C.

Pat

My PT425 is one of the smaller models that they make. They make MUCH larger equipment and slope machines that are rated for 45 degrees ACROSS the slope. Too steep for my blood pressure!

Check them out at Power Trac's Website

 

[MossRoad]

After looking at those pictures, I'd attack it from the bottom with a grapple bucket and work my way up that hill. I'd just push in at the bottom of the pile, close the grapple, not even lift the bucket, probably leave it in float, and back straight down, slowly, dragging the closed grapple on the ground as I go. It will skid backwards nicely on that slash that is laying on the ground. As you pull stuff out of the bottom of the piles, the tops will collapse into the void created by the stuff you remove.

The problem I see by attacking it from the top is if you try to push it downhill over the top of the existing berms you may end up with a pile so big, lose and unstable that it becomes dangerous to crawl over at some point. If you try and take bites with a grapple from the top side and pull them uphill, you will be working against gravity pulling those loads up the hill. The load of the bucket full of debris will lift some weight off your rear tires. The weight of the tractor pointing downhill will also take weight off the rear tires. Then, you have to fight all those negative forces dragging that stuff up hill backwards. My guess is you will end up rutting up the hillside much more than if you drag it down backwards by skidding the bucket like I am suggesting in the first paragraph.

 

[patrick_g]

Just one word...and this time it is NOT plastics.

F I R E

IF you are not interested in gathering the wood for any useful purpose I'd be considering piling the debris, pulling larger pieces out of the dirt and trying to figure the strategy for a safe controlled burn.

If fire is not an option then I'd go at it along the lines of what MossRoad said. Work from the bottom, don't raise the bucket very high with a load, and stay flexible not sticking to a plan when or if it departs from safety or your comfort zone of experience as the work unfolds.

No job seems very hard for the guys who don't have to do it. Don't let sidewalk supervisors talk you into trouble. Thinking about a job in advance is a good thing but being able to modify the plan on the fly to meet evolving conditions is as or more valuable of an attribute than planning.

Take your time and have a go at it. The best approach is what works for you with your equipment, experience, and extant conditions.

Good luck and be safe,

Patrick

 

[SCRich]

Oh yea... BURN it is but I have got to be careful. The season for prescribed burns ended in March, I wanted to burn the whole thing and so did the DNR Biologist that came by but it was too late for the year. Now all I can do is piles if the fire chief gives me the OK on a day by day basis. Since the foundation walls are in and we will be living there by the next burn season I do not think we will be able to do a prescribed burn and guarantee protection of the home.

I might be wrong, we may be able to burn the whole thing safely but I got to get the local forrestry officer over here and give me his opinion.

 

[SCRich]

OK I got 20 hours on the tractor finally, 13 of them this weekend alone! I got a lot of progress done, it does not feel like it but I just got to remember this entire job will take at least 6-8 months if I work 3 weekends a month, probably more. The last photo on my post from 5-5-07 will show you one of the trails I was concerned about. I still have several more to do but here is a somewhat finished product.



The first few trips were rough, a lot of logs and branches which made it a rough ride on that incline. First cleanup was with the root grapple for the big things then I did a few swipes with the york rake to clean. Did a few more swipes with the rake to break the dirt up and move it to a few low spots and it was clear sailing from there. Finished up the day with the box blade and now I got a way to the back property without having to travel about 1/2 mile every time. Thanks for all the help and suggestions everyone.

From one thing to another...now I think I found a natural spring that the logging company filled up at the base of the hill. While I was moving the branches, dirt and pine needle piles it seems that they filled up what they thought was a dry creek, I never knew it was there. Things got real soft and mushy even though it was dry. No matter how hard I packed I still sunk the tires.

I dug a bit with the loader and saw water. I'll leave that open for a few weeks and see if it stays wet or dries up. It could have been heavy rain that got trapped in there with all the roots and pine needles. I doubt it though since we have not had rain since Easter weekend. The 1/4in of dust on my tan Kubota proves it! The tractor has character but it's getting to be a bit much. Think the people across the road are moving in, I'll have to meet them and see if we can borrow their hose every few weeks or so till' we get power and a well.

 

[Egon]

Looks good.

 

[JerryG]

JerryG, right on! About the easiest and best warning Ive found is touchdown of the tail wheel on a bushog. Its definitely not a wheely bar, but it happens early enuf that an attentive operator can easily arrest rise of the front end and change tactics.
larry

As long as the tail wheel is on the ground and there is weight on the front, it is amazing how steep of a hill you can mow. Here is an example of one of the steeper areas that I mow 3 or 4 times a year.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/massey-ferguson/77274d1179547714-how-steep-1-rt.jpg