Trail Cleared (and More)

bmac · May 8, 2006

3RRL,

 You say you had a trail laid out for him to cut? 

I had about 75% of the trail marked with green surveyour's tape as you can see tied to trees in the attached photo. The remainder was pretty well cleared to begin with. We walked the trail earlier in the week, so he had an idea of where he was supposed to go.

 Did he run across any obstacle that he had to change direction? 

No obstacles. He did get off course a couple of times but found his way back to the markers in every instance except one. There, he used his imagination and made the trail like he wanted it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

bmac · May 8, 2006

Jim,

 What happened(s) when the business end hits a rock or something under the leaves?.... 

Didn't see anything like that happen. I kept my distance as chips and stuff were flying quite a distance.

As this is somewhat of a safety question, I did get very uneasy on one occassion. In the morning, he had to stop every 200 ft. or so to clear the windshield of wet leaves / debis. I was talking to him about the machine during one of these cleaning episodes and he is explaining the extra hydraulics and auxillary cooler on the roof. Now, the cutter was rotating at "idle speed" but still turning fast enough to do some damage to the human body. As he is demonstraing the temperature of the hydraulic line, I noticed his leg is probably 8" from the rotating cutter. And he is looking at me and the hydraulic line, paying very little attention to the business end of the monster. At that time, I decided to be less distracting and let him get back to work.

 Also, how big a tree was it able to take down?


I think he tries to limit the diameter to 8" but said it could do bigger, if needed,

rlk · May 8, 2006

bmac,
how bad does it tear up the ground? I'm sure the top few inches are disturbed, but does it leave large ruts that need to be smoothed? Also, for the limbs and stuff that was already on the ground, did it mulch them well such that all that is left is mulch?

Thanks for posting the video. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Bob

bmac · May 8, 2006

Bob,

Glad you enjoyed the video. I just knew that if I could find a way to make it accessible to the TBN group that there would be at least a few that would enjoy seeing this machine work.

There really was not much ground disturbance. As you said, a couple of inches. There are, however, large piles of mulch that need to be raked out to make things smooth. And, as I think I've mentioned, some trees shredded more than they chipped and those left a shredded stump sticking out of the ground. I could have had the guy go around and address these stumps one at a time, but I didn't think that would be very cost effective (at $150/hr). The kids can drive their ATVs over the shredded stumps with no problem and, if I really want to get rid of them, then its tractor time for me. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 Also, for the limbs and stuff that was already on the ground, did it mulch them well such that all that is left is mulch?


Pretty much anything the mulcher contacts is toast. I had A LOT of downed trees and branches. Once he was done, most of it was mulched. I could have had him do more, but we ran out of time. Anything that remains is there only because he didn't make contact with it.

Hope I've answered your questions.

curt1 · May 8, 2006

Thanks for the video. Well done. I have always wondered what those machines were capable of, and your video shows it very well! That machine is awesome! Looks like it did a great job of cleaning up your property and by the way, nice place you have.

Curt

newcountry · May 9, 2006

The video is amazing! Most of the questions I had have already been asked and answered.

Thanks for posting it - you're right, it is useful. For those who didn't know of this option and for those who had but never seen one.

Highbeam · May 9, 2006

Saw the video that time. Good show. I envisioned it being able to just drive through everything instead of the constant forward, back, left, and right business. Maybe it would take more than one pass. The forestry mower on the discovery channel was the same concept but on a big articulated loader and he just mowed the forest like a combine. The cost would have certainly been higher though for that thing.

That video makes me want to go out and brush hog more forest. The sound of the engine at PTO speed and then the crunch of trees followed by more light shining through is very pleasant. As long as you can run your mower over whatever he leaves behind you will eventually have a fine trail. The wood debris will rot and turn to dust in a few years.

Very cool and very much worth 150$ per hour.

bmac · May 9, 2006

I envisioned it being able to just drive through everything instead of the constant forward, back, left, and right business. 

Well, it will take the stuff down with one pass, but in order to get everything mulched good, he had to drive over it a few times. Still, it was an amazingly fast process.

I hope the video has made others aware of this option of land clearing. I have to thank Fl_Cracker for his posts on renting one of these as I had never even heard of a mulching head for a skid steer before. I also have to thank Eddie Walker for staying on my case to get the right equipment in there for the job I had to do.

For those who did not read my original posts on this subject (actually there were 2 threads I started related to this project), I had some goofy ideas about doing this job. Each time, Eddie would chime in and tell me I needed big tools (e.g. a dozer or tree mulcher). While I didn't particularly like the idea of a dozer for this job, he didn't let up on the need for big equipment. I finally listened. Thanks, Eddie.

Also, thanks to BillG in TX for providing the link to YouTube.com which serves as the hosting site for the video.

EddieWalker · May 10, 2006

( Thanks, Eddie. )

bmac,

You're welcome, but my voice was just one of many. You had plenty of help from all the members here with all sorts of ideas!!!

I was kind of hoping to see pictures of you out there with your chainsaw and cordless sawzall cutting trails through the countryside!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

That would have been entertainment for all!! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Eddie

bmac · May 10, 2006

You're welcome, but my voice was just one of many. You had plenty of help from all the members here with all sorts of ideas!!!


You are right and I do appreciate everyone's ideas and suggestions. But, you must admit - you were a little more insistant the the others. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 I was kind of hoping to see pictures of you out there with your chainsaw and cordless sawzall cutting trails through the countryside!!! 

I'll see what I can do about that.

Cliff_Johns · May 14, 2006

What a great thread. Facinating video. This is a tool I knew nothing about. If you don't know it exists, you never think to call someone who has one. Very efficient.

Thanks for the thread.
Cliff

EddieWalker · Nov 2, 2007

bmac,

Just linked to this thread from your post and enjoyed reading it again!!!! It got me to wondering how the trails have worked out for you and if the kids are enjoying them? I was also wondering if you have added any to them, or created any open areas?

My trails are ever increasing with new areas being accessed every year. I still have one corner of my land that I've never seen, but as of right now, I can get to about 75 percent of my land. I think creating trails through the woods is almost as much fun as shaping dirt!!!!!!

Eddie

Tororider · Nov 2, 2007

I want to thank Eddie for bringing this back up, as a newbie I had never seen it. And of course bmac for his extensive pictures and awesome video.

I was wondering if it shredded the trees down below grade a couple inches?

Now if we can get 3rrl to build one for a tractor we will be all set.

bmac · Nov 4, 2007

Hello, Eddie. I haven't been on the trail in a while. Summer here was just too blasted hot. Once fall came around, our weekends have been jammed with the kids' activities. Now that things have cooled off and our calender is beginning to clear, I expect the kids will get back to riding soon. I need to do a ride through to check for branches, exposed stumps and other safety issues.

With only 12 acres, there isn't really alot of room to expand the trail. And, no other clearing has been done, nor is any planned. I do intend to clean up downed brances and stuff from the area we had thinned out with the mulcher once the summer weed completelly die down.

Good to hear from you. How's the RV park coming along?

bmac · Nov 4, 2007

Tororider said:
I want to thank Eddie for bringing this back up, as a newbie I had never seen it. And of course bmac for his extensive pictures and awesome video.

I was wondering if it shredded the trees down below grade a couple inches?

Now if we can get 3rrl to build one for a tractor we will be all set.

I would say the mulcher took the trees down to grade level. He could have taken the stumps below grade, but the dirt really wears his cutters, so he didn't want to do much of that.

Thanks for the kind words and glad you enjoyed the thread. I had a great time watching the process.

bmac · Nov 4, 2007

bmac said:
I need to do a ride through to check for branches, exposed stumps and other safety issues.

Well, Eddie, you got me motivated to take a ride on the trail today. All in all, its fine. Some brance clean-up is needed and I have a few downed trees that need to be cut up and moved to a burn pile. There are 2 or 3 trees that I think I will take down as they seem to make turns a little sharper than I like. I'll ask the kids. After all, the trail is really for their use.

EddieWalker · Nov 4, 2007

bmac,

Sounds like fun. You can get the kids to drag the logs to your burn pile, or just cut up the pieces and have them take those to the pile. Anything to get them involved is always a good thing!!!

When I was asking about clearing any openings, I was curious if you had found any natural areas that you could easily cut with your bush hog while mowing the trail. I found that after I get a trail in, I spot areas that are thick with saplings, but nothing of any size. I will cut a few of them when I mow and make the trail a little wider. Then over time, I end up with a really nice, park like, area in the trees that you can only get to from the trail.

RV Park is moving forward at a snails pace. But it's steady progress!!!!!

Eddie