What to RENT to speed up my cleanup from mulching

brin · Apr 3, 2012

David,

I bought a JD 450 track loader to clean up after I clear cut about 12 acres a few years ago...it worked fine and I sold it for what I paid for it after my father in law and I finished.

Here is the problem we ran into...You mentioned you have stumps...some at ground level and some one ft. high...That is the problem we had...it takes forever with a track loader to dig pine stumps out, they have a long tap root...I don't know about oaks and such but pines were really tough and time consuming...It took us 6 to 8 months with my FIL running the loader 6 to 8 hrs. a day...and the stumps were the problem...

I'm just saying renting may really cost you a bunch if you have a lot of stumps...Good Luck.

teg · Apr 3, 2012

Nothing is going to do it fast...

When is the burn ban over? Start piling of all the light / dry stuff - put it out of the way to be burned later. Sounds like you might already have this. I don't like to burn one large pile but will start one or two fires near the main pile. Keep feeding the fires from the main pile... yes, it's slow but it's under control. You can also, do this every night when the weather is good, nightly "camp" fires.

For now, I would dig the deepest / biggest hole in the ground that I could with your tractor (but you can use a bulldozer, too

). Save the dirt to spread out later. Start filling the hole with the dirt coated mulch that will not burn... drive on it and pack it down if you can.

If you fill the hole, continue to pile it as high as you can. Dirt with the wood will help it rot faster. Once you are done filling and piling up the brush, cover the pile with dirt, plant some plants on it and make it a "feature" and let it rot down over time.

If you have a view you want to block (highway or neighbor's house) put it there. I've piled stuff like this over an embankment to create a flat spot. I've seen it done in ravines but you loss the ability to "collect" the top soil to be used elsewhere.

Get a heavy duty landscape rake on the back and the grapple on the front. One thing I don't like about the ratchet rake is that it ties up the FEL. Even a box blade with rippers on the back would help gather up the mulch.

Good luck with your continuing project...

MossflowerWoods · Apr 3, 2012

sfloggie said:
David,
Normally I rent over a weekend as I work in the same field just North of you.

Jim

Jim,

I'm just south of Fredericksburg, Chesapeake is quite a ways away.

Is your field up here near me? I'd happily wander over and lend a hand sometime if I can drive my tractor there!!!!

I'd LOVE to rent a mulching head (I assume that is what you are referring to).

David

MossflowerWoods · Apr 3, 2012

MtnViewRanch said:
I'm at a loss for words. Your root grapple doesn't work for this type of clean up? This stuff all takes time. Either take the time and do it as you can or pay up and have the professionals come in and do it with some big equipment. There is no easy (a day or 2) cheap way to get all the work done. In my opinion, there will be no fast cheap way to get this done. If you rent the right equipment, it will cost you some money and you will be slow at it just getting use to the machine. If you pay to get it done, it's going to cost $$$$. I would do it myself, if I needed a different implement, so be it. I thought that was what your root grapple was for?

Brian,

Yes I can do it with my grapple, but wading into that heavy stuff I am slower and very timid, becauser I've broke stuff already (HYD line) and the SSQA lever was popped and the grapple fell off with a tree in it, and other stuff.

On top of that, this winter was VERY VERY wet, and WARM, so with no freeze I was unable to make ANY progress and now I'm looking for a way to spend a little extra, nd get caught up so I can try to get some grass planted, and if not so I can at least be able to bush hog this area as the stuff is growing like mad.

Yes, I am trying to hurry up and catch up so I can manage my workload and not get as far behind as I got last fall.

Just like every virtually thread I start, I am looking to get smart and discover the options so I can proceed appropriately.

Thanks,
David

sfloggie · Apr 3, 2012

David,

By "field" I meant "Tech" with Defense Contractor. I am an Operations MGR working in the DC area, but live down in Chesapeake, VA. I pass by Ladysmith every Friday and Sunday going from and to work.

There is a big Bobcat dealer off !-95 at Fredericksburg, VA to the left of a large RV sales center.. I noticed they have mulchers (Forestry cutters), but last week it looked like their inventory had dropped a great deal.

The Fecon dealer is Chesapeake Equipment located in Savage, MD so the local Bobcat is better.

Yea, it would be nice to be close to compare notes. We are located on the NW River near the Dismal Swamp so it is a nice area.

Oh, a friend of mine is the Director, HR for Digital Reasoning and they need a System Administrator in the Arlington, VA area. He also needs computer fields across the board in VA, MD and TN.

So does my company, but we are a little further North.

Best to you David and good luck,
Jim

pjbci · Apr 3, 2012

Thats kinda my point when I reccomended site prep with dozer. Its fast and fairly cheap per acre. The money you spend repairing your tractor or God forbid damage to a rental machine will easily cover the cost of hiring a dozer to sweep it quick and leave the stumps to rot.

MossflowerWoods · Apr 3, 2012

teg said:
Nothing is going to do it fast...

When is the burn ban over?

You can also, do this every night when the weather is good, nightly "camp" fires.

For now, I would dig the deepest / biggest hole in the ground that I could with your tractor (but you can use a bulldozer, too ). Save the dirt to spread out later. Start filling the hole with the dirt coated mulch that will not burn... drive on it and pack it down if you can.

If you fill the hole, continue to pile it as high as you can. Dirt with the wood will help it rot faster. Once you are done filling and piling up the brush, cover the pile with dirt, plant some plants on it and make it a "feature" and let it rot down over time.

If you have a view you want to block (highway or neighbor's house) put it there. I've piled stuff like this over an embankment to create a flat spot. I've seen it done in ravines but you loss the ability to "collect" the top soil to be used elsewhere.

Get a heavy duty landscape rake on the back and the grapple on the front. One thing I don't like about the ratchet rake is that it ties up the FEL. Even a box blade with rippers on the back would help gather up the mulch.

Good luck with your continuing project...

TEG,

Burn Ban ends May 1st, but if it is burning after midnight it must be "attended". All night campfires are fun, but they interfere with my day job...

I like the nightly camp fire idea though... Currently I've burned up all my primary and secondary piles and I need to make some more by wading into the deep stuff. Much but not all, of the easy stuff I've processed.

I like the dig a hole and bury it idea for the "dirty mulch" too... I'm thinking about where I could do such, right now every spot is "inside" the final pasture. Would it be OK for horses to walk on it? I have no bad views yet that I need to block. One is developing in the back yard maybe, but I'd need a 50-100' tall obstruction because his property is uphill on the far side of a ravine from me... I think the trees will block my view of his ATV antics... :laughing:

I also have a spot on the edge of the pasture area that turned out (after looging it aso we could see it) to be pretty steep to the treeline. I was thinking about just tossing all of the dirt/mulch stuff over that edge and fencing it off from the horses.

THANK YOU!

David

MossflowerWoods · Apr 3, 2012

sfloggie said:
David,

By "field" I meant "Tech" with Defense Contractor. I am an Operations MGR working in the DC area, but live down in Chesapeake, VA. I pass by Ladysmith every Friday and Sunday going from and to work.

There is a big Bobcat dealer off !-95 at Fredericksburg, VA to the left of a large RV sales center.. I noticed they have mulchers (Forestry cutters), but last week it looked like their inventory had dropped a great deal.

The Fecon dealer is Chesapeake Equipment located in Savage, MD so the local Bobcat is better.

Yea, it would be nice to be close to compare notes. We are located on the NW River near the Dismal Swamp so it is a nice area.

Oh, a friend of mine is the Director, HR for Digital Reasoning and they need a System Administrator in the Arlington, VA area. He also needs computer fields across the board in VA, MD and TN.

So does my company, but we are a little further North.

Best to you David and good luck,
Jim

Jim,

I am PM'ing you...

Feel free to stop by sometime for a beer, coffee, etc... Plenty of BS will be available too.

Info in your PM shortly sir.

I'm a Hardware guy, 30 years experience, all my tickets...

More later.
David

MossflowerWoods · Apr 3, 2012

pjbci said:
Thats kinda my point when I reccomended site prep with dozer. Its fast and fairly cheap per acre. The money you spend repairing your tractor or God forbid damage to a rental machine will easily cover the cost of hiring a dozer to sweep it quick and leave the stumps to rot.

I got a call this morning from a TBN buddy with a Case450 who offered me a killer deal...

I'm 99% sure I'm taking him up on it...

Thanks for the education! Sometimes all you need is the right wording and answers are easily had.

Thanks,

David

scoutcub · Apr 3, 2012

MossflowerWoods said:
I got a call this morning from a TBN buddy with a Case450 who offered me a killer deal...

I'm 99% sure I'm taking him up on it...

Thanks for the education! Sometimes all you need is the right wording and answers are easily had.

Thanks,

David