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Best tool to maintain trails

Started by livemusic, July 16, 2019, 08:53:03 AM

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SwampDonkey

That's why I like nature to inhibit that sprouting by having bigger trees with limbs over. But a real pain when snow shoeing because with 4 feet of snow your up into them lower limbs. :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

lxskllr

Quote from: Orange on July 20, 2019, 08:04:29 AMAlso, since you seem to be focusing on manual options, you could look into a large weed wrench


Never heard of a weed wrench before. A quick image search lead me to this competitor page...

Pullerbear Tree Puller

I like the low budget feel of the site. It looks like a small shop that (may or may not)have created a better mousetrap. Gonna contemplate the options, and see if there's a place for that kind of tool in my life. Looks like it could be useful. Anyone have hands on experience with this kind of thing?

livemusic

Quote from: Orange on July 20, 2019, 07:47:59 AM
I have some shredder blades for my brush saw. Work petty well shredding woody stuff up to maybe half inch or so depending on hardness but will be slow going if trying to shred everything. Work fine side to side on small stuff also but really no better than a standard wood blade. If you maintain every year a trimmer head and string would work and likely faster. Mine cuts 20" swath and can take up to 0.105" string, no problem on new growth. Once you miss a year though you'll probably need metal blade. I've seen trimmer heads that accept 0.130" string. Never used myself so don't know if that would allow you to go two years. Also have seen 0.150" string but don't know if any trimmer heads accept it or if it's just for walk-behind trimmers.
Just yesterday, had a revelation when I thought of a walk-behind trimmer... like... hmmm... that might work if I could use a stiff enough line or blade. DR makes one, push only and also one that is self-propelled. I know for sure a DR walk-behind brush mower would work but it costs twice as much. I have found some threads where guys in Australia are talking about some badboy line and also blades that are not even available in the USA. I might could get somebody to ship me some.
Of course, as I said in the original post, I have a Husqvarna 345FR clearing saw that has a trimmer head that does 17 inch swath. If a stout line or blade will work with a trimmer, that is an option. The value of this below is a walk-behind trimmer might be less tiring. Especially self-propelled.
Here is a walk behind trimmer.
DR PRO XLSP Trimmer Mower (string trimmer) | DR Power Equipment
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Bill

mike_belben

Started as a lawn tractor snow blade.  

The side boxes grub roots and eat banks. 



The heel spurs also grab and grub stuff



And the comb backdrags leaf litter and the duff without taking the topsoil. The angle irons are sharpened and angled down to cut small roots.  The comb fingers are just punch press slot knockouts. 





Front mount flail and 8 way root rake have their place also. 






Praise The Lord

Crusarius

Mike, you don't do anything halfway? Do you?

mike_belben

Im good at things normal people arent and suck at all the rest.  Idiot savant-ish.  It has its down sides.
Praise The Lord

Cruiser_79

My brother was looking for a front mounted flail mower for maintaining the trails around his fields on the farm. Powered by a B&S or honda petrol engine. Cause it's atv mounted it is faster and better suspension than a small tractor. And doesn't take much time travelling between farms/fields. 
 Something like this;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=9&v=qUI4TZR2dls

Don't know or it is tough enough for brushes etc. but when you take it regular it could work. 

livemusic

Quote from: Cruiser_79 on July 22, 2019, 08:19:52 AM
My brother was looking for a front mounted flail mower for maintaining the trails around his fields on the farm. Powered by a B&S or honda petrol engine. Cause it's atv mounted it is faster and better suspension than a small tractor. And doesn't take much time travelling between farms/fields.
Something like this;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=9&v=qUI4TZR2dls

Don't know or it is tough enough for brushes etc. but when you take it regular it could work.
That is very appealing. An ATV is faster than a mower. In a description I found, it included "small trees" in the description of what it could cut. I don't about the hassle of... it's European... getting parts and service.

Hmmm... description also says, "Y-blades for rough use included in the standard flail mower delivery. Available accessories (pictured): hammer blades for a fine cutting result."

BTW, I was thinking just yesterday about this and it seems that any lawnmower might cut more brushy stuff than a string trimmer. The Bush Hog brand lawnmower with heavier than normal blade is intriguing.  I just wonder if it could work to buy an old junky riding lawnmower and find some heavier than normal blades.
~~~
Bill

mike_belben

The only big design difference between a finish mower and bush hog is that the ends of the bush hog blade fold in so tgat it doesnt stall the engine when it hits something immovable.  There is no reason why you cant make a bush hog blade to go ontocyour conventional push mower and then mount it on an atv with plow control to raise and lower. 
Praise The Lord

Cruiser_79

If you van purchase a small pto driven flail mower it shouldnt be difficult to place a petrol powered engine on top. Than you arent depending on part delivery from Europe. Another idea that came up to me is a petrol powered hedge trimmer. Like the old tractor mounted trimmers for cutting hay. Same as on the header of a combine harvester. That should cut brushes to two inch without any problems. It doesn't mulch it but it will die anyway 

Cruiser_79

Found the english word for the type of mower I mean; sickle bar mower.


sprucebunny

Quote from: Cruiser_79 on July 22, 2019, 08:19:52 AM
My brother was looking for a front mounted flail mower for maintaining the trails around his fields on the farm. Powered by a B&S or honda petrol engine. Cause it's atv mounted it is faster and better suspension than a small tractor. And doesn't take much time travelling between farms/fields.
Something like this;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=9&v=qUI4TZR2dls

Don't know or it is tough enough for brushes etc. but when you take it regular it could work.
This would be my top pick. The side shift is very desirable.
I have about 10 miles of trails in various states of brushyness from just tall weeds to small trees and my 25 HP tractor with a bush hog type rear rotary mower works but isn't as agile as this or as fast and smooth riding to get the mower to where I need it. And the tractor/mower is just too long quite often and gets hung up in water bars.
Many of my trails are only intended for winter use or walking and the tractor is just awkward. This unit is much easier to transport and probably doesn't cost all that much more than a 5' wide rotary mower.
MS193, MS192 and an 026  Weeding and Thinning. Gilbert Champion sawmill

Cruiser_79

And it looks fun to me  :D Better than bouncing around on a compact tractor. 
Prices aren't that bad either, and with some maintenance they should last long I guess. Only a B&S engine and some V-belts. 

livemusic

Cruiser, that is a cool home made sickle bar mower. My first thought about a sickle bar mower was some occasional tall root knobs/stumps might pose a risk of hitting but you could just saw them off with a chainsaw ahead of time. Plus, the sickle bar mower you posted has upturned end rails as guides. This and the ATV flail mower would certainly work. I wonder what is more reliable... rotary blade, sickle bar or flail. I first couldn't recall what drives a sickle bar but I think I see a belt on what you posted. I guess a regular sickle bar behind a tractor runs off PTO. Anyway, wondering what is reliable... what is more likely to keep on going when running through the occasional (or pretty regular in some spots) saplings.

I don't know if I mentioned in this thread, maybe I did, but I ordered a Milwaukee cordless combi set. I got an articulated hedge trimmer attachment (like a sickle bar mower blade) for free when I bought the pole saw kit. Both tools and the entire battery kit were $400. The downside here is limited run time from a battery but I figure I might tire after a half hour or so anyway and in a half hour or so, I could get quite a bit of trail maintained. Also, will get a spare battery if I like it. It hasn't arrived yet. I need these tools around my house, as well.
~~~
Bill

Crusarius

The old school sickle bars were horse drawn and driven off the wheels. Most of them now exist as lawn ornaments. I have toyed with the idea of modifying one for my 3 pt hitch on the tractor for a very long time. now I wonder if just making it walk behind would be smarter?

Hilltop366

Quote from: livemusic on July 23, 2019, 11:44:28 AMI wonder what is more reliable... rotary blade, sickle bar or flail.


I would rate them in this order (most reliable (toughest) and least maintenance first)

Rotary Bush mower
Flail with rough cut hammers
sickle

btulloh

This is good topic and there have been some interesting posts.  The front-mounted flail on the ATV looks like a good tool, as do some of the others.  I like Sprucebunny's chainsaw contraption.  Very nice.

I wonder if any of the sickle mower proponents have used one of these, either for mowing hay or for trail maintenance.  They tend to be temperamental and I'm not sure what they can handle in the way of saplings.  Not to mention running into trees you're cutting between.  I'd like to see someone using one for trail maintenance successfully.

I'm still looking for the perfect tool, without spending a lot of money.  I've used most of the things mentioned here that work but need improvement.  Bush hog, chainsaw, trimmer, polesaw, Triclopyr, . . .  No perfect answers.  

If somebody wants to try a sickle mower, I don't recommend starting with an old McCormick horse-drawn, like the venerable #5.  Around here, you can buy much newer sickle mowers for almost nothing and you could find a better platform to start than the old McCormicks.

My problems are compounded by waiting too long.  If I did all the trails in a timely manner things would go a little better, but it just doesn't seem to work that way.  My little sprouts become saplings and then 3 or 4 inch trees before I get to them.  

Nice replies and a lot of good ideas thrown out so far.  More to come hopefully.
HM126

Crusarius

I have used the horse drawn sickle bar being towed by a tractor. It would cut off up to almost a 2" tree. Anything over that you better hold on cause your going for a fun ride since the tractor did not stop as fast as the sickle bar did :) 

The biggest issue with sickle bar I can think of is the fact it cuts off right at the base and then the weeds or whatever just drop. That means now you need to do something to clean the trails like a york rake or something else. Just an extra step or you let it lay where you dropped it and hope it keeps the trail from growing again.

thecfarm

I had a frail mower. We mowed A LOT with it. I think about 4-6 acres. Did not hold up at all. Was not just the hammers,went through a set a year,but the shell of it I had to do some welding on. But did do a nice job. I went through 3 set ups,2 mid mount mowers,one Kubota and one NH and a frail. Now we are using a bush hog. So far so good on the bush hog, Ask me in 2 years.  ;) 
I myself would like the sickle bar better. But as said it does not ground up the brush and would make a tripping hazard and than some. Sickle bar would ride up over the rocks and low stumps. I have rocks that are in the middle of my trails.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

John Mc

Quote from: livemusic on July 22, 2019, 09:17:55 AMI just wonder if it could work to buy an old junky riding lawnmower and find some heavier than normal blades.


It's not just the blades. You break a lot of hubs in the mower deck when you try to use a riding lawn mower as a brush hog (speaking from experience here, for a couple of years before I finally bought a tractor and brush hog).
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Cruiser_79

All 3 (flail mower/sickle/rotary mower) are belt driven, so unless you tighten them real hard they will slip when there are too thick saplings. Problem with the sickle mower can be that the blades break. But you won't cut hundreds of acres with it, so it should hold up for a while. And I know some farmers who trim hedges with exactly the same mowers to 1-2 inches without any problems. 

A sickle bar mower is the cheapest version I think, and the lightest. The flail mower will go to at least 4000 $ I guess, and can't be real heavy duty to keep it under 100 kgs/200 pounds.... 
You can order new sickle mower parts to build a new one, or let a welding/mechanic shop do it for you.  The PTO driven sickle mowers work at 540 rpm (here in Europe), with some different size pulleys you will be able to find a good ratio probably. 
Maybe this fall or winter I will have some time to make a sickle mower for cutting out the first meter of the ditch slopes. 

krusty

I am really fond of the bush hog for durability, but the tractor is only a 2x4 and is not ideal. Had a skid steer out with a bush hog like thing on the front and it was not nearly as powerful as my IH B414. But the tracks on the skid steer were a bonus. 

Would love to create some self powered bush hog that I can pull with my tracked bombardier. Its pretty easy to procure half dead smaller tractors to try and convert into something that could be pulled. It is on my to-do list. Maybe using a hay wagon setup, build a cradle for a tractor motor, tranny and PTO. No need to tractor tires and the weight would be better distributed.


btulloh

A zero turn with a bush hog style rotary cutter deck would be really nice. I'd want a fully enclosed cab though.
HM126

Okefenokee_D

The lane shark is something I may eventually get to put on my tractor.

thecfarm

That lane shark looks like quite the unit!! 
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

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