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Land Clearing Again probably

Started by AllDodge, April 22, 2020, 11:38:33 AM

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AllDodge

Have 24 acres and brush and small trees have grown up over the years from the fence line.  I have equipment (list below) but wondering if renting a CTL with a drum or brush cutter would be best bet.  Could also hire someone but renting sounds like best route.

Seeing about $2K to rent from Sunbelt and could be CAT would be similar.

The land that needs clearing is hill sides, some kind of steep but not overly so.  To use 955 might need to add some more cab guards, it has ROPS.  Wouldn't feel comfortable getting the TLB in the area.

I keep the area all cut with batwing mower and tractor

CAT 955L Track loader
CAT D3B Dozer
CAT 416 TLB
Kubota M9540 with FEL and Grapple bucket
Single axle dump truck

Oliver05262

 If you rent a CTL and drum cutter to shred the brush, you will be amazed at the results, although there is a learning curve. Do be sure the rental place knows what you plan to do with the machine, and equips the CTL accordingly. You need forestry guarding, including heavy rated polycarbonate (?) glazing in the door, and anything else to prevent flying objects from coming in to hurt you. Make sure they let you know any special maintenance the cutter will need.
 What will you do with the piles you create with the dozer and 955? Burn it or bury it? That is a lot of volume.
  All this said, you would be amazed the amount of work an experienced operator can get done in a day with a purpose built machine such as as a Fecon machine. Maybe worth investigating what is available in your area, or the start of a new business line for you???
Oliver Durand
"You can't do wrong by doing good"
It's OK to cry.
I never did say goodby to my invisible friend.
"I woke up still not dead again today" Willy
Don't use force-get a bigger hammer.

pine

From your description your 24 acres could be a simple operation or could be one of those that you are lucky to do an acre a day.  $2K for a rental seems a bit cheap for a week at a time, depending upon how it is equipped.  Back about 10 years ago it was $3500 for a week (40 hours on the machine) for a Cat 299 XHP with a cat branded drum mulcher.
Comment about the safety guards is spot on.  People get hurt and killed doing mulching more than you would believe.  Safety is paramount.
If the site is one of the slower ones you are looking at many days/weeks to finish it.  Renting is a plan but the 2K could be a LOT more by the time you are done.  Steep learning curve to get started as well.

Pictures and diameter of the vegetation would help.
Where are you at?

Riwaka

I doubt the thread author has accumulated that type of equipment to be garden/ yard ornaments.

The Kubota 4 wheel drive? might be capable of doing the job. Take off the loader boom and put on some front weights. Either have the wheel rims out as far as possible or a set of duals if steep.

The D3 B might be able to pull the kubota out if you get stuck. Is that a big blade or smaller blade D3?

Kubota tractors can be a bit light in the rear linkage so a small mulcher might be preferable.
Maybe one of the fae 60 or 70 inch pto mulchers.
UML/ST - FML/ST - Forestry mulchers

Some places can grow full sized big trees in 24 years, which might need a full logging crew before you do any mulching clean up.

Walnut Beast

Quote from: Oliver05262 on April 22, 2020, 04:59:34 PM
If you rent a CTL and drum cutter to shred the brush, you will be amazed at the results, although there is a learning curve. Do be sure the rental place knows what you plan to do with the machine, and equips the CTL accordingly. You need forestry guarding, including heavy rated polycarbonate (?) glazing in the door, and anything else to prevent flying objects from coming in to hurt you. Make sure they let you know any special maintenance the cutter will need.
What will you do with the piles you create with the dozer and 955? Burn it or bury it? That is a lot of volume.
 All this said, you would be amazed the amount of work an experienced operator can get done in a day with a purpose built machine such as as a Fecon machine. Maybe worth investigating what is available in your area, or the start of a new business line for you???
Yep. Your absolutely right 👍

AllDodge

Thanks for the input
Need to figure out how to get notified when someone post to a thread.  I'm on several forums and seems each one has somewhere that can be hard to find to check the notification

Have not thought about a PTO driven mulcher, will have some looking into.  Really don't want to buy something else to get things done.  That's the reason I have most the stuff now, was taken by others I've hired so bought machines to do my self.

I'll see about getting some picks to help, but its raining now and things get sloppy.  The groth is what I would think as typical. 


pine

Quote from: AllDodge on April 23, 2020, 09:02:18 AM
  The growth is what I would think as typical.
Typical for west Texas or for  South Florida.  The level of vegetation growth is quite significant between the two. 
Where are you located and what type of vegetation.  Brush versus trees make a tremendous difference.

AllDodge

I'm on the KY / TN border so its briers, small trees with over hanging limbs, few rocks at the surface in some places.  Mostly red clay dirt

AllDodge

Well tried to upload a old pic but takes me to a place for an album, but then it won't let me upload from there.  Some forums require so many post others have other issues, but right now I don't know what this forum requires


pine

Should be able to upload in the Gallery your photos then link that to the post.  There is a  tutorial on how to do that.  With the Kubota that you have with its HP I would suspect that a PTO mulcher would do a good job.  I have a heavy duty Woods Brush bull that will do up to 2" diameter trees without any harm.  Above that it starts to do excessive wear and tear.  If your small trees are above 2" then I would suspect that a PTO mulcher would work very well.  Of course there are other options but you should be ok with a PTO mulcher.



 

AllDodge

Thanks, found the tutorial
Now if I can find location and other things I can add more to my ID

At any rate, this is a distance and old photo and doesn't show how steep the things are but just info



 

AllDodge

Went online and found a couple PTO drum mulcher's and like what I see.  Other side is if I bought one, once finished it would just sit for who knows how long before needing again

pine

Might be able to get a good deal on a used one.  Use it and then sell for not much different than you bought it for.

AllDodge

That's a good idea to place in the decision matrix

nativewolf

Quote from: AllDodge on April 23, 2020, 05:41:03 PM
Went online and found a couple PTO drum mulcher's and like what I see.  Other side is if I bought one, once finished it would just sit for who knows how long before needing again
I owned a large PTO one and found it a terrible. Mulcher  was an FAE, top of the line- the tractor was a great case magnum.  The problem is you have to back up so much, just not efficient.  You'd be money way ahead to just hire someone, my opinion.  The learning curve is steep and experienced operators make all the difference, it might take you 3x as long to do the job.  Plus you have to be doing the job.  You'll rip some hoses, break a few teeth and have downtime as you learn.  My suggestion would be to hire someone with a real mulcher (fecon, cmi, etc).
Liking Walnut

Walnut Beast

Quote from: nativewolf on April 24, 2020, 08:22:56 PM
Quote from: AllDodge on April 23, 2020, 05:41:03 PM
Went online and found a couple PTO drum mulcher's and like what I see.  Other side is if I bought one, once finished it would just sit for who knows how long before needing again
I owned a large PTO one and found it a terrible. Mulcher  was an FAE, top of the line- the tractor was a great case magnum.  The problem is you have to back up so much, just not efficient.  You'd be money way ahead to just hire someone, my opinion.  The learning curve is steep and experienced operators make all the difference, it might take you 3x as long to do the job.  Plus you have to be doing the job.  You'll rip some hoses, break a few teeth and have downtime as you learn.  My suggestion would be to hire someone with a real mulcher (fecon, cmi, etc).
I agree. I don't see how you could get anything done with a tractor. You are so limited. The ASV compact track loader Forestry unit with a Fecon head or Loftness heads you can get a tremendous amount of work done. With the 20 inch wide tracks you can be on inclines, soft and uneven terrain. Getting the hang of it is not that difficult. You usually come down on trees and chew them up. The problem is when people try and go to fast they stall the drum out on the head. You need to keep that drum speed up even with a hi flow  hydraulics and 100hp it takes time. But in a short time you can do some amazing land clearing. Big trees can be cut with a bi directional tree cutter that can cut 24" trees. If you get the unit you can also disconnect the unit like any other skid steer and use it for many different things and with the hi flow hydraulics you can run about anything. I had a ASV Forestry with a Fecon head that was 100hp then they went to 110hp and now 120. Also look under Terex Forestry units as they owned ASV for a few years. Same machine but different color.

AllDodge

A guy on another forum brought up a good point about the PTO would need to be used with a Hydrostat tractor.  Have to agree without hydrostat the clutch would get a major workout

mike_belben

A man can go pretty far into debt buying new yard care toys.  Put a root rake on your D3 and do it like every other hillbilly around here.  Push it up and burn it then kentucky 31 seed and keep mowed.  

No need for a drum mulcher. 
Praise The Lord

Southside

I agree with you there Mike, right up to the point of the K31 - that's the worst move a guy can make.  
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

Walnut Beast

Yes indeed you could tie a fortune up. Been there done that😂. Just a new Fecon mulching head is 30k . And if you get used watch out! You could really open a can of worms and money problems. Most guys that get them are running them hard full time. Or big ranchers getting paid by a government program to take cedar trees out of there pastures. By the time you pay for the stuff it is usually wore out 😂😂. 

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