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Walk behind small tree harvester?

Started by bearlakehockey, March 28, 2010, 10:17:17 PM

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sprucebunny

I'm wondering what will happen once the 3-4" tree comes down ???

I use a chainsaw because once I get them down, I want to be able to chop them up enough so they lie close to the ground. The woods I'm working in are a little thick and I often ( 75% of the time ) have to grab the butt of the cut tree and drag it away from the stump to make it even fall down !

I guess if you are completely clearing an area it's not as much of an issue but I am 'weeding' out the pin cherry and poplar. Neither a clearing saw or a walk behind thing would work for me .... a 6' brush hog/tractor would be great until it falls into a hole I can't see thru the brush or meets a hidden rock or stump !
MS193, MS192 and an 026  Weeding and Thinning. Gilbert Champion sawmill

SwampDonkey

I tried the chainsaw deal and I ain't ever doing that job with out a clearing saw ever again.  :D :D 8) In ten years a site is clean as can be when it rots completely to soil. The trees fall to the ground good enough for me, I'd have to be real fussy to complain about how it looks. A brush pile is a brush pile. We don't leave hangups, all in the technique.
"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)))

VT_Forestry

Quote from: SwampDonkey on April 27, 2010, 02:31:09 PM
I tried the chainsaw deal and I ain't ever doing that job with out a clearing saw ever again.  :D :D 8) In ten years a site is clean as can be when it rots completely to soil. The trees fall to the ground good enough for me, I'd have to be real fussy to complain about how it looks. A brush pile is a brush pile. We don't leave hangups, all in the technique.

Agreed...one of the nice things about the harness, at least with my experience with the Stihls, is that once the tree is on the ground, it's very easy to delimb and then rotate on its edge to "buck" the tree to whatever the length you want.  Since a lot of the pre-commercial thinning work we do is very visible to the public, we take a little extra time to process the trees once they are on the ground to make it aesthetically attractive. 
Forester - Newport News Waterworks

fishpharmer

Built my own band mill with the help of Forestry Forum. 
Lucas 618 with 50" slabber
WoodmizerLT-40 Super Hydraulic
Deere 5065E mfwd w/553 loader

The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. --Tom A. Edison

Woulde

"I'm wondering what will happen once the 3-4" tree comes down"

Good question.

I don't want them rotting on the ground, so I'm planning to use a chain saw and a utility vehicle to move them to a burn pit, but I'm open to suggestions.  Since I live 300 miles away, this will be a multi year project done on intermittent weekends as time allows.  Hopefully, I can recruit some friends and family to help.  So far it's just me and my dad.

Before I cut the first tree down, I plan to have a forester walk the land with me and develop a plan to meet my objectives.  Hopefully, he'll have some suggestions on what equipment to use.


SwampDonkey

Quote from: Woulde on April 27, 2010, 02:55:48 PM
I don't want them rotting on the ground, so I'm planning to use a chain saw and a utility vehicle to move them to a burn pit, but I'm open to suggestions.

Well, I guess you folks ain't gonna like driving bye seeing my tree line in the back yard stacked with brush and tree limbs underneath.  ;D ;) She rots where she falls or gets dragged to the nearest vacant spot to break down on her own, which could be anywhere that ain't mowed.
"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)))

Woulde

Quote from: SwampDonkey on April 26, 2010, 08:56:56 PM
9" Chisel Tooth, make sure it's Swede steel and not Asian steel, says on box. Stays sharp longer. And make sure you walk out with the right cut out size in the blade, the upper saws use a small cut out 500/550, not sure on the lower saws. The smaller Husky for instance has a larger hole, but the old bigger Husky they just stopped making a couple years back has a small hole. Maybe VT_For can tell ya the cut out size on the 450, or just check in parts lookup at the dealer.

Good info, thanks. Could explain what you mean by "cut out size"?

Raider Bill

Quote from: Woulde on April 27, 2010, 02:55:48 PM
"I'm wondering what will happen once the 3-4" tree comes down"

Good question.

I don't want them rotting on the ground, so I'm planning to use a chain saw and a utility vehicle to move them to a burn pit, but I'm open to suggestions.  Since I live 300 miles away, this will be a multi year project done on intermittent weekends as time allows.  Hopefully, I can recruit some friends and family to help.  So far it's just me and my dad.


That's what I do Been knocking them down and dragging to a burn area. The parts that I work on can be seen from the house so I'm going for that "park" look ;D

I've got a zillion poplar and locust.

I'd sure like to have one of them Browns cutters for a week!
The First 70 years of childhood is always the hardest.

SwampDonkey

Quote from: Woulde on April 27, 2010, 03:04:50 PM
Good info, thanks. Could explain what you mean by "cut out size"?

The centre hole on the blade to mount to the saw, on the FS500 and 550 it's 20 mm, looked at the carton a bit ago to see.
"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)))

SwampDonkey

Quote from: Raider Bill on April 27, 2010, 03:43:45 PM
That's what I do Been knocking them down and dragging to a burn area. The parts that I work on can be seen from the house so I'm going for that "park" look ;D

I would to, if I was going to continually brush it out. But since I only hit those areas 5 or 6 years apart I don't go through the effort because them stumps sucker back and screen the brush, or the leave trees screen it to somewhat. Go for the rustic hillbilly look. Don't want it looking too pretty. Already get enough of them "how well your grounds look" comments already. ;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)))

sprucebunny

Quote from: Raider Bill on April 27, 2010, 03:43:45 PM

I've got a zillion poplar and locust.

I'd sure like to have one of them Browns cutters for a week!

Like this one rattleing thru my camp area  ;D ???





In return for letting them drive thru to the powerline, they ground up a small area of trees for me. Took them about 45 minutes what would have taken me at least 6 hours and I still would have had a bunch of brush.  8)
MS193, MS192 and an 026  Weeding and Thinning. Gilbert Champion sawmill

stonebroke

I have a browns tree cutter and it will cutt a eight inch tree. You have to watch out where they fall though. I also have a bidirectional tractor but I never had the loader on it with the tree cutter. That is a great idea. The things you learn on FF.If you got in contact with Browns I bet they could give you a list of custom operators in your area.

Stonebroke

Raider Bill

Theres a rental place about 40 miles away that rents a traced skid steer with some kind of full width grinder on the front. That's the ticket but I don't know what they get a day.
Being a part time "half back" I think that would be fun ;D So far the bobcat, trac loader and bull dozer have been a blast :D
More power as Tim the Tool man Taylor would say. :)

I'm going up for 2 weeks this Friday and will be looking into either renting something or buying a stihl brush cutter.
The First 70 years of childhood is always the hardest.

SwampDonkey

$180/hr is what most equipment operators charge around here, plus float charges. Rental charges probably in line with that. Seems a lot of $$ outlay for a small piece of land. But a clearing saw ain't especially cheap either unless your going to use it a lot.
"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)))

stonebroke

Our local farm store rents a bobcat for 200 dollars a day but that is with just a bucket.

Stonebroke

Raider Bill

I rented a trac bobcat from a local rental place a few times before. Was $900 for a week.
The First 70 years of childhood is always the hardest.

Woulde

Here's a look at what I'll be cutting.  This photo from building site looking at lake.





This photo from building site looking back toward ridgeline.




sjfarkas

That ground would be quick work for a large track skid steer with a mulching head.  you should be able to cover a couple acres a day and then do very little saw work for the finishing touches.  If you can find a machine to rent you'd get'er done.
Always try it twice, the first time could've been a fluke.

maple flats

I routinely cut places that look like that or even more dense with a chainsaw. I cut most in 2 steps. I drop the tree, small notch then back cut, when almost cut through I push over by hand for those sizes (up to 5-6") . Then I cut the stump, barely above the dirt, kneeling on the ground. Everything over about 2" gets bucked for the maple evaporator, smaller, i just knock the limbs off and let lay.
logging small time for years but just learning how,  2012 36 HP Mahindra tractor, 3point log arch, 8000# class excavator, lifts 2500# and sets logs on mill precisely where needed, Woodland Mills HM130Max , maple syrup a hobby that consumes my time. looking to learn blacksmithing.

Samuel


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Your wife let you bring that thing in the house??? :o
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SwampDonkey

My house, no wife.  :D

I think it was just for a photo op a few years ago. I don't live with my saws, but they are nearby in the storage room. Gotta take care of the things that pay the bills. ;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)))

AndyC

 



These are pictures from a catalog of Gravely Motor plow attachments and tractors.  They are still in existance although not the old styles like these.  I had both the 22" circular saw and 33" chainsaw and both worked okay but the circular saw guards were less than complete so some people started using a 30" brushhog deck with a v cut out of the front and then added a 22" buzz saw blade to the "mower".  I still have 4 tractors like the one in the picture but have sold most of my unique attachments.  I personally wouldn't use this to do what you need but thought people would be interested.     

Gravely is the Great Granpa of the DR. products - much heavier, more durable and they have 50 attachments.     

Woulde

Maple flats,

I thought of using just a chain saw, but I don't think I would last very long getting up and down so often.  The knees ain't what they used to be  :o.  Seems to me a brush cutter is the way to go, but I'm still hung up over which one. 

I went back to the Stihl dealer this past weekend and asked a few more questions.  They told me they haven't sold an FS350 since they've been a dealer.  To their defense, they're more of a farming outfit than a forestry supplier.  I think I'll buy something in Northern Michigan, where I'll be using it.  Seems to make sense to support the dealer who'll be servicing me.

I don't want to hijack this thread anymore than I already have.  I'll be posting more pictures as I go.  This is a multi year project, hopefully ending with a timber frame over looking the lake.  Can't wait to get in the woods with my dad and get away from the rat race in the city. 8) 8)

Woulde

Ordered a Stihl FS-310 brush cutter with chisel saw blade and MS-250 chainsaw today.  Will pick up at the local dealer in Petosky, MI next week.  Heading Up North to do some clearing!  Will post some before and after pictures soon after.


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