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Hire forestry mulching company or DIY

Started by livemusic, January 15, 2020, 01:11:20 PM

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livemusic

I have built trails on my 57 acres by hand, chainsaw, brushcutter and machete, etc. I would like to do quite a bit more but I'm just tired, lol. Wondering about a mulcher. I can hire it for $150/hr which includes operator. I can rent one for $3,000 a week. Then I'd have to find or buy a trailer to get it here, it's about 1.5 hour drive. I'm already in market for a trailer, so, that helps. But I have no experience with a bobcat or a mulcher, only have driven tractors, grew up on a farm. I do have a friend who is an operator of heavy equipment. I doubt he's ever worked a forestry mulcher, he's more of a dozer guy but he could figure it out. To teach me, lol. But, I have no idea how hard it is to learn to run a mulcher. It's a diesel bobcat with a drum/knives 4.5' wide head, 36 gal fuel tank.

The $3k/week includes insurance but I think that is total loss coverage; if I tear up something, I assume that is on me. Would need to clarify how that works.

Point of all this is that it would be SO much easier if I could operate whatever is doing the clearing. Flagging exactly what I want done is going to be very laborious. I already flagged one trail to build and it was rather a burden. If I were in driver's seat, it would be so much easier! I can easily see which tree is ok to whack and which isn't.

Is this a bad idea? Hire it done? The tightwad in me is always trying to save money, plus, as I said, it would be SO much better if I could do it. I could even meander through the forest with no set plan, I know the land and know what type tree I want to save.

I figure I could get it all done in a week. Or put it this way... $3k... it's enough.

I can do it by hand but geez, it will take awhile! And there are a few areas I want to just wipe out all the trees... invasive species.

Another consideration... I would need to buy more fuel cans!

I also thought of a Woodsboss tractor with Brown tree cutter rig but I could not find anyone who rents, I would have to buy. I could also buy used and then sell it. I wonder if I'd lose, lol. Good thing about one of those is it's just a beefed up tractor for forestry work with a bushhog type thing on the back that's real beefed up... to take down trees and even mulch them. I would think even I could operate that!

TIA for opinions on this.
~~~
Bill

nativewolf

HIRE...mulching is not fun on equipment nor you nor is rental easy as the learning curve is steep.  You'll be money money ahead hiring.  Put this way.  Would you rent a sawmill to cut 10 logs never having done so before or would you hire an experienced sawyer who brings a mill and asks all the right questions that you did not even know were the right questions.
Liking Walnut

Southside

So the gross difference in a 40 hour week, is $3,000. 

A friend has a new 90 HP Bobcat skid steer and it burns 60 gallons of fuel in 8 hours. At $2.50 / gallon for off road that puts you at $750 for fuel. 3 hours round-trip to pick up and deliver the unit, $100 cost to you in fuel and wear and tear on your truck and trailer. If you are hauling fuel by the 5 gallon can, what will a trip a day to get more cost in time and money?  If you buy a cheap trailer for $2,500 you are already spending more than hiring it out, and you worked for 40 hours for free. Of course that's assuming you don't snag a hydraulic hose, break off a tooth, or slide a limb into a door. 

Personally I would hire it out in this case. 
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

livemusic

There was a mulcher guy across from my land today and I had him come over at end of day and work my land for two hours for $150/hr. He has an 85hp Bobcat, I don't recall the model mulcher but it was drum with knives. I wanted to see how much he could do in two hours and he did well. I asked fuel consumption and he said it'll burn two 25-gal tanks of diesel in 8 hrs, so, that was revealing. It's also heavy and he had a stout trailer. I think he said the bobcat mulcher, alone, is 13,500 lbs. Which surprised me. He also had a grapple on the trailer.

I suppose hiring it out is wise. A breakdown would be a drag.
~~~
Bill

Skeans1

Our smaller Cat 246 is 7500 without anything in the tires and it's of the smaller end of their sizes.

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