side hill in vermont

[dpenning]

I would appreciate it if some one could advise me on the best choice of machines to accomplish my tasks.

My chore is to manuver a machine over rough wooded terrain (swailes gulleys and side hill) where I intend to put in water bars and drainage for future logging roads. There are numerious areas where I Anticipate becomming hopelessly mired ,so what ever equipment I choose must be yankable by a 40 hp tractor w/logwinch.

This is a homestead operation, I have more time than money and look forward
to the challenge.

Experience and advice appreciated.

thx

 

[Egon]

I choose must be yankable by a 40 hp tractor w/logwinch.

If that tractor has a bucket start working. If it doesn't add one and start working.

The winch will pull you out.

 

[greenmule]

Dozer,with winch,you can yank back and forth.

 

[JohnDeere4300]

I would appreciate it if some one could advise me on the best choice of machines to accomplish my tasks.

My chore is to manuver a machine over rough wooded terrain (swailes gulleys and side hill) where I intend to put in water bars and drainage for future logging roads. There are numerious areas where I Anticipate becomming hopelessly mired ,so what ever equipment I choose must be yankable by a 40 hp tractor w/logwinch.

This is a homestead operation, I have more time than money and look forward
to the challenge.

Experience and advice appreciated.

thx

Welcome to TBN.

If you are on a side hill with anything in your bucket, it would be best to try and keep it as low to the ground as possible.

 

[whistlepig]

I would appreciate it if some one could advise me on the best choice of machines to accomplish my tasks.

My chore is to manuver a machine over rough wooded terrain (swailes gulleys and side hill) where I intend to put in water bars and drainage for future logging roads. There are numerious areas where I Anticipate becomming hopelessly mired ,so what ever equipment I choose must be yankable by a 40 hp tractor w/logwinch.

This is a homestead operation, I have more time than money and look forward
to the challenge.

Experience and advice appreciated.

thx

If you are just going to maneuver over wooded terrain with swells, side hills and gullies an ATV would be your best choice. ATV's float over the mire. If you are going to do work on a logging road on a side hill get a dozer. They don't use tractors on side hills for doing work around here. Just dozer's or skidders. I have ridden side hills on an ATV like the one's I think you are describing. No way would I take any sort of tractor there.

 

[jda1961]

you need a dozer, a tractor is useless in the roots of the woods, you'll just tear something up or get yourself killed. a dozer is made for that kind of thing.

 

[whistlepig]

you need a dozer, a tractor is useless in the roots of the woods, you'll just tear something up or get yourself killed. a dozer is made for that kind of thing.

A dozer is a whole different level of equipment compared to a tractor. It will do ten times the amount of work but it also takes ten times the amount of maintenance. Having a flat tire on a tractor is kid's stuff compared to losing a track on a dozer. Be careful for what you wish for.

 

[Thomas]

Take notice what others in your area are useing...if you decide tractor w/front loader also consider rear tire chains.

 

[Egon]

Yes and also have several morning cups of coffee laced with Patience and Common Sense.

Boondox can Recommend some excellent Beans to grind.

Thomas can give good advice on Brewing this morning Coffee!



When liberally applied to a very difficult job it will start out right and just keep going. You'll be finished before you know it and be able to look back at job to be proud off.

 

[Thomas]

Good morning Egon...you young whipper snapper.

Coffee just food for the brain...jump start.

Hope you got that new JD diesel up,looks to be long nasty storm heading your way...snowing here...excepting 2 to 3 inches an hour later today.

Time for another cup.

 

[WayneB]

Good morning Egon...you young whipper snapper.

Coffee just food for the brain...jump start.

Hope you got that new JD diesel up,looks to be long nasty storm heading your way...snowing here...excepting 2 to 3 inches an hour later today.

Time for another cup.

THOMAS stop that talk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!can't handle 2 to 3 inches per hour! Where you been lately?

Wayne

 

[SpringHollow]

Hard to tell if you are looking for equipment to make the roads or maintain them. If making them, pay to have a dozer come in and do the work. In a day, they can do an amazing amount of work. If having it logged by others, the roads and their condition when done can be part of the contract.

For maintaing, it cna be very expensive to own and maintain a dozer. Starting to sound like a broken record but Power Trac's are nice on side hills. I believe the small gas ones are rated for crosswise on a 30 degree hill, my PT1850 is rated for 45 degrees.

For dirt work, I have a FEL bucket with tooth bar, mini hoe, and a 3 pt adapter where i attach a box blade.

Ken

 

[nedly05]

I would rent an 8 ton excavtor, get one with a blade you can do a ton of work with one without destroying the woods.Put in your roads and water bars take care of any drainage issues and so forth and get ANYTHING done that your tractor cant do before you send it back. You can do alot with an excavator, and even help yourself through bad spots within reason. Where abouts in VT are you? Make sure you drink that special coffee from the previous posts and go have a ball! Good Luck!

 

[Thomas]

Hot cup to you Wayne.
Hope all well and life been good to you.

"can't handle 2 to 3 inches per hour!"

Now I find that hard to believe,for the setup in which you have fair to say anybody would drool over,and old man as much as he's try you keep blowing him off...I'd put my money on you anyday Sir.

Most of last year putter around the house and little motorcycle riding,for hana show up May and spent her time hanging around until it was time to take her long winter nap...best watch dog we ever had...we both had some thrills together.

 

[newbury]

I would appreciate it if some one could advise me on the best choice of machines to accomplish my tasks.

My chore is to manuver a machine over rough wooded terrain (swailes gulleys and side hill) where I intend to put in water bars and drainage for future logging roads. There are numerious areas where I Anticipate becomming hopelessly mired ,so what ever equipment I choose must be yankable by a 40 hp tractor w/logwinch.

This is a homestead operation, I have more time than money and look forward
to the challenge.

Experience and advice appreciated.

thx

Check my thread
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/construction-equipment/135715-noobie-asking-advice.html
over in the construction forum.
I started out thinking skidsteer/dozer, but was talked into TLB. It would help if you posted a link/pic of a topo map showing just how hilly your land is. But I can't find any way to post pics ON this forum, just links.
/edit - Thanks to johndeere4300 you post a pic by attachment under additional options

The pic shows my ~73 acre parcel in Vt w some steep terrain.

You can downlaod topo maps for free from USGS - http://topomaps.usgs.gov/drg/

 

[53gravely]

If having it logged by others, the roads and their condition when done can be part of the contract.

KSIMOLO hit on what I would advise. If you have 70 acres of timber, wait until the hardwwod market goes up and hire a professional logging outfit that knows what they're doing. A good logger will understand how to create skidder roads with proper water breaks that will survive heavy spring runoffs. (get references)

Logging, especially on steep slopes is deadly work (extremely expensive workman's comp rates) and there are a good number of flatlanders who have dropped trees on themselves (like my neighbor) or rolled their tractors trying to play logger. ...and never play alone.

Also, Vermont now requires permits to log a parcel over a certain size (I think 40 acres)
Make sure to hire a consulting forester to develop a "Plan" so you can get the property into the "Current use" program. It cuts your taxes in half

 

[Oldchuck]

I would appreciate it if some one could advise me on the best choice of machines to accomplish my tasks.

My chore is to manuver a machine over rough wooded terrain (swailes gulleys and side hill) where I intend to put in water bars and drainage for future logging roads. There are numerious areas where I Anticipate becomming hopelessly mired ,so what ever equipment I choose must be yankable by a 40 hp tractor w/logwinch.

This is a homestead operation, I have more time than money and look forward
to the challenge.

Experience and advice appreciated.

thx

We are most likely neighbors (everybody in Vermont is) and share a similar task - making a homestead in rugged forest.

I decided on a tractor (Kubotta L4400) due to it's versitility. It can do a little bit of everything. I cannot afford nor could I manage a 'dozer, skidder, and track hoe, all of which are required to do the complete job. Those expensive and specialized machines get hired when required.

Our land (300 acres) is completely forested except for two or three acres that served as a log landing six or seven years ago. The terrain ranges from gentle slope to severe, typical for around here. I would not attempt to push the tractor into thick woods or onto steep hills.

The logging operation, of course, made lots of skid trails through the entire property as well as a big mess. Their trails actually were laid out pretty well and probably were often just reuse of even older trails going back who knows how far. No need to reinvent the wheel here, just fix up what has already proved servicable. It is still a big job and requires the help of the big machines to do the heavy lifting.

I imagine your land has been logged a time or two also. Everybody's has, usually several times over the centuries. Your best bet is probably to scout the old trails and use the ones that work best for you. Your logging winch should be able to extend your reach 150 feet or so off the trail. Working a small tractor into the woods is kind of like working a tractor into three feet of snow (he said as he gazed out the window at a foot of new fall). You have to shovel your way in a little bit at a time.

 

[Oldchuck]

The pic shows my ~73 acre parcel in Vt w some steep terrain.

Newbury, you got some pretty nasty terrain there, need a helicopter to get around that patch of woods. Maybe that's why you moved to Mississippi?

 

[Youare]

I have watched as a road was put around a pond in southern western New Hampshire which I think may be somewhat like the terrian in Vermont. A large 4WD Cat backhoe was able to do a decent job working the side slope in this area.

However, a mid-size dozer was more efficient. A lot will depend on the size of the rocks and the amount of ledge encountered. I drove my Kubota L3000DT over the road after it was roughed in and will tell you that in some places the pucker factor was almost too much to bear. The backhoe and dozer were much more stable in the woods than my tractor.

Randy

 

[Ken45101]

A dozer, a backhoe, or an excavator? Here I use a small TLB to build trails for the 4 wheelers and the tractor to mow.

If it's only a slight hillside, you can use a tractor with a scaper blade, but that won't work for anything steeper.

I've also had a contractor in here to bulldoze trails in the steepest areas. It's amazing what he did in a couple of days.

Ken