Building a road down to the river

[buckeyefarmer]

I know we got farm roads much steeper. It can wash out. How often do you plan to use the road, what type of vehicles?

Looks like instead of straight down, at the top go left of your blue line, then swing it down around the grade.

 

[gersus]

Gary, thanks for the info. How do you keep the chain from sliding up the tree?

A dozer goes for $100/hr around here as well.

The blue line is really the only good option. Otherwise its even steeper, or off camber. The guy with the dozer's plan was to keep pushing dirt down the from the top till it was a more gradual slope.

I think I'll give it a shot and see what I can get done. Like someone said if I need the dozer it should be less money hopefully.

 

[rScotty]

Roads are what dozers do best. Of course you can do it with a tractor....but why? I agree that drainage is everything.
rScotty

 

[buckeyefarmer]

You can cut a road across a steep slope.

 

[BrokenTrack]

I am a firm believer in: "Do as much as you can for yourself."

Last year I built a rather steep road with ditches, fill, rock check dams, and everything using mostly my tractor and trailer. If you get into trouble, have your neighbor come in, or rent the equipment and do the rest yourself with rented equipment. Study up on roadbuilding, ask questions, do it right, but most of all have fun doing it yourself!

Why let someone else have all the fun and then pay for it?

This is one of the best videos I have ever seen on road building. It is long, but if you take the time to watch it, it has a lot of great information.

 

[EddieWalker]

Why let someone else have all the fun and then pay for it?

While I also like to do as much that I can myself, I've learned that there are some things that are cheaper in the long run to hire out. I also believe that learning something costs time and money. To get good at it, you will spend a lot of time and money learning how to do it. The right tool for the job is also expensive. More so if it's specialized for the task needed. And then there is the cost of an accident, injury or breaking something.

For $2,000 it will be done. Granted, gravel will be extra, but that's super easy to do yourself with a FEL and can be done slowly over time. If he breaks anything on his tractor, what will that cost to fix in replacement parts and time working on it and then finding those parts? What about an injury doing the job? Taking out trees is dangerous. I've found that the smaller are more likely to cause damage then the bigger ones because they are so flexible and unpredictable. Since he has never built a road before, will he get it right the first time or will it be an ongoing project of adjusting and fixing it?

$2,000 sounds cheap to me.

 

[Citydude]

I cut a 550'x30' power line right of way down a steep hill with an L2501, Sthil ms 362, Sthil fs 94 and a farmi skidding winch. 25 large Ponderosa pine and through an aspen grove the last 100 foot with no experience in doing so. I can be done.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I'd do it myself just because it is so much fun. Unless your in a hurry...

 

[gersus]

I appreciate the responses! Weather here is finally decent this weekend but no tractor time for me due to a flat front tire :/
Hopefully next weekend I can get started!

 

[Deere Dude]

I would see what he charges per hour and go that route. If he gets done much quicker than you thought, then good. If he doesn't that you really wouldn't want to have tackled that with your tractor. And you only pay for the time he is pushing.

I just googled that cat description and he will do more in an hour that you will do in that woods in a week with your tractor, maybe.
.
I had a smaller cat (friend) come out at $60 and hour pushing creek bed gravel around. For what he charged I would have had to replace a couple tires from sharp stones etc. He said there was usually a minimum of 4 hours approx so for $300 he did me a great service. After he was done I puttered around with the easy stuff.