Buy Tractor And Mower or Skidsteer and Mulch Head?

[Amer Pine Straw]

Hi All,

I have been researching my options for a month now and have found this site to be the most valuable resource out there.

I'll break down the scenario for everyone as follows:

I have 6k acres to clear understory from near Andalusia AL. The soil Criff class is E/F, so good clay subsoil and loamy sandy surface soil. Gradual slopes only, no big hills or valleys will be worked on. No rocks (readily apparent). The 6k acres is all plantation pine, no old field sites. The rows are 8 ft. Hardwood understory accounts for less than 10ba/ac and what I have seen is on average 8 inches in stem diameter. Youpon, Gallberry, Dogwood and Oak are the most prevalent species that need to be removed.

I will do prescribed burns on a portion of the acreage this fall and winter. After that, I need to get in there and mow.

My question is, what should I be looking at getting to mow this stuff? A narrow tractor and Brown Forestry Mower or a Bobcat, ASV, GEHL, CAT and mulch head? Speed is my number 1 goal. Reliability/Maintenance are next. The sooner that I get this acreage into straw production the better.

Also, how long would I expect a machine to last with proper maintenance in these conditions?

Help me out!

Thanks,

Jason

 

[QwikDraw]

Quick reply...

I would think a skid steer and mulch head would be the best set up for doing up to 8" dia trees in a confined area, as in 8' wide rows. I am not familiar with plantation type rows, are they 8' x 8' spacing. That sure is a big amount of acres for a skid steer though. You may want to look at a custom mulch machine, like a Fecon 140 or Super trak 140.

What's your time frame?

 

[cbturf]

6k acres will wear out many a skid steer. QD is right get a dedicated machine. Since time is so important you need a bigger machine to get it done faster then maybe a smaller machine for maintaining the site. Your job is definately large enough to do it yourself but I still believe in the principle of do what you do best and hire someone to do what he does best. If you start the work by yourself then by the time you get done with a job that size you almost have to start over. If you are working with a competent contractor then you can start doing what you do the next day and then chase him through the project. Just my opinion, I know this was not the real question but just something else to think about.

 

[cbturf]

I was just sitting here chewing on a 6000 acre job and using a skid steer. A very productive day on a skid steer will be 5 acres in an 8 hour day or a measely 1200 days 3.25 years if you work every single day! You will have to get a much larger mulching machine, if you can mulch an acre per hour and run 10 hours per day seven days a week you will still need over a year and a half to clean up 6000 acres. Another thing that I was thinking about was the Rx burns. If you have a fairly thick understory you will create a good bit of heat and this will damage the overstory trees. If you are going to mulch the area you can skip the Rx burn since the mulcher will not even notice the small stuff.

 

[Robbie Hegwood]

Welcome to the club Jason. Answer a few things and then we'll find a direction.

From the name and size of the tract this is your business/ocupation right?
Do you have employees? How Many? How many can/could run skid steers?
The mulch that is left do you have to remove it to get to the pine straw?
Do you plan to keep the skids after the initial cleanup?

I have a pretty good direction brewing so let's see how close I can get with the above info.

 

[Amer Pine Straw]

Thank you Robbie.

Yes its my business. I have 2 guys that have been running bobcats 7 and 8 series for 12 years or so mostly in concrete removal and earth moving though.
The mulch can stay.
I would use the equipment until its useful life is used up.

 

[Amer Pine Straw]

We're definetly going to use fire as a tool. The guys burning are pros and they manage the land anyway so any problems are not ours. I've been through some burned stands and they do an excellent job, no cooked needles in the crowns at all.

 

[Treemow]

Jason, I'm in the montgomery area.I agree with others a skid steer would be a very slow go.Your best bet would be a dedicated machine with a lot of horsepower.

 

[Robbie Hegwood]

Well I am going to disagree. I thing two or even three smaller machines would be best and I tell you why.

1. Just from seeing pine tree farms and from what your intentions are I would bet some of the keeper trees are close together and manuvering is going to be tight.

2. Yes a big dedicated machine would be fast and productive but at a very premium price. For example...a Rayco/Fecon 140 is roughly 160K. Or you could buy two high flow skids with mulchers for the same. And if you have a little time we have a low flow head coming that you could buy three smaller skids and mulchers for the same or a tad more.

3. The benefit would be multiple tractors running at once, two to three times the work. WHEN one tractor breaks you will still have production. If you bank on one tractor WHEN it breaks you have NO production. The availability of loaner/rental skids is easy. I doubt Rayco would loan or rent a 140. Plus you could schedule down time for one and again still have production.

4. If and when there isn't mulching to be done you have the option of any attachment made for skid steers.

5. This one isn't as much a biggy as others but you could easily move skid steers around with normal truck trailer if need be. A larger machine would require a low boy and semi.

This is just my point of view but I have seen several mulching contractors using multiple skid steers and doing well and productive. Plus I can mulch all the material you mentioned with skid steers and our heads.

Comment away.

 

[Treemow]

Robbie, I agree with you also,but his second stipulation was maintenance.I think something like a Supertrak sk140tr ,the steel track machine they offer would be inline.Here in Alabama as in Georgia cooling is such an issue also.