Clearing Trails

[FL_Cracker]

Picture number three. This is our house site. It was an old pine thicket. All the pine was removed 6 years ago but all the cut branches were laying everywhere. It cut the up very well.

 

[FL_Cracker]

More house site pictures.

 

[FL_Cracker]

Last picture...

 

[dballs]

Excellent pics! Thanks for sharing them.

Thanks again for all the advice, I think I am going to give it a shot if I can now find a nearby dealer that rents one.

Darren

 

[RAW]

I wish I could find a place nearby that would rent one of the skid-steer mulchers.

I'm dying to buy one, but . . . beyond my price range.

For those that are curious about these things, there are several manufacturers.
My top choices:
Loftness
Tushogg
FAE
Fecon

Then there are the single-purpose machines:

Geo-boy
Supertrak
Gyro-trac

I've bought myself a lotto ticket for tonight. So . . . . maybe I'll be able to afford these toys one day. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[dballs]

I have the same problem. I can't find anyone that rents them. I found a dealer who rents some other loftness attachments (ex. flail mower) but doesn't have and won't get a carbide cutter or timberax.

here are some more manufacturers with similar attachments(sorry if some are reposts, I tried not to duplicate them) Some skid steer, others not:
Brown Brontosaurus
http://www.brownbearcorp.com/Brush%20Cutting.htm
http://www.brush-technology.com/products.htm
http://65.169.182.25/blountfied/siteprep.htm
http://www.hakmet.com/MeriCrushers.asp?Bottom=1
http://www.deniscimaf.com/a-prod.html
http://www.bardaequipment.com/products/allproducts.php
http://www.raycomfg.com/CompactCrawlers/C87FM/C87FM.html
http://www.bushwackertractor.com/Skid_Steer.asp (I think this is the FAE link you mentioned)

 

[bmac]

Sorry bring up this old thread, but I have a little update.

Its been awhile since I've put any more thought into clearing the trail. Had other things on the front burner. However, we've finally moved in to the new place (well, kind of. Still have a lot of little things to do and I can't find anything, yet) and we've got the ATV's over here and now the kids want to ride (understandably). Unfortunately, my tractor is still over at the old place (that's another story) and my wife is getting impatient with me about clearing the trail. So, I called a guy to come out for an estimate to have it done, figuring we could it cleared sooner than if I did it.

I about fainted at the fee he was going to charge.

<font color="red"> $8300 /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif </font>

Needless to say, that isn't going to happen. I've got another guy coming Monday for an estimate. But, like I told my wife, even if he is half the cost of the 1st guy, its still a ton of money. I guess its going to be me, the TC 29D and a chainsaw all summer long.

 

[Cottonhawk]

It's a lot of work to clear trails. I just had three trails in the woods completed. These trails are about ten feet wide and ten feet high. I had a small crew working on them off and on through the whole winter. It end up costing me about $7.50 per foot. Now the Spring is here and it appears that it will be a lot of work to keep the trails cleared.

 

[HGM]

I know you dont want to hear it, but the best time to do it is over.. Everything is green and thick.. A couple of months ago would have been best.. I planned to do some clearing on my hunting poperty, but looks like I'll be just bush hogging untill next winter.... I know how anxcious kids can get, but if you can put them off till the fall you'll save allot of work..

 

[EddieWalker]

bmac,

I know price varry across the country, but even if it's twice as much for you as compared to me here, you should really look into hiring a tractor shredder.

My neighbor hired one for a day. $100 an hour for something like these at this website.

www.geo-boy.com

It's like a small trackloader with a full cab and a super heavy duty shredder on the front.

His reason to hire the guy was because he wanted a couple acres cleaned up on the side of a hill that was too steep for his tractor. The guy did it so fast that he cut a trail around his 240 acres all in one day!!!

One pass is wide enough for him to drive his jeep down, so it would be perfect for ATV's. It does leave allot of shredded material around, but that's just good mulch.

What did you contractor charge you for the equipment he brought out there to do your pad? In a day he could create all the trails you could ever want. Then at least all you have to deal with is burning the brush piles he makes.

Eddie

 

[Cottonhawk]

I hired a contractor to cleared two blackberry and brush fields with brush cutter. It's six feet pass instead of eight and it costed me $150 per dour. The brush cutter is very impressive but it can not get into the woods as it's too steep and too wet.

 

[bmac]

Eddie,


<font color="blue"> you should really look into hiring a tractor shredder.
</font>

I think you are right. This is like the equipment that Fl Cracker used at his place. However, I can't seem to find a place that rents them here and I don't know where / how to search for an operator wo may own one. Do you have any suggestions on how to locate a company who might have one of these beasts?

 

[Turkeyman]

No place in SC rents them due to the liability. Try checking with a local utlility at they often know contractors that clear their ROW lines. There is at least one dealer in southern Georgia ( think it is Jones JD) that has several used Brown Tree Cutters that will mow thru 6"+ inches of pine trees. Problem is you would need to do that in reverse. Used mowers were about $3000 for a 6 ft model.
Good luck

 

[FL_Cracker]

Try calling your local tractor dealer. If you find a dealer that sells the Posi-Trac with the Magnum Heads they will know they sold them to and who does contract work. Mason Tractor in Blue Ridge stock the units ready to go for sale and rents them. I know this is a little far but they sell to all of North Georgia....

Good Luck

 

[EddieWalker]

bmac,

Any luck on finding a land clearing machine? LOL

I was reading my weekly free classifieds and saw two adds for those land clearing machines in the farm section. Maybe you have an American Classifieds paper or Thrifty Nickel paper????? Something similar?????

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[bmac]

Eddie,

Yesterday, in my local newspaper, I saw an ad for an outfit that may be what I'm looking for. "Soggy Bottom Timber Boys" /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Says they do mulching of underbrush. Pic in their ad looks suspiciously like the hardware I need.

Haven't called yet. Had another guy come tour the site yesterday afternoon. He's got an 85 HP Cat skidsteer with what sounds like a tree spade. He said he'd just drive around and pluck out the trees I don't want and set them aside for me to dispose of. He's supposed to call me next week with a quote. He estimated a day and a half to do the job, but wanted to think about it before giving me his price.

I'll call the Soggy Bottom Boys Monday.

Thanks for the tips on papers to look in. I don't know what we have around here, but I'll keep my eyes peeled.

 

[EddieWalker]

The Soggy Bottom Boys sounds like a character from the movie Oh Brother Were Are Though, or something like that. hahahaha

I would wonder how a tree spade pulling them out of the ground will be a benifit to you. I'd think he'd be creating more work. You have to fill the holes and still get rid of the trees.

If you were thinking about going that route, you might want to check with a medium dozer operator too. He'll push right through and build burn piles for you to take care of after they dry out some. I'd guess it would be cheapet too.

But if your gonna hire it out, I thing the best bet is a tree shredder that just grinds everything up downto the groun. No dirt is desterbed, so you dont have an erosion probem and the debris acts like mulch to cover the ground. Win-win all the way around.

Of course, what they charge is the real question.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[bmac]

<font color="blue"> The Soggy Bottom Boys sounds like a character from the movie Oh Brother Were Are Though, or something like that. hahahaha
</font>

I was thinking Bluegrass Band.

I think shredding sounds like the ideal way to do this. Will continue searching.

 

[1bush2hog]

Bmac -

You may also try checking in the Georgia Sportsman magazine. I have seen similar land clearing ads in this publication.

 

[Reb2]

This clears land pretty good. I also have a rake, back blade and box scraper for it.