Site clearing about to begin

[USAFpj]

Thought I'd give an update on our land clearing job: I've been overseas for a bit, but will have (45)days off real soon. My GC gave a quick estimate for the following: $3,800 for clearing/grading driveway, no gravel, to home site (about 300yds). And $2,450 for clearing trees/brush from the (1) acre home site. The trees are about 25 Virginia Pine and Yellow Poplar, most of which are less than 12in diameter. My Uncle's JD350 crawler with clamshell loader has been offered for just the cost of fuel, and sits about 2min away from my property. I've attached a pic of the property, and I think I'm going to do it! I plan on reaching high, knocking them down, cutting off the stumps, then using the clamshell, piling the logs and stumps separately. I figure worst case, my GC charges the same amount just to fix my mistakes:laughing:
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[vtsnowedin]

Sounds like a plan. Keep us posted.

 

[farm boy00]

Thought I'd give an update on our land clearing job: I've been overseas for a bit, but will have (45)days off real soon. My GC gave a quick estimate for the following: $3,800 for clearing/grading driveway, no gravel, to home site (about 300yds). And $2,450 for clearing trees/brush from the (1) acre home site. The trees are about 25 Virginia Pine and Yellow Poplar, most of which are less than 12in diameter. My Uncle's JD350 crawler with clamshell loader has been offered for just the cost of fuel, and sits about 2min away from my property. I've attached a pic of the property, and I think I'm going to do it! I plan on reaching high, knocking them down, cutting off the stumps, then using the clamshell, piling the logs and stumps separately. I figure worst case, my GC charges the same amount just to fix my mistakes:laughing:
<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=419800"/>
<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=419801"/>

Wouldn't shock me if the crawler might not do it. Had a about 78-85hp old heavy construction tractor and it barely tipped the pine trees I had (10-12in)

 

[gghb]

dig into the roots on the side you are going to push from to weaken them use the dozer blade of the clam push up some dirt for a ramp to get more height close the bucket push into the tree with the bucket teeth and gentle rock back and forth until it starts to move if needed clip more root then push it over go easy watch for widow makers evan if you have a good canopy.

ghb

 

[vtsnowedin]

Back when I had (25 years ago) a 880 David Brown 2wd I found I could push over pretty good sized poplar trees If I put the loader up on them as high as it would go and drive forward with the diff. lock on while letting the loader down. then back up get the forks under the root ball and rip her out of the ground. Worked great for trees up to six inches or so. But of course being young and in a hurry I pushed it TOOO! far and tried a tree about eight inches through and thirty feet tall. It went over all right but the edge of the root ball extended back past the front wheels almost to the rear tires. So there I sat with the tractor in the air, front tires hooked over the raised edge of the root ball, rears spinning in open air in the hole where the roots had been. Looked like the tractor was doing something obscene to the tree.
I had to cut the tree up where it was including cutting the stump off under the loader frame which required a lot of hand digging and a couple of dulled on steel saw chains. Cost me more then a days time when time was short.

 

[Egon]

You mean someone else does that! My last experience also included a broken Rod on the curl cylinder.

 

[vtsnowedin]

You mean someone else does that! My last experience also included a broken Rod on the curl cylinder.

Hey the guys that build tractors Want you to use it hard and wear it out so you come back and but a brand new one that is bigger and better then the last. If everybody keeps theirs in show room condition and just drives it in the forth of July parade it will never wear out and those guys will be out of a job. I've always done my part to keep the economy steaming along towards full employment.

 

[xr_guys]

Rent an Excavator about 120 size with dozer blade two days inexperience operator and a less than day for experienced guy. Make sure you have thumb and a medium side bucket with teeth.

Tractor, you may damage it pushing those trees, not intended for that work. Use the tractor for finishing.

XR

 

[Thomas]

If you decide to push the trees over be careful base/root ball doesn't pop up which could tip tractor over.

 

[vtsnowedin]

If you decide to push the trees over be careful base/root ball doesn't pop up which could tip tractor over.

Now Thomas, did I not just lay out that complete scenario except for tipping over? If your up on a root ball you can be stuck or you can tip off on what ever side is the worst for your situation. Tipping to the happy side is so unlikely we need not consider it.

 

[Thomas]

Yeah yer did.

 

[EddieWalker]

One of the hardest things to deal with is getting a stump out of the ground. Pushing a tree up high usually leads to the tree snapping off somewhere between where you are pushing and the ground. Then you have to dig up the stump.

Somehow you need to cut the roots and dig up enough dirt to get the tree and the stump to come out of the ground all together. I've done this with a 170 hp dozer and I've done this with a 80hp backhoe. The backhoe is faster, cleaner and easier hands down. I'm curious how the track loader does, but I'm a big nervous that you will be creating a bigger mess then you need to.

Good luck
Eddie

 

[Billrog]

Pushing over large trees leaves a very dangerous mess to deal with it's very difficult to always figure out which way the tree is loaded with tension when you go to cut the stump off. Safest and fastest way with the larger trees is fall & limb then skid them to a pile out of the way. Then deal with the smaller stuff with what ever equipment you have.

 

[USAFpj]

Pushing over large trees...

I think what constitutes a 'big tree' here in the Southeast is a bit different than what you commonly have in BC. I know your concerns on the root ball, tipping the crawler over, and tension on trunks, widowmakers, etc. I'm inexperienced, but have common sense- if the task looks a bit overwhelming for the crawler, we'll clear some Spring time underbrush, get some of the smaller, rotted debris out, and wait for the pro's to come in. Great reminders and cautions, though!

 

[xr_guys]

What work for me is I dig around the tree snapping all the big roots. You use the bucket curl action to cut the roots. Use the ground for the sit of the bucket and curl it to snap the root. Then you push with the bucket up high. This way you pull the stump at the same time. Now you need to assess the balance of the tree where it has most of its weight. You dig first on that side then you finish off on the lighter side of the tree, for safety. Push with the bucket up high and gently apply pressure. With the 120 excavator you have plenty of clearance away from the stump since you’ll have long stick of the excavator. Ohh forgot, dig 3 to 4 ft away and around from the stump of the tree.

I’m amaze how fast this method work for me with my Cat 304CR dropping big maple tree and other Northwest trees.

XR

 

[Wild Bill the 2nd]

One of the hardest things to deal with is getting a stump out of the ground. Pushing a tree up high usually leads to the tree snapping off somewhere between where you are pushing and the ground. Then you have to dig up the stump.

I've taken out hundreds of pines from an old Christmas tree farm. My experience is that the moisture content of the soil makes a HUGE difference on how the tree goes down. In the dry months of summer they just snap off. You want to get at them when the soil is good and wet. Though I have only taken down 8-10" dia max... Your situation may be different. Just letting you know what I've seen.

I also agree that you don't want to get hung up with the front tires up on the root ball. Bent my exhaust last spring. Glad that was all the damage it did.

 

[EddieWalker]

I've taken out hundreds of pines from an old Christmas tree farm. My experience is that the moisture content of the soil makes a HUGE difference on how the tree goes down. In the dry months of summer they just snap off. You want to get at them when the soil is good and wet. Though I have only taken down 8-10" dia max... Your situation may be different. Just letting you know what I've seen.

I also agree that you don't want to get hung up with the front tires up on the root ball. Bent my exhaust last spring. Glad that was all the damage it did.

Good point on soil moisture. I've learned that the size of the tree that I can push over with my dozer goes down to about half if it hasn't rained in a week, and if it hasn't rained in a month, they will all snap off on me. I once go carried away clearing an area with my dozer. Seemed like every tree was just the right size to push over. Then after a few hours I ran out trees and realized that I had about three months worth of work to clean up the mess I created. That's when I learned that pushing them over and the pushing them aside just tangles them up. I've never done that again, lesson learned. Now I take them out one at a time with the backhoe and take them to the burn pile or the log pile or the firewood staging area right away. So much faster to work in a clean organized manner.

Eddie