What would you do..?

frank_f15 · May 1, 2003

i was just about to mention DO NOT USE GASOLINE. saw the same thing happen once, guy wanted to burn off some catails from a drainage ditch, sprinked some gas on them and in the ditch, then went back to the start of the ditch and threw a burning wad of paper in it. and whoomph everything in a rather large area exploded, the fumes form the gas crept along the ground and just went up in flames. i don,t think burning brush is that bad, i burn small piles of debris all the time. just need to use common sense, too dry don't burn! too windy don't burn. i just pile it on the side and burn it when the conditions and the time are right.

PJR · May 1, 2003

B7500,

When I burn I use a mixture of Diesel and old oil. I put this mix in a old weed sprayer, (the pump kind).
This works like a flame thrower and put's the diesel were you need it, and keeps you at a safe distance.

Pat

tdenny · May 1, 2003

OkeeDon,

I know what you mean by cell phone callers from afar. I had a tiny fire going one RAINY day and as I sat there and watched the small amount of smoke billow into the sky all of a sudden 2 firetrucks and an ambulance came flying up my driveway. I walked over to the first engine with a dazed look on my face /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif.

The fireman told me someone had called them and stated my house was on fire (nobody can even see my house except 1 neighbor and I know he didn't call. So the fireman walks over and takes a look at my fire and just started cracking up. I mean this was a REALLY small fire. Well off they went laughing every one. At least my kids got a little show from the window.

B7500 · May 1, 2003

Any of you guys try those store bought fire logs? It sounds like they would get a brush pile going real good.
_Terry

Anonymous Poster · May 1, 2003

( Any of you guys try those store bought fire logs? It sounds like they would get a brush pile going real good.
_Terry )

No, but I'm wondering if the fire starter packets that I buy from Bailey's for our woodstove might not work well for this application. They have some form of waxy petrolium-based stuff in them and work like a charm in the stove!

B7500 · May 1, 2003

Jbecker,
That is the same stuff but in larger logs. I agree, they work great in my woodstove. Makes lighting a fire so easy.

billfires · May 1, 2003

frank f15, if I remember correctly from my initial recruit training I believe gasoline fumes burn 200 feet per second. Bill C

Taylortractornut · May 1, 2003

Tres Crows I agree with you on burning, All my neighbors think im a pyromaniac I build a brush fire 1 or 2 times a week if it weather permitting. Ive seen pictures from dads child hood where they burned all te woods and feilds off every year and the woods were healthy and clean not alot of ticks or fleas not alot of mosquitos, and no tick born disesaes. He said it controlled brush and nder growth and you could walke throug hthe woods and there were no major fires. Now that fols have stopped burning there hords of ticks fleas and pine beetles. Here aone our six acres and my neighbors 19 acres we burn off every year.
Ive had alot of expeience with alot of flamable materials, I had alot of wet brush to burn that we dump in a big hole behind the shop i have a pressure tank i put oil fuel and gasolne in a good mixture and pressureized it with the right amount of air and a nozzle made from a male quick coupler end with a remot valve. the local Volunteer firemen look at me funny when I light it off. it leaves a 40 foot flame comming out of its far enough from the shop for any accidents that might happen.
I get alot of pallets and logs we occasionally stack them with my hoe and then get some freinds together and a few beers, hey its a small town. Ive caused 3 wrecks folks rubber necking and run off into the ditch.
Ive spray some blackberry hedges and fences with a backpack spryer and gasoline and lit from a distance, when there real gren it just singes them and they die then can be burnt without and aid.

JMAC · May 2, 2003

Something I use when I burn brush piles is a leaf blower, you can direct the air into a little flame and turn it into a big flame pretty quick and its safer than putting more fuel on a fire that is already started. It also helps when your burning underbrush and you want to speed it up a little bit.

JMAC

chrisjbell · May 2, 2003

( Any of you guys try those store bought fire logs? It sounds like they would get a brush pile going real good.
_Terry )

No, but I'm wondering if the fire starter packets that I buy from Bailey's for our woodstove might not work well for this application. 

I've used both and they work great. I used to use the larger firelogs, but found that the little firestarters are just as good. I break 'em into peices and put them in areas of the burn pile that look like they want to burn.

Started a fire in the woodstove the other day and found that I was out of the starter doohickeys. Used newspaper (the old fashioned way) and was reminded how nice the firestarters are. I highly recommend them /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

Oh, and on the subject of using gasoline to start a burn pile - it isn't a great idea. I helped a buddy tear down an old gazebo down in town and we brought the wood up to my place to burn it (permit required, but it is free, and I have one). I had an old can of gas that I didn't want to use in any of my equipment so I decided that this would be a good chance to get rid of it /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif.

Poured about two gallons on the burn pile and lit it. I started running away immediately and at the same time heard a big "whomp", and felt flames surrounding me. That sucker went up *fast* - the onlookers (including my wife /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif) said that I vanished inside a big ball of flame for a few seconds.

I was amazingly lucky not to have gotten burned. I'm not going to use that trick any more /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif...

Anonymous Poster · May 2, 2003

( 
I've used both and they work great. I used to use the larger firelogs, but found that the little firestarters are just as good. I break 'em into peices and put them in areas of the burn pile that look like they want to burn. )

I think we are talking about two different things...the packets I buy from Bailey's are not solid and cannot be broken apart. They are a plastic-like sealed bag with a semi-liquid fire starting material in them. You light the packet and as it melts, the "stuff" drips over the wood and catches fire from the original flame. Each packet is about 3" x 5" in size.

Anonymous Poster · May 2, 2003

( Something I use when I burn brush piles is a leaf blower, you can direct the air into a little flame and turn it into a big flame pretty quick and its safer than putting more fuel on a fire that is already started. It also helps when your burning underbrush and you want to speed it up a little bit.C )

Interesting idea. A buddy of mine, who typically thinks of the hardest or most elaborate way to do anything, wanted to build a metal tube running into the center of the pile and attach a large fan to the outer end to create a good draft. I quickly dissuaded him because we had no tubing, had no large fan, and had no electricity /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif.

But, we do have a gas leaf blower. Thanks. Hmm. Maybe a few feet of metal dryer duct?

TresCrows · May 2, 2003

Yeah, I remember the woods burning. They used to do that when I was a kid. The pine forests drop a lot of needles and all the vines etc, not to mention ticks and stuff. When I was in 4rd grade, a country school with a well for water, a fire began apparently natural due to decay and it was threatening the wooden buildings. The priest/principle and nuns, in barefeet in sandals and robes and all the boys, many barefooted also, from 4th grade up cut down pine bows and fought the fire back till the fire department showed up. Their tank trucks quickly ran out of water so they grabbed pine limbs with us and beat the fire out. Is the country I live into today the same country I grew up in or have I gotten lost somehow and wound up in Bizzaro World.
We walked through thick woods to get water for the school, we sat under pine trees and had class with portable black boards, there was no airconditioning and the flag of the USA was on every class room wall, we said the pledge and since it was Catholic school--we prayed and the few Protestants and the Jewish kid that attended prayed also and everyone was fine with it. The priest brought in a 22 rifle and we took it apart in class. Then he and the boys and a few girls went out back of the cafeteria and we all took turns shooting dirt clods. Oh, I almost forgot, the priest was not gay, I did see him kick two guys arse one day but that is another story.
I think I am going to start a fire right now in Ted Turners honor--hey Ted, this one is for you. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif.; J

chrisjbell · May 2, 2003

I think we are talking about two different things...the packets I buy from Bailey's are not solid and cannot be broken apart. They are a plastic-like sealed bag with a semi-liquid fire starting material in them. 

You're right - I'm talking about mini versions of a firelog. I just jumped over to the Bailey's web page and ordered a set of 30 in the neato tin. At about $25 (including shipping) it isn't much (if any) more than the small starters I have been buying - plus I get the nice storage tin instead of the ugly cardboard box.

Too bad that it is getting warmer - but I'm sure that I can find an excuse to use them. Thanks for the tip!

Anonymous Poster · May 3, 2003

I'm new here but I have been reading posts for a while. I really enjoy reading the thoughts of a bunch of people who understand the urge to WORK with tractors.

We recently bought a new home with an unimproved lot. The big problem here was palmettos, which are small palm trees that grow in very thick clumps. I have a JD 4310 w/430 loader and a box blade. We thought about a chipper but the cost for a chipper large enough to handle a palmetto was too much. I saw an ad for a root rake made to fit JD 4xxx series tractors but found that it cost $1300. I ended up clearing the whole lot with the FEL and burning the resulting pile, which was HUGE. It took two weekends but it was worth it. I was quoted a price of $600 a truckload to have the stuff hauled away and we had at least three truckloads. The root rake would have been nice. It is hard to keep dirt out of the pile when removing tree roots with the loader and dirt doesn't burn well. I think if I had to do it again I might go for the root rake, my loader bucket has taken quite a beating.

Anyway, that's my experience with removing brush. The tractor did an amazing job and I can't imagine trying to do that without it.

Anonymous Poster · May 3, 2003

Nice to see another Floridian. We do have some unique problems. Sounds like you handled it - the funny thing is, I like Palmettos, but in moderation. I only have one small patch of them in 5 acres, and I was thinking about introducing them into a couple of corners, but maybe I should re-think it - it might be more work than it's worth to keep them under control. Did you leave any?

StoneHeartFarm · May 3, 2003

( Fire is extremely important to prarie grasslands and is part of the natural process of nature )

I was watching the Master Gardener program on RFDTV, I believe it was sponsored by USC. They were discussing the control of "star thistle" apparently, buring over the field is the preferred method, as it kills most of the plants. If done several years in a row, it almost eliminates the weed.

Fire is a natural thing and helps eliminate old plant matter to allow new plants to grow. That said, just look at the uproar of public opinion when a forest fire doesn't get put out right away.

Steve

Anonymous Poster · May 3, 2003

I was thinking that you must live somewhere near me. Good to associate with people that understand that we must constantly re-shape the land that we live on. That's why we neeeeed a tractor. My wife thinks that I'm playing because I'm smiling the whole time that I'm on the tractor.

Anyway, no, I tried not to leave any palmettos. I've heard that they regenerate from a small piece of root left in the ground. We will see. I just finished clearing my neighbor's lot and am feeling the need to knock down a tree.

FamilyFarm · May 3, 2003

( Fire is extremely important to prarie grasslands and is part of the natural process of nature )
I know of a small acreage area that was donated to the government to be designated as a special prairie area to preserve certain wild plants and flowers. Every year it is burned off, BY THE GOVERNMENT - must be beneficial! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Of course, in many areas you probably can't get permit from THE GOVERNMENT to burn anything! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Terry