FLRA_Dave
ArboristSite Operative
Hello everyone,
I have been working on the same lot (first time doing something like this) for just over 5 months now… It’s taking way too long. I only have about a month or so before the homeowner is going to want the job completed. I was paying a few guys to help me for the first couple months, but I don’t think the $7/hr they were getting paid was enough to keep them coming back – although that’s better than the $3/hr or so that I’m making. I’m not getting paid to remove these trees… I just get to keep the wood in return for taking them down. I sell most of the wood at $50 a 1/3rd cord – mostly because its fresh cut / split. That way I can at least pay for the gas to keep working the lot.
Here is an aerial shot (green is area being cleared and red line is path out):
When I started I was able to drive my Dakota and 6.33’ x 12’ trailer (2000 lb payload) to the tree line. I used my X534 to help keep the area clear and to pull the smaller logs into the clearing:
Things were starting to get a bit muddy / loose at times, so I picked up some Terra Grip Traction Belts. They worked extremely well to navigate and pull 8’-16’ (depending on diameter) out of the woods to the open area for loading. I would pull or push / roll with the blade.
The lot is 40 minutes away from my house and I only have a few hours on Saturday mornings to get work done. Occasionally I can go there after work and get an hour or so in. Figure 6 hours max / week at the lot.
So I had the thought to load just the logs and cut and split at home during the week. First I used my engine hoist to load the trailer.
That was a bit cumbersome… So I mounted a HF pickup truck crane to the side of my trailer. This worked much better (the winch wore out and I replaced it with a higher rated boat winch that I had).
[video=youtube;LNxxQHY7QdU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNxxQHY7QdU[/video]
I have been working on the same lot (first time doing something like this) for just over 5 months now… It’s taking way too long. I only have about a month or so before the homeowner is going to want the job completed. I was paying a few guys to help me for the first couple months, but I don’t think the $7/hr they were getting paid was enough to keep them coming back – although that’s better than the $3/hr or so that I’m making. I’m not getting paid to remove these trees… I just get to keep the wood in return for taking them down. I sell most of the wood at $50 a 1/3rd cord – mostly because its fresh cut / split. That way I can at least pay for the gas to keep working the lot.
Here is an aerial shot (green is area being cleared and red line is path out):
![lot.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/7e5/7e5b15ad8dfbed2eb930918a6d3c1fe5.jpg)
When I started I was able to drive my Dakota and 6.33’ x 12’ trailer (2000 lb payload) to the tree line. I used my X534 to help keep the area clear and to pull the smaller logs into the clearing:
![X534_on_lot_1.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/b82/b827f0b32d97726b20e9da4d7bfbd880.jpg)
![Truck_Trailer_on_lot.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/e2b/e2b52a4bb652deed4bdcaad61c1c8409.jpg)
Things were starting to get a bit muddy / loose at times, so I picked up some Terra Grip Traction Belts. They worked extremely well to navigate and pull 8’-16’ (depending on diameter) out of the woods to the open area for loading. I would pull or push / roll with the blade.
![Staged.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/2ca/2caaef5fbffe2a906ec9b305d1fe3143.jpg)
The lot is 40 minutes away from my house and I only have a few hours on Saturday mornings to get work done. Occasionally I can go there after work and get an hour or so in. Figure 6 hours max / week at the lot.
So I had the thought to load just the logs and cut and split at home during the week. First I used my engine hoist to load the trailer.
![Hoist_Pick.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/ac6/ac616b6e8de2721fe327e4c310e1b60c.jpg)
![Hoist_Loaded_Trailer.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/dd1/dd15699bc8d9dd2b475549fbc8a526dc.jpg)
That was a bit cumbersome… So I mounted a HF pickup truck crane to the side of my trailer. This worked much better (the winch wore out and I replaced it with a higher rated boat winch that I had).
![HF_Crane_Trailer.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/0e7/0e7d136abfc6fc16416d5b0ad61d7332.jpg)
[video=youtube;LNxxQHY7QdU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNxxQHY7QdU[/video]