First Time Clearing - Could use Some Advice / Direction

[FLRA_Dave]

still working that lot??? man o man.....

Yeah, I took a break from May 18th to August 17th because the guy was running behind on all of his stuff as well and it was just too soggy. Even now I have to be a little careful to make sure I don't dig myself into a hole where the water sat all spring/early summer.

 

[zogger]

Yeah, I took a break from May 18th to August 17th because the guy was running behind on all of his stuff as well and it was just too soggy. Even now I have to be a little careful to make sure I don't dig myself into a hole where the water sat all spring/early summer.

Take that scraper blade off and stick a tote box or fork back there. If you need extra weight in the back, it might as well be logs...

 

[FLRA_Dave]

Take that scraper blade off and stick a tote box or fork back there. If you need extra weight in the back, it might as well be logs...

I had thought about putting the Carry-All forks on with a box on it to throw rounds in, but the blade is nice when I need to make room or as a hook point to skid out the logs. I'm sure the Carry-All would work as a hook point with a box on it. I have often thought about adding stake pockets at the end of the Carry-All forks and use them without a box.

 

[zogger]

I had thought about putting the Carry-All forks on with a box on it to throw rounds in, but the blade is nice when I need to make room or as a hook point to skid out the logs. I'm sure the Carry-All would work as a hook point with a box on it. I have often thought about adding stake pockets at the end of the Carry-All forks and use them without a box.

My boss has like millions of dollars of gear on this farm, and says the big tote box I built to slide on the hayforks is the coolest tool here. I know I use it a lot, for all sorts of chores, plus getting wood out.

ya I think your forks on the back could possibly be used as a light duty boom like skidder attachment, just stay inside weight limitations so they don't get all bent up. Plus carrying small logs with your stake idea. Getting wood out at both ends at the same time seems the way to go, however you figure out how to do it.

 

[FLRA_Dave]

Got another 3 hours in over the weekend. It was pretty much just trying to find any trees laying in the growth and pulling them out as I only have one more tree to drop (that will be the big 3'-4' diameter cottonwood next weekend).

Here I was moving a tree that had fallen into the guys yard... it was a standing dead that the weather uprooted. It was nice being able to lift it over the burn pile and to carry it down to where I was cutting everything up.

Here the same tree was after I cut it up while the tractor held it off the ground.

Since the yard was so nice, I didn't want to drag much through it, so I pulled the trees down the path and cut it into 4' lengths and turned them 90 degrees...

Then turned around and pushed them into a pile and picked it up (two trips for this one).

I dumped them here for now. I have been taking one truckload with me each time I go and when I have enough piled up I will bring the trailer over and load it up.

 

[Johnny Yooper]

there have been so many great suggestions here, I doubt I can add anything to that. But, I will say one thing: if more people had your work ethic, this country would be in a helluva lot better shape.

 

[FLRA_Dave]

I finally got the last tree down (with a friend from work there in case something bad happened)... a 46"-ish diameter cottonwood - my 20" bar wasn't enough to get half way through it from any side. It took about an hour of cutting and rethinking what I was doing, but it went down perfect. It was late, so the video came out dark, but you get the idea. Tomorrow morning I'll be cleaning it up.

[video=youtube_share;8dD6P7Zeivo]http://youtu.be/8dD6P7Zeivo[/video]

 

[stepup]

I would hate to see what would happen if you really put your mind to something.

 

[artbaldoni]

Way to keep at it!

I think anybody who cuts their own wood knows that it's a lot of hard work. We all started doing it the hard way, just like you did. Some maybe harder but with tenacity and ingenuity we continue to improve our process.

Kudos to everybody who fends for themselves!!

 

[FLRA_Dave]

Here is a good chunk of the follow up cleanup of that cottonwood.

Some pictures before I got to work:

Not sure how much it helped to keep it away from the neighbors trees, but I thought it better to do it...

Just had to get another shot of this great little tractor...

This was after I was done for the day. You can get a good idea of what got cleaned up from where the leaves are on the ground...

Here are the original full length videos. I will be posting a consolidated video in a bit to keep in under 3 minutes.

Cleaning Up Cottonwood #1 - YouTube

Cleaning Up Cottonwood #2 - YouTube

Cleaning Up Cottonwood #3 - YouTube

 

[farmer steve]

glad to see ya got a tractor that will do the job. like the grapple, never was to fond of that color:msp_w00t:but if it works go to it. know you will like it..FS.

 

[philoshop]

My hat is off to you, my friend! That place was a ba..-buster from word go. I admire your grunt, and love the new tractor.
I eyeballed that cottonwood when I was out there in the spring and you told me it had to come down. It might have been a little quicker with the 260, but with your Poulan? I'm impressed!!
I got to hang drywall today.

 

[FLRA_Dave]

My hat is off to you, my friend! That place was a ba..-buster from word go. I admire your grunt, and love the new tractor.
I eyeballed that cottonwood when I was out there in the spring and you told me it had to come down. It might have been a little quicker with the 260, but with your Poulan? I'm impressed!!
I got to hang drywall today.

Yeah, the little Poulan started smoking when I was about 3/4 the way done the night I dropped it... turns out the plastic case got a little toasty and began melting on the muffler. The bar and chain seemed to be oiled enough... maybe the exhaust was deflecting off the tree and making the plastic soft (my hand was almost getting burnt a few times). There are no spikes on the little Poulan and I was getting the saw as deep in the tree and I could get it.

 

[philoshop]

Time to start looking through the classifieds for a saw, Dave! Although, I suppose you could just use the tractor to feed whole trees into the stove a bit at a time. :msp_w00t: Just ribbin' ya my friend.

I have farmer friends ask me once in a while to do small hedgerow clearing and similar stuff. I don't have the transportation end of my wood-gathering worked out, (no way to haul the tractor or any serious quantities of wood) and I'm honestly about out of room for wood right now anyway :msp_biggrin:. I'll give you a call if anything looks promising. No swamps, I swear.
Regards,
Mark

 

[FLRA_Dave]

Ok... Here's the sped up video. Hopefully it's just my PC that has a hard time playing it clearly. My local copy plays very clear compared to what I see while on YouTube.

Deere 3032E with AV20H Grapple Cleaning Up Cottonwood - YouTube

Attached is what I'm seeing...

OK... Looks good now - must have been a connection issue with my 3G / mobile broadband (No DSL/Cable available at my place).

 

[philoshop]

I wasn't sure if that was really sped up. Only slightly above normal for you!

Dude, get yourself some chaps. Please! You have far too many good years ahead of you.

 

[artbaldoni]

I also recommend moving the saw well out of the way of moving equipment...and dump trucks...not that I have ever run over a saw with a dump truck...:taped::msp_crying:


How wide is your grapple?

 

[FLRA_Dave]

I also recommend moving the saw well out of the way of moving equipment...and dump trucks...not that I have ever run over a saw with a dump truck...:taped::msp_crying:


How wide is your grapple?

Yeah, that poor saw has been ran over before... Had to replace the chain brake cover. In the video you can se that I knocked it over... Was watching carefully when I did it. In the sped up video it's like watching a race... Just waiting for an accident.

I believe the grapple is 60" wide. I like that the lid isn't full width... Allows me to reach into tight spots on occasion.

 

[zogger]

Yeah, the little Poulan started smoking when I was about 3/4 the way done the night I dropped it... turns out the plastic case got a little toasty and began melting on the muffler. The bar and chain seemed to be oiled enough... maybe the exhaust was deflecting off the tree and making the plastic soft (my hand was almost getting burnt a few times). There are no spikes on the little Poulan and I was getting the saw as deep in the tree and I could get it.

The collected firewood brethren international do hereby giveth thou permission to acquire a larger pro saw...go get em!

 

[philoshop]

Yeah that. :agree2:
And some chaps.:deadhorse: