Cutting some felled trees

[dave_dj1]

A buddy of mine has an adjoining landowner that had a bunch of trees felled for wildlife habitat. he told my buddy that he could cut up any of them. There are a few acres of them. My buddy has a nice older Ford 4x4 tractor with a nice Igland winch. I have never worked with a logging winch before. Well let me tell you, it is fantastic. We went up for a couple hours on Saturday and then again On Monday. I am so out of shape it isn't even funny! The road going up is too icy to even think about getting my truck, splitter and dump trailer up there so we are just piling them up next to the road.
I'll update when I can get the truck and equipment up there to process it.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

I would enjoy working that size stuff and cleaning it up, just scatter the brush. Pretty thick. A quad and a trailer would work great. Sounds like your dragging them out with a winch.

Doesn't that load the bark up with dirt before cutting rounds?

 

[dave_dj1]

Well right now there is enough ice coated leaves so I think we'll be OK.

 

[cantoo]

If you had this you would never use a winch on those logs. Trim the branches off a bunch of trees then get in the seat and grab and go. No chains or cables.

 

[svk]

Cheating lol.

 

[thumbilly]

I'm partial to not having to bend over to limb either. Just grab them from the end and pick them up. Limb away then turn around and buck them. Really need to get some photos in action.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[dave_dj1]

Cantoo, you have all the fun toys! LOL If I could afford a tractor with a grapple like that I would have one.
Thumbilly, a skidsteer is on my list of things to have.

 

[c5rulz]

Tractor and grapple are great. Logging winches are probably more versatile and much better on slopes as you can stay on more level ground.

Dirt and skidded logs are just the price of doing business. So what a chain gets dull every tank, just sharpen and proceed. I work on log landings almost exclusively and dirt is a way of life.

Due yourself a favor and cut off those high stumps. Very poor way to leave the woods and if they are invasive/unwanted species, treat with Tordon when you cut them off low like they should have been. You will really fight those stumps attempting to drag trees out with a small tractor like that. Also I would cut anything small than 5" and leave the brush in the woods.

 

[dave_dj1]

c5rulz, I have been cutting the stumps down as we go, these three areas in the pics we haven't touched yet. I just took a drive through to get some pics.
I will get some more pics of the area we have already cleaned up. I'm not sure what the landowners thought process was when he had this cut.

 

[c5rulz]

c5rulz, I have been cutting the stumps down as we go, these three areas in the pics we haven't touched yet. I just took a drive through to get some pics.
I will get some more pics of the area we have already cleaned up. I'm not sure what the landowners thought process was when he had this cut.

If the snow is real deep when cut, it happens. But those don't look like the result of deep snow. I always kick the snow away with a boot prior to cutting.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

I cleared 3/4 acres last winter. Most were 12"-14" Poplar. At first, I left the stumps high to push out with a dozer. I quickly stopped doing that, right after I dropped one on a stump about 25' from the butt of the one I just cut. The butt kicked 6' or more in the air, and took a huge, wicked, sideways hop.

I had backed out 45* sideways and back, but after seeing that, and it happened quick, I didn't want any repeats. I began cutting 18" high, and took another 16" off the stump right away. Made it easier to get in with the log arch and trailer also. Painted all the stumps orange, probably fifty or sixty of them, and they used a small excavator to remove and load them out. Dozer didn't come in until they leveled it and brought in crushed concrete.

I dropped about four trees at most, then chipped the small tops and loaded out the rest before dropping more. When I started I was stacking brush but it piled up quickly and I didn't dare burn it. Found a small 18 HP DR chipper on Craig's List and could spot it with the quad close to the tops. It worked surprisingly well, although slow going, but so much nicer than dragging/stacking brush to keep the work area clear and then renting a larger chipper later.

 

[svk]

I cleared 3/4 acres last winter. Most were 12"-14" Poplar. At first, I left the stumps high to push out with a dozer. I quickly stopped doing that, right after I dropped one on a stump about 25' from the butt of the one I just cut. The butt kicked 6' or more in the air, and took a huge, wicked, sideways hop.

I had backed out 45* sideways and back, but after seeing that, and it happened quick, I didn't want any repeats. I began cutting 18" high, and took another 16" off the stump right away. Made it easier to get in with the log arch and trailer also. Painted all the stumps orange, probably fifty or sixty of them, and they used a small excavator to remove and load them out. Dozer didn't come in until they leveled it and brought in crushed concrete.

I dropped about four trees at most, then chipped the small tops and loaded out the rest before dropping more. When I started I was stacking brush but it piled up quickly and I didn't dare burn it. Found a small 18 HP DR chipper on Craig's List and could spot it with the quad close to the tops. It worked surprisingly well, although slow going, but so much nicer than dragging/stacking brush to keep the work area clear and then renting a larger chipper later.

Just curious how much did the chipper set you back? I saw one in a pawn shop but it sold almost immediately while I was thinking about it.

 

[Erik B]

Just curious how much did the chipper set you back? I saw one in a pawn shop but it sold almost immediately while I was thinking about it.

I just saw an older DR 18h chipper by Albert Lea for a grand.

 

[GVS]

Tractor and grapple are great. Logging winches are probably more versatile and much better on slopes as you can stay on more level ground.

Dirt and skidded logs are just the price of doing business. So what a chain gets dull every tank, just sharpen and proceed. I work on log landings almost exclusively and dirt is a way of life.

Due yourself a favor and cut off those high stumps. Very poor way to leave the woods and if they are invasive/unwanted species, treat with Tordon when you cut them off low like they should have been. You will really fight those stumps attempting to drag trees out with a small tractor like that. Also I would cut anything small than 5" and leave the brush in the woods.

C5 rules,Those stumps will probably get cut off low but for now they make a handy anchor for snatch blocks if needed.I'd leave them for the time being.

 

[olyman]

A buddy of mine has an adjoining landowner that had a bunch of trees felled for wildlife habitat. he told my buddy that he could cut up any of them. There are a few acres of them. My buddy has a nice older Ford 4x4 tractor with a nice Igland winch. I have never worked with a logging winch before. Well let me tell you, it is fantastic. We went up for a couple hours on Saturday and then again On Monday. I am so out of shape it isn't even funny! The road going up is too icy to even think about getting my truck, splitter and dump trailer up there so we are just piling them up next to the road.
I'll update when I can get the truck and equipment up there to process it.

next to the road???? not necessarily a good idea...thieves abound......easy pickens....

 

[dave_dj1]

It's a private road on my buddy's land. I was driving through the other property. No one will be up there. We can't even get up there now with all the snow we got the other day and it looks like we are going to get a good dump today into tomorrow.

 

[SeMoTony]

I cleared 3/4 acres last winter. Most were 12"-14" Poplar. At first, I left the stumps high to push out with a dozer. I quickly stopped doing that, right after I dropped one on a stump about 25' from the butt of the one I just cut. The butt kicked 6' or more in the air, and took a huge, wicked, sideways hop.

I had backed out 45* sideways and back, but after seeing that, and it happened quick, I didn't want any repeats. I began cutting 18" high, and took another 16" off the stump right away. Made it easier to get in with the log arch and trailer also. Painted all the stumps orange, probably fifty or sixty of them, and they used a small excavator to remove and load them out. Dozer didn't come in until they leveled it and brought in crushed concrete.

I dropped about four trees at most, then chipped the small tops and loaded out the rest before dropping more. When I started I was stacking brush but it piled up quickly and I didn't dare burn it. Found a small 18 HP DR chipper on Craig's List and could spot it with the quad close to the tops. It worked surprisingly well, although slow going, but so much nicer than dragging/stacking brush to keep the work area clear and then renting a larger chipper later.

Conservation Department recomends piled brush for habitat for small game/animals. Think chipmunks, rabbits, quail and the like.

 

[dave_dj1]

Time for a little update. Unfortunately there isn't much to report today. You can read about it in my other thread titled predator engine issues.
I did take a couple of pictures today, mostly to keep myself from getting really mad...lol Hopefully I can get the splitter up and running in short order.

 

[unclemoustache]

Fun times!

 

[dave_dj1]

Fun times!

It would have been if it hadn't been for the darn splitter not starting!