I've got a question. I've been doing take-downs for a just a couple of years and I just love doing them. I love doing them with either my bucket or climbing them but I feel when it comes to cleaning up the mess, my one other man and myself are just not doing things efficiently. I have chipper and truck but timewise, these clean ups are killing me. I can afford to buy whatever I need to speed this up, but I can't figure out what my money would be spent most wisely on. I don't want to get into this too heavy. I want to stay small. I only do about 1300 worth of work a week and my dump site is very close. Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated.
Clean Up
- Thread starter Toby
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bushinspector
ArboristSite Operative
I am fighting the samething. I have seen some people lay down a tarp to catch the leaves and the small stuff.
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Be a little more specific...........are you leaving the wood?
ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
A grapple truck or trailer makes short work of cleanup best thing I
ever did for my back but does sting the wallet!
hornett22
Addicted to ArboristSite
i use a tractor with a grapple and a york rake.
then i finish with a backpack blower.
then i finish with a backpack blower.
Spockbob
ArboristSite Lurker
A big disk chipper with a winch and a skid steer for wood.
Yes, I also use tarps and I usually haul everything away.
Someone said they use a York Rake. What is this? I''ve used many different rakes, but I'm not familiar with this name.
Are any of you using one of those Stihl weed eaters with the brush attachment at the end? I'm thinking about getting one.
Also, I've heard people say that skid steers do too much damage to lawns. I understand from a local Kubota dealership that there is a company in the process (2-3 months) of coming out with a small grapple that will fit on a smaller (23-30) Kubota tractor. I think something like this would be perfect for me. Buuuuuut, I've been wrong many times before.
Like I said in my original post, I don't want to go deep into this. I really don't want to do any more then 2000 per week. I want to stay small and lean.
Thanks for any input.
Someone said they use a York Rake. What is this? I''ve used many different rakes, but I'm not familiar with this name.
Are any of you using one of those Stihl weed eaters with the brush attachment at the end? I'm thinking about getting one.
Also, I've heard people say that skid steers do too much damage to lawns. I understand from a local Kubota dealership that there is a company in the process (2-3 months) of coming out with a small grapple that will fit on a smaller (23-30) Kubota tractor. I think something like this would be perfect for me. Buuuuuut, I've been wrong many times before.
Like I said in my original post, I don't want to go deep into this. I really don't want to do any more then 2000 per week. I want to stay small and lean.
Thanks for any input.
Magnum783
ArboristSite Guru
I second the not knowing of what a york rake is. Could someone give a description of one or better yet post a picture. I have had other people tell me that one would be useful in cleanup. Again I don't trust just anyone but if they are on AS then they are cool with me.
Jared
Jared
Sassafras
ArboristSite Lurker
I think about 95% a york rake mounts on 3 point hitch and is a big rake probably made in various widths. more commonly used for removing rock from soil to plant grass and such. could be wrong.
My advice for your desire to expedite your clean-up get a 3rd person try it for a little bit he/she is cheaper than buying equipment and easier to get rid of if it is no benefit to being faster.
I almost always have 2 guys with me. When we prune 2 in trees 1 on the ground. removals 1 in tree 2 on the ground. works out very well and is very efficent for us. see what works for you.
My advice for your desire to expedite your clean-up get a 3rd person try it for a little bit he/she is cheaper than buying equipment and easier to get rid of if it is no benefit to being faster.
I almost always have 2 guys with me. When we prune 2 in trees 1 on the ground. removals 1 in tree 2 on the ground. works out very well and is very efficent for us. see what works for you.
beowulf343
Addicted to ArboristSite
How big are you cutting things? I've worked with takedown guys that cut everthing into two foot lengths so they can handle it. Makes it a pain for the groundies especially if they got a long haul-everything is toothpick size-wheelborrow is about the best bet. Put a rope on it and cut it big man! I'll drop stuff that even my two groundies can't handle together. Winch on the chipper was an awesome idea. My jobs are usually totally inaccessible with a bucket but some creative backing with a chipper can often get me into winch range. And even if you are not at the right angle for a straight on approach to the chipper, i've often run my line to a snatch block attached at a point then run at an angle away from the snatch block. Pull the branch up till it straight on with the chipper (or gate, or whatever) then dump the line out of the block and winch it in.
Mitchell
ArboristSite Operative
new 2
I bought the stihl machine that can switch out the different types of heads. I think mine is called a "km130". I bought 2 extensions, the chainsaw head, the articulating hedger [much better then the non articulating hedger head], and the weed head with the brush saw kit. That tool literally made me stop working by the hour as it saved me that much time on certain jobs compared to what I was doing previously.
The brush head is pretty good on branches up to 1.5" however you have less control then the chainsaw head. I did a lealandi branch prune back to the parent trunk the other day a good bit faster then the chainsaw head would have done it.
Interestingly, today I bumped into another isa arborist 5 months into setting up shop in town [from scratch] at the brush dump. He had very few tools in his pickup trailer combo [I did not see a 200t] but it included the same stihl tool with the removable heads I have.
I bought the stihl machine that can switch out the different types of heads. I think mine is called a "km130". I bought 2 extensions, the chainsaw head, the articulating hedger [much better then the non articulating hedger head], and the weed head with the brush saw kit. That tool literally made me stop working by the hour as it saved me that much time on certain jobs compared to what I was doing previously.
The brush head is pretty good on branches up to 1.5" however you have less control then the chainsaw head. I did a lealandi branch prune back to the parent trunk the other day a good bit faster then the chainsaw head would have done it.
Interestingly, today I bumped into another isa arborist 5 months into setting up shop in town [from scratch] at the brush dump. He had very few tools in his pickup trailer combo [I did not see a 200t] but it included the same stihl tool with the removable heads I have.
kennertree
Addicted to ArboristSite
I always make sure I clean up good. It's one of the most important things on a job. No matter how well you pruned a tree or how well you got a tree down if you dont clean up good that's all they are going to remember you by. Most homeowners don't know a good pruning cut when they see it but they sure know what a clean yard looks like.
bushinspector
ArboristSite Operative
Yep got one just like it. I have been having some problem with the weedeater attachment.
Mitchell
ArboristSite Operative
problems?
whats the problem? So far my weedwacker/ brush head has been fine. I suspect the sudden stops the brush head can in wood have will damage it. The tool has saved me time but it does seem fragile. I guess they have to make it that way to save on weight. I lent my tool out to some buddies and the chainsaw head came back with stripped gears. Not A tool for beginners.
whats the problem? So far my weedwacker/ brush head has been fine. I suspect the sudden stops the brush head can in wood have will damage it. The tool has saved me time but it does seem fragile. I guess they have to make it that way to save on weight. I lent my tool out to some buddies and the chainsaw head came back with stripped gears. Not A tool for beginners.
oldirty
Addicted to ArboristSite
beowulf.
love the advice. take it big. (when you can of course)
let the winch pull it out. make the cuts by the chipper.
simple as that. nothing drives me crazier than watching someone making too many cuts which leads to more trips to the chipper.
also to help with the brush make piles! all the butt ends facing the same way and put the biggest of the branches on the bottom and stack on top. you'll be amazad at what you can pull out with your own power.
beowulf, you ever put a piece of plywood under the logs when you drag them out? helps with the ruts.
when the situation arises and its applicable i cut out a square big enough to allow the chain through and bring it through the bottom of the plywood and then set the choker. when you pull the wood the plywood raises just enough to get off the grass.
it works man. though i bet you already knew that trick didnt ya you big hoss ya. lol
oldirty
love the advice. take it big. (when you can of course)
let the winch pull it out. make the cuts by the chipper.
simple as that. nothing drives me crazier than watching someone making too many cuts which leads to more trips to the chipper.
also to help with the brush make piles! all the butt ends facing the same way and put the biggest of the branches on the bottom and stack on top. you'll be amazad at what you can pull out with your own power.
beowulf, you ever put a piece of plywood under the logs when you drag them out? helps with the ruts.
when the situation arises and its applicable i cut out a square big enough to allow the chain through and bring it through the bottom of the plywood and then set the choker. when you pull the wood the plywood raises just enough to get off the grass.
it works man. though i bet you already knew that trick didnt ya you big hoss ya. lol
oldirty
bushinspector
ArboristSite Operative
It just seems it eats a lot of twine, and is a little slow. Not real bad but is a pain to unwind the spool whenever it get tangled.
kurtty
ArboristSite Operative
bushinspector said:
what weed attachment do you have? Stihl makes an older one that is auto feed, it just automatically feeds out twine at a set rate... That one sucks and you always seem to either be getting to much twine or to little.
The new one with the button on the bottom to feed twine is WAAYYY better... I think they call it "touch and go"
also, are you rapping your twine the right way? splitting line in half, then rapping both halves in the same direction? also... clockwise or counter clockwise raps matter too, I forget what way they spin.
A have a troy bilt/yard machines vacuum shredder. I used this after I cut down my neighbors two trees, it looked just like before the trees were cut!. http://www.troybilt.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_14102_10109_17690_-1#
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