forrestry mowers?

[treeman82]

How many of you guys ever use forrestry mowers for clearing? I was just looking through a copy of TCI and they were advertising those suckers for cutting up to 22" trees. I called the company about it and they said the machines will go up to 30" trees. That would seem like a LOT faster way to clear land than by going in with chippers and feller bunchers and stuff like that...

 

[StIhL MaGnUm]

Hey Matt,

I also saw the same machine you are talking about in this months TCI but I have never actually seen one in use,most loggers/land Clearers make their living from the sawlogs,pulp logs etccso it would'nt make sense to come in with a mower to mow over your profit thats my only thought anyway,they do look like they work good I suppose if the timber value has already been felled one of these machines would come in handy to clear the rest.

Rob.

 

[treeman82]

Are they like a modern version of a hydro axe or something?

 

[treesurgeon]

they will tear a tree apart in a matter of seconds.

 

[Yellowdog]

I have operated smaller forestry mowers. I have seen some of the messes Kimberly-Clarke left in Alabama. A forestry mower would make short work of slash without the discharge dangers of a hydro-axe (though who cares in the forest?). I imagine chewing up a pine tree would be a waste but the high capacity mowers can chew up stumps left from the logging process, slash, and other debris. The resulting mulch is an erosion prevention measure and as the mulch decomposes it surely adds benefits to the soil. The ground is much more easily reclaimed when it is mowed (correctly).

With this said, I have seen them used here in Texas to wipe out 100 acres at a time of junipers. The resulting mess is almost impossible to walk or drive through not to mention the stumps that are left as the mower operators don't take the time to grind the stumps down. Impressive power but in the wrong hands it can decimate an early quickly leaving so many branches here and there that aren't shredded that it would make a fire danger.