How many guys take a UTV (side by side) into the woods for their tree work?

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JustPlainJeff

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I don't know if this is in the right section or not, hopefully so. I'm curious how many guys take their side by sides into the woods to cut trees, and haul some of it back? I ordered a Polaris NorthStar in June, and was supposed to have it by now, but with all of the supply chain, and chip shortages, the build, and delivery date keeps getting pushed back. Might not see it until early next year now. The machine will come with 29" 4 ply tires. I'm pretty sure those won't stand up to much work when running over stumps etc...If you take yours out to work, what tires have you upgraded to? I'm not going to use it for cutting every day, because it was pretty expensive, and it's primary use will be recreation, trail riding etc.. I don't want to beat the hell out of it too much cutting wood, but I'm sure it will get used for that at times, for some lighter work.
 
Pushing my OXCART to the limit :)

1630892428103.jpeg
 
JustPlainJeff said:
I don't know if this is in the right section or not, hopefully so. I'm curious how many guys take their side by sides into the woods to cut trees, and haul some of it back? I ordered a Polaris NorthStar in June, and was supposed to have it by now, but with all of the supply chain, and chip shortages, the build, and delivery date keeps getting pushed back. Might not see it until early next year now. The machine will come with 29" 4 ply tires. I'm pretty sure those won't stand up to much work when running over stumps etc...If you take yours out to work, what tires have you upgraded to? I'm not going to use it for cutting every day, because it was pretty expensive, and it's primary use will be recreation, trail riding etc.. I don't want to beat the hell out of it too much cutting wood, but I'm sure it will get used for that at times, for some lighter work.
Click to expand...
Can't you just buy a different SxS?
 
holeycow said:
Wow, I just googled that polaris northstar thing. That's a ton of money to spend on that.

you could buy a nice little tractor...
Click to expand...
They all have their place. My Little 2015 Honda Pioneer 500 has been a workhorse and great for play too. Tractors are great, but not something you would take on a hunting trip in the mountains like my little P500. It's amazing what you can drag with an ATV or SXS.
 
Funny,
Last year @ Deer Camp there was a LARGE White Oak down.
Buddy had a large CC Polaris (1100cc?).
We cut on that tree small enough to drag to the road.
The Polaris wouldn't do it.
I hooked up my 1987 2.5l (4 cylinder) 4x4 Chevy S10 & dragged that whole tree in sections to the road.
His $12k sxs wouldn't do it.
My $500 S10 hunting rig took up the slack!
 
holeycow said:
Can't you just buy a different SxS?
Click to expand...
I could, but we've just spent a boatload of money this year already and trying to not go crazy anymore until next year. Just bought our new house, an expensive gooseneck for work, and the NorthStar. Just trying to limit the hemorrhaging of money for awhile.
holeycow said:
Wow, I just googled that polaris northstar thing. That's a ton of money to spend on that.

you could buy a nice little tractor...
Click to expand...
Yes, too darned much money. But I like to buy once and cry once, so I guess I just had to swallow the pill and get it over with. And I actually spent an additional 3K for the Polaris hydraulically operated snow plow for it as well, so the wife can use it to plow when I'm out of town for work in the Winter. For some reason (I think she's intimidated by them) she won't use my plow trucks. I've got a small Kubota BX now, but that's not really big enough to do any skidding. I'd like to get a larger, 60ish HP tractor with a grapple next year to use for work in the woods, but we'll see if that happens as quickly as I want it to or not.
 
Half the equipment designed & built for tree work can't take the abuse (word used as a matter of fact) of harvesting wood without breaking. It will mess up your rig.
Not saying it can't do it. Just saying you're going to pay to use it that way.
 
Pepster said:
Funny,
Last year @ Deer Camp there was a LARGE White Oak down.
Buddy had a large CC Polaris (1100cc?).
We cut on that tree small enough to drag to the road.
The Polaris wouldn't do it.
I hooked up my 1987 2.5l (4 cylinder) 4x4 Chevy S10 & dragged that whole tree in sections to the road.
His $12k sxs wouldn't do it.
My $500 S10 hunting rig took up the slack!
Click to expand...
Except it won’t fit everywhere I would need it and it would get stuck.
1630934034369.png
 
square1 said:
Half the equipment designed & built for tree work can't take the abuse (word used as a matter of fact) of harvesting wood without breaking. It will mess up your rig.
Not saying it can't do it. Just saying you're going to pay to use it that way.
Click to expand...
A little common sense goes a long way.
 
I was out cutting trails through the non-wooded part of my land today. I just bought a 4' brush hog for my little Kubota BX. That thing cuts pretty well! I really do look forward to having a larger, cab tractor to do this kind of stuff though. I just keep waiting to run over a nest of mud wasps or something like that and getting lit up! I didn't deal with the wooded areas of the property today though. There are a lot of stumps from when the previous homeowners had the land selectively cut about 15 years ago. There are also a lot of divots, where it seems like trees and their root balls came out? Not sure how I'm going to deal with that part of cutting trails yet. I may rent a stump grinder to get rid of the stumps, and them pull a box blade through it to level out the high and low spots and divots. I don't know, I'll deal with crossing that bridge when I come to it.
 
JustPlainJeff said:
There are also a lot of divots, where it seems like trees and their root balls came out?
Click to expand...
You're probably right and it may have been well before the previous owner. Here is a bit of info in the link below. There is also some information on this typography at Hartwick Pines - I couldn't find that info online though. Kind of a neat place to visit that shouldn't be much more than an hour from you since its in the middle of the northern lower peninsula.

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/impac...s_can_leave_lasting_scars_on_the_forest_floor
 

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