12 Month Residual Effects of Forestry Mulching
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- čas přidán 9. 09. 2024
- A good look at the 12-month residual effects of forestry mulching an over-grown field from start to finished results.
Clevinger Forest Services, LLC
Located in Clarksville, TN
Office: (931) 802-5910
Cell: (757) 871-5026 (call or text)
ClevingerForestServices/
www.cfsmulching.com
I appreciate that you explain the entire rehab process over time. More useful than just demonstrating the prowess of the mulcher. Very educational. Thank you!
Thanks for that comment, Willie.
These videos are topics and questions I always get when I'm talking with my customers about their land, or from people curious about forestry mulching. I'd just like to provide people with helpful information and visual aids as to what the capabilities and designed mulching purpose of this machine is so they can make decisions about what is the best solution for their land. Sometimes its a tractor w/bush hog, sometimes a forestry mulcher, and sometimes a dozer or excavator. All depends on goals and budget. And additionally to show that forestry mulching is a bulk material remover and is part of a process, and it is not a finishing step as in what a landscaping service might provide.
@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 Any broom attachments out there that would let you sweep the mulch into a pile? Or are all the brooms I see just for road and street use?
@@larryspiller6633 The best way to push off the mulch (if it’s deeper than you want) is by pushing it with a bucket on a tractor or skid steer. Generally speaking, if the mulch is just a few inches deep, and/or you can see soil through it, then it’s better to leave it to decompose into the soil.
When the trees and brush are dense or larger to begin with, when you mulch it down, it can result in several inches deep of mulch. And if you want to seed it immediately, then it will need to be scraped off until you can see soil. A bucket works best.
@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 Thanks for the reply. Wish you were close by. Have about an acre of hedge rows that got out of hand. Would like to mow there again. I'd hire you for sure!!! The way your machine appears to work you'd spend more time unloading and loading it than the time spent working. Peace Friend. Excellent videos.
Thank you for all the detailed info. Getting ready to do this and it’s nice to see someone who shows post mulching results to end goal.
Promiscuous Crab Thanks for your comment. I made this video to show customers the process, and what is possible with a forestry mulcher. You can bring your land back to life.
amazing transformation
I live in SW Florida. I just had the back 2 acres of my property forestry mulched. Amazing transformation. Thanks for the look ahead. I am curious to see what my yard looks like after rainy season.
Nice! The mulch will decay away in the natural course of the seasons. Now is a good time of year to throw some grass seed over the area so it grows this spring. Just keep the area mowed, and it will look great.
Thank you. I have someone coming tomorrow to mulch my 10 acres where I had pines growing. I sold the trees a year ago and someone just told me to get it mulched and I wouldn’t have to wait 5 years to have the pasture growing. This is what I need for my cows.
how much did that cost? and what state are you in
It was $200 per hour and cost me $3,300. But what he did here was grind down stumps. I had 10 acres of trees that were cut down and he came in and did the stumps. There were over 3,000 stumps. I live in South Carolina.
@@edwardbigham7713 thanks for the quick response! im in north georgia and its hard getting a response on quotes.
@@edwardbigham7713 hey again! i just got quoted 30k by a company for 6 acres of land. am i crazy or is that irrational?
This quote must be in Manhattan right. Did you call the police? That’s highway robbery. Where the hell do you live?
Hi! Thanks for this video. We are in Summertown, TN, and we are new to land ownership. We have a field very similar to this that we need to mulch. We just got a quote from someone for $3600 to do the job in 2 days! We are now considering renting the machine ourselves, but have zero experience. This video is very informative so thanks again!
Hi Sarah- The material in this video was mostly small diameter brush and weeds, and an area with small trees from 3”-8” diameters. This area was about 1/2 to 3/4 acre, and it took me 1:20 minutes from start to finish. So, some factors that affect the time & cost to clear trees and brush are- the square footage/acreage to be cleared. The type of material (hardwood trees or brush). Density of the growth. Terrain (whether it’s flat-sloped-bullied-rocky-fencing-roads-buildings). And lastly the cost per hour your contractor charges. I’m located in the Clarksville, TN area. My 2022 pricing is $175/hr. $125 equipment transport charge. 4-hour minimum charge. Jan 2023 my hourly price will be going up to $200 due to these high diesel prices. I give my customers a cost estimate when I meet with them and see what work they want done. Then I work by the hour, and charge based off of the actual time spent mulching. Some operators quote a final price. $3,600 for two full days of work is in the reasonable price range. If you have more brush than bigger trees in the 4”-8” diameter range, and the terrain is not too crazy for you, then I would say you can probably handle renting a forestry mulching machine and doing the work yourself. A skidsteer with forestry mulcher rents for about $1300 a day. Something like that.
This was awesome to see! We are wanting to do this on our property. We own 30 acres of "cut over" in North, MS. My guess is that it was cut about 7+ years ago. It was never replanted so its just natural growth. Our biggest issues are the blackberry bushes/brambles and lots of sweet gums. I know the trees would greatly benefit from this because it would give them more room to grow and less to compete with. Thanks for posting this! It gives me an idea of what our place could look like!
We also bought a logged out property. It was an absolute mess of slash piles, blackberry, etc. Had a forestry mulcher come in, identical to the one in this video and took out everything small and ground up all the slash piles, leaving medium to large sized trees every 20 feet or so. He also took out all the stumps. It’s not cheap but it’s worth every penny. We planted pasture mix and clover and it looks great now. You will need to apply lots of nitrogen and probably lime as well. As the wood mulch decays, the decay process consumes a lot of nitrogen, so adding nitrogen also speeds up the decay.
Good work, beautiful piece of property you have there. Laying eyes on an open maintained pasture that's tightly manicured has always been soothing for me. Providing a service to the public that you can also use in your personal life is a win win. I bet running that machine never seems monotonous. Super cool.
Thanks. I agree. It looks good when the tall grass is blowing in the breeze, and when it’s mowed.
Leave those wood chips and unroll round bales with cattle eating the hay as you go. Unroll it on a new spot every time and that would be some super productive pasture in no time. Love your channel. Seriously considering starting up a company and selling my lawn care company. I see a huge effect from these machines improving ground.
Grass Farmer Is that a natural fertilizing technique you are describing there with the hay bales and cattle? Sounds like a great idea.
I'm curious about why you would get out of an established lawn care business? The forestry mulching business has many similarities, but there are some big differences too.
Glad to hear you like my channel. Appreciate you watching it. Let me know if you have any specific questions I can answer for you.
Clevinger Forest Services, LLC the lawn care business has gotten old for me. Tired of babysitting employees basically and I’ve done it for 22 years. The possibilities of your machine helping improve pastures is a game changer.
They hay works as a fertilizer and seed for new growth. When you unroll a bale, the cattle have a habit of eating, pooping and peeing right where they hay is. After a couple days the hay is about gone and there is a bunch of manure where the hay was. Come spring those spots really take off with new growth. It takes it a bit longer but when it grows in, it’s lush. I’ve been doing that for years. Even unrolling bales over briars and scrub brush trying to get the cows to clear the ground. Your machine makes a perfect scenario for feeding hay after.
Grass Farmer I hear you about the employees. Every business owner's least fun part of it. That's one difference doing forestry mulching- you can be a one man-one machine operation. Alleviates all the financial and personal aspects required to maintain employees. And you can do forestry mulching all year round.
That's a great idea with the hay. I guess it's a perfect time during the winter months too, to seed and fertilize the pastures, when you have to be feeding them hay. Then it's ready to pop in the spring. I'll pass that one on to my customers who I do clearing for new pasture for their livestock.
You might’ve just save me $9k - $12k, brother. That’s the quote to clear my mother’s land in East Tennessee, with the exact same aged growth you referenced - 2-4 years of Blackberry growth and trees that are 15-20 years old. This was a brilliant idea to show not just the pre- and post-mulch but to also present the 1-year follow-up. I had heard about forestry mulching a year ago but feared it would leave unusable chunks of wood all over the place. Instead, based on an estimate from a local mulcher who’d done some work for my brother, your nicely produced video documented everything I needed to make me a believer. I’ll save several thousand dollars, earning you a like and a subscribe. God bless you sir.
Wow! That’s great, and good to hear my video was helpful to you. That’s why I made them👍 If your going to hire a forestry mulcher, a DRUM mulcher does a more superior job compared to a ROTARY DISK mulcher.
Looks good. Always nice to see the before and after with one year later footage added as well.
Shawn Blalock Thanks, Shawn. I thought this would be an interesting video to show people what is possible with their over-grown land.
That’s a pretty amazing one year transformation! Good job!
Thanks, Jeff. I wanted to show what is possible with using a forestry mulcher to reclaim over-grown land. It's simply the most effective method out there.
love forestry mulching. btw thanks for the informatve videos. you and a few others made me jump into this business 4 years ago. thank you
That is awesome! Best of luck and continued success!
I watched the previous videos and it is always cool to see a followup shot of how the land reacted and the growth and response from the forest! Thanks for taking the time to show this! Very cool!
Homestead Jay Thanks Jay! I appreciate your comment and glad you liked the content. People like watching these videoed for a lot of different reasons, so I wanted to show people what is possible for their land if they have overgrown ground and want to improve it for a specific goal. Forestry mulching is one part of the process, and it's the most efficient method for clearing heavy brush and trees, and is good for the soil. This video is information that I would want to know, so I hope it helps others too.
Yes I didn't even though there were attachments like that! I couldn't believe the efficiency of that beast!
Thank you! I just had my land cleared 5 months ago and I really want to rake all the shredded wood and burn it but was wondering if I should just leave it and let it fertilize the soil for my grass that I'm in the process of planting. Was thinking the grass wouldn't grow if there was too much of the heavy mulch.
If you are seeding the area, the seed needs to be in contact with soil, or slightly down into the soil. The mulch will eventually (within 12-months) decompose into the soil, and prevent soil erosion in the mean-time. But if you want to plant sooner, then depending on how thick the mulch layer is, you may need to scrape the mulch off until you can see soil. You can always save the mulch piles and re-spread it, or burn it.
That's another fine example of what can be done by someone who knows what he's doing. That area's looking fine and clearly the grass is taking over healthily (with a little help from man). Very interesting and thanks for your videos .
jim jenks Thanks for the kind comment, Jim. This video was geared to show potential customers what is possible for their land by using forestry mulching to take care of an over-whelming over growth problem they may have, and bring their land back to life and usefulness again.
Im subscribed, I watched the vid when u first cut this property. Your videos are always interesting to watch and give good comparison with fellow skidsteer owners. Keep up the good work, thanks!
I appreciate the good word! Thanks, Cameron.
I want to thank you as well, I am not far from you and this video has been very helpful. I am looking forward to more as I am using your channel as education for my farm. Thanks
Capt Bob I appreciate you watching my videos, Bob. Keeping up with maintenance on your land is always a challenge, whether it's erosion or getting things to grow, and unwanted things not to grow. I'm always looking for new tricks too, so I don't mind sharing any ideas I use on my farm.
Great job this is the way I will clear my land‼
Thanks, William. My goal for this video was to show what is possible for land that might seem too over-grown, and too overwhelming. You have to look through the mess, and have a vision of what your land could look like if you brought it back to useable condition.
I went this route bc it was 1/3 the cost of dozer and removal. Thanks for the vid!
Yes, that’s the kind of price savings I hear from customers who looked into dozer/excavator clearing, too. And if your objective is to grow anything, forestry mulching is 100% better for your soil.
Great video brother i appreciate it as I'm currently in the process of getting my 1.66 little acres together which is 5 years worth of overgrown brush and small trees, and i had no clue as to how to start, so thank you so much I'm gonna be looking for a forestry mulching company, your land gives me hope i really want my land to look as good as yours
A forestry mulcher is exactly what you need for your property, Khadijah. 1.66 acres of 5 year growth can be mulched clear in 1-day, maybe a day and a half. Its the right solution to your problem.
Thank you, got a lot of answers to questions I've had.
Bob Armbruster Thanks, Bob. If you have any questions, just ask and I'll be happy to share what I know.
That really looks good you've done a great job
Thanks, Khadijah!
Nice video and explaining , well worth the effort , looks very nice!
Rob C. I appreciate your comment, Rob.
Very impressive results.
Thanks Abe! Its what I like to work on when I'm not working. And I try to research the heck out of everything to make sure I'm doing things right.
Clevinger Forest Services, LLC 30 years ago I was a forestry service volunteer. They didn't have anything like that. Back then we just cut stuff down with chainsaws and pushed it into piles with bulldozers and burned the piles. I think what you're doing is a lot better for the land
I agree, it is a lot better and healthier for the soil. I've burned lots of wood piles before, and that's a whole can of worms in itself.
I've got about an acre of land that the previous owner started clearing then quit partway through. They left all the felled trees on the ground, some standing but dead spruce, and about 5 years' worth of new growth coming up all around the whole mess. Would that situation be difficult to tackle with a forestry mulcher? The undergrowth that is coming in makes it difficult to see what is even in there, would you have to move slower in that case (I'm thinking in case of rocks or other hazards that might damage the machine)?
Your situation would not be a problem at all for a forestry mulcher. I work in those conditions all of the time. I always adjust my speed by how far ahead I can see, to avoid hitting solid object or falling into a hole or whatever.
Thanks, wasn't aware of this. Looks nice there.
Douglas Kirk Many people are not aware of forestry mulchers and the capability they can bring to clearing property.
Awesome video. I’ve been looking for something showing the aftermath. Super well detailed. I just purchased a 3/4 acre of heavily wooded land. All pine trees mostly 2”-3” dia. stumps. Some with 6”-8” as you had here. I was going to hire someone for around $4,500 to cut, stump grind, and haul the debris away. After watching this, I may just rent a setup like this, with a bucket attachment to scrape some mulch off after, and let it go like you did. I want to build a house in about a year or so, so I have time to do the process like you had. The only thing I need to do is find a good rental place near where the land is for me. Mid-state WI... Any tips or advice is greatly appreciated!
Thanks, Chris. I'm glad my information gave you another perspective and option. $4,500 is a lot to clear 3/4 acre. The clearing in this video was about 3/4 acre, and with the size material and terrain, only took me 2:10 minutes to clear it. Once it's all down, it can be mowed. The stump roots just decompose over time.
If the material on your property looks similar to that in this video, then renting a skidsteer and mulcher would be a good option, and you'd probably have a little bit of fun doing it. But of course, if you hired an experience person to do it for you, then it might be a little cheaper. This video was done on my land, but if I was charging a customer for this, I would have charged $725. That's my 4-hour minimum charge, but it is almost half the price of renting a machine for one day. A T770 with a forestry mulcher costs about $1300/day here in Tennessee. But having some fun yourself is worth something too!
Hello! Will the tree roots eventually decay over time? I had my 2 acres forestry mulcher and I'm wondering if overtime the stumps that are flush with the ground will eventually decay
Yes, all of the roots will decompose. Some tree species will keep trying to sprout, but as long as you keep the area mowed often enough so the trees can not grow leaves for energy, then they will decompose away, too.
@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 Thank you!
Good information...thanks.
G Allan I appreciate that, G!
Looks great!
TERRORoftheLORD Thanks! Appreciate you watching.
Looks good 👍
Great video, wondering what u used to fertilize before u put the grass seed down…?
I fertilized this area along with the rest of the 15 acres in this field. I did soil testing first through my local Extension Office, then took the results to my local CO-OP. They loaded the prescribed amount of phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen. I believe it was a 10-15-10 mix. I also spread lime to get the pH right.
great video
Appreciate that, Hoos! Thanks for watching
For the trees that are bigger than 12". Do you use a chainsaw then go back and forth on the ground to chew it up?
This size forestry mulcher is designed for mulching trees up to 8”-diameter, so that’s what I limit myself to for my business customers.
If I have a larger tree on my farm that needs to go, I will chainsaw it down, buck the trunk into sections and move them with my grapple, then I mulch all of the limbs.
I wonder if an old style hay rake would have any problems raking up the left over material to put it in good rows to scoop up with a bucket or rake it to the sides.
Cory Martin Sure! A rake would work great. When the mulch is light, most farmers will just disc it into the soil. If it's deeper mulch, then it can be raked or pushed off with a bucket, depending on what you're trying to accomplish. But if you don't have that kind of equipment, the mulch will just decay over a period of several months, just as nature does.
Any reason you chose the bobcat over other brands? Looking at getting into the business in NC. We have Deere, Kubota, CAT, Bobcat near me so I could purchase any of these but just curious why you chose Bobcat?
Steven porter When I was looking for a machine in 2013/14, I wanted a capable forestry mulching machine, and also a good general purpose machine to use on my land. So that was part of my decision making process.
A few big things that go into which machine to buy is: 1) what manufactures are close to you (because follow on maintenance/parts supports is critical), 2) machine specs- compare apples to apples. 3) total out the door cost of similar out-fitted machines to include warranty, 4) compare ease of operator/owner daily and scheduled maintenance tasks/time/costs.
When I was looking for a machine, the only ones that were even comparable were the Cat 299D XHP and the Bobcat T770 & T870. I did demos with both the 299 and the T770. I liked them both. I thought the T870 was a little over-kill because the extra 3000lbs gwt was not worth the extra few horsepower and cost. The Cat 299 total cost was almost $10K higher than a similar equipped T770, the maintenance service calls costs and in-shop mechanic cost/hr were also more with Cat, and lastly, the Bobcat guys just seemed to want my business more and were willing to cut me better deals on additional attachments, and maintenance costs. So I didn't go into this decision as a brand guy, it was purely a dollars and cents business decision for a machine that met my operational needs.
Clevinger Forest Services, LLC Thank you. The extra weight on the 870 makes me not want to get that machine. We have rented the CAT machine but would like to try the Bobcat next. We have a s630 so I am very familiar with the bobcat.
Steven porter Yes, Everybody likes more horsepower, but, for me, the extra weight of the 870 would have bumped me up to a heavier class trailer. I carry my grapple and bucket to some jobs, so with the T770/mulcher I haul it on a 20,000 lb gwt 25' gooseneck trailer. Definitely test drive all the machines you're looking at and find what will work best for your operation and business needs.
If you're buying a track loader buy a Cat or ASV. If you want a wheel loader buy a New Holland. The Bobcats are a bitch to work on and won't lift as much as other, comparable-horsepower machines.
Nice job. We are about to clear some land. I was wondering about how fast grass would come back.
Thanks. Glad this video answered your question.
I have 10 acres of land to clear for farming. Waiting for the tree to get sold and cut before I clear it. Do you recommend DIY by renting one of those forestry mulched to save in cost or just leave it to the pro? Do you know how much it typically cost to rent one of those machine?
Depending on your location, it can be difficult finding a dealer that rents a skid steer forestry mulcher. In my area of Tennessee, my Bobcat dealer rents these for something in the neighborhood of $1100-$1300 per day, $3500 per week, $5500 per month. So it can be more cost effective to rent one and DIY your 10 acres since it would probably take a couple of weeks to clear and mulch 10 acres of tree slash. I cleared 30 acres on my land. I don’t know if your familiar with logging operations, but when loggers “clear-cut” forest, that typically means they will cut down every standing tree, but they will only take the first 14’ or so of the marketable sized trees. Everything else is left on the ground. There will be trees that are too large to mulch. After my logging operation, I used a grapple on my skid steer to pick up ALL of the tree slash and piled it and burned it. After that, I used my mulcher to grind anything remaining, and grind down any stumps I could. I then rented a dozer to push out large stumps, and rough-grade, and fill in drainage gullies, and make some swales where needed. Then fertilized and broad-seeded. This was my process, but I started with a solid forest of mature trees. Your situation may be much different.
@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 thank you for the response. I appreciate the input.
Great Video! Would you recommend mulching if the plan is to extend your front lawn? One side has a lot of small pines really close together and I am worried over time when the stumps and roots die I will end up with ruts in my yard.
I’d say that it’s important to understand that forestry mulching is one part of a process. Mulching is not a finishing process. So whatever your final goal is with your property, there may be some additional work that needs to happen. In the case of removing lots of small pines, if your ground does settle after roots degrade, then maybe some additional sand or soil will be needed to level your yard as time goes on.
Just curious about the root ball of the larger trees. Do you grind them flush to the ground or can that mulcher dip into the dirt to grind them out. Just wondering what the strategy would be if you planed on tilling the soil after the mulching was complete? good video thanks for sharing.
taz man The largest diameter trees that I mulch are in the 6"-8" range, plus all of the smaller diameter brush. This drum-type mulcher head will mulch the stumps down flush with the soil. They do not mulch below the surface like a stump grinder. Customers who are farmers, do disc over the remaining roots/stumps, and no one has said it was any problem. And of course, they will rot away over time.
I was thinking. Would it be a good idea to remulch a month after? Rather then scraping the mulch letting it naturally decompose. Then doing it as many times as necessary until it's ready to plant grass seed.
HJW81253212 Yes, it can be mulched repeatedly as much as you like. I guess it would depend on your timeline to get it done, and what your end goal is. And yes, it's always much better for your soil to allow the mulch to decompose back into the soil to take advantage of those natural nutrients.
Depending on the season, if you need to seed it immediately, then you can leave a thick layer of mulch above the soil. The mulch can either be disced into the soil, or scraped off, so seeds get good contact with the soil.
What time of fertilizers n seed did u use??
Have 10 acres how much will I need ??
I take soil samples and have them analyzed through my local TN Extension office. They send me a report specifying the amounts of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P2O5), and potassium (K2O), and whatever amount of lime, if needed, to adjust pH for what you intend to grow. They amounts I needed will not be the same as what you might need. I 100% recommend getting soil samples first, so you know EXACTLY what your soil needs and you are not wasting money.
I had a acre forestry mulched this past May that had overgrown for 15 years and am currently going back over it weekly to biweekly with weedeater. Is there something I could do to stop the weed and brush regrowth? I plan to seed it in fall.
Hi Mike- I’d recommend spraying the area with 2,4-D. This will kill all broadleaf weeds and keep trees from re-sprouting. It will let grasses grow. This is what farmers (and me) use on pastures so its not harmful to livestock/animals. You can get it in concentrated form to mix with water. Spraying the correct mix will control weed growth for 3-6 months. Just don’t spray it near mature trees that you want to keep. Get it from Tractor Supply, Rural King, CO-OP, or you can probably find it at Lowes or Home Depot.
@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 Thank you for a very informative video and dialogue with your watchers.
Wondering how "close" is "too close" for mature trees with the 2,4-D? Do you have to spray on the leaves, or will overspray on the truck (established tree) be an issue (in general)?
@@patrickmcginnis6898 Hey Patrick- The directions for 2-4D says when spraying it to avoid getting the chemical on basically any part of tree & shrubs that you do not intend to kill. Definitely includes the leaves and soil covering the root system. I assume if spray gets on the bark of a mature tree then it’s probably too close. You should also be very aware of wind speed and direction when spraying, since spray mist will carry.
If I went over a property with a Brown Tree Cutter then have you come in with a mulching head would I be looking at a 4hr minimum? Respectfully.
Michael Baumgardner Sorry for the delayed reply, Mike, I'm just now seeing your question.
Yes, a forestry mulcher can grind up anything you knock down with the Brown cutter. As far as how long it would take, it depends on the acreage and amount and size of material that needs to be mulched up. I always look at the job to be done before giving estimates.
Hi Mr Clevinger, how effective is the Bobcat mulcher on sloping ground? Any advice on grades that one could work on?
I generally limit the slopes I operate on to 30-degress and less. There are factors that will either decrease or increase that slope. The condition of the soil, such as how wet it is, or what it is covered in, have the most effect on traction. Wet, grassy soil is slippery and slows everything down or will cause the machine to slide down hill uncontrolled. If their is a "way out" at the bottom of a slope then I'll get on steeper stuff, but I NEVER get on slopes that there is a risk of sliding down hill into an even worse location that you can not get out of.
-My particular Bobcat T770 has 17.7" wide rubber tracks and weighs about
12, 600 lbs w/mulcher, and has 92hp. On dry dirt it will go up and down a 45-degree slope no problem. I lessen tip-over risks on slopes by only facing downhill and driving straight down and straight back in reverse.
-I avoid turning sideways on steep slopes because its easier to rollover laterally, and also because the weight of the machine wants to cause it to slide downhill sideways on the tracks as you turn, so it increases the risk of pulling a track off if it gets hung on a stump or boulder.
-When operating on slopes you have to be very aware when raising/lowering the 2200 pound mulching head. It changes the center-of-gravity of the machine, increasing the risk of roll-over. So the steeper the slope you're on, you get progressively limited how high you can safely raise the boom to cut trees.
-Lastly, rubber tracks are NOT the type of track that is found on a dozer. Dozer tracks are designed for maximum traction and also flotation. Rubber tracks give you very good traction and flotation, but are not designed as aggressively as a dozer. This is a good thing because rubber tracks will not destroy tree roots, pastures, driveways, etc.
Excellent explanation. Thank you very much!
Clevinger Forest Services, LLC x
Do you charge a flat hourly rate? I'm looking to have our wood line pushed back. It's mainly forest undergrowth. I don't think you are anywhere around me. Just wondering what quality service costs!
Kenneth Gustine Yes, I charge by the hour. After looking at the work that a customer wants done, I will give them a time/cost estimate. My estimates are always within +/-10% of the actual time it took to clear. I have a job clock in the machine that keeps track of the run hours that I charge for each job. I charge $125/hour, a one-time Equipment Transport charge of $125, and have a 4-hour minimum charge. I'm located in Clarksville, TN and will travel up to a maximum 1-1/2 hours to a job site. I'd be happy to push back your fields for you if you're within range.
@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 Your rates seem reasonable.
Peter Reid Finding the right price point for my location has been a process. I started in 2014-2015 by charging $110/hr to build a customer base and get my name out there. I raised my price to $125/hr for 2016-2017. Raised price to $150/hr in 2018-2019, with no drop in the number of customers. I will raise my price in Jan 2020 to $175/hr. These machines are expensive. I'm currently trading in for a new machine. Cost for T770 + new Fecon mulcher head is $110,000 on a 5 year loan. Big payments.
@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 I know how machines can be expensive. Thats why i say your rates are reasonable.Then there is maintenance,fuel and your time as well.
Peter Reid I enjoy what I do, and helping others solve their brush issues, and running this machine on my land as a very useful piece of equipment for property maintenance. The business side is interesting too, and you just have to keep up with the financials to make everything work smoothly.
I am currently getting quotes to start clearing poplar regrowth aprox 3-5 inches in size along with 20 stumps from some 16 inch spruce trees I just cut down. With the mulching will it take out the remainder of the spruce tree stump/roots? I was planning on bringing in a big tractor to disc the ground to prepare for spring hay planting. Do you think this will work to prepare the ground for seeding or is there more pre required?
Scott Burke Hi Scott- A forestry mulcher will be able to take care of all the tree and brush material you have growing there now. A drum-type forestry mulcher is capable of mulching everything down flush to the soil. The mulcher will also be able to bring your spruce stumps down flush with the soil as well, and maybe 1"-2" below the soil level, but mulchers do not get rid of the stump root system below ground level.
The density of the currently growing material will determine how much of a mulch layer will be left. If the mulch layer seems to be too deep to disc into the soil with a tractor, then it's very easy to push the mulch layer off using a tractor bucket or rake, then disc the residual mulch into the soil. Then it is ready for seed. No other mechanical prep is needed. Just normal fertilizing. The root systems will decay away into the soil over time.
Clevinger Forest Services, LLC Thanks for the quick reply. This land clearing thing is all new to me and I want to be sure I am working it the correct way..If my results are like your video ,I will be one Happy guy.
Scott Burke It will turn out fine. It just takes a little process to get it there. Mulch the area, disc it, seed it, cultipack after seeding. Do this by the end of September, and next spring you'll have a pasture growing. Other things will also try to grow with your grass, so it will need to be sprayed with 2,4D, or another chemical that is recommended by your local Co-op, tractor supply, or Agriculture Extension Office.
Looks good. I heard you say some of those trees were 20-40' tall. Just curious, is there a max height you'd be able to take down, or is it more dependent on the diameter of the tree?
awy1977 The diameter of the tree is the most important. Height of the tree doesn't matter at all.
That's good to know. I watched you vid taking down that deadfall oak, that thing was huge! Is there a certain diameter of tree you won't do? I have lots of pine trees that are fairly large diameter, and possibly some other volunteer type trees. Pasture has been untouched in probably 15 years, but these were big trees even before that. I haven't been to the field in a couple years now, I know you'd mow through all of the younger undergrowth but can you take down larger diameter stuff that's still living? I would like to only knock this field down once and then maintain it with regular mowing!
awy1977 The brush that is 15 years old is no problem at all. The skidsteer size mulcher machine is designed for trees up to 8” diameters. For my business, I try to limit the trees I mulch to this size.
Once the smaller material is cleared out, it will make room to chainsaw fell the larger diameter trees, mulch as much of the limbs up as possible, then buck the trunk into sections and move them with a grapple to an area best for you.
Thanks for your responses. I'll continue to follow your vids, you've been very informative. I hope I'll have some land for you to clear soon.
I wonder how well that does with cedars? I would think the forestry mulcher might keep gumming up with cedars.
Cedars are some of my favorite material to mulch. They do have a thousand limbs though, and make a lot of mulched material. Here’s a link of me mulching cedars...
czcams.com/video/yCXj23JJu-E/video.html
I may have missed it but how long did that acre take you to mulch?
Hi Rancie- This area was closer to 3/4 acre, and it took me 1:20 minutes to clear it.
I am thinking of renting a forestry mulcher and doing this myself. My question is how long does it take to do right at an acer of land, mostly under growth with a few small trees and a few old pine stumps no bigger than 16" in dia. I am in Tenn too. Thanks for any help you can give.
Rick Hill Hi Rick- If the majority of the material is under 2" diameters then you'll be able to drive right though it. If the whole acre is like that, you can mulch the whole thing in about 1-1/2 maybe 2-hours. Trees that are 2"-4" diameters take about 1-minute each to mulch down. A 16" pine stump about 1-foot tall will take about 5-10 minutes to bring down.
So it depends on the number and size of trees you have growing there. In this video, this was 3/4 acres, 80% was under 2"-diameters, and 20% was 3"-7" diameters, and this took me 1:20 minutes. But that's with some experience in the machine. If you have less trees than shown in this video, then you should definitely get it cleared in one rental day.
Thanks so much for your help, hope you have a Merry Christmas !!!
About how long does it take you to clean an acre like that. That looks great by the way.
This was about 3/4 acre, and it took 1:15 minutes to clear this type of brush. Here's the video: czcams.com/video/jnVDCl84gU0/video.html
What point did you fertilize and seed?
I mulched this area down in October, then I fertilized and seeded the area the following May. Ideally, it’s best to fertilize and seed during Feb-Mar here in Tennessee. I could have also seeded in October right after it was mulched down.
Land clearing is a dream of mine. I couldn't imagine getting to do that every day.
mark197867 Definitely nice if you like running your own business, being outdoors, and running a cool piece of machinery.👍
How much would you charge for this job? An acre of such density? Thanks in advance!
This material was dense, but it was mostly smaller than 3”-diameters, so this only took 2:15 minutes to complete. I have a 4-hour minimum charge for small jobs like this, so this would cost $825 (2021 pricing). Thanks for watching, Dimitrije.
@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 Thank you! That helps a lot! Awesome work Sir!
What kind of fertilizer did you use
I applied Limestone, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium in the required tonnage that my soil test results called for. This video was just 3/4-acre. I fertilized this at the same time I did all 30-acres of pasture that I have. I can’t remember the total number of tons used. I buy bulk at my local CO-OP, not by the 40 lb bag, so I don’t know a brand or percentage mix to tell you.
Matey when You say you fertilized it and Seeded it, how did you do that? meaning it you just spread the seed over the top of the Mulched materials and allow it to go into the Ground from there, I take it from what your saying that you did nothing else with the mulched material after your first process? Thanks for that and Great video as was the Mulching video
Attitude Adjuster That is correct. The mulch that was left on the ground was very light, to where you could see the soil. Sometimes when you mulch dense brush and trees, it will leave several inches of a layer of mulch. In this case, you would either have to scrape the mulch off the soil, or disc the mulch into the soil. The area cleared in this video just had light mulch left on top of the soil. I only had to load a spreader truck with seed and fertilizer mixed together, and the truck drove over this area and broad seeded the mix with a centifical spreader. I did this before a light rain so it would push the seeds down to contact the soil. That's all I did here. This particular grass seed just need to be in contact with the soil from 0"-1/2" deep. I would have had a better percentage of seed germination if I would have used a drill-seeder, or lightly disc'd or run a drag harrow over the seeded area to mix it into the soil better, but I didn't have that equipment available at the time. But in the end, nature wants to grow, and it will find a way.
@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 Awesome I really enjoy the videos so keep them coming Matey, all the best Garry
Attitude Adjuster Glad you enjoy my videos, and thanks for watching, Garry.
so this could also be done behind a logging operation to reclaim the land -right?
Jeddco66 Yes, absolutely. All of the open pasture that is shown in this video, 15 acres total, was completely covered in forest in July 2014. I had a logger clear cut it that July. I had a total of 30 acres logged, and used the proceeds to put money down to purchase my first Bobcat, forestry mulcher, grapple, and construction bucket. When I wasn't forestry mulching for customers, I worked on transforming this land from a low-grade forest into a pasture. The forestry mulcher got rid of 90% of the tree slash, and I piled and burned the larger remaining slash with the grapple. I then rented a Fecon Stumpex for 10 days to grind out 400+ large stumps. Then leased a Komatsu D65EX dozer to smooth the ground, fill in gullies, and build some swales. Finally fertilized and seeded it in Spring 2017. Now it's a pasture, more useful to me, and more valuable. The forestry mulcher was a good solution for cleaning up the timber slash. There are only so many ways to accomplish that, and none of them are easy or cheap, unfortunately.
sounds like you really had a plan good work wish more peeps would respect the land like you instead of running 4-4 trucks and such through it.
Thanks. I really enjoy my land and am blessed to have it. Its all about being a good land steward. And the wildlife wandering around on it seem to like it too.
Clevinger Forest Services, LLC can you provide info on how to get started with a logging company? Am new to all this and we have property that we want cleared.. Have mostly Cedar and Oak. Would love to be able to help “fund” the clearing of the land into pasture but right now it is all dense trees. Tfs your videos. Very helpful.
sherry hendrix just contact some logging companies in your area and tell them what you got they will come and take a look usually and tell you what you can get for them then you can say yes or no to there offer if you don't like it.
Pretty cool
Bruce Wayne Works like magic! Lol
Did you have the machine or did you have to rent one and where can you rent one if you did
I own this machine as part of my forestry mulching business.
If you’re interested in renting a skidsteer forestry mulching machine, try contacting either a Bobcat or Caterpillar dealer.
@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 thank you for the information
please use drone...
Isa ak PadaPetra I plan on getting a drone very soon to take video.
Will this clear TAMARACK?
Grandpa Pete Yes, this machine is design to mulch trees up to 8"-diameters. Most of the work I do here in Tennessee is hardwoods, but we also have a lot of Eastern Cedar.
The forestry mulch needs lime to help break down the nitrogen & nutrients.
That is very true, Cyndi. Lime is very important.
Try to get what they call finger rakes witch they use n sugar cane farms them you will be able to rake it into wind rows then run the muncher over it again as it should clean it up good
Thanks for that suggestion. I’ll look into that.
cattling with rotational grazing would improve the land permanently!
guillermo acosta Yes, very true. The animal poop adds the natural biological chemistry to make it thrive.