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Forestry Mulching a 1/3 acre Field of Cedar Trees
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- čas přidán 27. 01. 2018
- Clevinger Forest Services, LLC specializes in land clearing by using the forestry mulching method. Capable of clearing all wood material of 8"-diameters and smaller.
Located in Clarksville, TN
Office: (931) 802-5910
Cell: (757) 871-5026 (call or text)
www.cfsmulching.com
Email: dclevinger@cfsmulching.com
ClevingerForestServices/
/ @clevingerforestservic...
You’re willing news to answer every question like they were your client is pretty awesome.
Thanks, Ryan. Just passing it forward🤙
I just find it incredible that as busy as you are, that you take the time to answer each and every question that is asked of you. That says quite a bit about not only your character but also your business acumen. Much respect sir. 🇺🇸🇺🇸
Well I certainly appreciate that, Major. I know when I started in this business in 2014, there wasn't any information out there, both to answer questions customers might have, or someone curious about the mulching business. I have been asked every question under the sun since I started posting my videos, so I always tell people to read through the comment section of each video. There's a wealth of information in there.
Thanks for your comment, and for watching.
Hey I am from Germany and i loves your videos!!Looking forward!!
L3onZockt Danke zere!
Very efficient and wear out the cutters evenly.. Good job operator!
Thanks, Chris!👍
I just want to watch more videos like this... I find it relaxing.
SnowFoxx CH It's funny, but a lot of people say watching videos like this are relaxing.
Clevinger Forest Services, LLC. It is very relaxing. Plus I like how you have your go pro set up , it's like I'm in there riding alone with you. Lol plus I miss the country . I live in Greer SC going on 4 years. Nothing but city . 😞
I've lived in several big cities. They're entertaining, but I really like and prefer the peacefulness of the county. It's better to visit cities, then leave. Lol. I live 40 miles from Nashville, so I go there for entertainment, which is pretty incredible.
like your videos brother. lots of good info for people like me looking to add on to my business with forestry mulching. thanks a lot for helping me make up my mind and pull the trigger on a great piece of equipment. thanks again brother and hope to see more videos in the future.
Hot Pickle That's awesome! It's good to know someone is being helped by information in my videos. I make some videos for customers to see how forestry mulching can help them, and some other business or operator type videos for guys like you who are looking for specific machine information. I get calls and emails from people all over the country about this stuff. I like talking business and don't mind passing on, or sharing good info that makes our business lives easier.
Clevinger Forest Services, LLC I’d like to pick your brain some time when ever you’re not busy and get more information. I’ve looked at your website and if you don’t mind maybe I’ll email you with my contact information and we can talk. Only if you’re interested of course. Thanks again brother.
Hot Pickle Sure, contact me anytime with questions you have. Just email or call, my contact info is on my website. www.cfsmulching.com
Another Awesome Job and video...Brother You just got another Sub👍
Awesome! I appreciate you watching, Ricky.
Great video and great music. 👍
Thanks, Darren, I appreciate you watching.
Lots and lots of fields that look just like that here in the Mo. Ozarks!
When the fields get too over-grown to bush hog, then that's where this forestry mulcher comes in. This is the right tool for the job.
If there is no-one in your area providing a forestry mulching service, then it's probably a good opportunity for someone there to get into.
that mulch will ensure the water when it rains again, will soak into the soil better and help it to stay in the soil and get better growth
Gustav That's absolutely right, Gustav. The mulch will also help prevent soil erosion until some kind of ground cover can grow back, and the mulch will also put all of its nutrients back into the soil as it decomposes.
@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 Exactly right, and we can also have the same effect with a heavy stand of grass in a field, if we pack a herd of livestock really close, (like 700.000 pounds of live weight pr acre) so they will put most of the grass down on the ground instead of eating it, thus have better growth next year and improving the quality and amount of forage season by season. I might even argue that this is better because you get the biological breakdown of the organic matter with the cow eating it and pooping it out again, now having lots of good microorganisms added to the land via the poop.
Ohh and what a great video you've made here.
You definitely know how to manage your pastures and herds. That's how its done. Just have to have the fields paddocked off so you can rotate the grazing pastures for recovery. Clearing overgrown fields to reclaim it for pastures or crops are my favorite kinds of jobs. Its satisfying seeing people putting their land back into productive use.
@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 Couldnt agree more
The right tool for the job
Joe Scalise Yes. When the material is too big for a bush hog, and you don't want a dozer removing your topsoil and pushing trees into piles on your property, a forestry mulcher is definitely the right solution!
Excellent video as always. How do you determine the boundaries of the areas to cut? Does the land owner flag the areas or do you use GPS in some way? Also as a suggestion for a future video, it would be interesting to see a after-job maintenance video showing how you clean and service the machine between jobs or after each day of work. Thank you!!
Thanks for the props.
I always meet with the customer before I start a clearing job. We either walk the work area boundaries and mark the area with survey tape, or there are already very clear work boundaries in place, such as a fence, a tree line, a trail/road, etc.
This is most critical when working a customers' forest that borders a neighbors forest that has no obvious property line. In this case I have the customer mark the trees with survey tape, and make sure that they coordinate this with their neighbor and they both agree on that property line.
That is a good suggestion for a video to do post-job maintenance on the machine. I will incorporate that one.
If there is no recorded survey the first owner to record the survey must be challenged by others that is why you buy your property with an Alta policy that requires the seller to pay for the survey. Must include all buildings roads utilities fences topog screams swamp etc. Only record the boundary map and keep the certified map both hard copy and digital for future construction. Any dispute the previous owner pays through Alta policy. I offset corners with car axles driven into the ground you can find with metal detector. Engineer can spec septic field as well. Big issue is now water rights both Sr and Jr right or no right
@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 Nice recommendation on having your client speak with their neighbor about the work being performed. Their discussion could open up into another job lead for you, if the neighbor is interested in having the same work done. This is maximizing your resources. No time spent driving back out again for another quote, no time spent on the phone playing phone tag, no time spent reviewing your schedule to fit the estimate appointment in, etc etc. Handle it right then and there.
@@nighted7421 Yes, and that happens a lot- a neighbor will want work done too since you’re in the neighborhood. I’ve worked my way down country roads doing neighboring farms and home properties.
@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 DID YOU EVER MAKE THIS VIDEO?! I'm going to be binge watching your channel trying to find it thank you!
Damn cedars. I got about 9 acres of that on a 30 degree slope --- gak!
That slope would be the tough part if you want to clear it and use it. But at least they smell good.
How is the machine on your back? I had a skidsteer years ago and it did a lot of bouncing on rough ground. Your videos have been helpful. On longisland there are a lot of opportunities for property reclaiming. And new house clearing. Have you tried any other knives?
copperworks Were you running a wheeled skidsteer when it was bouncing? The tracked skidsteers are pretty stable, and this T770 weighs 10,500 lbs so it doesn't buck like a bronco. And working primarily in forested areas I'm not usually going very fast, and I have to keep a controlled speed so I don't run into gullies or stumps.
I have only used the tungsten-carbide teeth in the environment I work in- mostly hardwood trees and cherty/Rocky soils. Also carbide teeth don't require any sharpening maintenance like knife cutter teeth do.
Great video all of yours are.A little talk about your doing operational wise would nice for me. Not talk to be talking but I lift head for this,I back up for this. Just trying to learn. Is shredded material left the norm? Or is it customer preference? How do you price the job? By hour,day? I notice you don’t bog the engine. Your movements are not jerky.👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍.CJ
carlj3515 Thanks, Carl. I have 4 other videos that I talk specifically about my operator techniques as I'm working the machine. If you subscribe to my channel, it will bring up all of my posted videos. I do get a lot of requests about videos with tips, so I'll continue to make more of these type.
Leaving shredded material on the ground is the norm. It decomposes back into the soil fairly quickly, and it's good for the soils health, and for stabilizing the soil from erosion until new ground cover grows.
I charge by the hour for my work. I give the customer a cost estimate when I initially look at the property with them. My estimates are within 10% of the final actual cost. My customers are happy with this. It's the fairest way to do this, both for the customer, and myself.
Love all your videos and thank you for making them. I just can't see how you can stay in business with a skid steer with all the breakdowns. I found they just cannot handle this work. I've seen Kubota, cat burn down frequently, and asv had horrible ac and undercarriage issues.
I see a lot of that happening with other people in this business, too. I don't seem to have maintenance issues with the three Bobcats that I've owned, and used exclusively for forestry mulching.
Not all skidsteer machines are designed for being capable of doing forestry mulching, and there are a lot of operators out there who don't have the specific protection packages installed on their machines (safety glass, FOPS, debris covers), and they end up getting lots of wood debris in their engine compartments that can cause fires. Some operators don't tune their machine hydraulic flows and pressures to the correct setting for the mulcher heads they run. Other guys hack their computer chips to get higher Horsepower from what the engines are designed for. And working in the forest environment is very hazardous, and I would think a lot of operators run their machines like they are indestructible tanks, and end up inducing a lot of damage to the equipment.
Personally, I run my machine knowing that I'm paying the bills, and also operate it within the design limits that it was engineered to operate at. And when I chose a skidsteer brand, I kept in mind that Bobcat INVENTED the skidsteer, so I know that their engineers are focused on designing machines that work with all of the attachments it makes to run with them.
@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 great points. I've literally been told by dealerships that sell Kubota well it isn't designer for a mulcher... I said but you sell it!?! They then proceed to get out of all warranty responsibilities. It's pathetic.
I can rent a machine like that for $1900 per day. From the vids I have seen, looks like I can hire a guy with same machine for about the same price. I was looking at pros and cons of just renting a large bulldozer for less ($500 per day) and just flattening everything. I have the 30 acres of overgrown land but NO EXPERIENCE at doing this. Any suggestions are welcome.
It depends on what you are trying to accomplish with clearing your 30 acres. If you are looking at building something on it, and you are not concerned about the topsoil being preserved in place, then a dozer is a faster option but not necessarily cheaper. You'll have to check the pricing. And a dozer just pushes the trees & brush to another location, that still has to be dealt with either by burning or hauling off.
Typically, most customers don't want their soil destroyed, and they don't want the mess that is left to clean up. In this case, forestry mulching is the best method to get a cleaner final result. After clearing with a forestry mulcher, you can plant grasses and then just keep the area mowed.
What type of stumps are you left with. How close to the ground? Would it be like a bunch of sharp sticks sticking up. Thanks
Can get 100 subs with no videos Can we? A drum mulcher, like this one in the video, will mulch up to 8"-diameter trees flush with the ground, leaving no stumps or sharp stauble. Here is a link to one of my other videos showing the residual effects of forestry mulching. czcams.com/video/gmzPvWzluNk/video.html
Good depiction of what a mulcher can do with this video Mr Dave. I've got another question for you and it's not to derail anything you have shown or your set up what so ever, but with your experience with a skid steer mulcher what would you say in comparison an excavator with a mulching attachment would be in efficiency and productivity? I know it wouldn't track even close to as fast as a track loader and it has the whole boom function to run as well as the head for the hydraulic system but I was thinking it might make up those inefficiencies with swing range? I don't really know, just been mulling it over in my pea brain and wondered what your insight might was on the subject. Thanks again sir for the info and knowledge you're sharing with us
When I'm ready to expand my business, the next piece of equipment I get will be an excavator.
My thinking on this as far as forestry mulching, is that an excavator should be used as a supplemental and complimentary capability, to be used in addition to the primary forestry mulching machine.
For me, I look at different pieces of equipment and see what their strengths and weaknesses are. Most equipment has one main function, and several secondary functions. The strength of a forestry mulcher on a skidsteer size machine is that its extremely maneuverable in a forest environment. Also has good traction and speed in soft and sloped terrain. For the customer market I focus on, a larger machine simply could not access the tighter work areas.
The main strength of an excavator is the reach it provides. An excavator can reach into gullies, ponds, and culverts, for example, which are areas I can't get to with a Bobcat. So, I think an excavator with a mulcher attachment would be a good compliment to a primary machine with a mulcher. This is how I would use an excavator in my business. I'd also use it to dig out big stumps.
With a hydraulic thumb as well.
Michael Baumgardner I agree. A hydraulic thumb adds a lot of capability and efficiency to an escavator. A thumb is a must have.
Please can you help to answer this question . . The mulcher on wheels such as Barko Bandit and Rayco . . Are they better than track mulcher ?
I don't run those machines, so I don't have a good answer for you. But those machines you mentioned are the next size up from a skidsteer sized machine. Generally speaking, a tracked machine is best when you operate in conditions that could puncture tires, such as good sized rocks, stumps, and crawling over trees on the ground. Tracked machines move slower that wheeled machines. Wheels are better for speed, and on ground that does not have a lot of hazards that can puncture tires.
Excellent video yet again!! I've been following your channel for awhile and I know you are pleased with the Bobcat t770. Here's a hypothetical question.. Let's say you came across a Kubota svl-95-2s highflow with very low hrs still under warranty, and then you found a t770 around 1k hrs with no warranty. The difference between the prices of the two machines was around 3 thousand. The distance between the two dealership, the Kubota dealership was 45 mins closer to the house. Both would come with a fecon head. Which one would you choose??
Well I'm leaning more towards a new t770 because of the forestry package I believe may be safer than the Kubota . I'm still doing my homework and will keep y'all updated on the final decision
I was just reading your question. The first thing that came to mind was to ask you if both machines had the forestry package installed on it. You have to make sure that the machine specs and basic capabilities are an apples-to-apples comparison when comparing price. The Bobcat forestry package is a $7800 option. The polycarbonate-glass front door is a must, in my opinion, as well as the FOPS. Limbs falling on your roof is just part of forestry mulching- its going to happen. The rear hydraulic covers that keep wood debris out of your engine compartment are very important too. Bobcat also offers a few options on extended warrantees you can purchase for different Month/Hours, i.e. a 12 month/1000 hour or 24 month/2000 hour. Kubota might too, I just don't know Kubota.
But keep in mind when choosing a machine, that you are also choosing the dealership follow on customer service and maintenance costs. What are the dealerships labor costs when they repair your machine? What is their parts availability rate? How long does it take them to get a part shipped in? Do they have a maintenance road service? What are the road service charges per hour and per mile?
The purchase price is only one consideration. So make sure you are also evaluating the potential follow on maintenance costs. This is called Total Life Cycle Cost of equipment, which is ultimately the bottom line number you should evaluate before making a high dollar purchase. The time to get back and forth to your dealer is also a hidden cost to keep in mind.
What kind of hours/ range do you get out of one tank of fuel? I know these have around a 30 gallon tank correct? Just wondering what your expenses for fuel look like
auburn587 The machine I'm using in this video is a 2017 Bobcat T770. This has a 42-gallon fuel tank. When forestry mulching, at full RPM and working hard, the fuel burn rate is between 4.5-5 gallons per hour. It will get a full 8-hours of constant operation on a full tank.
When I'm doing bucket or grapple work, the fuel burn rate is about 3 GPH.
For operator fuel costs, I use $17.50 per operating hour. ($3.50/gal X 5 GPH)
This is unrelated, but you can actually listen to the radio while running this machine? My Kubota radio is worthless. it will be loud enough to hurt my ears and I can't hardly hear the music!
I've only ever been in a Cat 299D XHP to compare the noise levels, but the Bobcat is relatively quiet inside. I can also talk on my phone inside of it while its at idle. Even at max RPM and mulching wood listening to the radio is no problem. I know Bobcat advertises that their 2018 models are 30% quieter than earlier models. Of course this forestry mulcher configuration has a 3/4" thick front door that is rubber sealed, and the cab interior has a sound-proof liner. Must be some kind of sound-proofing between cab and engine compartment too.
How much time did you have invested in this job. How many acres can you do in a 8hr day on average, not that thick of cedars and brush?
This job was to clear 4.5 acres of this type and density of softwoods, on level terrain. Took a total of 21 hours to clear, or about 4.6 hours per acre.
An "average" density hardwood stand takes about 7 hours per acre to clear all material with 8"-diameters and below.
The three factors that effect clearing time are: type of material, density of material, and the terrain.
How do you know what the boundries are for the area you are cutting? Do you have GPS?
I always walk the property work boundaries with the owner and discuss their needs and expectations, so we're all clear on the goals and expectations. I mark the boundaries with orange survey tape, but typically the work area has natural or man-made land marks such as a fence-line, creek, tree-line, etc. I always involve the owner in marking the work area to ensure there is no conflict with neighbors' land, and to ensure that I clear exactly what the owner wants cleared.
The great work is ruined by the radio sound, no logging sounds coming in, please turn off the radio and record.
The radio on was a rookie mistake when I made this video. It actually caused some copyright issues with CZcams. I don't use the radio anymore.
You have mentioned in earlier videos that this is your second bobcat. What made you trade the first one off so fast? I assume they are 10k machines and your only doing 1500 hours per year. (From what I gathered)
I traded the first machine in because the 36-month extended maintenance warranty I purchased with it was about to expire. I keep my machines under warranty because its part of my business plan at this stage. I don't want any major dollar item expense surprises, and I do not employ any equipment mechanics. The Bobcats I've had and have, have been reliable and I've had no major issues. Having a good operator helps keep things from getting broken, too.
Not sure what you mean by 10k machine, but if you're talking weight- it weighs 10400 lbs, if you're talking price- this T770 configuration was $82K new, plus the cost of the mulcher head. As far as how many hours I operate per year for business, that is proprietary information.
Clevinger Forest Services, LLC 10k hour machine. Thank you for the response.
Had you already swapped out the teeth in the middle with the knife style for this video?
No, for this video, the mulcher had all carbide cutter teeth installed.
What brand of mulching head were you using ???
The mulcher I’m using in this video is the Bobcat-branded head that is built by Fecon. Now I use a Fecon BH-74SS with an FGT drum with carbide cutters.
Are you guys licensed to operate in S. Virginia ? I'm going to purchase a couple hundred acres there.. You guys do some great work...
Gary Jones I appreciate that, Gary! Unfortunately, I don't travel to VA. My operational footprint is an 80-mile radius from Clarksville, TN. If you plan on needing major mulching done on your land of that size, which you think will take months, then it would be cost effective to lease a forestry mulching machine for 1-2 years. That's actually how I got started in this business in 2014. I needed a lot of work to clear my 55 acres of forestland.
@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 sounds like a good idea, but I would be traveling considerably and wouldn't have the time to do it myself.. I guess when I get there I will have to check with the reality to get some recommendations for someone from the area.. Thanks for getting back with me... God Bless...
Hello, are you using two machines in your Project.
Just using one machine.
How many days would you quote someone for a 5 acre field this thick?
This thickness of material in this video I would say takes 4-5 hours per acre. So at 5 hours it would take 25 hours for 5 acres, or about 3 days to clear.
@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 thanks!
A bit spoiled by the commercial radio in the background!
HAHA! Yes, probably so. It also has AC, heater, and a heated air-ride seat. Talk about spoiled, I still wish it had a Sirius XM antenna and radio....
In reality, I hardly listen to the radio, since I focus so much on the sound of the machine, and focusing on what I'm looking at outside.
I would love to start a business like yours where I am, but my credit isn't the greatest. I live 20 miles from a town that has forest mixed with houses, and forest fires are a serious threat. In fact one of the largest forest fires was in the same area in 2002 called the Rodeo- Chediski. Do you know if insurance companies encourage thinning around homes for cheaper insurance rates?
Not sure what insurance companies think about thinning, but for any homeowner who's house is surrounded by a tree stand or forest, thinning it out is helpful for several reasons- it does reduce the risk of spreading fires by taking away the ladder fuels/underbrush that primarily spreads the fire, it creates improved airflow, it reduces some insects from spreading and thriving, it improves the health and growth of remaining trees, and it is more visually appealing which can increase the property value.
Everybody hits hard patches. Keep at it, and good luck to you.
Looks like I need to do some more homework. Can I send you an email about your excel spread sheet on operating cost?
CBH LLC Yes, sure. Email me at: dclevinger@cfsmulching.com
Those tree huggers out west probably faint seeing this.
Craig Parker This is exactly what the forests out west need. The dense under-story of brush is was is the tinder that fuels the forest fires. This brush is called 'ladder fuels' because it allows ground fires to climb up into the upper canopy of the mature forest trees and burn the forest down. If you manage this dense under-brush, you can avoid those uncontrolled forest fires. Every forester and forest management trained professional know this.
How many hours would you say it takes to clear 1 acre with that?
John lim Generally speaking, to clear all material 8”-diameters and smaller from 1-ac of average density forest on reasonable flat terrain would take 7-hours.
Time to clear depends on size of material, density of material, and terrain.
Clevinger Forest Services, LLC
I assume you charge $250/ hr for your service? And ur math it costs you $110 per hr for operating the mulcher right?
So a client should consider roughly $2000 per acre to clear land right?
John lim No. Most forestry mulcher operators that use this skid-steer size forestry mulcher charge between $125-$200 per hour, or charge day rates of $1200-$1500 per day, from the other operators around the country that I talk with.
The bigger industrial size, dedicated mulching machines charge in that $250/hr range.
@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 oh really the local tree companies 3 compqnies so far have all quoted $250/hr and $2000 for the day for their mulchers in South Jersey delaware area.
John lim Location does impact cost. But that is the highest price I've heard of for a skidsteer mulcher anywhere in the country, including NY state, and PA which are in your region. But all business is supply & demand driven, and charge what the market will bear.
Do you charge by the day or the hour?
Brandon Reiser I typically charge by the hour using the job clock in the machine. I've got to be mulching to make money. I just think that is most fair for customers, and reduces my risk. I do give customers a time/cost estimate prior to starting any work that is normally within +/-10%.
When a customers is bidding out a job and wants a quote, then I will charge the amount I quoted.
Have you every mulched a deer? 🦌
Sir Sweetness No deer and no turkey mulched. Maybe just a turtle or two, if I didn't see them. I have moved turtles out of the way that I saw in time.
I bet you see a lot of snakes and hornets in this business. I bush hog and see a lot when I do and with a open cab tractor I’m skittish in stuff like this.
I do see a lot of hornet hives, snakes, and other small critters out in these brushy fields. Most scatter out of the way when I get close to them, and thankfully this cab is sealed when I hit the hornet nests.
Too bad you couldn't tree spade those trees and sell them for Christmas trees or reforest efforts, public works beautification.