Trail Blazing Experiences

[Turkish]

New here. I have recently created some new perimeter trails on my place. I have a lot of low ground and tag alders. Because of the low ground, I did not want to displace any soil from the trail and make it any lower or remove stumps leaving holes to collect water.

I have a 26hp Kubota with a box blade and grapple, and even with that lower horsepower, I inevitably just get bent shanks when I have tried to remove sapling stumps/roots. Maybe from snagging too many roots at once?

My tools of choice for trail building are:
- Chainsaw on the first pass for the big standing stuff (which I try to avoid) and deadfalls (I have many fallen dead ash).
- Greenworks pole chainsaw to reach in and cut the larger tag alder down low (to avoid branches in the face when I brush hog). I leave them high enough that I won't accidentally drive a tire over them but low enough to get the brush hog on them.
- Tractor with grapple to clear the stuff I have cut and the brush hog for the final cut, taking the little stumps down to ground level. Once I go over it with the brush hog, I don't really have tripping hazards.
- Stihl FS 56 trimmer with a 4 point steel cutting head for cutting anything 1" or less (for areas I can't get the tractor). This is an amazing combination that I call my shoulder mounted brush hog. It is crazy what this thing will cut with the steel blade. I am sure the way I use the Stihl amounts to abuse, but if I ever break it I would gladly buy another and do the same thing. It is that effective.

Interesting rec with the Stihl. I may have to try that.

 

[Walleyeguy13]

Winter is a greta time t owork on it. Easier on the motor with cooling, Easier to see what going on with no leaves and snow and the ground is frozen.

Keep on her, seen a few good places go to heck in a few years. Too think for the deer too.

Maybe not today though... it's -16 right now!

 

[rocksnstumps]

My tools of choice for trail building are:
- Chainsaw on the first pass for the big standing stuff (which I try to avoid) and deadfalls (I have many fallen dead ash).
- Greenworks pole chainsaw to reach in and cut the larger tag alder down low (to avoid branches in the face when I brush hog). I leave them high enough that I won't accidentally drive a tire over them but low enough to get the brush hog on them.

I'm looking at getting a powered pole saw sometime in the future. Hopefully with at least about 10 ft of reach. What model of greenworks do you have and any general pros and cons?

I have seen a fella use a commercial rated Stihl gas one that he likes a lot but man it's pricey. But he has a tree business on the side so worth it to him.

 

[ethan_holzfaller_midwest]

Hiring a forestry mulcher is the most efficient way to go about putting in any new trails in terms of money, efficiency, and time. I understand people will look at the price of a good operator expensive at $250-350 per hour, but it is definitely worth the cost. And just because "I know a guy who can do it cheaper" does not mean it will be the quality you expect. Remember you already have a list of items that need to be completed on your property at any one time, setting some money aside and research a good reputable company to do this is worth it, trust me! Call up a few guys, ask some farmers, or neighbors and get some leads on who to contact. Get their rates, their experiences, and references so you can double check their work. If you like the results I would get on their list as soon as possible.

Once a trail is blazed in, it will be much easier for your equipment to disc it and start working the trails to either be converted into food plots, or just easier to walk/drive down. Check with your local SWCD/NRCS/DNR if you have a management plan already in place, you can usually get this to be cost-shared by building it as firebreaks, timber access trails, etc. Most cost-shares will cover up to 70% of the cost of a project. You will need to have DNR Forester set up the project, you will get the contractor, and when the project is done, they will review it and make sure it was done correctly. Afterwards a check will be mailed out to by either that agency or your states Department of Revenue for the amount to be cost-shared.

With older equipment, though it is cheaper it can be more of a hassle than time/money saving. I know from experience buying older logging equipment and older skidsters, I thought I was saving a lot of money, but rebuilding engines and breaking hydraulic lines especially in winter, got me thinking. Once I got into a cab of a ASV135/Bobcat590 or even a dedicated Fecon Mulcher, that worldview changed. I mostly rent the machinery I need to do forestry work nowadays for specific jobs, and if I can't do it, I find someone from my contractor list who I can trust to do a good job.

Move on to the next project and save your time and back.

 

[ethan_holzfaller_midwest]

Acme in Bemidji will bring you a Kubota KX057.


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Exactly have used them before on projects. That is if you're good with an excavator, let alone a mulcher. 1/2 mile is a bit of a distance, and yeah you can chainsaw it. I did it but we were cutting firebreaks in Colorado and Montana, thank goodness Minnesota is flat. Cause doing 6 miles in a day even with 3 fallers, 3 swampers, and others chaining the material away to be piled took all day. And that was a well-seasoned Type II IA crew with a lot of exp from the USFS Superior and US Fish & Wildlife.

 

[jsasker007]

Flail mower. Buy one and use for the rest of your life. They will clear trails and make short work of brush. When your done brush cutting you can go and mow grass pretty damn good too. jmo

 

[SwampCat]

Flail mower. Buy one and use for the rest of your life. They will clear trails and make short work of brush. When your done brush cutting you can go and mow grass pretty damn good too. jmo

What would you suggest in the way of a flail mower for 65 hp jd? Do they cut close to ground.

 

[jsasker007]

What would you suggest in the way of a flail mower for 65 hp jd? Do they cut close to ground.

I only have experience with one and I love the thing. Mine is a frontier 390 and is good for a tractor anywhere from 50 to 90 horse I believe. 3 pt versions you can lower them until you're grinding dirt(don't want that). Foggy had some pictures of the one he uses and has side shift on that one. Mine is just a centered style but wide enough to go past the width of the tires on my tractors. They can hit stuff and keep on going where as a rotary might break on some of the things the flail can take. Blades swinging around on a drum connected to the drum by short pieces of chain so if you hit something you don't want to hit the blades can give instead of breaking or bending. jmho