I have just bought my siblings interest in a tract that we calle the
crappy cernig. We call it crappy because there isnt a peice of timber
on the 83 acres. Its just very small diameter thickets of hardwoods
and tallow trees and hedge bush. I saw a while back some clearing
machines that were Cat 953 and 983( I think). they were like track
loaders and wheel loaders that had this big6 foot or so grinder with
all these teeth in it to reduce brush and timber up to 20 inch, was
the advertising, to mulch. Has anyone ever used one of these. I could
use a dozer but all this stuff is growing and I hate to disturb the
soil. I saw once on the interstate in Alabama these smaller grinder
mounted on the ends of track hoes. It looked like a field with mulch
in it as they debrushed an area. I priced some of the big cats out of
a place in Jacksonville and they were like 7500 a month for the small
ones. It thers a small unit that could do this for trees that didnt
exceed maybe 5 DBH. You can rent a case 650 Dozer here for 2K a month
and i guess that is what I'll do if I cant find a better way. If I
could find something small maybe i could just peck away at it and get
max money from the govt t turn this basket case into a Long Leaf
forest, albeit it 60 years from now

"John Ponder" wrote in message
...
snip
Has anyone ever used one of these.
snip

Used one about 10 yrs ago on a test basis to mechanically thin about 40 acres of natural Ponderosa
pine saplings that were runnimg over 2000 stems/ac.- took it down to about 225 stems/ac. The machine
was called a Slashbuster and was mounted on a Kabelco loader (I think about Cat 225 size). It did a
beautiful job and left the ground covered with a nice mulch, with the largest pieces being maybe 2' x
2" - no slash hazard.
It was pretty spendy though. IIRC it it worked out to $140-$150/ac with operator.


--

Bob Weinberger
Forest Management Consulting
Land and Natural Resource
Management Analysis

forestry DOT management AT verizon DOT net

Thanks Bob,
That sounds good but 140$ an acre..... let me think about that some.
We have never busted 100$ an acre using big stuff but then again we
arent getting mulch either, on the other hand I want to level it all
so cost would be even higher. If you could half that by renting it
might be feasable. On a side note has any one ever heard of running a
cutter like a lawn mower and just flat burning?
On Wed, 11 Jun 2003 23:59:20 GMT, "Bob Weinberger"
wrote:


"John Ponder" wrote in message
...
snip
Has anyone ever used one of these.
snip

Used one about 10 yrs ago on a test basis to mechanically thin about 40 acres of natural Ponderosa
pine saplings that were runnimg over 2000 stems/ac.- took it down to about 225 stems/ac. The machine
was called a Slashbuster and was mounted on a Kabelco loader (I think about Cat 225 size). It did a
beautiful job and left the ground covered with a nice mulch, with the largest pieces being maybe 2' x
2" - no slash hazard.
It was pretty spendy though. IIRC it it worked out to $140-$150/ac with operator.


--

Bob Weinberger
Forest Management Consulting
Land and Natural Resource
Management Analysis

forestry DOT management AT verizon DOT net

Look into a devise called a Hydroax, may be cheaper. I assume your in the
south, what part?

--
DS
"John Ponder" wrote in message
...
Thanks Bob,
That sounds good but 140$ an acre..... let me think about that some.
We have never busted 100$ an acre using big stuff but then again we
arent getting mulch either, on the other hand I want to level it all
so cost would be even higher. If you could half that by renting it
might be feasable. On a side note has any one ever heard of running a
cutter like a lawn mower and just flat burning?
On Wed, 11 Jun 2003 23:59:20 GMT, "Bob Weinberger"
wrote:


"John Ponder" wrote in message
...
snip
Has anyone ever used one of these.
snip

Used one about 10 yrs ago on a test basis to mechanically thin about 40
acres of natural Ponderosa
pine saplings that were runnimg over 2000 stems/ac.- took it down to
about 225 stems/ac. The machine
was called a Slashbuster and was mounted on a Kabelco loader (I think
about Cat 225 size). It did a
beautiful job and left the ground covered with a nice mulch, with the
largest pieces being maybe 2' x
2" - no slash hazard.
It was pretty spendy though. IIRC it it worked out to $140-$150/ac with
operator.


--

Bob Weinberger
Forest Management Consulting
Land and Natural Resource
Management Analysis

forestry DOT management AT verizon DOT net

hi the land is in south La. I have never heard of a hrdr ax
On Sat, 14 Jun 2003 21:11:38 -0500, "dstaples"
wrote:

Look into a devise called a Hydroax, may be cheaper. I assume your in the
south, what part?

--
DS
"John Ponder" wrote in message
...
Thanks Bob,
That sounds good but 140$ an acre..... let me think about that some.
We have never busted 100$ an acre using big stuff but then again we
arent getting mulch either, on the other hand I want to level it all
so cost would be even higher. If you could half that by renting it
might be feasable. On a side note has any one ever heard of running a
cutter like a lawn mower and just flat burning?
On Wed, 11 Jun 2003 23:59:20 GMT, "Bob Weinberger"
wrote:


"John Ponder" wrote in message
...
snip
Has anyone ever used one of these.
snip

Used one about 10 yrs ago on a test basis to mechanically thin about 40
acres of natural Ponderosa
pine saplings that were runnimg over 2000 stems/ac.- took it down to
about 225 stems/ac. The machine
was called a Slashbuster and was mounted on a Kabelco loader (I think
about Cat 225 size). It did a
beautiful job and left the ground covered with a nice mulch, with the
largest pieces being maybe 2' x
2" - no slash hazard.
It was pretty spendy though. IIRC it it worked out to $140-$150/ac with
operator.


--

Bob Weinberger
Forest Management Consulting
Land and Natural Resource
Management Analysis

forestry DOT management AT verizon DOT net