Low impact forestry services in Devon and the South West

[dumper]

Are you going to replant the site?

[Big J]

50 minutes ago, dumper said:

Are you going to replant the site?

Yes. A 90% replant, with 15m strips around the outside for the already prolific natural regen to grow. The replanting is 50% douglas fir, 50% sitka

[dumper]

So mixed or single species rows?

 

[Big J]

4 minutes ago, dumper said:

So mixed or single species rows?

 

Two separate compartments I think. The topography lends itself to have the sitka growing on the exposed upper slope and the douglas on the northern edge down the hill a bit.

[drinksloe]

Cheers j

 

Wot size of head/bar is on that then? 

 

But ( and not having a go) but u also have the extra expense of hand cutting to pay for in that 4k, most heads would cope with a 60 butt and would romp throu that, looks cracking timber.

Amazing how it mounts up thou. And it does look a tidy site.

 

Will the site be dolped/mounded?

I've never drove a 360 mounding, but would it be easier for them on a normal harvesting site where all brash is in the Matt instead off all across the site??

Possibly the 360s might have to redd all the brash up 1st before they dig the mounds. So it actually takes longer than it would on a 'bomb site' more normal harvesting site even thou it looks tidier

Be interested to hear wot mounders think, like I said never done it.

But could see them fouling digger bucket, I know the local welder adds 2 bars to back of mounding buckets for dragging/pushing brash on the back stroke.

 

[Big J]

6 hours ago, drinksloe said:

Cheers j

 

Wot size of head/bar is on that then? 

 

But ( and not having a go) but u also have the extra expense of hand cutting to pay for in that 4k, most heads would cope with a 60 butt and would romp throu that, looks cracking timber.

Amazing how it mounts up thou. And it does look a tidy site.

 

Will the site be dolped/mounded?

I've never drove a 360 mounding, but would it be easier for them on a normal harvesting site where all brash is in the Matt instead off all across the site??

Possibly the 360s might have to redd all the brash up 1st before they dig the mounds. So it actually takes longer than it would on a 'bomb site' more normal harvesting site even thou it looks tidier

Be interested to hear wot mounders think, like I said never done it.

But could see them fouling digger bucket, I know the local welder adds 2 bars to back of mounding buckets for dragging/pushing brash on the back stroke.

 

The other new planting on that site has not been mounded, so I'm disinclined to do so. I'm considering using a mulcher on site actually. There isn't much brash (could have done with more to be honest) and what there is is half driven into the ground. A 13t excavator with mulching head will very quickly bash it down to virtually nothing. The mulch will help fertilise the new planting too, as well as improve the soil structure. Might be a touch more expensive for me, but it'll look better, and hopefully produce a better 2nd rotation.

 

The trees were pretty large at base, and even with a larger harvester (this one will take 60cm), we would have still had to debuttress them. When factoring in lower stumps (and the money saved there) and the fact they are taking 1-3 lengths off per tree, it's only costing me a few quid a tonne to drop the tree by hand, and that's only counting the tonnes they produce, not what is going through the head on the harvester.

 

And also, I've got good, hardworking cutters who do lots of shittier work for me. It's good to be able to give them some nice trees to fell for a change.

 

But as I said, they are a fair size. This is a 372XP on a 24" bar: 

 

[Big J]

Not sure if the video will work, but Tom took a nice video of me coming out of the stand. The ground is in poor shape, but that's to be expected after 3 weeks of continuous rain. You have to listen to it with the sound on as the engine makes a lovely noise!

Edited October 11, 2019 by Big J

[drinksloe]

Cheers again, bloody hell I bet that does look well after being mulched. Be nice to see some finished photos too

I forgot u mentioned earlier u multched the brash.

 

Just that used to how they do it up here and the majority of restock sites on the mound. Plus with the wetter soil/climate the 360s need the brash Matt to travel on anyway

 

That is a big stick in the photo doesnae even look like an outsider or if it is it's not very hairy.

Does look some cracking timber.

Has it been thinned previously?

Or just the warmer weather better soil down there.

[Big J]

1 hour ago, drinksloe said:

Cheers again, bloody hell I bet that does look well after being mulched. Be nice to see some finished photos too

I forgot u mentioned earlier u multched the brash.

 

Just that used to how they do it up here and the majority of restock sites on the mound. Plus with the wetter soil/climate the 360s need the brash Matt to travel on anyway

 

That is a big stick in the photo doesnae even look like an outsider or if it is it's not very hairy.

Does look some cracking timber.

Has it been thinned previously?

Or just the warmer weather better soil down there.

I has been extensively thinned in the past. Perhaps slightly overthinned the last time, hence the 60 odd trees windblown. 

 

Lovely timber indeed. Fast grown but great form throughout. The odd tree we've had to do the first length as a 3.7m as I'd struggle to move a 4.9m.

 

Not yet certain we'll mulch it, but do have a chap from Kingwell Holdings coming out on Thursday to quote to mulch it with a monster purpose built machine

 

[Khriss]

Fantastic ? cracking video. Ooo big butts missus! Lovely hearing  that forwarder groaning out of the stand *sigh* k