Rhododendron control business

[Lorn Logs]

Quote

 

Was thinking about a wee mini digger with grapple, as spuddog says, for flat areas. I’ve been cutting 15 footers by hand and piling and burning them, not too bad when you get going. Getting workers might be hard I suppose, not many up for this kind of work.

[openspaceman]

12 hours ago, Khriss said:

Did some rides thru rhodi blocked woodland, 600m rides 2 m wide with a Valtra n Berti flail in less than an hour each, two passes. Guy with polesaw after first pass on overhang trees - looked landscaped after we finished,  K

I've only been heavily involved once and that was on 100 ha of fairly flat ground in a scots pine plantation, I had two months start on a harvesting outfit. Growth was well over cab height and first pass through was with an 8ft Ahwi on a reverse drive Valtra, with a little skid steer then taking out the inter-row growth. I was making the final pass a couple of inches below the leaf litter to traumatise the roots. It still would have needed hand cutting follow up after the harvesting but unfortunately I have never been back since 12 years ago to see the result. I guess it was costing £500/ha then. The harvesting was right up behind me at finish.

Edited July 24, 2020 by openspaceman

[Khriss]

@openspaceman Definately the detail in these jobs sucks the money out, plus economy of scale, that Valtra mulcher roared through brush all day but was to rich fr some clients, 690squid a day 2010,  which often people wouldnt  pay - but the finish was fab.  K

[Lorn Logs]

Im thinking tractor and mulcher and/or mini digger might be the way....

[openspaceman]

5 hours ago, Lorn Logs said:

Im thinking tractor and mulcher and/or mini digger might be the way....

My guess is much of this sort of work is grant funded and funding may be a little short for a while.

 

As I said I did it on easy ground but don't know the long term result, it isn't worth the expense unless you deliver a knockout blow and that will need  a number of different techniques, just as a harvester still needs a motor manual feller to do edge trees,  and then chemical follow up.  I remember wondering how to control rhododendron on the slopes above loch Etive as there didn't seem anyway of getting the machinery and horsepower in, then I came across a Menzi Muck...

[jmac]

3 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

My guess is much of this sort of work is grant funded and funding may be a little short for a while.

 

As I said I did it on easy ground but don't know the long term result, it isn't worth the expense unless you deliver a knockout blow and that will need  a number of different techniques, just as a harvester still needs a motor manual feller to do edge trees,  and then chemical follow up.  I remember wondering how to control rhododendron on the slopes above loch Etive as there didn't seem anyway of getting the machinery and horsepower in, then I came across a Menzi Muck...

I've not been in glen etive for a few years now, but when I was last there scottish Woodlands were just starting a contract to eradicate rhoddie from the entire glen, think most of it was done manually cut burn and spray.

[openspaceman]

14 minutes ago, jmac said:

I've not been in glen etive for a few years now, but when I was last there scottish Woodlands were just starting a contract to eradicate rhoddie from the entire glen, think most of it was done manually cut burn and spray.

I was first and  last there nine years ago, the parking area at the timber dock was strewn knee deep with beercans, soiled paper and abandoned camping gear, I could not believe my eyes.

 

Anyway the point I was trying to make is that getting horsepower onto a job  increases the output of a man. I drove four different mulchers, it was horses for courses but the 400hp Ahwi was probably the most productive and cost effective on jobs that suited it despite burning through 3-4 hundred litres of diesel per day.

[spuddog0507]

49 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

My guess is much of this sort of work is grant funded and funding may be a little short for a while.

Grant funded it is, and the last time i was with our local FC guy he said he could get us around £4-4,5K for clearing a 3.5 hectare woodland of Rodeys but thats 2 years ago now, it would of been a good job, flat but a bit wet in places and could of all been done with the digger n grab,

[woodwizzard]

13 hours ago, Lorn Logs said:

Im thinking tractor and mulcher and/or mini digger might be the way....

Try to find out what sort of terrain they will put you on before investing in kit. All the clearing I have done has been on sites that were undriveable. Did 5 acres every winter for 7 years in a row on my own because the other bloke pulled out.

 

Certainly wouldn't be my choice for an "easier" way to make a living, I don't think I could physically handle it now, but good luck to you.

[Khriss]

@Lorn Logs  definately do yr homework on the mulcher head, you want most hydraulic flow and pressure you can get. Ended up with a Italian flail - quite small- on a 15 ton Komatsu, which did not push the oil out fast enuff fr it. Dissapointing.  Lot of guys doing gorse n bramble on Highways jobs with them now and seem to have good effect with even small 360s diggers. K

Edited July 25, 2020 by Khriss