Started a new land clearing project this week

[mowingman]

Although I am supposed to be retired, the VP of a local land management/investment company called me and asked if I could clear a 21 acre tract of land for them. I have worked on and off for these folks for the past 20 years, so I told them I would do it. They are providing all the equipment and a friend of mine is helping me. He is clearing with a rented excavator and I am piling with a Bobcat T300 and various attachments. The property is covered in brush about 8-10' tall, as well as thousands of Mesquite and Locust trees. Here are a few photos of the equipment, and the land, before and after clearing. They want it done in 4 weeks. That might be pushing it.
Jeff

 

[mowingman]

Here is an "after" photo.

 

[petepilot]

Here is an "after" photo.View attachment 223353

looks good did you make the 4 week mark?

 

[mowingman]

looks good did you make the 4 week mark?

We just started on Monday. I can not see us making the 4 week mark by the progress we have seen so far. Will give it 2 weeks and see where we are then.
Jeff

 

[petepilot]

lots of brush to deal with.i reread the post and realized I asked a dumb question.but still a good job so far .12 hour days coming up

 

[hosspuller]

Are you supposed to take down the trees too ? Looks like quite the job.

 

[mowingman]

Are you supposed to take down the trees too ? Looks like quite the job.

We take down all trees except the Oak trees. There are a lot of big Oaks in some areas, so we have to work under and around those. Makes for some slow work under the trees with that excavator boom. All the other trees are Elm, locust, Mesquite, and other trashy varieties that come out. We are taking down the big Oaks if they are diseased or dead, but only about 1 out of ten Oaks are in bad shape. After we are done clearing and piling everything up, I think the landowner is going to have a recycling company come in with a big tub grinder to clean out the piles.

 

[mowingman]

finished week 3 of our land clearing project. We have one week left on the original schedule. I told the landowner I did not think we could finish the whole 21 acres in the next 5 days. Have had the grapple bucket on the Bobcat for the last 2 weeks and we have brush and trees stacked everywhere. It is really hard for me to keep up with my buddy on the excavator. He can lay out brush and trees faster than I can carry it into the piles. So far, we have only ost one day to weather. I guess we will see how this next week goes. It will be close for the finish.
Jeff

 

[mowingman]

Finished the clearing project just 3 days over our estimate of one month. Final rental day on the excavator was 9/21, and we finished at noon on 9/24. So, we almost made it. Here is a photo of the final results in one area. A recycling company is moving in now with a big tub grinder to get rid of the brush piles. now moving on to another property to rebuild a pond and clear acreage. Our allotted time on this next project is 3 weeks.

 

[HarleyHappy]

Nice work retirement suits you lol