Clearing Bush-Land with a Case Crawler Tractor

Any and all bush work on our farm had always been done in the past by individuals that were in the actual business of land clearing. In July of 1980 I was given the opportunity of doing my own work with a rental unit, and I naturally took advantage of the situation. In the latter part of 1989 when this VHS film was shot I once again was able to rent this same machine to do more bush work on land just recently purchased. Although I never cleared substantially large tracts of land with this Case crawler what work I did went a very long way in making our farm more productive and much easier to operate.

[@billymcgrath8362]

I love the videos of bush pushing from this era there is hardly any content around farming in the 1980’s and 90’s it is interesting to understand the reasoning behind all the farming practices

[@Pennies_on_the_dollar]

Very proficient on that little machine you are!! Between watching you operate machines, tractors ,equipment etc, and listening to your narration I could watch all day everyday. Thank you very much for another fine video my friend!! Thank you very much!! Hope there are still a few left!!

[@DeereDon]

Thank you for your many interesting comments. They are certainly appreciated! I have just one more archival video to produce, and then unfortunately I will be done. Not sure at this point in time where I will go from there.

[@Pennies_on_the_dollar]

@@DeereDon Well sir I truly love them!! Works of art, and the narration is captivating while watching things I love!! I remember you said that, hopefully you will decide to continue with something, you sir are an artist at this!! Thank you very much for the opportunity to watch and learn!!

[@thegumbofarmer2383]

You have the best videos. I wish more guys like you would put up the old home movies. Thank you

[@DeereDon]

I myself regret not taking the time (or effort) to shoot more, as it certainly brought back many pleasant memories watching these old VHS films when I edited them for You Tube. I do want to thank you for taking the time to watch my videos, I really appreciate it.

[@jasonrathgeber5999]

Nice work. You are very right to many farmers these days will clear everything to get the most acres, but fail to realize there are many birds, insects and animals that need places to live

[@DeereDon]

Thanks for your comments Jason. I did believe in a certain "saying" I heard many years ago, and it went something like this ------"Take the best, but leave the rest". I tried to follow that as best I could.

[@tyerock7851]

Good video! Was starting to think roosty had the only case equipment around lol

[@roosty6]

I should have bought that Case when I had the chance.

[@DeereDon]

Roosty even got to drive this machine when I worked for him clearing some bush. That is his field in the still picture with the snow on the ground.

[@tyerock7851]

@roosty6 they sure are handy to have

[@tyerock7851]

@deeredon wow its a small world

[@SouthSaskFarmer1]

I'm surprised you allowed something like that on your property haha 😄

[@m.j.l.abulle9107]

Yes ! Wrong colour yellow & no green to be seen lol ---- this case model is very versatile and popular around here & this operator can really make it move !

[@DeereDon]

Hi Nick, yes, I know I am going to get some comments in that regard, but if it makes any difference I made sure I wore the right cap at ALL times while working this unit. My wife even took a video of it to prove the point, but I had no choice but to edit it out. Darn!!

[@SouthSaskFarmer1]

@@DeereDon hahahaahah I'll take your word for it! But I will day case built some darn good industrial equipment!

[@DeereDon]

@@SouthSaskFarmer1 For what its worth, this machine ran good all the years I used it. I would check engine oil and rad in the morning, fill it up with fuel, grease the many grease nipples all over the place, check track tension as well, grease it if necessary to tighten, and that was it. Started excellent even in really cold weather. Like I said in the video, the only thing I had against it was its power and weight, but that was not its fault. Its maneuverability was exceptional!!!!

[@Jwinter7258]

Don,quality content as usual. Awesome!

[@keithrobinson1331]

Nice video.thanks for sharing this👍

[@DeereDon]

Thanks for watching it.

[@samtalley791]

You look right at home running that dozer! I have very limited experience with one and can agree they are enjoyable to operate. Watching this as I see a neighbor working a piece of ground to the south. Spring is near here!

[@DeereDon]

We still have snowbanks lying about in the ditches, hedges and any low spots. Will be awhile before anybody does anything outside on the land. Crawlers are interesting to operate, ONCE you get the hang of it. Before that it is a bit of a nightmare to say the least. Thanks for watching!

[@bobpaterson1845]

Excellent video again 👍 that little dozer certainly handled the work u gave it well 👍👍

[@DeereDon]

It did an great job each time I used it, and many times I only had to resort to my 3020 with F.E.L. to clear up the piles of ash

[@Military-Museum-LP]

All the makings of a big bon fire there Don.

[@DeereDon]

Yes indeed, I did take a few photos of some of the lit bush piles over the years, and there was enough fire to roast a few hot dogs or marshmallows. Was going to include them in the video, but then I realized I had already gone past the number of minutes that I wanted to use. If the dozer work is done properly then all you need is just a regular farm tractor with either a blade or a front end loader and the ash will spread with no problem with very few stumps left to pick.

[@horselakeranch]

Another excellent video!

[@DeereDon]

Thanks, how is everything further north, is the snow all gone or is there still some left in the hollows?

[@horselakeranch]

@@DeereDon a bit of snow around. Lots in the trees still

[@sassymassey5002]

Looks fun, great video 👍🏻

[@DeereDon]

It really wasn't much fun in the very beginning, in fact it was downright difficult, until I searched out the fellow I am referring to in the beginning of this video. Without his guidance and help I would never have succeeded. I owe him a debt of gratitude.

[@ohioplowboyhawk6738]

Nice work Don👍👍

[@DeereDon]

Thanks very much for taking the time to watch.

[@brentreid7031]

We run a D7 . I was taught not to lift your blade at the windrow to make a tight row with no dirt. Strip your roots and a wee bit of dirt is packed along the bottom. Helps make a slow clean burn. You have a nice looking job there thank you for the video update eh.

[@DeereDon]

I will admit that I did pick enough roots and stumps off this land, but at the same time I did spread all these windrows with just a JD 3020 and front end loader as they did burn exceptionally well within two years. Thanks for watching.

[@pinesedgefarm1155]

Very nice video again. You could make promotional equipment videos. Thanks for sharing.

[@DeereDon]

Glad you liked it, I can definitely see where a drone could come in handy for making better videos in todays world.

[@dougschmitii6165]

An 1150 is still a good size crawler. I have a 450 with a loader and frost rake, but with the combo grousers. Not a lot of traction to be had. Everything on it seems to be hard to work on, ha ha!

[@DeereDon]

I was fortunate that I had very very few problems with this machine all the years I used it. Just basically fuel it up in the morning, do a bit of greasing, check the engine levels and away you go. Traction was not a great a problem as engine power, wish it had a turbo under the hood.

[@thetractorguyoldtractor3524]

Thanks for the video. Quick question , how much time on average required between time of knocking down & piling trees , until the piles are dry enough to burn well?

[@DeereDon]

On the average, in this district, going back over the last 70 years, the standard method is as soon as the bush is trampled then the trees are piled. There is no delay whatsoever. Now, that doesn't mean other methods can be used. I do know on the odd occasion (when a crawler was available for long term) that the bush would be tramped in the latter part of the year and then when the ground had "frozen" and there would be snow on the ground then it would be much easier to pile the trees without getting too much dirt in the piles. For myself, in most instances, the piles would "maybe" be ready to burn the next summer, if not, then two years later would be sufficient for a good burn.

[@thetractorguyoldtractor3524]

Thanks , Don. I hired a guy with a Cat high-hoe with the " thumb " on the bucket to remove a couple of acres , mostly Manitoba maple/poplar mix. 125 feet wide along the south side of a treed 20 acre parcel , so that I could garm a 9 acre , and a 51 acre field as one , on my best 80 acres of land 3 piles to burn & clean-up.

[@juanlabayen4106]

What is the best way to remove roots once land is cleared? I've recently bought an old d6 and will start to clear some acres.

[@DeereDon]

I will assume that you have not started any bush-work yet, my opinion (for what is it worth) is to take it slow in the beginning if you have not had any previous experience. Try to get the tree to pull out as many roots as possible when tramping, afterwards try to keep the blade right at ground level (NOT below) to get anything that remains. When everything is complete, obtain the best heavy-duty bush disc available. Disc, disc, and re-disc if necessary. Depending on the unit you find, and on how much horsepower you have to pull it will be the deciding factor on what kind of job it does each time. Once everything is chopped up pretty good then a good set of heavy harrows will gather any loose roots lying on the surface. The harrows can be used not only for windrowing the stumps together for burning but will also do an excellent job in leveling/packing the ground to make it ready for seeding next year.

[@juanlabayen4106]

@@DeereDon Thank you very much! I really appreciate your advice. For sure I will take it slow till I get the experience needed. Thanks again and I loved your video, excellent work💪

[@roosty6]

All that "carbon sequestration" being destroyed there. I'm just waiting for the day those of us with plenty of bushland left start getting compensated for it. :-)

[@DeereDon]

I would suspect you will be "compensated" as soon as Ottawa gets rid of the carbon tax. In the meantime I wouldn't hold your breath!!!!

[@darrenmisick8039]

i agree

[@brentreid7031]

And hope the beaver don't destroy everything like they have in our area.

[@roosty6]

@@brentreid7031 The high water levels killed as much or more than the beaver did here. Hardly any water left now so not many beavers left either.

[@DeereDon]

@@roosty6 I would have to agree totally. Any bush I removed with this crawler does not even come close to what has been destroyed by excess water. I only have to look out my west window of my house at a field that is wide open, even though it was full of bush AFTER I had cleared it with the dozer.

[@scruffy6151]

Becoming a cat skinner out of need.

[@DeereDon]

Desperate people do desperate things! Thanks for watching, was looking forward once more to seeing your "interesting" comments.

[@scruffy6151]

@@DeereDon we cleared 20 acres with dynamite and a small tractor when i was a kid. You do what you have to, to get more crop ground. We had a small dairy farm 20 acres was a fairly good sized field for us to gain.

[@thetractorguyoldtractor3524]

Another enjoyable farming video! Thank you Don👍 and Scruffy's dinamite comment reminds me of my father's true story of a close brush with danger. 1968 , dad bought a farm half way between Newdale and Stathclair Manitoba , Glossip siding. Hired an elderly fellow with blasting experience to rid the farm of several boulders deemed too big to move with the rock picker or the frontend loader. Well on one ocasion after lighting the fuse this fellow says to dad , my knee is locked up can you help me get up! Dad grabs him , carries him like that seen from the movie Forrest Gump , runs 100feet to the far side of dad's 1964 international stepside shortbox dark green pickup truck , shelters there just as the blast goes off only to be pebbled with chards of granite. Dad calmly says well thank you ... that's good for today , let's go to town for supper! WOW, all those years of carrying small hay bales & pails of grain chop feed to the cattle paid dividends that day as to dad's incredible strength!

[@thetractorguyoldtractor3524]

Thank you Don for this very enjoyable video. This light bush and gentle rolling terrain reminds me of many trips from our south central Manitoba farm to the " Newdale" farm as a youngster helping dad seed , pick rocks , spray , harvest , and deliver grain to the elevator in town ( Manitoba Pool Newdale mostly) there was a UGG (United Grain Growers) elevator in town as well. And later Cargill built a wooden elevator there as well.

[@DeereDon]

@@thetractorguyoldtractor3524 I am glad you enjoyed it, and your comments are certainly very, very interesting to say the least!!