How to Burn Brush Like Pro - Land Clearing with Excavator

Using our cat 304 excavator to help get this pile of excess fuel burnt and taken care of. people are always asking why we burn, every burn pile we have is one less pile of fuel on the ground in the event of a major forest fire. Imagine if every pile we ever burnt was ignited at the same time, that would be the result if we left this all on the ground.
DISCLAIMER. this is not a how to video and I am not responsible for any actions you take on your equipment or property
#landclearing
#wildfire
#homestead

[@ianmckay1780]

There is something primeval about our love/fascination of fire in it's raw state! That power of the flame as it renders, what was a large volume of tree carcasses, with careful management - who else, but a true professional firefighter - and leaves just a campfire of residue to let cool and die! Thanks Mike for the true lessons in fire lighting/maintenance/cooldown. Loved every minute of this, not just because fire is dangerous, but that primeval need to watch! There were lessons there to be learnt and sage wisdom as well as the humour Mike always brings to these videos. Thanks again Mike, take care of yourself and see you in the next episode. From UK.

[@tomswindler64]

Nice little campfire,you had going there.almost looks like a professional did that.just keep us entertained with your antics.great video.be safe 👍👍👍😎😎😎

[@rhondasweeney7271]

This is great progress! Property is looking awesome. Who couldn't ask for a better fireman than you. Thank you for sharing!😊

[@jrwalker1048]

Missed an opportunity to play some festive Christmas music as an outro with the campfire burning 😂 Thankn you for the great content!

[@fransinyard891]

Good morning sunshine! Honestly I could watch a fire burn all day long! So mesmerizing! Stay warm! Much love and respect from Henderson Ga USA

[@ep9360]

Agreed, just came in from my own burn pile of sweet seasoned pine. Pops from East Texas.

[@timkd5vmv583]

Good Morning Captain!! Fuel management is good forestry!! Stay Safe Brother !!

[@HogshooterHotrods]

Excellent fire control and clean up of the property!!

[@rockman531]

Always happy to see a safety-first pyro! Job well done! Thumbs up! Jim

[@dansevern3291]

Just makes me jealous. I can see four big burn piles from my porch, and it's a calm wind day, and it rained on Saturday, and until my back heals, the best I can do is look at the burn piles. But even when I can get around again, I've got a barn to build, a pressure tank, switch, bypass irrigation valve, 600 feet of pipe, 200 feet of underground feeder cable, two sets of barn lights, plugs for water trough heaters, a broken tractor, a broken generator, a backhoe, three tractors and a dozer to winterize, hay to move for 300-400 goats, two new fences to build, a big tree to cut off another fence, so I can repair that, and two irrigation wells to winterize. (See why I think of your channel as therapy? Someone else with as many projects as I have.) Somehow, I need to channel my inner Captain Kleeman energy when they get my back fixed. Thanks as always and as always, take care.

[@utubota5522]

Thanks Mike, great advice from an actual trained firefighter

[@rolandgsl]

Watching you swing the extended leaf blower around I kept expecting “say hello to my little friend”

[@Sleekfalcon]

Your leaf blower attachments remind me of our time off grid. I needed an efficient and sufficient way to burn our trash up to the point we found a trash service. I had pipes from a privacy fence rolling gate I had dismantled. I hole sawed holes in a metal barrel and took one of the pipes and drilled holes in the end, only the end inside the pipe. I plugged that end with the never ending supply of clay I had available. The other end stuck out about 3-4ft. I stuck my shop vac on that end and taped the seam or covered it with a shirt or something, whatever was available at the time. I was able to turn the pipe so I could direct the airflow however I needed. It turned my barrel into an incinerator. The amount of trash left over was bare minimum vs had I just put trash in and burnt it. This blower technique works the same way with brush or leaf piles. I love it. Use what you have.

[@terryrogers1025]

I like the anti theft camo on the trailer, bet works good, another added benefit, if you will, is if you get a little sparky spark in the camo,you could have yourself a portable fire starting unit for the ole home stead, it may not last to long, but hey, look at the portability aspect, who knew!!!😮😊!!!!!!! Nice fire, good progress on the clean up aspect of the property, thanks for the update, enjoyed watching.

[@CaptainKleeman]

No one will ever suspect a fuel trailer is hiding behind the flame

[@terryrogers1025]

@ 😂😂😂😂

[@charleswelch249]

The place is looking great, Mike. Can't wait for more updates on the rental.

[@CaptainKleeman]

Plenty to come!

[@randydobson1863]

Hi Mike & it's is Randy and i like yours video is Cool & Thanks Mike & Friends Randy

[@CaptainKleeman]

Thanks for watching Randy!n

[@jdelbrid]

Another hard earned tip for the burner hose... if you leave it set on the barn floor for several months mice love it. Fortunately I had the necessary OJT to make sure the tank was turned off prior to storage. Those hoses must have cheese flavoring imbedded in them. Also, I had to laugh when I saw you put together the leaf blower extension. Genius.

[@CaptainKleeman]

Lol

[@paulvanhouts3365]

Hey Cap’n, as you nudge thing around with the fire, I’m looking over your shoulder up the hill and seeing more logs for the fire. Just keep loading it while hot and get the fire to do a lot of burning for you. Thinking of fire risks with machinery: I once had an old grey fergy and used a home made grader blade to keep the fires loaded, that was all I had. I didn’t realize that the dozer piled a lot of soil up and over, so the fire burnt under the surface. As I was reversing a red hot bed of coals was uncovered, I slipped into gear and got out fast, luckily the wheels didn’t drop in. It hardened the tyre rubber on one patch. Take care, enjoying these updates, thanks for sharing.

[@CaptainKleeman]

Definitely a lot left to burn

[@michaeld_68]

Morning Captain. Tough decision this morning who to watch first. You or DP??? Well you won today 😂. Have a great day.

[@genesispuredeaf2390]

Nah…always the Captain first. He is my Monday/Thursday start

[@genesispuredeaf2390]

Now that I’ve watched this one, off to DP to see what trouble Aaron can find 😮

[@alanbierhoff6831]

I usually watch DP first and then “Comment Generator Detox” by watching The Captain 😂

[@michaeld_68]

@@alanbierhoff6831 can't go wrong either way 👍

[@alandawson2813]

Happy Days, Captains out and about playing and burning stuff. Happy Days, From Kiwi land.

[@Manoffire260]

Proper forest management! - Mother Nature has used fire to clear the forest floor for millennia - we humans have controlled it to where we have created a tinder box. Climate change is making it worse and the emerald ash borer added by killing nearly 1/3 of my trees. I’m doing the exact same thing as you (with the help of my certified forester) just a few hundred miles east of you, also on the Ohio. I’m glad you are showing this important work

[@Gman2930]

Ole Cap’n loves that 304!! It’s a nice machine to have for your property for sure.

[@CaptainKleeman]

Definitely a huge help!

[@goptools]

Hi Mike. Love seeing it when you are having a burn pile. Some people don't understand that if that excess fuel isn't removed in a controlled burn, it becomes a real threat that could become a wildfire. It happens every year in California. Unfortunately, in that case, the forest is so immense that it's pretty much impossible to have controlled burns to manage the danger.

[@CaptainKleeman]

They do some controlled burns and have been getting better about it. The biggest issue, among many, is being able to convince the public that it's necessary. But thanks mostly to social media coverage of all the massive fires, people are starting to understand what's needed

[@goptools]

@@CaptainKleeman Hard to convince people that some destruction is necessary to prevent worse destruction.

[@rons3103]

Mike, I think you need to buy one of those adjustable hitches, so that you can lower the connection to the trailer. Looked like it was riding a little high in the front. 😁😁 Bring on the Yacht!

[@Jeff-rc3gk]

Good morning Captain. A good place to get rid of old gas is as a fire starter. Just mix with some oil. Works pretty well.

[@225garage]

Cool, Calm and Collective.....

[@lisaleeper9399]

Great video and your dry comments crack me up! You being a fireman makes me feel confident you know what you’re doing!!

[@CaptainKleeman]

Appreciate ya watching!

[@182turtel]

Cheers mike, always entertaining what ever you do...... thanks AUS viewer

[@Richard-C]

great video Mike, watching the fire burning reminded me of when you could set the Tv to the fire place channel on christmas and listen to christmas songs, i was surprised on how fast the original pile burned down.👍👍👍👍👍

[@holyearth61]

Nice fire Mike, I can feel the heat from here. Looking good, that's how I cleaned a lot of my property and got to enjoy a good " campfire ". I have a big, big one in the works right now..

[@CaptainKleeman]

Nice!

[@tbix1963]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, ideas and videos. Always love some forced draft action on a burning fire. Reminded of the movie Fahrenheit 451, firemen make some of the best burn piles. Wishing you and your family the best.

[@CaptainKleeman]

Thanks tom!

[@daleerhardt1799]

Good afternoon Mike! (Sorry I'm late today, I have a note..) who doesnt love a good burn pile!? Thats date night material on my property! 2 big takeaways from today's video. 1) love the "cinematic" camera angles and most importantly 2) "this stick is a paid actor".... good lord did I laugh!!!! the whole first few minutes had me laughing so hard😂 you are the best ! Have a great one!

[@bks810]

Great video, thanks. Excited to see the upcoming KZbin Yacht videos.

[@CaptainKleeman]

Me too!

[@everestyeti]

Definitely a good idea putting that towing hitch on the blade, gives you a few more options. Nice burn pile, mind you you did start if off well. 👍

[@CaptainKleeman]

Absolutely!

[@leer-winnobbeefarms2131]

Yep, this dry year gave me the ability to get a lot of things done on the farm, I've been wanting to do for a long time. It was 20 over here for two solid weeks with bare ground. I'm sure hoping we killed off a few ticks. They've been real bad for several years now. Light rain and in the 40's today (12-9-24 East Central Ohio) Great video! Thanks Mike! Lee (Paco and Teddy on my lap! They love watching Captain Kleeman, too! Especially when one of your dogs come into view! Then it's game on! Jumping and barking!)

[@maxobara1496]

Nice clean up Mike!! Second camera sounded pretty good too 🤗🇺🇸

[@CaptainKleeman]

Thanks! I don't it often, but it seemed like a good opportunity to get it out

[@allensharlow7763]

You got that mess cleaned up pretty good Mike, things looking up😎😎🤗🤗🙏🙏🍮🍮👌👌

[@maker-matt]

Al Pachino's Leaf blower... "Say hello to my little friend" Oh and thank you for my new favorite fireplace video!

[@dfusit]

I wondered how much of that downspout would burn up. 😂 Anxiously awaiting the KZbin yacht series coming up. It’s certainly been a minute since we last saw her. Stay safe Captain. Did I forget to mention that your sarcasm was top notch today. 😆

[@brucehuff5566]

Nice relaxing fire after a day of work for me. Thanks captain. Stay safe

[@CaptainKleeman]

Appreciate ya watching!

[@seanpierce7673]

Hi yeah mike! Nice fire work! I so miss my old job burning brush in the woods! And thst leaf blower sure dose come in handy! Yes fire midigation is vital for a healthy forest! It a balance! Thats got to be done ,but done rite! Wild fires are accually good for our forest! And for the earth! I just widh folks understood that!

[@CaptainKleeman]

💪

[@jeronethompson1059]

Looking good Mike, thank you for sharing.

[@CaptainKleeman]

Thanks for watching!

[@jeronethompson1059]

@ Mike I look every day to see if you have a new post. I can’t wait for the KZbin Yatch and the plunge pond to get finished, will be planning a vacation to come down and rent it.

[@TruckerChick]

Welocme to the show Stick. Nice to meet ya bud.

[@CaptainKleeman]

Lol

[@ep9360]

That 304 is a game changer for many projects. Forget About it. ❤

[@CaptainKleeman]

Absolutely!!

[@Losttoanyreason]

I miss campfires and being able to burn the fallen branches to clean up our yard but my lungs can no longer handle the smoke. Even cooking on the charcoal grill is dangerous to my breathing. I love your leafblower blast furnace effect. We have been having late January Febuary weather in the low 20F down in the South here. Way too cold for this time of the year. You trailer hitch you made the other day seems to be working great.

[@garulusglandarius6126]

Love a good bomby ( British for bonfire ) though Gretas gonna be coming for you 🤣😂🤣 Great episode as always, thank you Mike 👍 Best wishes to you and yours, from Britain 👍👍🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧

[@lenny5355]

Morning Captain I do love a good big bonfire in the morning, best way to start the day

[@CaptainKleeman]

💪

[@theman-gg7hp]

used motor oil works good too......

[@americanpatriot2.06]

2:48 "This stick is a paid actor!" Thanks to Captain Kleeman, that stick got its big break into the acting business! The best part is its acting skills will be very valuable in any scene! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@markhewitt7568]

In the UK if you have a caravan with those propane hoses you have to have a habitation check and hoses replaced for safety

[@sassafrasvalley1939]

Cap’n, when I saw the title… I hoped that you would provide a proper program of prodigious pyromaniacal prowess to satisfy my thirst for summer sunburned scorched Earth. And, I must admit, you succeeded my expectations… the repeated crackling conflagrations captured my attention for the complete 18 1/2 minutes. Thanks bud… now I’ll have visions to warm me the remainder of the day as I go about my mundane task of tilling the garden!

[@CaptainKleeman]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@mikesorg6746]

“This stick as a paid actor” 😂

[@doritleis2773]

You have good Nerve!! And not See a Wood in Fire! And not can more Help !!! 🔥🔥🔥

[@Chico-td2fy]

That's the best thunder puddle fuel trailer out there ! ♨️⚓️🚢

[@CaptainKleeman]

🤣🤣

[@alanbierhoff6831]

That modified leaf blower has me dying over here! OMG! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 You definitely don’t want to do the Camarata mod to the 304! 13:30 that fire was behaving nicely. Almost like it knew what you did IRL 😂

[@CaptainKleeman]

Hey it did the job! Lol

[@jerryc3050]

How much did you have to pay your extra (stick) to hang around and eventually be consumed by the fire? Good video👌

[@johnb.2936]

I think the stick will be a big, big star. Funny Captain comedian

[@CaptainKleeman]

🤣

[@fsj197811]

When you re-stacked the burnt wood and had the blower on it I was thinking "You really think that's going to relight?" I should have know it would (Wood?!) As always, thanks for sharing!

[@CaptainKleeman]

Thanks for watching!

[@dougvazquez6571]

My blower extension tube is galvanized steel, mainly because it was cheaper than the aluminum downspout. I never thought about aluminum burning,. Though, as I remember it, beer cans burn. Good burning weather, cold and clear. I like it.

[@theman-gg7hp]

nice! 20 acres will make a great campground.....

[@mikestrand3747]

Looks much better all cleaned up

[@rocksy71]

2:51 fantastic skills I could all believe that you’re always born to be a stick, do you think Captain that you’ll be having “stick” In any of your following videos, I can’t wait to see those talents again

[@CaptainKleeman]

Pretty impressive skills

[@sparky11772]

Good morning Mike

[@markg9674]

You had me at propane and propane accessories, Mike lol

[@CaptainKleeman]

🤣🤣

[@NotJustaTool]

I don't know if you remember, but I was so appalled at your fire starting skills, I sent you the blower and batteries. Captain... YOU'VE COME ALONG WAY! Bravo 👏 Cheer bud🎉

[@CaptainKleeman]

Blower is still going strong!

[@gwbuilder5779]

It appears that this channel attracts firebugs like moth to the flame!😂 Fire always puts on a good show.🤙

[@katherinerose446]

The old"hook and loop"😂 ❤

[@CaptainKleeman]

Lol

[@themoondoggie1]

Ya can't keep having weenie roast bond fires without the family. Why, I remember Grandpa back in 1966 more or less having Hugh bond fires so everybody could roast hot dogs and other foods in that heat, during the fall of the sun with lighting bugs glowing in the air. Fresh corn on the cob just hand picked from the crop by the kids steaming in the pots. You will not find corn on the cob like it was grown back then but in a few places these days. I remember those days I had as a kid and it helped in my growth later on a bit. Carry on Captain

[@garymessina1609]

Good burn Mike great video thanks

[@CaptainKleeman]

Appreciate ya watching!

[@ewood88]

A fireman knows how to make a fire 🔥. That paid actor sure knows how to get in front of the camera 😂

[@alfredomarotta6604]

😂😂❤👍👍

[@SciPunk215]

Even when those fires seem to burn themselves out, they keep smouldering for a while, eating up more volume of whatever wood is still there. The only problem is the lightweight ash that gets everywhere.

[@henkweurding3339]

Leave it to a firefighter to burn some dead trees. Nice video and that homemade thundercreek... I would have done the same and build me a "firecrackercreek" being able to pull it behind the mini excavator or Polaris.

[@chrishelms1967]

Did I just spend 18 minutes of Monday morning watching a guy burn a junk pile .... YES.......yes I did

[@shooterjohn7163]

Mike, I burn allot as well because I’m in the excavating business and clear property for homesites and such. I have two older corded style of yard blowers that I power off of an Ecoflow. The straw bales are a game changer in getting things burning. I need to put a hitch on my Yanmar excavator. It would be so handy as I have a small trailer set up with tank and pump for Fire prevention. That 304 makes a big difference doesn’t it?

[@l0n3d4nger4]

You should check out a blade buddy for mini excavator you could build one

[@CJ-ok7rk]

I noticed you left the leaf blower in the perfect place to run over it.🤣

[@morgansword]

Could go on record as a great buy if money holds out... excavator for the win.... and a dump trailer is not stupid nor hard to do when a one man band is clearing up stuff. Crazier than that is a hitch on the dump trailer to make a train out of things. excavator towing dump trailer and dump trailer bringing up the rear with fuel cart/trailer. I don't see much wood there that would help with lumber as its so mixed up with every kind of tree... not a steady bunch of oak or ash or what ever type of wood you use. You go to the box store to get hemlock or fir for building structure woods.

[@alvalonline]

Noice! I've got a pile about 8 times larger that we've been waiting on some deep snow before burning. The fire should be visible from the moon once it's going good. I'll of course be doing a video of that as well.

[@CaptainKleeman]

🤣

[@gussaba9004]

Well done

[@CaptainKleeman]

Thanks!

[@carldavis4540]

At 6:19 that log had a frowny face. He was getting burned. LOL

[@alfredomarotta6604]

😂😂❤👍

[@Denkar11]

"I don't even know if we need a leaf blower at this point...but I wants it, Precious."

[@jamesrobinson1022]

Your idea of having a dump trailer hooked up to excavator is actually used over in Europe.

[@ericfallis6202]

Ahoy Cap😊

[@69dblcab]

Merry Christmas

[@CaptainKleeman]

Merry Christmas

[@alfredomarotta6604]

@4:00 looks like a face with black shaded sunglasses 😂❤

[@CaptainKleeman]

Kind a does!

[@brentjensen85]

Get you a cheap roll of dollar gentral toilet paper - soak it in fuel - skewer it on a long sick - light it Makes a nice fire starter, and its fun to wield. I keep trying to get MBTS to do it!

[@kaboom4679]

Sounds like a Taco Bell commercial .

[@raymondgochenour8725]

Enjoyed it

[@CaptainKleeman]

Thanks!

[@troypayne3398]

So Mike, how much does your paid actor get? Does that mean you'll have more paid actors? Doing swell keep it up. It is a good family show.

[@Crewsy]

18 1/2 minutes of watching stuff burn. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@CaptainKleeman]

Always appreciate ya watching!

[@kenfrazier616]

good day outdoors

[@firemanjeffgg2440]

You need to get a second trailer for the side by side, and its only purpose is fire control. Get yourself a small tank with a small pump and some brush tools, and you'll be set on those big burns.

[@CaptainKleeman]

That's what the excavator is for

[@young11984]

6:21 log on the top looks like it was already sad before the fire

[@jeffpeters1014]

Yeah the hammer loop caught my atv throttle and here I am with cracked ribs. Not the dismount I was expecting.

[@clarencewiles963]

Good fuel management picking up sticks and letting it go some more. If you ever need to melt some steel or become a blacksmith 😅

[@RandyBarber-v3e]

👍👍🔥👍👍

[@jimclester4754]

Staying warm today, I see!

[@CaptainKleeman]

Absolutely!

[@leemunger8597]

The receiver mount might be a good camera angle when pushing

[@legendsatlunch]

Hope the stick got his morning Break and retirement plan sorted...... 😃

[@CaptainKleeman]

🤣

[@ClassicNathan]

So, Neil Koch went with the skid steer. Captain Kleeman went with the mini-ex. Not that I'd really every buy one, but it's kind of a tough choice when I think about the applications on our farm and which one would work best.

[@CaptainKleeman]

You can do skid steer work with a tractor. Can't do excavator work though.

[@brotherbruce]

Who doesn't love a good fire? At some point the leaf blower can be counter productive if it burns off the easily consumable before the harder to ignite heats up good. Not that I could school you on how fire works.

[@blondelizard5453]

👨🏼‍🏭🔥🔥👍

[@ahnilatedahnilated7703]

24hr Yule log with Captain Kleeman incoming!

[@CaptainKleeman]

There's an idea!