Let's Talk Forestry Mulching! Operator Tips - Part I

[@granelandworks9655]

Is it weird that even when I'm not mulching myself, it never gets old watching someone else taking care of business!?

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

GRANE LANDWORKS We're all weird that way. I watch all kinds of equipment operating. Must be a dude thing! Lol! I was happy that I got the angle of the camera on my head right, so it showed the hand controls and a full view out of the window. A lot of viewers want to see how the controls work. Glad I didn't take 2-hours of the ceiling of the cab. You never know with these GoPros until you download it. I'm still waiting for a good job to mount the camera on the push bar, like you did in your video. That was a cool shot.

[@mueckenhoeffer]

This was the best 48 minutes I've spent in forever. Thanks for all the tips!

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

The Curmudgeon Awesome!! Glad it was useful!

[@galehess6676]

Summary: Don't bog down drum in dirt, don't nick trees that will stay on site, can clear 80% of woods to open view, by doing up to 8" trees. Maintain your machine, blow debris out of engine, coolers, air filter.

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

Gale Hess 💯👍

[@sanfranciscobay]

Would it be more efficient to have a Machine that cuts the tree 12" above ground level, pulls it back into a Self Contained Chipper and then the Mulcher Machine is used to clean up to grade level? Maybe 2 separate Machines?

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

Sure. I’ve come in after logging operations and mulched up the slash and ground the stumps flush with soil surface. This size skid-steer forestry mulcher will mulch an 8”-diameter hardwood, which can be 20’-30’ tall, completely top-to-bottom in about 2-minutes. So that’s about as efficient as it gets. If you have larger diameter trees, then other equipment would make processing them more efficient.

[@drewgardner81]

Great and informative video Dave.

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

skidsteerdrew Thanks, Drew! I just saw you had a KZbin channel, and I subscribed to it. Gotta support the team👍

[@drewgardner81]

Clevinger Forest Services, LLC Thank you for subscribing.

[@testified.]

Awesome tips! Would you be willing to explain how to price a job?

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

Estimating a job comes down to knowing your production rate. Production rate is the hours per acre it takes to mulch everything 6”-8” diameters and smaller. Factors that affect production rate are: type of material to be mulched, density of the material, terrain, and obstacles. When I first started mulching in 2014, I would clear an area, time myself, then walk the perimeter of the area I cleared using an App that calculated square footage. I would convert this time per square feet into Hours per Acre. When I went to a customers property, after looking at the area they wanted cleared (and factoring in the type, density, terrain, and obstacles) and them telling me the acres they had, I would calculate a cost estimate from that. Since the stated acres, or guessed at acres, was such a variable, this is why I would tell customers a Cost per Acre and then work by the hour.

[@CharlesJohnson-pi7ii]

I just rented one this past weekend, first time I've ever used one. It was a blast to operate. I cleared about 3 acres.

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

Charles Johnson Nice! These machines are fun to operate. I'm sure you were amazed by how efficient and fast the machine cleared the brush, especially when you think about how long it would have taken by hand, or some other methods. That's when you really appreciate the value of these forestry mulchers.

[@CharlesJohnson-pi7ii]

@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 absolutely, we had thousands of 2 to 3 inch oaks. Very efficient.

[@eliseolozano4785]

How much was the rental?

[@jrisnerny]

Just bot a Mastodon Forestry Mulcher for my ASV75HD. This is a very helpful video to get started. Particularly liked the tip about hitting downed trees at an angle. My first experience was similar to yours in going straight on, but then approaching at a full 90 degrees bogged down the machine if I was set too low. Appreciate the tips and time it took to make the video

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

Hey John- Glad to hear that my video tips were helpful to you. Lots of golden nuggets in there, and the more you use your machine, then the more this video will make sense. Thanks for your comment!

[@alexlanda6711]

Great video Sir!

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

Alex Landa Glad you liked it, Alex. Appreciate you watching.

[@luismigueldjdhsjsusususidi8775]

Clevinger Forest Services, LLC yffhgko

[@rca_yj3928]

How do the mulching heads work on rockey ground. The forest I live in has exposed bed rock all over.

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

Bobby Alquist Well, obviously fast spinning cutting teeth do not work well on rocks. But if rock faces or areas can be worked around, then it's not a big problem. People normally clear their land for a specific purpose, and once it's cleared, they will have a plan to maintain it by mowing or with livestock. If you have some other purpose for clearing your land, and depending on how rocky it is, a better solution may be an excavator or dozer to clear the trees and rocks, or to push dirt to cover the rocks.

[@rca_yj3928]

Thank you.

[@trader025]

Thanks .... What about rocks with a mulcher? Ive got a brush hog and have to pre-walk sites to see where they are.

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

trader025 Rocks are never a good thing for fast spinning metal. Smaller, cherty-type rocks are not really a problem, but limestone-type rocks are very bad. I use cutting teeth made of tungsten-carbide, which is the hardest metal you can get. These are significantly more durable in rocks than the hardened or case-hardened steel that other mulcher teeth and bush hog blades are made of. These carbide teeth last on average 300 hours, without any sharpening.

[@tejasbarc8514]

Hello Dave, Just a thought...Maybe a google maps satellite before an after job might be pretty cool to add to videos. Thanks for the new video

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

aledo tx Thanks, Aledo. That's a good idea. I'm going to get a drone in the near future so I can get those good overhead shots. I think they would be useful to show and see.👍

[@FishFind3000]

They don’t update fast enough to ever seen anything

[@galehess6676]

You know they are professional when they have the Polar bottle ;)

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

Gale Hess Gotta stay hydrated😂

[@galehess6676]

@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 Nuun tabs help also

[@michaeldesyllas3199]

How long does it take the mulched material to degrade afterwards? A year, 18 months?

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

After a full 1-year season, 95% of the mulch will degrade back into to soil. If the mulch is deep due to larger or denser trees being mulched, 6”-12”, it will take longer, but its all good for the soil and to help stop erosion.

[@bozobennett]

Thanks for the video!

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

bozobennett Thanks for watching, Bennett. Hope it was informative and interesting.

[@derrickodyes1934]

how do factor price per acre is it flat rate or variable for rocks, slopes, water, mud and tree size? Anywhere these machines can be rented im in NH? Any experience with 3 point hitch mulchers?

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

Derrick Moyer Hi Derrick- Bobcat dealerships rent forestry mulchers, and I believe Cat dealers do too. Those are the only places I know that do for sure. I don't have any experience with mulchers for 3-pt hitches on tractors. As far as estimating the cost per acre, it is affected by the type of material, the density of the material, and terrain conditions. I know pretty much exactly how long it will take me to clear different types and densities of materials to within +/- 1 hour. Anything other than reasonably flat terrain will increase those times depending on the amount and severity of slopes, rocks, gullies, debris, etc. I have to look at it. Accurately estimating forestry mulching jobs gets more accurate based on experience. This is one of the reasons I work by the hour and only give estimates. It's the least risk for me, and it's the best value for the customer.

[@danledman2665]

Great video man thanks

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

Dan Ledman Thanks, Dan. I appreciate you watching.

[@andrewhuntsr6878]

I’m looking to purchase the same equipment as u have here for clearing 40 acres. R u still satisfied with this setup or would you purchase a different muncher. Also how often do you mulch 8” trees with this?

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

Hi Andrew- Yes, I’m very satisfied with this equipment. The Bobcat T770 has 92HP and it handles all of the forestry mulching, grapple, and dirt work that I need it to accomplish. I now run a Fecon BH72SS mulcher head. This is a better engineered head than the Bobcat mulcher. It can also be fitted with carbide and/or blade teeth. I typically run carbide teeth since I operate in most cherty/rocky soil, but I have used blade teeth when I had jobs with a lot of larger, dense growth material. The machine is designed to mulch material up to 8”-diameters. I typically mulch trees this size on almost every job I do. I don’t normally go any bigger than that, so I don’t operate the machine beyond its design limits.

[@bgbg8857]

Hey everyone, looking to start a business in this industry anyone have any advice on a good first machine and mulcher set up. Thanks !

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

I turned 62 this past summer and I’m retiring this month (Dec 2023). I just put all of my forestry mulching equipment, including truck & trailer up for sale. Its on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist under Clarksville, TN. Opportunity to get into this business at 1/2 price.

[@heykeiffers6684]

Can I ask, is it worth doing for the money? I mean is it worth investing in it for the money

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

I can’t give you a solid answer on that since there are so many variables in equipment costs, services performed, your market area, your business acumen, your financial situation at start-up, etc. Speaking for myself, yes, it is worth it. I’ve been in business doing forestry mulching since 2014. Still going strong and steady. The only way to know if it's worth it for you to get into this business is to do your research; calculate your Owning-Operating Cost, analyze your financial situation, research your local competitors and market pricing range, and assess your business accumen. All of this information can be figured out BEFORE you financially commit to anything, and it provide you with good Go/NoGo busion decion-making data.

[@AttitudeAdjuster]

Hey Dave how many hours do you have on your machine there Thanks Garry

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

Attitude Adjuster The machine in this video is a 2017 T770 and it had 870 hours on it when I made this video. This is my second machine. I had right at 2000 hours on my first machine when I traded it in due to the maintenance warranty expiring. I trade my machines every 2000 hours or 3 years, which ever comes first.

[@AttitudeAdjuster]

@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 Thanks Matey, Loving the video's and very wise operating to stay within the life of the machine and relatively trouble free operation time, SO the machine before was a Bobcat? have you ever had much trouble with the electronics of the machine because some of the stuff I have seen they seem to when they get older have allot of expensive electronics issues? But I have never owned one and its hard to say from here how many hours those other machines had so its not fair to judge also you can never tell how hard their life has been.

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

Attitude Adjuster I started my forestry mulching business in 2014. My first machine was also a Bobcat T770. The first year in this business was very rough on the machine, and it got much better as I gained experience. Lots of hard earned lessons, but I definitely pay attention and learn from my mistakes. Operator mistakes cause mechanical breakdowns, such as broken hydraulic lines, bent metal, etc. I've never had any electrical type breakdowns with either of my two Bobcat machines. From my experience with machinery, most electrical problems are caused by corrosion on connectors. I avoid this by not working when it's raining, I don't pressure wash the engine compartment, and I keep the machine inside of my shop when it's not being used. I believe these steps definitely contribute to avoiding corrosion on both electrical and metal components.

[@robertmetzler9305]

Clevinger Forest Services, LLC f

[@jeremygrice5954]

Hey Dave... Great video. What percentage do you normally run the throttle?

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

Jeremy Grice Thanks, Jeremy! When I'm running the forestry mulcher, I run the engine RPM at 100% full throttle. This is 2410 RPM for this 92 HP Bobcat T770. I run at a constant full throttle since the engine RPM's drive the belt to the hydraulic pump, and I want this hyd pump putting out its fully rated PSI to run the mulcher drum. When I'm just doing bucket or grapple work, I run the engine RPM at about 50-60% throttle, and step on the gas pedal if I need a shot of power.

[@jeremygrice5954]

@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 Thank Dave!

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

Jeremy Grice 👍👍

[@arnoldromppai5395]

any equipment is made to run at 100% at all time, for top performance, you can do damage running aby lower, starving pumps to over working everything, far to many run with very little and take for ever to get a job dont and wonder why shiy happens, you can not over run any machine as they run on a govener,, all way run at 100%

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

Arnold Romppai True statement, Arnold.💯👍

[@johnearhart8811]

Looking great

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

John Earhart Thanks, John. I appreciate you watching.

[@cjflanaganyahoo]

Hey buddy, what about poison ivy? Any tips?

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

Hey Chris- Well, besides the obvious of not touching poison ivy or poison oak with unprotected skin, the mulcher has no problems mulching up viney material. Thickets of 7'-tall briars are stingy and tough, too, but as long as you let the mulcher drum stay up at a high RPM, then it mulches everything into pieces.

[@cjflanaganyahoo]

Clevinger Forest Services, LLC - do you have to take care when doing maintenance on the machine after it’s been through ivy? It doesn’t get at you in the cab right?

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

My Bobcat has the Forestry Protection Kit installed, so it has a sealed cab. As far as touching any residual poisonous material left on the machine, I've never had any issues.

[@pjflintstone9310]

really does not go into the operation

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

Talked tons of operator tips in this video. Golden nuggets. Were you expecting more machine operation, or business operation?

[@pjflintstone9310]

@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 machine operation.

[@arnoldromppai5395]

cant see anyone watching this for more then a short time,,, it is just the same onld unless your working on a 90% grade then it gets interesting, even being in the cab i fall a sleep

[@clevingerforestservicesllc1164]

Arnold Romppai I want to see the video of you working on a 90% grade.

[@goodwood7247]

@@clevingerforestservicesllc1164 - A lot of good information here with practical onsite direction for novice operators. Some people just live to find a reason to complain - haters gonna hate. I appreciate the effort, video (all three) in their entirety, and you sir ..keep 'em coming.