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Looking for Dozer Help

Have been trying to get the neighbor to bring his dozer to help me do some work and open up some food plots on my property but so far I've had no success. Actually he is been the one offering to help me but it looks like everytime he talks about it he is been drinking and then he forgets the next day. Damn farmers lol

Is there anyone in the Senecaville area that is looking to do some dozer work? I am willing to split the costs in an effort to get some work done.

Also nother option would be to rent one. Are they affordablee to rent per day? Where should I look? Can I use one myself with no experience? How difficult are they to operate? They certainly look like a blast to work with. Will a smaller piece of equipment like a Bobcat get the job done?

If anyone needs firewood I can use as part of payment too.

I also need to clear some areas to plant 30+ fruit trees coming this spring.
 
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Milo

Tatonka guide.
8,187
171
if you have not been on one before you should not be running one. if you going to clear big trees maybe see if someone small time logger wants them if they are small trees then brush hog them. A bobcat is useless unless you are using it for a grapple to move butt logs.
 

Buckmaster

Senior Member
14,478
205
Portage
Last time I checked it was like $ 450.00 for 8 hours plus delivery & pickup plus fuel.

I'd say you're better off buying a case or two of beer and calling your neighbor over to play with you.
 

rrr

Senior Member
5,065
0
I've got plenty of experience with equipment from skid loaders, all sorts and sizes of tractors, to a crane. I'd say have the neighbor come over. If you don't have experience, it will take you long enough to get into the groove of running the machine and not get anything done if you are renting it. Besides, it sounds like a bigger project that would take two guys anyways.

Buy the beer and a giftcard to a steak house, promise to do all the grunt work...do as much prep work as you can, let him his machine and then just get it done.

Capt
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
To answer your question better let me know what you are looking to do. Clear brush, small trees, big trees, level ground, everything mentioned, etc....

When looking to dig our pond the cheapest quote was $18k. We said fugg it and bought a small dozer and a larger backhoe. Dug the pond and sold the backhoe to make our money back. We still have the dozer. We got them from a tobacco farmer in Kentucky and he even delivered them.

Beentown
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
Beer is probably the answer but I cleared a decent size CRP field (full of saplings) when the dozer had a clutch locked up with a skid steer. It is not in the business of removing even medium size trees.

Beentown
 
To answer your question better let me know what you are looking to do. Clear brush, small trees, big trees, level ground, everything mentioned, etc....

When looking to dig our pond the cheapest quote was $18k. We said fugg it and bought a small dozer and a larger backhoe. Dug the pond and sold the backhoe to make our money back. We still have the dozer. We got them from a tobacco farmer in Kentucky and he even delivered them.

Beentown

I am looking to open two or three food plots of maybe an acre in size. One of the areas is mostly brush and small saplings while the others consist of brush, small trees and some medium size trees. I thought that if the dozer can't remove the medium size trees I either leave them or just cut them down to 3ft stumps and go around when planting (not sure what the best thing would be). Also I have an area of about 2 acres that is mostly brush and treetops thats needs cleaned to make room for fruit trees.

A pond would be a dream come true but I don't see that coming anytime soon.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
40,214
288
Ohio
Tree tops? I would think a skid loader to push the tree tops into piles (read piles strategically placed to direct deer on travel routes you would like them to go) might be the ticket.

The brush? How about reading the label on Roundup? It will tell you how to use it to kill the trees. Might not be a short term answer, but it will kill them.

Depending on how many I suppose you could cut them down, but it would be tough to work the area with all the stumps there. You would also chance having multiple sprouts come off them. Not bad if this is the desired effect. Bad if you were wanting a nice clearing for the plot. I think I would go the kill them route. It will just slow down the process of getting it prepped. Might have to wait a season before working it up.

Another option (if they are small enough and not too many of them) would be to grab a chain and use the skid loader to pluck them straight up out of the ground.
 
I will take some pictures this coming week to show exactly what the areas look like. Also I am trying to stay away from using chemicals as much as possible and I think I can get the job done without Roundup but maybe Im wrong.
 
These are some pictures of the two areas I would like to clear to make room for a food plot.

P1091480.jpgP1091472.jpgP1091471.jpgP1091473.jpgP1091477.jpgP1091481.jpgP1091479.jpgP1091478.jpg
 

Milo

Tatonka guide.
8,187
171
bene, you can most likey work around tree like that for now until they rot and become easier to dig. they are pretty small and if your careful you can do a good plot. looks like some good cover though too...
 

swantucky

The Crew
1,594
136
Swanton, Ohio
Fromwhat I am seeing a guy with a bobcat with tracks could clean that up in short order. You may have trouble with some of the bigger stumps but I for a great way to get rid of those, let the deer do it.

Chainsaw the bigger trees down with the stumps cut about a foot off the ground so you can aviod them when discing up your plot. Thake a cordless with a spade bid as big as your drill can handle without burning the drill. Drill holes into the stumps as deep as you can get them. Fill the holes in the stumps with salt or a mineral mixture. The deer will kick and paw at the stumpos to get the minerals/salt. Give it a year or two and the salt will kill the stumps and the deerz will have dug around them. That what I did and I was able to pull the stumps with a 4wd quad. Wear a helmet when pulling the stumps. They pull out easier than you think. Ask the back of my head, when a stump pulled over too easy the the hook popped off and smack me in the back of the head. Hurt like hell and they had to staple my mellon back togetherlmao
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
40,214
288
Ohio
I was looking at prices on heavy equipment earlier today. You wouldn't believe how cheap people are offloading them for today. Like Been said. For the 18K for the pond..

1996 JOHN DEERE 310D 3,481 hrs $18,500
4X4, OROPS, STD HOE, 70% TIRES, 4 SP POWERSHIFT, 28 REAR BUCKET

http://www.rockanddirt.com/equipment-for-sale/JOHN-DEERE/none/invnum=33013299

I am thinking someone unplugged the hour meter or it has been replaced. You are correct though, there is some reasonably priced equipment out there. We picked up our 1990 JD 310C with cab/heat and a 12' pusher box for $14k last spring. Tires were new too. It isn't brand new, but it does what we need it to do.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
39,048
274
I am thinking someone unplugged the hour meter or it has been replaced. You are correct though, there is some reasonably priced equipment out there. We picked up our 1990 JD 310C with cab/heat and a 12' pusher box for $14k last spring. Tires were new too. It isn't brand new, but it does what we need it to do.

Check that site out man. There are tons of them out there to be had for a steal. As always though you want to have it inspected. Heavy equipment can be like coondog trading.. Sometimes the shit they try and pull will amaze you.

Here is another one

1996 JOHN DEERE 300D 4,432 hrs $10,950
OROPS, 2wd, good rubber, strong transmission, runs well, tight and original



http://www.rockanddirt.com/equipment-for-sale/JOHN-DEERE/none/invnum=31366302