# Clean Up



## Toby (Aug 11, 2007)

I've got a question. I've been doing take-downs for a just a couple of years and I just love doing them. I love doing them with either my bucket or climbing them but I feel when it comes to cleaning up the mess, my one other man and myself are just not doing things efficiently. I have chipper and truck but timewise, these clean ups are killing me. I can afford to buy whatever I need to speed this up, but I can't figure out what my money would be spent most wisely on. I don't want to get into this too heavy. I want to stay small. I only do about 1300 worth of work a week and my dump site is very close. Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated.


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## bushinspector (Aug 11, 2007)

I am fighting the samething. I have seen some people lay down a tarp to catch the leaves and the small stuff.


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## rahtreelimbs (Aug 11, 2007)

Be a little more specific...........are you leaving the wood?


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## ropensaddle (Aug 11, 2007)

Toby said:


> I've got a question. I've been doing take-downs for a just a couple of years and I just love doing them. I love doing them with either my bucket or climbing them but I feel when it comes to cleaning up the mess, my one other man and myself are just not doing things efficiently. I have chipper and truck but timewise, these clean ups are killing me. I can afford to buy whatever I need to speed this up, but I can't figure out what my money would be spent most wisely on. I don't want to get into this too heavy. I want to stay small. I only do about 1300 worth of work a week and my dump site is very close. Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated.


A grapple truck or trailer makes short work of cleanup best thing I
ever did for my back but does sting the wallet!


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## cntrybo2 (Aug 11, 2007)

what about a third guys on bigger jobs to start chipping while you are still taking down the tree. this way, your clean-up starts before your done


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## hornett22 (Aug 12, 2007)

*i use a tractor with a grapple and a york rake.*

then i finish with a backpack blower.


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## Spockbob (Aug 12, 2007)

A big disk chipper with a winch and a skid steer for wood.


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## Toby (Aug 13, 2007)

Yes, I also use tarps and I usually haul everything away. 
Someone said they use a York Rake. What is this? I''ve used many different rakes, but I'm not familiar with this name. 

Are any of you using one of those Stihl weed eaters with the brush attachment at the end? I'm thinking about getting one.

Also, I've heard people say that skid steers do too much damage to lawns. I understand from a local Kubota dealership that there is a company in the process (2-3 months) of coming out with a small grapple that will fit on a smaller (23-30) Kubota tractor. I think something like this would be perfect for me. Buuuuuut, I've been wrong many times before. 

Like I said in my original post, I don't want to go deep into this. I really don't want to do any more then 2000 per week. I want to stay small and lean.


Thanks for any input.


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## Magnum783 (Aug 13, 2007)

I second the not knowing of what a york rake is. Could someone give a description of one or better yet post a picture. I have had other people tell me that one would be useful in cleanup. Again I don't trust just anyone but if they are on AS then they are cool with me.
Jared


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## Sassafras (Aug 14, 2007)

I think about 95% a york rake mounts on 3 point hitch and is a big rake probably made in various widths. more commonly used for removing rock from soil to plant grass and such. could be wrong.
My advice for your desire to expedite your clean-up get a 3rd person try it for a little bit he/she is cheaper than buying equipment and easier to get rid of if it is no benefit to being faster. 
I almost always have 2 guys with me. When we prune 2 in trees 1 on the ground. removals 1 in tree 2 on the ground. works out very well and is very efficent for us. see what works for you.


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## Toby (Aug 15, 2007)

*Response*

Sounds like good advice Sassafras. Thanks


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## beowulf343 (Aug 15, 2007)

How big are you cutting things? I've worked with takedown guys that cut everthing into two foot lengths so they can handle it. Makes it a pain for the groundies especially if they got a long haul-everything is toothpick size-wheelborrow is about the best bet. Put a rope on it and cut it big man! I'll drop stuff that even my two groundies can't handle together. Winch on the chipper was an awesome idea. My jobs are usually totally inaccessible with a bucket but some creative backing with a chipper can often get me into winch range. And even if you are not at the right angle for a straight on approach to the chipper, i've often run my line to a snatch block attached at a point then run at an angle away from the snatch block. Pull the branch up till it straight on with the chipper (or gate, or whatever) then dump the line out of the block and winch it in.


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## Mitchell (Aug 16, 2007)

*new 2*



Toby said:


> Are any of you using one of those Stihl weed eaters with the brush attachment at the end? I'm thinking about getting one.



I bought the stihl machine that can switch out the different types of heads. I think mine is called a "km130". I bought 2 extensions, the chainsaw head, the articulating hedger [much better then the non articulating hedger head], and the weed head with the brush saw kit. That tool literally made me stop working by the hour as it saved me that much time on certain jobs compared to what I was doing previously. 
The brush head is pretty good on branches up to 1.5" however you have less control then the chainsaw head. I did a lealandi branch prune back to the parent trunk the other day a good bit faster then the chainsaw head would have done it. 
Interestingly, today I bumped into another isa arborist 5 months into setting up shop in town [from scratch] at the brush dump. He had very few tools in his pickup trailer combo [I did not see a 200t] but it included the same stihl tool with the removable heads I have.


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## kennertree (Aug 16, 2007)

I always make sure I clean up good. It's one of the most important things on a job. No matter how well you pruned a tree or how well you got a tree down if you dont clean up good that's all they are going to remember you by. Most homeowners don't know a good pruning cut when they see it but they sure know what a clean yard looks like.


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## bushinspector (Aug 17, 2007)

Mitchell said:


> I bought the stihl machine that can switch out the different types of heads. I think mine is called a "km130". I bought 2 extensions, the chainsaw head, the articulating hedger [much better then the non articulating hedger head], and the weed head with the brush saw kit. That tool literally made me stop working by the hour as it saved me that much time on certain jobs compared to what I was doing previously.
> The brush head is pretty good on branches up to 1.5" however you have less control then the chainsaw head. I did a lealandi branch prune back to the parent trunk the other day a good bit faster then the chainsaw head would have done it.
> Interestingly, today I bumped into another isa arborist 5 months into setting up shop in town [from scratch] at the brush dump. He had very few tools in his pickup trailer combo [I did not see a 200t] but it included the same stihl tool with the removable heads I have.



Yep got one just like it. I have been having some problem with the weedeater attachment.


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## Mitchell (Aug 18, 2007)

*problems?*



bushinspector said:


> Yep got one just like it. I have been having some problem with the weedeater attachment.



whats the problem? So far my weedwacker/ brush head has been fine. I suspect the sudden stops the brush head can in wood have will damage it. The tool has saved me time but it does seem fragile. I guess they have to make it that way to save on weight. I lent my tool out to some buddies and the chainsaw head came back with stripped gears. Not A tool for beginners.


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## oldirty (Aug 18, 2007)

beowulf.

love the advice. take it big. (when you can of course)

let the winch pull it out. make the cuts by the chipper.

simple as that. nothing drives me crazier than watching someone making too many cuts which leads to more trips to the chipper.

also to help with the brush make piles! all the butt ends facing the same way and put the biggest of the branches on the bottom and stack on top. you'll be amazad at what you can pull out with your own power.

beowulf, you ever put a piece of plywood under the logs when you drag them out? helps with the ruts.

when the situation arises and its applicable i cut out a square big enough to allow the chain through and bring it through the bottom of the plywood and then set the choker. when you pull the wood the plywood raises just enough to get off the grass.

it works man. though i bet you already knew that trick didnt ya you big hoss ya. lol



oldirty


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## bushinspector (Aug 18, 2007)

Mitchell said:


> whats the problem? So far my weedwacker/ brush head has been fine. I suspect the sudden stops the brush head can in wood have will damage it. The tool has saved me time but it does seem fragile. I guess they have to make it that way to save on weight. I lent my tool out to some buddies and the chainsaw head came back with stripped gears. Not A tool for beginners.



It just seems it eats a lot of twine, and is a little slow. Not real bad but is a pain to unwind the spool whenever it get tangled.


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## kurtty (Sep 6, 2007)

bushinspector said:


> It just seems it eats a lot of twine, and is a little slow. Not real bad but is a pain to unwind the spool whenever it get tangled.



what weed attachment do you have? Stihl makes an older one that is auto feed, it just automatically feeds out twine at a set rate... That one sucks and you always seem to either be getting to much twine or to little.

The new one with the button on the bottom to feed twine is WAAYYY better... I think they call it "touch and go"

also, are you rapping your twine the right way? splitting line in half, then rapping both halves in the same direction? also... clockwise or counter clockwise raps matter too, I forget what way they spin.


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## Outlaw5.0 (Sep 7, 2007)

A have a troy bilt/yard machines vacuum shredder. I used this after I cut down my neighbors two trees, it looked just like before the trees were cut!. http://www.troybilt.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_14102_10109_17690_-1#


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## hornett22 (Sep 13, 2007)

*same here.*



kennertree said:


> I always make sure I clean up good. It's one of the most important things on a job. No matter how well you pruned a tree or how well you got a tree down if you dont clean up good that's all they are going to remember you by. Most homeowners don't know a good pruning cut when they see it but they sure know what a clean yard looks like.



i get most of my compliments for cleanup.amazing how many guys don't do it or do it poorly.


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## hornett22 (Sep 13, 2007)

*it is a rake for the 3pt hitch on a tractor.*



Magnum783 said:


> I second the not knowing of what a york rake is. Could someone give a description of one or better yet post a picture. I have had other people tell me that one would be useful in cleanup. Again I don't trust just anyone but if they are on AS then they are cool with me.
> Jared



they come is several different widths.i like them the width of the back tires.i usually turn the rake itself around backwards and push everything into a pile in reverse.then i pick it up with the grapple and take it to the chipper unless i have a customer with a woods who allows dumping there. this has saved me so much time and also my back appreciates it.


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## tree md (Sep 13, 2007)

I'm a small time guy but do big work. The best way I have found to handle clean up is hire as many as you need to get the job done quickly. I am doing a whole condominium complex this week, 56 trees to work on, 8 removals and spray 34 pines. I did all of my removals the first day and had 5 guys on the job. I scaled back to 4 today and will scale back to three tomorrow to finish the remaining pruning and trimming. Just me and one other guy will grind the stumps and spray the pines Saturday. It's all about management. Spend what you need up front to get the Job done and it will save you in the long run. I have 12 stumps to grind Sat. in the same locale spread between 3 jobs, 34 pines to spray and will do it with one other guy in about 6 hours. Heck I am doing 14.5 this week (working 7 days) and have 3 lined up to do with a crane next week for even more. Having to scramble to make my sales calls and it's been hard to keep up with all the work. So far, this year has rocked!


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