Job allmost done

This was a job that needed done for several years, This year things got worse with people dumping in the road ditch so time to clean up. This field was too wet to plant this year witch gave me the chance to get the ditch lines and fence line cleaned up. This road ditch is deep and I do mean deep. It starts out 2 1/2' deep and goes to 5 1/2' deep at its deepest so bush hogging it is about imposable to do with a 3pt bush hog.

I started with a bush hog then went with the skid steer to get what I could with it before my cousin came over with his back hoe. When he showed up and started cleaning the ditch out he pulled stumps out and trash I took off with it to the burn pile, and let me tell you he kept me running hard. 9 tires and 2 truck load of evergreen cutting were pulled out the ditch along with all the stumps and hollies along with the tree saplings and multi-flora rose bushes.

First day we got the ditch cleaned out and started on the fence line. When he started pulling trees out I could not keep up with him. I would grab a tree with the Gehl 4400 push over close to the burn pile cut the root ball off and the limbs off and stack the log, I did 3 or 4 then push the limbs and stumps on the burn pile. The first burn pile was going for 4 days every day and the log piles started moving down the field as we went.

After 3 long days the back hoe work had to stop as my cousin had another job he had to go do put my clean up went on for another week. A harrow-gator works great for picking up all the small stuff and it sure saves the back, Drag it up in a pile by the burn piles then push it in with the skid steer. Disk the ground up and harrow-gate flat when I got done. My cousin Cris came over a cut 2 truck loads (heaped and stacked) of fire wood before I started to move the piles into one, One big pile. Dave came over with his truck and trailer and I gave him a big load to cut up for next years fire wood.

The wood is all gone and the burn piles are gone and I am amazed how much extra dirt I have to spread out now. Lucky it rained and gave me a brake for a few days and I found the leak in the Gehl 4400 and fixed them, Both were under the seat and you know how much fun that was to fix. It only lost 10 gallon of ATF over the week working it for a pin hole in the return line and a bad O-ring on the pressure relief valve. Only took a day to get into it to clean it up to find the leaks. Everything is back in the barn but the dirt piles are still there as well as the stumps to be hauled off to the woods. I have to wait for my cousin to come back to load them in the dump truck, The Gehl wont pick the big ones up and will just move them. well at least with the rain I can now see ware I need the but the extra dirt I now have. Still have more to do but I got a lot done for now. Bandit

More pictures. Bandit

Bandit,

Really nice job. Thanks for the pictures.

It looks like sandy soil. Where are you located? I don't think that we have as much sand in the whole state of Tennessee as you have in that one pile!

Tom in TN

If people are proud of their work, and I guess they are,or they wouldn't post pictures.

Why do they keep it a secret the location of said pictures?

Great pics. I have noticed that the more successful farmers around here do more in keeping their property neat than the wannabes.

Btw, what are you planting that you need a cultipacker like in the last pics?

SW Ohio 1 mile west of Blanchester Ohio, This ground has NO sand in it at all! When you catch it just right it will break up good hit it wet you have big rock hard clods. When you hit it right it breaks up like in the picture. Its good ground that will grow good beans and corn as long as you don't hit it wet. Bandit

Not going to plant anything, Cultipacker is there to break up clods and firm it back up. This ground is really different to work with, You don't work it when your ready you work it when its ready and not before. The old man that owned the ground behind us said if you can learn to farm this you can farm any ware and do good! And I do believe him after farming it for 40 years! This is ground that after beans come off you better run a disk over it lightly just to bring some dirt up to cover the trash, If you don't it will not dry next spring. That's why it didn't get planted this year, It was to wet last fall to run the disk in it. Bandit

Interesting collection of photos there, is there any chance that your cousin takes on small jobs in the area? My son is about three miles east of Blanchester and has a creek that needs clearing. We are currently staying with him I guess todays weather stopped your field work!

He sure dose, Send me an Email and we can get them together and see what happens. We needed the rain and I needed a brake from the field so it all worked out good. My cousin is working out on Second Creek road right now at a farm so he maybe real close to you now. Bandit

Nice work. It sure looks like a job well done. I vaguely remember that one tree line when we were walking around during my personal tour. It sure looks much better now.

Did the Ollie 1655 get to help with any of the clean up chores?

Why don't you slip across the river and bring your equipment and friends with you? Ellis

Well you have know it could just happen! Bandit

Well the 1555 Oliver now lives in Adams county and belongs to a fellow who likes Olivers so she didn't get to help out. I kinda miss the old girl already, But I still have the pictures of her and I know shes in good hands. I know you know ware the box came from on the front of the 1550 Utility, It was a good idea and comes in handy to carry the chain saw gas and oil the ax and a few cooly waters. No trailer queens for me just workin girls. Bandit

Blanchester, Ohio