Burning wood pile with BX25

[Grumpyjoe]

It has taken some getting used to. I am a bit large and riding this little guy can be comical. With each hour I am getting better. The power is very limiting. I watched the tree guys cut stack grapple flip toss and play with these trees like toddlers and lincoln logs. For the BX it was a struggle.

First Mud is not easy even with R4 tires. Nothing helps with such small tires. 4x4 is a must and when pushing hard and high I had to use the lock pedal continuously. For my size 13 in boots it is not an easy task. A bigger pedal is coming soon.

The lift is a sore spot as it cannot lift much. I find rocking the bucket and backing up then ramming forward helps lift. Keeping the logs rolling forward takes some finesse. In the end the huge pile was burnt o about 90% and only the mud stopped it before 100%.

I stand behind my choice of the smaller tractor as later I will not be able to get up into the bigger ones. After losing a hip I cannot climb a lot or very high. Even this little guy works me quickly.

I am thinking I may need some fire/flame guard for the bucket and is hoses. I also punched the lower plate pretty hard. I bought belly armor and a Piranha blade. I will have those on before the next wood burn.

Any one else using these little guys for wood piles? More suggestions for moving the burn better?

 

[Creature Meadow]

I do quite a bit of burning, both piles and a rotation on my woods.

I found one key is to have a dense pile of debris, tighter the better if that makes sense.

I pick a rainy day, soak 2 rolls of toilet paper in diesel fuel to use as wicks and place them in pile. Once pile is burning I crank the parking lot blower and aim toward pile. This induces lots of air and the pile takes off.

Depending on how big my pile is every couple of hours I turn off blower and round up pile. I just push in edges don't try to stach it high, with the blower it will burn.

 

[Tooljunkie]

I used a skid steer to burn brush piles with a grapple. After a heavy snowstorm hundreds of trees broke in a campground at black lake. All spruce so not so bad for pointy sticks. It was a challenge keeping up with hoses getting torn off,branches would bush hoses into moving parts. Unseen,they get damaged.
Quite scary when pusing a pile and machine shuts down and you are stuck in a burning pile of brush. I lowered boom and it had enough oil left to back up out of burning pile.

My preference would be a tractor with forks, and a heavy mesh screen to prevent branches from getting into critical areas.
Gravel screen works great.

Thats a practice you need to watch for all kinds of hazards,like a branch or trunk under pressure, like a bow and if it lets go it can whip and knock you sensless.

 

[Grumpyjoe]

Great points. I did forget one of the best tools I used. They call me Citified here but I am allergic to ash and many of the molds and mosses here. I used a 3M filter for mold and small particulates. I did not wear the pink filtered mask for this picture though. Normally for a week I am out and the allergies will block one or both ears making me almost deaf.

As to the blower my piles are far enough away from the power that is not an option. I could buy a gas blower but I will not have but a few more large piles while clearing the property. Packing it dense was done but the large skidsteers also plowed many logs into the mud bottom. This is where I had to fluff the pile to get the flames hot again. Initially the dense packing got all the base logs hot and burning well. One burn pile I used a rocket stove theory and piled it next to a 20 foot culvert. It did work a while but the culvert got too hot for me. I need that road more than a hot fire.

I am also on the fence with a grapple. I have a lot of To-Buy items with the new life on 10 acres. I am hesitant to dump 2 grand on something I will use for only a couple years at best. I could sell it later which is why I am on the fence with it. Forks or hay spikes are used a lot out here but mine are bolt on and have 2x4 uprights. Not heavy enough for lifting. The bucket actually did OK all considered. I could trap a log inside the bucket and steer it where I wanted it.

 

[dandeman]

I use my BX2230 a lot in hauling, bunching up and burning woods debris. As mentioned by others, keeping the brush pushed up into a dense, somewhat vertical pile is the trick to get a hot burn going.

The modified bagger blower outlet in addition to the mower deck blow (on my Kubota with the Rube Goldberg option :<) is handy to get the fire to pick up when the burn is sluggish.

The 1940's era kerosene powered Hauck "stump burner" as they were called, is my 'match' used to light the fire.. That can be a bit challenging since I wait until a recent rain to wet down the surrounding woods before I attempt a burn.

 

[D2Cat]

When using a machine to push up a burning brush pile always be aware of a possible engine shut down, or hydraulic failure. Have in the back of your mind what you will do next.

Don't crowd the fire too much, just push the brush (fuel) to the fire, not in the fire. Don't get brush caught on the loader and bring a burning piece out with your tractor.

One mistake and your tractor may be a part of the fire!

 

[alansz400]

I take to much pride in my Kubota to have it that close to a fire. I use a old Sears tractor with a snow plow to push the brush in. A few years ago the front axle broke off as I was backing out of the fire. Of all the times for the axle to bust off that had to be about the worst. I got it backed out before the fire got it but not before realizing how bad that could have been.

 

[William1]

Grumpy, please let me (well, everyone) know what you do about improving the locking pedal. I have small feet and when muddy, getting at and holding down the pedal is a pain. I'd like to see something with a little 'back/half cup' so the heel of my boot does not have to ride against the tractor body as well.
http://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27596

I've gotten my little BX stuck four or so times in a little over a year. Having 2" receivers front and back and winch on a receiver mount has been just the ticket. I went small (and no regrets) on my Kubota because I wanted to be able to maneuver in tight spots and all my neighbors have large to massive machines. So if I need 'big power', I borrow!

 

[cerlawson]

Chains on the rear would help in muddy ground. Remember that brush also can raise heck with your machine poking in the wrong place. Been there!!!!

 

[Flienlow]

I take to much pride in my Kubota to have it that close to a fire. I use a old Sears tractor with a snow plow to push the brush in. A few years ago the front axle broke off as I was backing out of the fire. Of all the times for the axle to bust off that had to be about the worst. I got it backed out before the fire got it but not before realizing how bad that could have been.

I have been using mine a lot lately to stock up a fire, and use several tractor in the past to do the same. Never had any issue.

I was in the same boat as the OP with Loader performance. After a lot of seat time you get acclimated to what the tractor does and how to use to it to your advantage. There is no replacement for big Iron, but this machine seems to do the average man's work well and then some. I do wish it had bigger tire options like an old 7100. However, this machine was designed more for light landscaping than and heavy earth moving. So I feel that is just a part that one needs to accept.

 

[Kingcreek]

I don't get that close to fire. Let the pile burn down and come back later and push the edges in. Carefully.

 

[skeets]

I cant even begine to tell you how many burn piles I have tended with the old yellow tractor, and the BX, well a bunch. As with everything else, you have to think it through first, and always have a plan "B"

 

[bearskinner]

I have burned many slash piles using the FEL bucket with Piranha to dig out a shallow trough. I'll pull the pins switch it out and use the Grapple to gather up brush piles and trees. Once the trough is stacked a few feet high, light it off using a little gas and lots more diesel sprayed over the pile. Once it gets going, I can get in and out of the woods, and load near the pile on 3 sides. It's easier to extend the teeth of the Grapple and push small amounts into the burn, than get above it and add directly to the flames!
I can Grapple out 10X more brush and deadfall with a Grapple than forks or FEL in a day. I was truly amazed at how efficient the Grapple is, and what a substantial time savings it is over dragging, or forks. Money well spent!
Also in spring I'm going to use it as a " lift" for sawing my firewood that is seasoning in a pile now. I can pick up a log, hold it at a comfortable level near my wood shed and chainsaw standing up. It works great ( bigger logs need rear tractor ballast) what a back saver, and I can cut each log right in front of where I want it stacked.

 

[Grumpyjoe]

A lot of great thoughts here. I will not be as aggressive on the next pile. I found TP Soaked in diesel works great for ignition as well as old hay on the bottom. I wish I could give up the $2000 for a grapple but too many other needs right now. For now I will be running two saws and keeping the wood lengths shorter allowing a tighter stack and easier moving. When the clearing guys come next big trees on one side and another stack for sash/ small limbs.

 

[redfernclan]

When I have a really wet pile, I build a little "core" fire, and between a back pack blower and an old weed sprayer full of diesel, I can put the fire where ever I want. The biggest thing I have learned over the years is to not get in a hurry. Let it burn down and get a good bed of coals, then use the tractor to put the fuel on the coals. Never have had a reason to get the front tires in the coals. Oh yea, if you try the bug sprayer idea, make sure you use diesel. Really bad things could happen with gas. I usually don't spray the fire directly, I spray where I want it to be and then draw a line to the fire.

 

[bearskinner]

As I had a few very large slash piles to burn, and it's been an extremely wet year, I have made some sawdust candles to light off the piles. I've been sawing firewood, so there's plenty of very course saw chunks on the ground. I fill a cardboard box with particles, and mix in some oil and diesel. It soaks up nicely. Put that in the burn depression first and stack on the brush than bigger logs to hold it down . A little gas/diesel mix to start it and the candle burns for 15 minutes and gets the works started. Than just keep adding to it.