Tools for Trail Building and Maintenance

[selftot]

I have about 1 mile of trails to build. A bit is done / partially done. See pics.

Before i get too far into this job, help me decide if I have the right tractor tools - assuming i continue to use the L3400 i have.
Skeleton bucket and backhoe has been doing the work so far.

I might pick away at it as a project or high a big machine to come do the heavy lifting.

Any suggestions for
1) building the trails
2) Maintaining the trails
3) If i could only get one implement which one would be most helpful long term.

I was thinking land plane once the land is cleared of roots/rocks. Does that only work for an established trail or would it help in building / leveling.

Trail - Well done

Medium.

Rare

 

[ZTMAN]

We had our hunting camp select cut two years ago. The logging company hired a fellow who used a Cat 953 C track loader to build a mile and a half trail through woods on a sloped hill that did not have a trail.

Took that fellow a day and a half. Moved a lot of dirt, shale and trees.

If I need trails through the woods in the future, I will hire the heavy equipment to rough in the trail and then maintain with tractor, box blade and loader.

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

Good day.

What planning to do with the property and trails? To me that’s a big factor in tools/implements/suggestions.

I find a grapple to be pretty helpful, but if I could only have one implement I would not trade my forks for a grapple. However for woods work grapples are awesome IMO.

Depending on your timeframe and plans for your machine, I would politely encourage consider having someone with either excavator or dozer or compact loader / mulching head come in and get the trails done and save abuse to your machine. Sure not cheap, neither is a new machine.

Also depending on your uses I would politely question if those trails are really wide enough. I think you will be amazed at how quickly brush and overhead branches will encroach on the single track you have there.

if planning to trim branches regularly overhead, a work platform on a set of forks is a game changer for overheard cutting. (With that width of trail my forecast would be overhead branches will need regular attention. )

what you did so far looks pretty nice and even groomed in the pics. Keep the rubber side down.

just my $.02.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

for maintaining..
tandem pull discs with heavy chains trailing behind

friend's used this for 4 decades on 23 miles of trails,once a month until the white stuff comes....

 

[selftot]

... and save abuse to your machine.

Jinx !
Look what happened today

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

Jinx !
Look what happened today

View attachment 168377

Oh my…I am sorry to see that.

just the one side? (Any cracks on the other?)

I hope that buffs out.

 

[selftot]

Oh my…I am sorry to see that.

just the one side? (Any cracks on the other?)

I hope that buffs out.

Cracks on both sides. I'm gonna try construction adhesive. Should be fine.