Land Clearing Equipment Selection Table

EQUIPMENT SELECTION TABLE

CUTTING AT OR ABOVE KNOCKING TO INCORPORATING
UPROOTING GROUND LEVEL THE GROUND INTO THE SOIL

LARGE CLEARING — Vegetation 20 cm (8 in) diameter or larger

Small areas Bulldozer blade; forest — Bulldozer blade; forest —
4 hectares machine road builder machine road builder
(10 acres) arrangement; Forest arrangement; forest
machine with directional machine with directional
felling head felling head
Medium areas Shearing blade, angling Shearing blade (angling Bulldozer blade; forest —
40 hectares (tilted), knockdown beam, or V-type), tree shear [up machine road builder
(100 acres) rakes, tree stumper; forest to 70 cm (26 in) softwood; arrangement; forest
machine road builder 35 cm (14 in) hardwood], machine with directional
arrangement; forest shearing blade — power felling head
machine with directional saw combination; wheel/
felling head track feller buncher with
high speed saw head;
forest machine with
directional felling head
Large areas Shearing blade, angling Shearing blade (angling or Anchor chain with ball —
400 hectares (tilted), tree pusher, rakes, V-type), shearing blade — drawn between two crawler
(1000 acres) tree stumper, anchor chain power saw combination; tractors. [Use dozer blade
with ball drawn between wheel/track feller buncher for trees over 18 cm (7 in).];
two crawler tractors; forest with high speed saw head; forest machine road builder
machine with directional forest machine with arrangement; forest machine
felling head directional felling head with directional felling head
NOTE: The most economical size area for each type of equipment will vary with the relative cost of capital equipment versus labor. It is also affected by
whether there are alternate uses for equipment such as using tractors for tillage.

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 Production Estimating Land Clearing
● General

PRODUCTION ESTIMATING Since 88 ft/min. equals one mph, the lapsed time to
travel 88 ft, or a multiple of 88 ft, can easily be converted
GENERAL — CONSTANT SPEED OPERATIONS into miles per hour.
Production is the hourly clearing rate usually expressed 1.0
in hectares or acres. = speed (mph)
(Time in min. to travel 88 ft)
For many land clearing operations, production is
calculated by multiplying the tractor speed by the width The following nomographs in both the Metric and
of cut and converting to hectares or acres per hour. English systems convert speed and width of cut directly
into acres or hectares per hour at 82.5% efficiency with-
Metric system: out the need for calculations.
The base formula is:
METRIC
Width of cut (meters) × Minutes Speed Production* Width of Cut**
speed (km/h) to travel km/h hectares/hour meters
= hectares/h 16.7 m
10
When an efficiency of 82.5% is used, the formula
becomes:
Width of cut (m) ×
speed (km/h) × 0.825 = hectares/h
10
27
English measure:
Width of cut (ft) × speed (mph)
= acres/hr
43,560 (ft2)
The American Society of Agricultural Engineers
formula for estimating hourly production of a constant
speed operation is based on 82.5% efficiency. With this
efficiency, the formula becomes:
Width of cut (ft) × speed (mph)× 0.825
= acres/hr
43,560 (ft2)
Width of cut is the effective working width of the
equipment and may not be the same as its rated width.
Working width should be measured on the job but can
be estimated when necessary. **Based on 82.5% efficiency.
The actual machine speed can be determined by **When width of cut exceeds 10 meters, use a multiple of the width of cut
and increase production proportionately.
measuring the amount of time to travel a given dis-
tance. When using the metric system, the time to travel
16.7 meters or a multiple thereof, can be converted into
kilometers per hour.
1.0
= speed (kmh)
(Time in min. to travel 16.7 meters)

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 Land Clearing Production Estimating
● Cutting

ENGLISH A = Density or vine presence factor affecting base

Minutes Speed Production* Width of Cut** time
to travel mph acres/hour feet
88 ft
B = Base time for each tractor per hectare (2.47 acres)
M = Minutes per tree in each diameter range
N = Number of trees per hectare (2.47 acres) in each
diameter range obtained from field survey
D = Sum of diameter in 30 cm (1 ft) increments of
all trees per hectare (2.47 acres) above 180 cm
(6 ft) in diameter at ground level obtained from
field survey
F = Minutes per 30 cm (1 ft) of diameter for trees
above 180 cm (6 ft) in diameter.
Hardwoods affect over-all or total time as follows:
75-100% hardwoods: Add 30% to total time (X = 1.3)
25-75% hardwoods: No change (X = 1.0)
0-25% hardwoods: Subtract 30% from total time
(X = 0.7)
Production Factors for Felling
with Rome K/G Blades
Base
Minutes Dia.
per above
hectare Diameter Range 180 cm
(2.47 30-60 cm 60-90 cm 90-120 cm 120-180 cm per 30 cm
acres) (1-2 ft) (2-3 ft) (3-4 ft) (4-6 ft) (6' per foot)
Tractor “B” “M1” “M2” “M3” “M4” “F”
165 hp 85 0.7 3.4 6.8 — —
230 hp 58 0.5 1.7 3.3 10.2 3.3
**Based on 82.5% efficiency. 305 hp 45 0.2 1.3 2.2 6.0 1.8
**When width of cut exceeds 60 feet, use a multiple of the width of cut 405 hp 39 0.1 0.4 1.3 3.0 1.0
and increase production proportionately.
Explanation of columns in table:
CUTTING PRODUCTION ESTIMATING Tractor — Based on current model tractors (power
Most land clearing operations such as bulldozing, shift when applicable) working on reasonably level
cutting, grubbing, raking and piling are not performed terrain (below 10% grade) with good footing, no stones,
at constant speed. Because off-the-job production is average mixture of soft and hard woods. Tractor is in
difficult to estimate for these operations, Rome Industries proper operating condition, blade is sharp, and properly
has developed formulas for estimating cutting and piling adjusted.
time. These formulas take into consideration variable Base Minutes — The base figures represent the
prime mover speeds through a factor, “B”, the base number of minutes required for each tractor to cover a
time for each tractor to cover one hectare (2.47 acres) hectare (2.47 acres) of light material where no trees
of light material. require splitting or other individual treatment. Time
To estimate tractor cutting time per hectare (2.47 acres) required is affected by the density of material less than
on a specific land clearing job, apply the factors shown 30 cm (1 ft) in diameter and the presence of vines.
in the following table, together with data obtained from a. dense — 1480 trees/hectare (600 or more trees/
the job survey, in the formula: acre): Add 100% to base time (A = 2.0)
b. medium — 990-1480 trees/hectare (400-600 trees/
T = X [A(B)+M 1N 1+M 2N 2+M 3N 3+M 4N 4+DF] acre): No change (A = 1.0)
where c. light — less than 990 trees/hectare (400 trees/
T = Time per hectare (2.47 acres) in minutes acre): Subtract 30% from total time (A = 0.7)
X = Hardwood or density factor affecting total time

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 Production Estimating Land Clearing
● Cutting
● Piling

Presence of heavy vines: Add 100% to base time PILING PRODUCTION ESTIMATING
(A=2.0). Very heavy vines add 300% to base time. A procedure has also been developed for estimating
(A=3.0) piling production for a tractor equipped with a K/G blade
Dia. Range — M1 represents minutes required to cut or rake.
trees from 31-60 cm (1-2 ft) in diameter at ground level. To estimate tractor hours per hectare (acre) on a spe-
M2 same for trees 61-90 cm (2-3 ft) diameter. cific land clearing job, apply the factors shown in the
M3 same for trees 91-120 cm (3-4 ft) diameter. following table with data obtained from the job survey,
M4 same for trees 121-180 cm (4-6 ft) diameter. in the formula:
For Dia. above 180 cm (6 ft) — The figures in this T = B+M1N 1+M2N 2+M3N 3+M4N 4+DF
column represent size the number of minutes required where
per 30 cm (1 ft) of diameter for each tractor to cut trees T = Time per hectare (2.47 acre) in minutes.
above 180 cm (6 ft) in diameter. Thus, to fell a 240 cm B = Base time for each tractor per hectare (2.47 acre).
(8 ft) diameter tree would require 8×1.8 or approximately M = Minutes per tree in each diameter range.
14.4 minutes with a D8T. N = Number of trees per hectare (2.47 acre) in each
diameter range obtained from field cruise.
Example problem:
D = Sum of diameter in 30 cm (1 ft) increments of
Calculate the felling production of a D8T with K/G all trees per hectare (2.47 acre) above 180 cm (6 ft)
Blade in these conditions: reasonably level terrain, firm in diameter at ground level obtained from field
ground, well drained, 85% hardwoods with heavy vines cruise.
and the following average tree count per hectare (2.47 acre): F = Minutes per 30 cm (1 ft) of diameter for trees
Less Sum Dia’s
above 180 cm (6 ft) in diameter.
than Above 27
30 cm 31-60 cm 61-90 cm 91-120 cm 121-180 cm 180 cm Production Factors for Piling in Windrows*
Diameter (1 ft) (1-2 ft) (2-3 ft) (3-4 ft) (4-6 ft) (6 ft) Base Dia.
Range “B” “N1” “N2” “N3” “N4” “D” Minutes above
Number 488 cm per 180 cm
1100 35 6 6 4 hectare Diameter Range
of Trees (16 ft) per 30 cm
(2.47 30-60 cm 60-90 cm 90-120 cm 120-180 cm (6' per
acres) (1-2 ft) (2-3 ft) (3-4 ft) (4-6 ft) foot)
Solution: Tractor “B” “M1” “M2” “M3” “M4” “F”
T = X [A(B)+M 1N1+M2N2+M 3N3+M 4N4+DF] 165 hp 157 0.50 1.0 4.2 — —

T = 1.3 [2.0 (45)+0.2 (35)+1.3 (6)+2.2 (6)+6 230 hp 125 0.40 0.7 2.5 5.0 —

(4)+16 (1.8)] 305 hp 111 0.10 0.5 1.8 3.6 0.9

= 1.3 (90+7+7.8+13.2+24+28.8) 405 hp 97 0.08 0.1 1.2 2.1 0.3

= 1.3 (170.8) *May be used with most types of raking tools and angled shearing blade.
Windrows to be spaced approximately 61 meters (200 feet) apart.
= 222 minutes/hectare (90 min/acre)
● ● ● Explanation of columns in table:
Tractor — Production with tractor working alone
Where the job requires grubbing trees and stumps based on current model tractors (power shift when
greater than 30 cm (1 ft) in diameter at the same time applicable) working on reasonably level (below 10%
the trees are sheared, use the same basic procedure as grade) terrain with good footing, no stones, average
defined above including the variables for the presence mixture of soft and hard woods. The tractor is in proper
of hardwoods. After time per hectare (acre) in minutes operating condition. Decrease total time by 25-50%
has been determined, increase the over-all or total time depending on the number and size of trees when using
by 25%. three or more tractors in combination.
Where the job requires re-entering the area (after all Base Minutes — The base figures represent the number
trees have been sheared) to remove stumps with a tilted of minutes required for each tractor to cover a hectare
shearing blade or stumper, increase the total time by 50%. (2.47 acres) of light material.

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