If you have got a large pile of trees to burn what is the best way to go about burning them? I have several large piles that I have windrowed up and need to get rid of them. Thanks for any suggestions.
Throw some old rubber tires under the pile, soak in gas/diesel/used oil mix, throw flaming wadded up news papers at fire (or flaming arrow, whatever floats your boat) and break out the weenies.
Mmm rubber/ diesel smoked weenies?:badidea :throwup
Not to mention the fact that while it may be legal to burn the trees in some localities, it may well be illegal to burn the tires there.
Do any of that in NY and you'll be facing a hefty fine. What I do is start a fire with newspaper and dry brush, keep feeding it until you have a large bonfire. Then start pushing the trees up onto the fire. Don't move the coals, just push up on to them. I've done a lot of burning this way and it's legal.
I'm guilty... If I'm out in the sticks a tire or two can be an option, but I mainly use diesel fuel.I like to get a bail or two of straw/hay and soak about a gallon of diesel fuel on each, his will act as a starter log and will burn for about 30 minutes/ long enough to get some hot coals started.
Banditt44, If you use tires only do it when it is foggy.
The tires are just used as a starter to build up the heat in case there is wet wood in the pile.
make sure its legal to burn them right now is the first thing. lot of fire bans down south. id go with diesel soked hay anad some kinda blower to get it burnin hot.
That doesn't make it any better for the people who you are forcing to come into contact with the noxious smoke from the tires in your fire. By no means am I an environmentalist fanatic but read the quote below and see if you want to breathe that junk. Quoted from one of the many sites about the health and environmental hazards of tire burning. Now that its been determined that burning tires is not a good solution because of its serious hazard to people and the environment, and since its probably illegal in most parts of the US, lets get back on topic with some other ways to get debris burning?
Starting a timber fire. Hi, Bandit44. Just twixt you and me, tires and treated timber are about the last things I'd have anywhere near a heap of burning timber - 'cos both give off toxic gases. Tires also give off an awful lot of fairly disticntive black smoke, not a good thing these days when so many authorities have declared it a 'bad' practice. Sorta like hanging out a sign saying, "Come and arrest me". A mixture of 1 part gasoline to 4 parts of diesel fuel is what our bush fire fighters use in their drip torches for lighting scrub and grass for back burning. The sugar cane farmers use a similar mixture to light the cane when burning it off before harvesting. It works pretty well for starting a heap of logs too. If there are any twigs up to - about 1/4" - and leaves, gather them and use them as the starter, with the addition of some of the above gas/deisel mixture and maybe some paper. In a bushfire, it is the small twigs to about 1/4" and the leaves and grasses that burn quickest and put out the most heat. They are also the things that will get your logs going quickest. Go, you pyromaniac, you. LOL
One easy thing I've learned is to watch the weather forecast to see what way the wind will be blowing. Start your fire on the side so that the wind will push it into the pile. If you have a big pile that might take a couple days to burn the wind might switch, so you have to plan accordingly, like maybe saving some tops or a couple of dead dry trees to restoke the fire in the morning. And try not to work the pile too much untill you get a good pile of coals cooking.
Thanks for all the information both good and not so good. The main problem is all this is going to take place close to a bank and a business. Do you think I will have any complaints about all the smoke? Do you think I should ask about a burning permit?
Smoke and burning permit. Hi, Bandit44. In that case, I would definitely ask about a burning permit and I'd also pick a day when the wind is in your favour, ie. blowing away from the buildings. Once the main rush of the fire is gone, most of the smoke will have gone also. It's usually when you first light up that you get the most smoke.
Thanks Deas Plant, I think I will ask about the permit. Folks are kinda funny these days about stirring up trouble about things that people use to not think anything about. In other words some people are just hard to please.
Other people's business. Hi, Bandit44. Yep, some people's lives are so dull and uninteresting that they just HAVE to mind other people's business for something to do.
Clearing Debris Disposal? Hi Bandit44, Have you thought about Chipping the debris ? Getting so burning is banned in many places, so they are chipping and burying the chips in nonbuilding areas, or hauling off. Not to long ago Burn Boxes were used. 40 cy model, fed with a loader. They had a diesel driven fan pushing air across the top , feeding oxygen to the fire. Others used trenches dug into the land with blower fans attached to a tube, much like a window defroster, feeding oxygen to the fire. Push fans on the Cat 977,955 crawler loaders and D7 dozers really fed oxygen to the fire when stoked . Had to back up in a hurry, fire got hot in a hurry. LOL
In my area, burn permits are issued at the town level, so check with your town clerk on that. Read the permit carefully, the restrictions of what you can and can't burn should be written on it, and it will probably say the fire must be attended at all times. I usually pick a damp day to burn to ensure there are no accidents. Wet wood will burn after you get a little heat going. Since you are in an urban area, make sure you read all the rules carefully and follow them. You can be sure that someone will drop a dime on you if they see something not quite right. The fines here for violations are outrageous, up to $10,000! It's also a good idea to let your fire dispatcher know what you are doing so you don't get a bunch of fire equipment showing up to ruin your day. I was doing some burning here and someone from 3 miles away called about the smoke. Had the fire department here ready to make me put out my pile. Showed them the permit, it was a damp day and I had my machine at the ready to control the fire, Chief said "looks good to me" and they were on their way.
Depending on what town, burning can be simple by me. The last time we had a permit good for a couple of months. You just had to call the non-emergency 911 number to let them know when you started and finished burning for the day. I also saw a guy clear a few acres across from one of our jobs and he just piled up everything and let it burn whether they were there or not. It burned for days and smoldered for more than a week . I think he was crazy, but it was out in the middle of no where, so I guess he didn't care. I recommend doing it the right way with permits and such, if for no other reason than to not have to worry about watching over your shoulder while working.
I had five acres of land that was covered with 95% sweet gum trees. Most of them were 6 to 12 inched in diameter. Would it be best after I get the permit to burn them this winter or let them dry out a while? I have piled up several big piles and am running out of room. I thought about trying to sell them but if someone had cut them then you would have had all those stumps to push up.
Sweet gum trees..... The worst tree in the world Its useless to try and sell that sized lumber, probably would not even pay for the expense of trucking it away. I would would try to start burning them, Being wintertime it would take forever for them to dry out, If its wet and cold out. I would strongly agree with getting the permit first before you burn with stuctures around. Around here I think the fire must be atleast 1000 feet away afrom any structure, but sometimes that does not work and you just have to burn a smaller pile at the time. I don't know about you but I never put a fire out before I go home, and I never stay overnight to watch it. About 2 hrs before I plan on leaving I just stop adding brush to the pile, then by the time I leave the fire should still be burning good, but not raging, and will die down overnight. As many said wait for a rain first, then you don't have to worry about the fire spreading the first few days. I've cleared the same amount as you are talking about about and burned every bit of it, I would plan on burning for about a week to get it all gone, depending how many piles you plan to burn at one time. The Biggest question is WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH ALL THE ASHES???? 5 acres will produce a rather large pile of dusty ashes to pay around with. It would not surprise me if you did not have 12 -15 truck loads of ashes to move.
Dirtman2007 if you knew me better you would know I don't plan or think that far ahead. Just kidding I thought I would just spread them around and mix them up with all the loose dirt. Be my luck that this would be the worst thing you could do with them.
Ha, ha thats werid, on any buring job the first thing I always do is to ask where all the ashes will be going. Not fun hauling off red hot ashes I always try to put the pile close to were nothing will be built, that way I could dig a big hole next to the pile and bury them if allowed. Its amazing how long they will stay hot in a pile, a week later ashes will still be glowing red deep in the pile. Just plan on shaking your air filter out a few times.... It's gonna get dusty!! Got a few pics for you. Fire before After it died down, no time for it to finish burning... buried it still on fire Gonna get dusty I did have a plus side, only one pile. I think you will have a few more...
I think my pile is up to about an acre and a half. Might take a couple of weeks to burn it. If I get it going they will probably have satelite pictures on the evening news.
I made a blower out of a old silage blower , turned the band so it discharged horizontally, and used 6" steel pipe to feed the fire . It worked extremely well for what it was. Really cut down on the black smoke
May I ask what you are clearing it with, Exacavtor, trackloader? should be able to pile it up high. Or maybe I'll just check it out on the evening news... Although I would not set it on fire all at one time... LOL
Welcome to Heavy Equipment Forums METCO! :drinkup
A friend of mine in the timber business says to put a fire out....throw a sweet gum log on it. I have burned some in the fireplace, but they don't burn well. I don't know how you are gonna get those whole trees to burn. If I were you, I would talk to some people around there that are in the clearing business for ideas before I cut 'em down. Good luck Pete
Ash is an excellent soil amendment, some fertilizers and Acid based neutralizers are ash based, so spread out and disc it in, you're giving nature a big helping hand....................oh God, now the West Coast tree hugging nature nut side of me just kicked in............put me out of my misery.
:guns :guns :guns I'm a tree huggers worst nightmare
Definitely check on a burn permit. Now a days you have to have one just to light a cigarette in some places seems like. Using tires or similar items is very old school. Do not use under any circumstances. The hay bale idea is very good, but don't use any gasoline unless your wife has a big insurance policy covering you in the hospital burn unit. Diesel will work just fine, or charcoal lighter. A blower of some type is a good plus. Something like an orchard sprayer, or even a Cat with a blower fan. Even a leaf blower will help get things started off. You might want to check into using a chopper or a tub grinder instead, particularly if you can not get a burn permit. Another way to get rid of some of it -- the bigger pieces anyway, is to stick a sign out that says, "free fire wood." Have a water truck standing by, just in case you know. Being close to buildings is a big risk. You don't want to chance the fire getting out of control like the one yesterday in Florida on I-4. Good Luck!
Tree disposal ? Now here is the way to do it. 1st cut the tree down 2nd then haul the tree off 3rd to a hole in the ground to bury. Hey just humor ! :drinkup
Tree Disposal 2 Part 2
In Washington State burning tires is strictly forbidden and will bring a hefty fine. Now most of the clearing on the west side of the mountains has to be ground up in big tub grinders. Only certain places are allowed to burn at specific times of the year. Word on the air waves says the governor wants to completely ban burning. We have an election this year so maybe we can get rid of her. It is already illegal to use a burn barrel to get rid of your burnable garbage. Where we can burn, the local fire department handles the permits. If you are burning in a municipality you will probably at least have to notify them and may even have to pay for them to stand by. Good Luck!
Disposing of ashes. Hi, Bandit44. Bobcat Ron raised a good point about getting rid of the ashes. I don't know about your sweet gums but any time I've burnt off any sort of timber around here, I just run the dozer or track loader through the ashes and scatter them every which way. They make great fertiliser and, even though you scatter the ashes pretty evenly, the area where the fire heap was usually still grows better than anywhere else.
tree huggers worst nightmare Tell us why you say you are the tree huggers worst nightmare, Chris. You must have some good stories about them. Do tell all. Sounds pretty interesting, Chris. What did you do?
We used to doze out orchards here , squeeze up the piles and then burn when they were dry enough. That's a thing of the past which is OK with me that's a nasty job punching up burn piles. The grinders can have it.
Glad to see that most agree to cancell burning of tyres. Remember we have only one planet earth, and one atmosphere. Lighting a fire is pretty easy. Just like starting a campfire; start with small sticks and dry grass then keep adding bigger stuff. Blowers also work well for speeding up the fire. Ashes make good fertiliser for the soil. Used to be sold here called Potash. Of course I agree that grinding the waste to chips is the best. You get a free pile of mulch that operates pretty much like a compost pile. Just turn it with a machine occasionally and you finish up with a great growing medium for all sorts of plants.........C ya.......Ray
well I could go on about this forever but I'm not. I actually had one tell me that people like me were horrible to the environment and should be ashamed of what I do :falldownlaugh At all time I carry a chainsaw in my truck, sometime 2. Then I ask the Question " is your house made from plastic?" And they ramble away... I Like trees but If they need to come down I have no problem with that. I dont like any trees within 20 feet of any house site I clear. Some the fools leave trees up to 16" in diameter 4 feet away from the house that will be built, then a few years later the homeowner wonders why the wall are cracking and foundation is moving. The roots have to go somewhere ointhead I have seen some weird things in some " Eco Friendly neighborhoods" Talking to trees, On one site I actually saw a lady kiss a tree goodbye before I knocked it down.:crazy It was not even on her property and looked like everyother tree around. Thought I was loosing my mind. I've seen people who had severe melt downs because I drove the machine across the roots of a tree ( I guess they thought it would kill it ) enough for now........
Actually here in the valley where I live (San Joaquin) the ground up trees or chips are used to fire electric plants to gen electricty. They recirculate the smoke some way and burn clean enough to satisify strict air quality regs. Smaller amounts like ground prunings from orchards are left as mulch. We do have an air problem here so I'm glad to see it happen.
This is what I do, but do not do it in a high traffic area. Take a old car tire and place it on the bottom of the pile, and on the side that the wind is facing. Then get a 20Lb bottle of propane and a weed burner torch and light it up. This is the quickest way to start it up. Try this any you will never use diesel again.
Over 3 bucks a gallon for diesel I am hesitant to use it for anything wasteful like starting fires.
Don't Burn... Grind! As DPete said in Cali you can’t burn Ag waste i.e... trees or vines! You can however grind the trees and sell the chips to co. gen's to make electricity. I ran a Diamond Z tub grinder in the California’s central valley for 5 years. These things eat stumps and spit out the splinters!
more grinder shots....
Here is picture of my mess, the rain has started back so I will have to let it dry back up a few days.
Here is the picture I had to make is smaller to get it to go on here. I don't know much about computers either. Sure would like to get my hands on that tub grinder for a week or so.
:umno that thing will do 5 acres of trees in about 3 hours, if there piled up right!
saw a lady kiss a tree goodbye Chris: That is like the funniest thing I ever heard. You must have been laughing so hard in the cab when you pushed the tree over finally. Great story. :laugh Anybody else seen stuff like this?
I demoed a house once and the old owner had to be removed from the premises. Another time there were some bums living in a an old pizza restaraunt in fresno, we had to kick out of there.
night owl? I have a suggestion that will probably stop the business complaints, but require you to lose some sleep. I have worked on a few right of way clearing jobs, and we would light our piles around 3 am. No one is around to complain, there is dew on the ground to somewhat reduce the danger of the fire getting out, and if your pile is properly stacked, your fire is about done burning by the time the rest of the world even starts their day! Also, a gas powered leaf blower goes a long way in starting a fire, usually with a gallon of diesel or less.
That's sound like a good plan Dirthog27. I think I am going to go ahead and push up all the trees and pile them into seperate piles and let them dry out till spring and them burn them.
Those stump grinders are wonderful things, but here's a tip.....don't stick a tree, that has grown around a Model T rearend, into one, it's kinda hard on the teeth! We we're clearing a horribly overgrown farmstead/junk collection when this happened, and it had just had a new set of teeth installed....that old diiferential made short work of them! The tree had completely grown around this old rearend, which could not be seen until it was too late! Ouch.... Sorry, no pics. alan627b
Yeah the hammer tips dont like metal to much. What kind of trees are you grinding, also what are you doing with the chips?
They don't like rebar, either- we were clearing an old farm once, and there was a bunch of 1" bar buried under the leaves. Got mixed into the pile, hard to see, rusty old rebar looks a lot like a stick. Wraps right around the drum, and takes a torch to get out.:Banghead
Hey that morbark is in the yard by the park in vooorhees right?
No, this one's sitting in the yard in EHT right now.
You guys leave the tractor hooked up when you grind?
Not usually, but we only had a little bit to do right at that spot, boss man decided to chance it:beatsme He won that particular roll of the dice, though, 'cause nothing substantial hit the truck.
As a grinder operator myself( Diamond Z 1463B), we sold the chips to cogen's on the west coast. What do you guys on the east coast do with them?