Suggestions on opening flows?

[FRAGWHACKER]

A track hoe would have no problem running along the side of a flow even in muddy areas. even if it gets into some really bad stuff the bucket can pull them out. There are all kinds of construction companys out there that are looking for work, and thier equipment is sitting. Most companies will charge by the hour. The biggest problem I would see with this is the time it would take to walk a track hoe out there. Thats why if they are still working on the Doug Miller unit the equipment is already there.

[Duckboy]

Agreed, I have talked with a lot of dirt guys that have little to no work right now.  They could set upa by hour w/ inurance, some guys can do amazing stuff with a trackhoe.  Maybe I could talk with some guys and see if they know of anyone that might want ot venture out there??

Let me know.

Also, heres a link to those marsh machines/mowers.
http://www.marshmaster.com/

[DONGAS]

Check out the trackhoe at  www.remu.fi

[FRAGWHACKER]

I agree with you Rjefre that we need to keep up on the pintail flow, and not let it get out of control. If you need any help spraying it just ask. It would be nice to see us keeping a flow clear of phrag.

[Scooter]

I HEARD about a guy once who sank his old man's boat in the south channel while he was on vacation.  The kid had a trackhoe come out and get the boat out.  This was mid december and it was a pretty warm day but the hoe didn't have too much trouble getting down and back but it wasn't a walk in the park either.  It was a muddy mess.  I, wait a minute, I mean THEY were about a mile from the launch and where the flows came out of the channel he had to walk it across those things.  A few of them worried me a little.  Tractor or regular trackhoe would have to be a summertime I would think to lessen the possibility of sinking out of sight.  The young man who sank the boat learned a very important lesson and followed his mother's advice and went on to build his own boat so he wouldn't sink his dad's ever again.   

[silversurfer]

Trackhoe can do alot of stuff,    But I can tell you in some of the mud out there a normal trackhoe will  get stuck and will be very hard to get out. I remember getting a hoe stuck once and it took 2 other hoe and a 755 loader to get it out, plus alot of cable.    One way we learn  to work in the mud was off of semi tire or 8x8x12 bolted together. I would love to try it in someone else machine.  The last thing we would need is the OK from the state to do it and I bet that wouldn't came easy. 

[FRAGWHACKER]

"Scooter" that is some funny stuff right there!!! Why is it that we sure remember the exact dates and time when we got stuck, brokedown, fell in the water, things like that. but cant remember birth days, wedding anniversaries, and appointments?

I sure feel bad for the people out there without airboats they dont have stories like ours!!!

I really think that a trackhoe would be able to access most of the flows. They just got done building a dike around a 400 acre Doug Miller unit in the same area with the same equpment we are talking about.

[Duckboy]

So...............is Scooter up to the job?

[mojo1]

Frag,
 I agree, this plant is one heck of an enemy. I have been toying with the idea, like Rjefre mentioned with an argo, or a used snow cat, small tractors with sickle bars, or even a tracked combin tractor.  They have them back east as well over in europe. There are two big problems I see with heavy equip andthey are  weight (mud issue) and the relocation after the area is complete. 
I have seen track hoes that ahve been modified with large selfcontained floats built within their track systems. THAT would be the ticket, but the price tags Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIMVay3rDnw&feature=related

Or something like this buggy/ with a mower.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeCSW-XeswE&feature=related

It would be nice to either get a big azz machinery or have a couple of smaller two man/ teams to hit the frag.??

I would personally like to buy an argo for personal use, but if I could dump two or three grand to help out, it woudl be worth it.

I can speak from personal experience on those tracked combines, they sink in the mud like the regular wheeled one, we used a pair for two have rest seasons back in AR, then sent them on their way, they suck in that gumbo mud.   When they dig in they are a pain to get out, better to use a standard wheeled combine, those don’t bury as badly.

A track hoe  with a low pressure track/float system would be the ticket but you better have the $, they cost about $50,000 to retro fit an existing track hoe with them(at least that’s what they paid for a set on a CAT 335 back home).  It works too; those boys regularly do all kinds of work in the swamps back home with few problems.
 
If you are going to use a regular track hoe to say clean out the flow from the spur, you are either gonna need a lot of heavy timbers or better yet some portable aircraft runway matting to drive on.  I have heard of folks using tractor tires, but they said they slide out from under the tracks a lot.  My father in law in OK has a couple of track hoes, he uses that runway matting, it’s the ticket compared to the others stuff.  I would imagine a lot of guys who do dirt work wouldn't dare take their equipment out on those flows, but for enough $ you could find someone to do it.

Maybe one of those big wheeled sprayer trucks fitted with a cutter might be the ticket.

[Duckboy]

Thanks Mojo, didnt think the track combines would work too well.  We need to just find a small but effective vehicle that is light enough incase it gets stuck, and has the hp to push through the phrag.  Mojo, so what did they end up using over in AR to hammer the phrag?  

So, heres my take on the whole ARGO sickle bar combo, I guess the two arms would not work since one they only make right hand sickle bars and two, that would be added weight you would want to shed off out there.

[mojo1]

Every place I have seen cleaned out has been dug by a track hoe, or sprayed/burned, we have a lot more liberal rules on burning back there. Pretty much we can still burn when we want, none of this permit BS. 

Mostly we have a problem with cattails taking over our holes, as far as I seen we don't have much pharq other than the native reed varties.  We dig the cattails out of our holes then we treat them every year after with spray, that usually keeps them open.

I'm not sure what they are spraying now, sometimes we will mix up a cocktail of left over farm chemicals and spray it around our blinds, you probaly couldn't get a permit for that witchs brew out here. 

[mojo1]

Thanks Mojo, didnt think the track combines would work too well.  We need to just find a small but effective vehicle that is light enough incase it gets stuck, and has the hp to push through the phrag.  Mojo, so what did they end up using over in AR to hammer the phrag?  

So, heres my take on the whole ARGO sickle bar combo, I guess the two arms would not work since one they only make right hand sickle bars and two, that would be added weight you would want to shed off out there.

Yeah those bars are made to hang off the right side, maybe a man could rig up a sickle bar from an old combine header and make it work, those are a lot longer and could be mounted on the front of a vehicle, but at some point it would get jammed up and there is still the weight issue to deal with. 

I couldn't come across a picture of those spray rigs I was talking about, but basically they are a light weight truck or tractor with those 5 ft tall, and 3 ft wide balloon tires on them, that spreads out some of the weight.  I know they don't get stuck very often, I have no idea if you could mount a cutter, but I'm sure an ingenious man could make a mount.

[Duckboy]

Mojo, Trucks like this??


or



http://www.agriweld.com/pages/suspensionboom.html

[mojo1]

Mojo, Trucks like this??


or



http://www.agriweld.com/pages/suspensionboom.html

That's the one, I searched all the farm auction sites looking for a pic!   you found it quick!  Wonder how that would run throught the marsh?  Bet you could rig one up with a cutter and still keep the spray rig on it.

[mojo1]

Both of the duck clubs next to our place have those Argos, they go okay in the muck, but when you stick one in that gumbo it’s a real sob to get out.  They have Warn winches mounted and carry homemade mud anchors to hook up to when there are no trees or other objects around.  Trouble is sometimes you can't get those anchors back out.  I know where a few are entombed.