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Reclaiming scrubland for cultivation in NSW


kojak

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This was probably the worst tractor driving job I've ever done. After a doser had knocked tress and ploughed up the roots we dragged this massive chain around to fill in the craters left by the doser and to pull up small trees and roots. This was done at least 4 times in different directions until it was level enough for a chisel plough. Avoiding deep holes and massive roots protruding up from the soil and being tossed around in the cab even driving at slow speeds all day isn't fun.....hardship.

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This was probably the worst tractor driving job I've ever done. After a doser had knocked tress and ploughed up the roots we dragged this massive chain around to fill in the craters left by the doser and to pull up small trees and roots. This was done at least 4 times in different directions until it was level enough for a chisel plough. Avoiding deep holes and massive roots protruding up from the soil and being tossed around in the cab even driving at slow speeds all day isn't fun.....hardship.

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Thats the biggest chain i've ever seen, could hold to a tug o war with them ladies thats for sure!!

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great pics chap  thanks for posting them , my great uncle used to talk about scrub clearance with  anchor chains back in the 60's & 70's in the northern teritories  he used to drive an old cat D9 i think.

question , about the stick rake ,  looks an awsome machine but where does the raked stuff go ? does it leave it in rows to be picked up ? or is it reverseable & just keeps raking it all till you reach where you need to be .

also with the ammount of groundwork being done don't you loose a lot of the natural moisture the soil holds ?

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That is some operation!!!!

How long would it take you from start to finish and what is soil quality like in terms of nutrients?

It took the dozer about six weeks to clear and blade it...it was pretty dense in parts. It took about 2 weeks on and off to level it and rake it. In that part of the woods you get 2 types of soil, hard red soil thats not much good for anything or black soil thats really good.....the soil in this area was black and thats why we cleared it. Gave a good yield of wheat the following year. 

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question , about the stick rake ,  looks an awsome machine but where does the raked stuff go ? does it leave it in rows to be picked up ? or is it reverseable & just keeps raking it all till you reach where you need to be .

also with the ammount of groundwork being done don't you loose a lot of the natural moisture the soil holds ?

The rake was an awkward son of a ***** to drive...couldn't reverse it, could only turn one way in a large turning radius, the rake wheels got jammed, punctures and constant playing with the hydralics to keep it from spitting out sticks. You just go around the paddock in circles leaving the sticks in rows but pulling the rows in with every lap. When the rows got too big you jumped over it and started again. Adozer with a stick rake then piled them up for burning. Yeah you do loose the moisture but it has to be done to get rid of the roots, stumps, sticks etc..

D9 with a stick rake on the blade.

23movingthedozerwithstickrake.jpg 

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thanks Kojak... your making some of us pasty white limeys very happy...

Crikey,..............we could push some serious amounts of grass and maize about with that shovel over here.. :o

Thats what you want for your soil operations Mark.. ;D

was thinking more of a comb for my mother-in-laws hair... on her back  :D :D
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I'll echo everyone elses sentiments, brilliant photographic contribution that i'm postively drooling over, that D9 looks like something straight out of "Mad Max."

What model number is the big Komatsu just out of curiosity? My Dad once drove an old D-155 model in a quarrying operation many years ago:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h141/walterderwent/KomatsuD1552.jpg

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I'll echo everyone elses sentiments, brilliant photographic contribution that i'm postively drooling over, that D9 looks like something straight out of "Mad Max."

What model number is the big Komatsu just out of curiosity? My Dad once drove an old D-155 model in a quarrying operation many years ago:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h141/walterderwent/KomatsuD1552.jpg

Thanks mate........not sure what the model was, its pretty old. I only drove it a few times, stayed well clear of it coz the air con didn't work....no air con no Cliffy  :)

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