Favorite Habitat Tools

dawghall

Member
What's your favorite habitat tool that you can't live without (planting, cutting, spraying, whatever)? If you have several I'd love to check them all out. I want to be using the best tools for the job and I guarantee some of you guys have some efficient tools from experience. Let's list some keepers......I'll start with a Stihl chainsaw purchased this year.......it saved tons of time over the old cheap chainsaws that I used in the past
 
Can't touch this...oh-oh oh oh-oh-oh...Can't touch this...........

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Do you treat the stumps every so often to keep them from resprouting?

Yes, I do treat stumps.

The great thing about a DR is getting into tight places that need some occasional maintenance but would be hard or impossible to get a bushhog to. Or, if you need to blaze a trail through a thick spot with briers, it is so nice for that as well.

It's really great for working in the area of my tree planting that gets yearly maintenance (where the apples, pears, etc. are located). This winter we have had many warm days, and I have taken advantage of them - using the DR to get spring maintenance done early. It has also been so wet that a tractor would have sunk up, but I can take the DR and work where water is standing on the ground.

The exercise has been great too. At the time of year I struggle with the get enough exercise, the DR has made a big difference. You kill two birds with one stone - get a good workout and get the habitat work done at the same time.
 
Earthway M30 spreader - bought it 20 years ago. Mounted on the front of an ATV for spreading fertilizer and seed - invaluable - allows you to see volume of product output, both on the ground and in the hopper, small seed, big seed, 100 pounds of fertilzer.

+1 on the Stihl chainsaw

John Deere with front end loader and 3 point hitch

All good...
 
If I had to give up all my habitat tools today and could only keep one and only one for the rest of my life.... My chainsaw...without a doubt is THE most valuable, cost effective, versatile tool a person can use for habitat work. A good saw only costs a couple hundred bucks, will last a lifetime and you can create food and cover for deer with them....what more do you want?

Some virtually free habitat tools....a box of matches (fire) and a shovel, a metal tinned rake and a backpack sprayer and a small hand held broadcaster seeder are all under $50 each and may require some work, but will get the job done on a small scale. With these you can plant and maintain trees and small plots as well.

Habitat tools do not have to be expensive... The lower cost options will require more physical labor or more hands and may keep your projects smaller in nature....but it can be done. You don't have to have an ATV or tractor to do this....it helps....but isn't required. Also consider that many of the best habitat projects you can do are not the "sexy" ones like plotting. The "dirty" projects like planting trees, hinging, TSI, burns and planting native grasses don't get a lot of press....but are still very important.
 
Stihl 460 magnum was my all time favorite, but my Stihl HT56CE pole saw is fast overtaking it. A pole saw with a sharp chain is faster with less work on smaller diameter habitat work, and the overhead reach for trail and field edges is unbeatable. It's packable when you're trying to conserve space.
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I agree with the pole saw. I've cut tons with mine, but I don't have the Stihl. Mine is a cheap Trimmer Plus attachment that fits on my Husqvarna.
 
Stihl 460 magnum was my all time favorite, but my Stihl HT56CE pole saw is fast overtaking it. A pole saw with a sharp chain is faster with less work on smaller diameter habitat work, and the overhead reach for trail and field edges is unbeatable.
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Yes, I want a pole saw pretty bad. I hope to get one in the next year or two. I'm still keeping my eye on these battery powered chainsaws as well. I know Stihl makes the battery powered pole saw too. I'm just scared a newer faster battery will come out as soon as I purchase it. Battery technology seems to be moving very quickly
 
Yes, I want a pole saw pretty bad. I hope to get one in the next year or two. I'm still keeping my eye on these battery powered chainsaws as well. I know Stihl makes the battery powered pole saw too. I'm just scared a newer faster battery will come out as soon as I purchase it. Battery technology seems to be moving very quickly
I'm a carpenter so I have loads of cordless tools, but my chainsaws are still gas powered. The battery models that I've tried just didn't have the oomphf to make a sharp chain throw sawdust like I want to see, and I'm going out and cutting 3-4 tankfuls with my polesaw in several hours, batteries just wouldn't be feasible. When I'm cutting trees I want to see wood chips flying! But the new battery polesaws would be ok for me, they are getting closer to gas powered all the time.
 
I'll always have a good gas powered chainsaw as well. Their pure power is often needed and saves time on cuts. I guess I'm just researching for some "lighter" workdays
 
Stihl 241c chainsaw that was sent mastermind worksaw for a wood port tuning. That little saw has an attitude and almost keeps up with my 362c
 
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