Hey Everyone, My name is Kyle Printz and I’m new to the forum. I’m a Marine Corps OEF veteran and medically retired firefighter/paramedic who recently moved to Sevierville, Tennessee. I just started All Clear Landworks, a small owner-operator business focused on forestry mulching, land clearing, and fire mitigation work in the Smoky Mountains. I’m still in the equipment evaluation stage and don’t have a machine yet. I originally planned to start with a compact track loader (I have a Cat dealer nearby) and also looked into running a mulcher on an excavator, but both options felt limited for the steep terrain we have here in the Smokies. After doing more research and considering my financial situation with a pension, I’m now leaning toward starting with a dedicated tracked mulcher instead. I’m currently getting quotes on machines like the FAE PT175/PT200, Prinoth Raptor 200, and Fecon FTX150-2. I do have the ability to haul whatever I decide on. My main goal is to build a reputation for clean, high-quality work — especially on steeper ground — rather than trying to rush through jobs. One of the issues I have with my equipment selection is FAE, Fecon and Prinoth dealers are a decent distance from me, about 3-4 hrs one way, which means any warranty work is almost impractical. Because of that I've started looking at used low hour machines under 2k hrs that are much much more appealing financially lol. Because these machines are built for this kind of work it feels much safer to me than a used CTL. For those wondering, a quote on a 2026 FAE PT200 was $395k after tax.... I’m still early in the process and want to learn as much as I can from guys who have been doing this a while. I’d really appreciate any advice on equipment, techniques for steep ground, or just general lessons you’ve learned the hard way. Looking forward to being part of the group and contributing where I can. Thanks, Kyle Printz All Clear Landworks Sevierville, TN

Hi All! Just wanted to update and wrap up my long saga on here for everyone. I know it's a lot to read through, but if you're in the position I was a few months ago, wondering if this is all possible, I hope you can find a little motivation in this to give it a try. - April 10th I took possession of my new CAT 275xe. I finally got out of the dealer at around Noon and drove straight to my first job. Risky not having ran it before, but you gotta learn somehow! - spent almost every week day in the machine on jobs up until today trying to get caught up on all the work I booked before even having the machine (thanks to facebook ads) - have just a couple jobs left with paid deposits, finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. - grabbed some good before/after pics and vids to start creating new content for updating socials and new ads - 5 5-Star Reviews achieved on new Google Business Profile and counting Since April 10th, I have completed and received payment on $23,875 worth of work with an average job ticket of $3,410. The rest of this week and next week will be spent finishing up the final 2 jobs with deposits which will be for $9,875 worth of work. I hope someone gets a little value out of all this to see what is possible. A month ago, I was working a $90k a year W2 behind a computer all day. Miserable. Now, I'm in woods all day tearing things up and enjoying life so much more and making a great living. While I don't plan to run this wide open all the time, it is nice to see what is possible if you truly wanted to grind away and make hay when you can. Just don't get burned out! I am posting before/after vids of one of my favorite jobs I completed on a random Tuesday, and the rewarding joy you can bring with this work. I did this job for a couple who had inherited this property from a passing parent. They wanted to build their retirement home on this property. Both husband and wife were in tears after seeing the finished property (in a good way!) He said "I haven't been able to walk this property like this since I was a 6 year old boy. If it was Friday, I'd pack the kids and tent up and we'd camp out here all weekend."