Forestry Mulcher

[Travis Bahrt]

Has anyone used a forestry mulcher to clear new food plots in wooded areas or heavy over grown fields? Was just watching some different videos on them, seems like it would be a nice way to open up some new spots with out tearing the area up with a dozer. Looks like they are used a lot more in the south then up north.

 

[ruskbuckss]

Yes, We were able to demo one thru my work. We used it on our hunting properties. It was mounted on a cat track skidsteer. The machine was unbelievable. I had a overgrown field that was full of tag alders. The mulcher cut thru it like you were mowing your grass. These were mature tags 8-10 feet tall. The nice thing about them is they chew the trees up into large woodchips. Any branches left over you can backdrag with the mulcher and turn them into chips. That year I used a 3 bottom plow to turnover the area.There was some roots to pick out for a year or two, but the plots turned out great.I would highly recommend one. No topsoil loss either.

 

[bjseiler]

I wouldn't even say wood chips on the one that got used at our place. It was almost sawdust.

 

[144]

That's good to hear. I was about to call a local guy to get a quote to clear some areas for some orchards. Glad to hear it's working out for others. Seems like a much better solution than getting a dozer in and burning the piles, especially when you don't have water around.


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[jackpine]

I need a 1/2 acre cleared. It consists of brush, small scrub oak, and a few 7' red pine. Saw the videos and thought it would be perfect since my ground has some furrows from a failed pine planting and I figured it might help to smooth it out without tearing it up like a dozer. I also have only about 4 inches of topsoil on top of sand so I don't want to rip it up too much. I called a guy out of NE MN last year and he quoted $1700 over the phone. I thought that was way high since dozers charge $100/hr and I couldn't see the job taking more than 5 hrs. I'd be interested to hear what you're able to find, keep us posted

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[Big Snow Man]

I have read in the past that the mulchers are great but you still have a headache with roots if the area is really dense.

 

[Powder]

I just had it done late last year. Unfortunately I wasn't there when it was done and then it snowed so I don't know the result. The guy I had do it was very reasonable. It cost me about $2000 to have approximately 2.5 acres total mulched in three separate plots. It was a full day from 8-5:00. Part of the expense was the extra teeth he broke off. Due to a couple spots being rocky he broke off about 20 teeth and he charged $20/tooth in addition to the hourly rate. But in the end I think it will be money well spent. He was able to mulch up stumps left by the loggers which would have taken at least 2-3 days to be pulled out with an excavator. I'm very anxious for the snow to melt so I can take a look at what he did. I doubt I'll be able to get a good look at it until April.

http://habitat-talk.com/index.php?threads/plots-are-going-in.6607/#post-126524

^^^This link has a couple pictures of how it looked.

 

[Tap]

There was a used one for sale near where I work. The thing made me drool...until I saw how much they were asking... $70 grand!

 

[Big Snow Man]

I just had it done late last year. Unfortunately I wasn't there when it was done and then it snowed so I don't know the result. The guy I had do it was very reasonable. It cost me about $2000 to have approximately 2.5 acres total mulched in three separate plots. It was a full day from 8-5:00. Part of the expense was the extra teeth he broke off. Due to a couple spots being rocky he broke off about 20 teeth and he charged $20/tooth in addition to the hourly rate. But in the end I think it will be money well spent. He was able to mulch up stumps left by the loggers which would have taken at least 2-3 days to be pulled out with an excavator. I'm very anxious for the snow to melt so I can take a look at what he did. I doubt I'll be able to get a good look at it until April.

http://habitat-talk.com/index.php?threads/plots-are-going-in.6607/#post-126524

^^^This link has a couple pictures of how it looked.

Wow I had 2 acres dozed and root raked for that price.

 

[bueller]

I need a 1/2 acre cleared. It consists of brush, small scrub oak, and a few 7' red pine. Saw the videos and thought it would be perfect since my ground has some furrows from a failed pine planting and I figured it might help to smooth it out without tearing it up like a dozer. I also have only about 4 inches of topsoil on top of sand so I don't want to rip it up too much. I called a guy out of NE MN last year and he quoted $1700 over the phone. I thought that was way high since dozers charge $100/hr and I couldn't see the job taking more than 5 hrs. I'd be interested to hear what you're able to find, keep us posted

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Call around, some places rent these things out. Seems like it would be fun as heck to run one through a couple acres of scrubby woods.

 

[Travis Bahrt]

The plan is to try and rent one and clean up a couple acres of old clear cut. Having a hard time finding someone who has one here in northwest pa.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I like watching those mulchers work on YouTube, I couldn't imagine seeing them in action up close. They use them on road ditches and right of ways by my cabin and they grind up everything. They do some really nice work from what little I've seen.

 

[Satchmo]

Brainerd Rental in central MN has one. I heard they get $980/24hrs.

 

[Jeff23]

The plan is to try and rent one and clean up a couple acres of old clear cut. Having a hard time finding someone who has one here in northwest pa.

How close is the nearest Best Line Equipment? I'm not sure if they have one, but they are great to work with; I use a lot of their stuff in my business.

 

[144]

Got a quote for clearing about an acre of pine/oak thickets, he said $1000 and it would take a whole day. Said the stumps would be level with the ground and would be left with chipped down so that you drive/mow over it. So it works out to be around $125/hr, others in the area that have had it done were saying around $150, same ballpark.


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[Powder]

Make sure to ask who pays for broken off teeth.

 

[Travis Bahrt]

Thabks for all the info guys, I will let you know if I can get my hands on one.

 

[JT's Outdoors]

I charge $150/hour for mulching. They can do a tremendous job in areas that don't have too large of trees to deal with or have too many rocks. On good ground I can leave a site looking like it was disced with a tractor. The biggest advantage to a forestry mulcher over a dozer is that the soil is not removed and the organic material is left.

 

[John-W-WI]

I charge $150/hour for mulching. They can do a tremendous job in areas that don't have too large of trees to deal with or have too many rocks. On good ground I can leave a site looking like it was disced with a tractor. The biggest advantage to a forestry mulcher over a dozer is that the soil is not removed and the organic material is left.

JT - looks like you are close to me (Chippewa). Are rocks the enemy of a mulcher? My farm is full of them, but always thought a mulcher was a slick solution.

-John

 

[JT's Outdoors]

JT - looks like you are close to me (Chippewa). Are rocks the enemy of a mulcher? My farm is full of them, but always thought a mulcher was a slick solution.

-John

Yes, rocks are the enemy of mulchers. It does depend on the size of the rocks however. Here in Rusk County we have big rocks that will destroy teeth if you hit them. Smaller rocks the size of softballs or less aren't much of a deal. Most of the areas I have worked in Chippewa County aren't too bad.