Land clearing option

[nchunter1989]

Guys need some advice here-

We have rented a skidsteer & brush mower for last couple years. This last time I saw that the vegetation is just getting too much , at least for this particular setup. They don't have an enclosed cage, so I can't lift the mower up over the brush & cut from top down.

I tried, but after a few chunks to the face decided it wasn't worth it.

They also have 2 mini excavators with bucket thumb & a compact JD backhoe. Also a grapple bucket for the skidsteer.

What would be better? The skidsteer & grapple bucket or one of the other machines? I have about 200 yards to clear for a fire break & a couple lanes to push out. Hardwood, mostly gum & cherry 3/4-1" but they are about 9-10ft tall.

I can rent either of the options I mentioned for around $500. A dozer in this area goes for $6-700 before delivery.Perfect world, I would just rent a forestry muncher & go to town. But no one around rents it without Gen liability & its $10k a day.


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[bjseiler]

$10K/day does not seem right considering you can buy them for $30K. http://www.ebay.com/bhp/skid-steer-mulcher

 

[nchunter1989]

$10K/day does not seem right considering you can buy them for $30K. http://www.ebay.com/bhp/skid-steer-mulcher

9500$ & change is what I was quoted today.


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[JT's Outdoors]

I can rent a machine and mulcher for a month for $10k. Find a land manager to do it for you. You have MAYBE two hours work to do. I only charge $150 an hour.

 

[nchunter1989]

Most everyone down here charges $150-200 hr, plus setup charges-$300 at least..

I'm not interested in hiring someone, just curious which machine will give us the most bang for our buck.

Done creeping around hacking at it with the bushhog.


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[JT's Outdoors]

None of the options you mentioned are worth it, IMO.

 

[yoderjac]

Got a picture of what you are trying to clear?

 

[nchunter1989]

Got a picture of what you are trying to clear?

The 1st pic, looking to push out more between the pines & brush for a fire lane.

2nd pic gives you an idea what we are working on. Planning to push a lane actually through that area.



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[yoderjac]

A large tractor with a loader and bushhog will handle that. I've cleared areas like that with my little DK45 and bushhog. It takes a lot of time but it can be done. The bushhog will handle most. Some of those pines by be a little to large in diameter for the bushhog. However, I was able to push them over with the loader. I piled them up and burned them. This preserves the top soil verses using a dozer. We had some fields cleared with a dozer and ended up with much of the top soil in piles along the field mixes with debris. You may find a dozer operator who specializes in food plot clearing who can do a better job. If you have hardwood stumps in there that I can't see, you may need a dozer or hoe. I had an area with stumps. I first used the bushhog and loader to clear everything but the stumps. I then used the backhoe to cut the roots and dig out the stumps.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Boll Weevil]

Another option for those sized trees if you can find an operator who has one is a V-shear. The work moves along very quickly, leaves topsoil in place, and then clean up/push into burn piles with a root rake.

 

[j-bird]

A backhoe or excavator is going to be real slow - digging and pulling trees and the like in any volume is going to be a pain. I would look into trying to add some sort of debris screen to the cab of your skid-steer.

Best tool may be a decent tractor with a heavy duty rotary mower. Let the tractor push the crap over and let the mower chew it all up. As long as it isn't a constant wall of these 1" diameter trees you should be fine. Your still going to have a heck of a mess to clean up afterwards.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Your still going to have a heck of a mess to clean up afterwards.

This.

My first clearing project was somewhat of a "test run" on about 2 acres to get an idea of how much time and effort were involved. The next one was reclaiming 14 acres of junk...took all summer. Getting everything on the ground and in piles goes pretty fast but picking up all the debris, burning, pushing it back up to burning again takes some real effort.

 

[nchunter1989]

Yeah we are looking to burn a section beginning of next year. That should help with the areas for cutting lanes, but still need to get the fire break extended.



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[Jim Timber]

View attachment 13447

The 1st pic, looking to push out more between the pines & brush for a fire lane.

2nd pic gives you an idea what we are working on. Planning to push a lane actually through that area.



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I could do that in a day with my tractor using the root grapple.

This is roots and all of trees up to 6" - maple, red oak, aspen, ironwood. Moving the brush takes longer than scrubbing it out of the ground.

 

[nchunter1989]

I could do that in a day with my tractor using the root grapple.

This is roots and all of trees up to 6" - maple, red oak, aspen, ironwood. Moving the brush takes longer than scrubbing it out of the ground.

Yeah I'm pretty confidant I can take the skidsteer & grapple & get it done .


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[BradB]

Why not just rent a small dozer. Just had about 7,500 LF of firelanes put in at my place last summer for around $2,200 and that was with someone else getting beat up and stung by Yellowjackets. The stuff he cleared was both larger and thicker than that.

 

[nchunter1989]

Alot of it is cost. To speed things up I or a couple of us will split cost of rental with the LO. A small dozer maybe what we do, or the skidsteer. I know the skidsteer will be slower.

 

[MRBB]

can you maybe get a tracked skit steer and a Dozer blade for it too?

a skid steer is NOT really that great at plowing thru things, lack of actual down force/traction , and why tracks will help a TON over wheels!
even steel over the wheel tracks would be a BIG help here if you HAVE to use a skid steer!

but the added amount of time wasted in using one will, add up
I'd rent a dozer here or Hire one,
in the long run, it will be a better way to go to be honest! IMO!
plus your not beating the snot out of a skid steer and any worries about possibly damaging it to a grapple in the process,a s I am sure there is a added fee for damages if they happen??

YES a skid steer can do it, as can an excavator, but at a LOT more seat time and abuse to the skid steer and buckets!
and MANY rental places buy the cheapest steel buckets they can find, they bend and such rather east
a dozer blade on a skid steer will take more abuse and why I mentioned it?

 

[Jim Timber]

Each option has different benefits. Dozer will pile it up and you'll have a pile of dirt and wood to deal with. Mulching head will leave you with pretty flat ground and a ton of chips, but costs more up front.

I pushed up some berms with dirt and have wood in the bottom of them, and it's going to take some doing to dig that crap out with my root grapple.

 

[MRBB]

you can get a DOZER /LOADER, makes stacking things a lot easier, and even pushing down any larger tree's, getting bucket up higher on them!
and maybe a grapple buck or root bucket, to end up with less soil in piles too? but costs here might not make it worth while, if your trying to be as cheap as possible with extra buckets on hand??
if your hiring someone, however they might have them and be able to use ??