# Turning brush into pasture



## kcurbanloggers (Jan 27, 2018)

Hi guys. I’m in the process of clearing about 2 acres of DENSELY wooded land. Most of it is packed with brushy saplings about 10-15ft tall and 1-4in diameter at the base. There are a couple of big trees. After I take the large trees, I was planing on getting a brush hog for the small stuff, but that would still leave the stumps and roots. If this land is to be turned into maintained grass, what’s the best way (economic and efficient) to clear this brush. Do I need to rent a dozer for a day? I am at a loss. Thanks for the help 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## northmanlogging (Jan 28, 2018)

opinions vary but your going to need some sort of heavy equipment, either a dozer or an excavator.

My money is on an excavator with a thumb, pull, shake the dirt loose, toss in a pile, done. A 12-22 ton machine is in order, don't be mucking about with a mini for a job that big. 

Dozers will do the work, but you will loose most if not all of the top soil in the process, and its kinda slow. Once again go big D4 D6 ish TD9, deere 450, etc

A third option is a chain flail type mulcher, but they probably wouldn't do anything about the bigger stumps.


----------



## Ryan'smilling (Jan 28, 2018)

I'd go with an excavator also, but a dozer would do the job. 

About a bush hog though, most any if them will handle 1" saplings. 2"-3", though and you'll want to look into a true "heavy duty" model. Like a 6' model that weighs like 11-1400#. For bush hogging 4" stuff you're gonna need something like this: http://www.brownmanufacturing.us/ca...ter-72-cut-145-hp-540-rpm-single-tail-wheel-0

After bush hogging and the excavator work they're will still be a lot of trash on and right below the surface of the soil. A three point landscape rake (heavy duty) or a Ratchet Rake will help clear and pile that debris. The right grapple on a skid steer would work too. 

Good luck!


----------



## kcurbanloggers (Jan 28, 2018)

Ryan'smilling said:


> I'd go with an excavator also, but a dozer would do the job.
> 
> About a bush hog though, most any if them will handle 1" saplings. 2"-3", though and you'll want to look into a true "heavy duty" model. Like a 6' model that weighs like 11-1400#. For bush hogging 4" stuff you're gonna need something like this: http://www.brownmanufacturing.us/ca...ter-72-cut-145-hp-540-rpm-single-tail-wheel-0
> 
> ...



So am I correct is saying that a brush hog won’t do the job by itself? If it’s not sufficient, why not cut it from the equation entirely and take all the brush with the excavator? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Deleted member 117362 (Jan 28, 2018)

Dozer with a grubbing blade or excavator with thumb. Agree with others. Need to remove roots before working ground.


----------



## Ryan'smilling (Jan 28, 2018)

kcurbanloggers said:


> So am I correct is saying that a brush hog won’t do the job by itself? If it’s not sufficient, why not cut it from the equation entirely and take all the brush with the excavator?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Well, do you own this acreage? If so, and you're making it into pasture, you'll need a bush hog anyway. But you could get away with a light or medium duty one instead of a HD model or tree cutter. 

I don't know how much an ex charges, or how long it'll take them to mess with saplings, but yeah, yanking them out seems pretty ideal. 

You'll still probably need to rake the trash out of the soil before discing or tilling and planting. 

Take some pictures if the process for us, by the way.


----------



## kcurbanloggers (Jan 28, 2018)

Ryan'smilling said:


> Well, do you own this acreage? If so, and you're making it into pasture, you'll need a bush hog anyway. But you could get away with a light or medium duty one instead of a HD model or tree cutter.
> 
> I don't know how much an ex charges, or how long it'll take them to mess with saplings, but yeah, yanking them out seems pretty ideal.
> 
> ...



It’s not mine. I’ve been hired to clear it. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## northmanlogging (Jan 28, 2018)

excavator depending size out here rents from $60-100 an hour, with basic minimums, and trucking

Dozers are about the same, maybe a little cheaper to rent.

With enough patience you can get a good deal of the smaller debris with an excavator. However a root rake on a dozer, or a rock rake behind a tractor will leave the dirt nearly clean, and to a better job of smoothing things out.

If its just going to be pasture, stump it take the big stuff, and try to get anything over baby arm sized, then just seed it and go, everything else will rot away in a few seasons, or be taken care of by the owners brush mower (assuming they plan on getting one)


----------



## northmanlogging (Jan 28, 2018)

Also depending on size of machine, and brush, figure a minimum of 2 days to clear 2 acres with a 12 ton machine, but plan on spending a week or 2 on it, especially if your just learning the machine.

Figure a minimum of a week with a dozer to clear, be done in a day if you just use the dozer for cleanup.


----------



## Deleted member 150358 (Jan 28, 2018)

Don't like the pungee sticks a flail chopper leaves. Just got into a swamp the owner had done with his new toy. Really sucked.


----------



## kcurbanloggers (Jan 28, 2018)

Alright well I think for now I’m going to stick with the brush hog. Bull dozing and excavating was never part of the contract, so if more needs done, it’ll probably be best if they hire out the excavation to a company with more experience with that kind of equipment. They haven’t clearly specified what they really want to do with the land... once they sort that out they can make a decision to bull doze it or not. I’ll upload the progress. Thanks for the advice


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Weesa20 (Jan 28, 2018)

How about a forestry mulcher? 7-8 foot head, $150 per hour.


----------



## Jhenderson (Jan 28, 2018)

X 2 on the mulcher. They're relatively fast, will do the job leaving few if any stubs, and give reasonably good prep for fertilizer and pasture mix planting.


----------



## 2dogs (Jan 28, 2018)

I was already to jump in on this thread as I have worked on many brush to pasture jobs, many as a young man. Then I saw it is only two acres. Well here are some of the things you can try if you have at least 100 acres to convert. 

An anchor chain, a metal net float (big metal ball), and two good size dozers with a D6 as the smallest. String 150 feet of anchor chain, say 50 to 150 pounds per link between the two dozers with the float connect to the middle of the chain. The chain will tear out the root systems along with the trees. The biggest trees need to be cut low before this operation begins. make piles the size that suits your local authority and burn the piles. An air curtain burner is even better.

Another option is to cut all the large and medium size trees as low as you can and buck them at least in half. then pile everything with a dozer with a root rake. Then shallow rip the two acres and clean it with the root rake. burn the piles and rake again.

It's best if you can disc and ring roll the site after the heavy work. Then seed and fertilize with what the county recommends. Best done by a contractor BTW. They might roll it in to keep the birds from eating the seed.

You don't want wood chips on a pasture as they make it hard for the grass to grow and they can screw up the soil chemistry. You should a soil study done before the project. Your county Ag Extension may do this for free. You don't want to leave the burn piles scars as is because they are often sterilized by the heat. That's while I recommend plowing afterward.


----------



## kcurbanloggers (Jan 29, 2018)

Weesa20 said:


> How about a forestry mulcher? 7-8 foot head, $150 per hour.



Sure it’d make quick work of it, but a can get a brush hog for $250 for the whole day. Even if it’s slower and means that I have to break out the saw, it still seems to make more sense. It’s only a couple acres. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## ChoppyChoppy (Jan 29, 2018)

Rent a "fecon" head and skid steer. It's the best way IMO to make ground pasture ready.


----------



## Weesa20 (Jan 29, 2018)

Gonna need the heaviest rotary cutter Bush Hog makes and both pockets both full of shear pins. Might be ok but I think the rotary cutter is going to leave a mess. 60+ hp at the pto minimum.

Forestry mulcher/Fecon head will do a better job but will probably cost more unless you can find a good rental place.
They make them for tractors but pretty rare I think.

Good luck.


----------



## Jhenderson (Jan 29, 2018)

kcurbanloggers said:


> Sure it’d make quick work of it, but a can get a brush hog for $250 for the whole day. Even if it’s slower and means that I have to break out the saw, it still seems to make more sense. It’s only a couple acres.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


What's it going to cost for ground prep after the brush hog? You're not going to grow pasture in the stubble left behind.


----------



## Del_ (Jan 29, 2018)

Goats.


----------



## kcurbanloggers (Jan 29, 2018)

I got a quote for a forestry mulcher. In my area it’s cheaper to get the dozer. Basically $950 with delivery. Dozer was $900. At that rate I think the dozers the best option if end up renting heavy equipment. Sure the hog would leave stubble, but I’m thinking that it’s all small enough that it would rot out. I could do regular burns to keep the brush from coming back. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## northmanlogging (Jan 29, 2018)

is that per day? or by the week?

Cause out here a day is 8 hours, and a week is 40, anything over that that start charging by the hour.

As far as which piece you get and use, it comes down to what the LO wants, they want a clean slate to start over, then dozer/excavator, they want the weeds and bushes stomped down so they can maintain from there, then the mulcher is the way to go.

Also a mulcher will mow through a lot more ground in a day then the dozer, but like I said, it won't do squat about roots.


----------



## ChoppyChoppy (Jan 30, 2018)

kcurbanloggers said:


> I got a quote for a forestry mulcher. In my area it’s cheaper to get the dozer. Basically $950 with delivery. Dozer was $900. At that rate I think the dozers the best option if end up renting heavy equipment. Sure the hog would leave stubble, but I’m thinking that it’s all small enough that it would rot out. I could do regular burns to keep the brush from coming back.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



The issue with a dozer is you will end up with brush/dirt piles. 

The fecon IMO is the better choice. 2 acres could be done in a day, 2 days at most. It can grind down the couple stumps as well.

Pasture = for cows, horses, goats, etc right? IE.. doesn't need to be a golf course lawn.

$900 is for a week? Around here it's around $350-400 a day. Even if it's per day, $100-200 difference on a dozer or a fecon is pretty well a wash.
Around here clearing land is usually in the 3-5k an acre area.


----------



## ArtB (Jan 30, 2018)

Only 2 acres? Tell the landowner you will pull the stumps, leave everything under 2", and that he/she should turn a few goats loose after it is fenced. A few pigs added will get the roots out too.

Ask them to invite you to the goat/pig roast next fall.

Otherwise just a small dozer with root rake on the blade.
Can you burn slash where you are?


----------



## kcurbanloggers (Jan 30, 2018)

ArtB said:


> Only 2 acres? Tell the landowner you will pull the stumps, leave everything under 2", and that he/she should turn a few goats loose after it is fenced. A few pigs added will get the roots out too.
> 
> Ask them to invite you to the goat/pig roast next fall.
> 
> ...



Slash and burn is no problem. When I say pasture I really mean just super rustic and grassy — not for any animals. Do you think regular burns could kill off the small stumps? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## northmanlogging (Jan 30, 2018)

Maybe? But not likely


----------



## KiwiBro (Jan 30, 2018)

I've seen guys spray the brush, paint the stumps and or burn them out, repeat whenever needed and never put a machine over it until the stumps are rotten. Took a few years but if they have the time and won't have stock getting tangled up in the mess it's a cheap way to go.


----------



## Weesa20 (Jan 30, 2018)

Probably depends on the species of tree. We use fire on the tree farm to remove a couple year old slash and lesser species, and to promote new oak growth as the oak saplings will survive and the lesser species will not.


----------



## ArtB (Jan 30, 2018)

kcurbanloggers said:


> When I say pasture I really mean just super rustic and grassy



Different strokes for different folks. 30 years ago I had 1-1/2 acres clear in the backyard, so planted D fir and Giant Sequoia. Have a couple of 20 inch DBH sequoia now and a bunck of 15 inch DFir. Grandkids will be able to cut them down and saw them up after I'd dead. No animals, will owner need a nice big mower?


----------



## kcurbanloggers (Jan 30, 2018)

ArtB said:


> Different strokes for different folks. 30 years ago I had 1-1/2 acres clear in the backyard, so planted D fir and Giant Sequoia. Have a couple of 20 inch DBH sequoia now and a bunck of 15 inch DFir. Grandkids will be able to cut them down and saw them up after I'd dead. No animals, will owner need a nice big mower?



This is their “farm house” which really serves as their weekend vacation home 30 miles outside the city. My guess is that they hire out maintenance. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------

