Brush clearing advice needed

[MasonDixon]

I am looking for information on the best way to clear land of heavy brush, small trees and kudzu and stumbled across this website.

I’m a rural land developer and buy land and chop it up into five- to 30-acre tracts. In the past I haven’t tried to improve the land, but I think I could make more money by cleaning up the tracts. Also, even if I don’t clean up the tracts I would like something to cut out the lines. I sometimes use a bulldozer to push the lines out, but a good brush or forestry mower would do it better and more quickly (I think).

Ideally I would just rent this equipment on an as-needed basis. So far I’ve found good equipment very hard to find. Maybe I’m not looking in the right place.

Buying an expensive machine is not out of the question if I could hire a top-notch operator. I figure I could hire out to friends and family (and strangers, too I suppose) and easily pay for the equipment.

My goals: Clean fence lines, clear survey lines while the crew shoots the lines and clean all or parts of tracts covered with brush, and plant grass afterwards.

Anyway, my options would seem to be a heavy-duty skid-steer or a dedicated machine. I’ve listed some of the options I’ve found below, along with some questions. I’ve love some feedback on this.

Skid-steer: Any suggestions on a powerful skid-steer? I will want to use rubber tracks. There are a couple of rotary brush cutters that look great. I do want one that will lift off the ground so I can drop it on top of high brush.

Any comments on the Ammbusher brand? I do not see much mention of them, although their website claims they produced the first brush cutter. www.ammbusher.com

Dymax has what looks like a very powerful rotary brush cutter on their website. Anyone know anything about these?
http://www.dymaxattachments.com/attachments/catalog/framebuilder.asp?catpage=1501

If I go with a rotary cutter, I want one that is as powerful as possible. Any other suggestions?

Brown Bear Corp. makes a skid steer attachment that is a scaled down version of their stand-alone model. Here’s a web link: http://www.brownbearcorp.com/Brush Cutting.htm
My guess is that this attachment is not cheap, but it sure looks like something I’d like to have. Anyone have any experience with this attachment?

My other option is to get a dedicated machine. I’ve heard of Hydro-ax making a machine that cuts everything in it’s path, but haven’t been able to get much information. Rayco makes a forestry mower that looks ideal. http://raycomfg.com/CompactCrawlers/C87FM/C87FM.html I’m in Ohio right now on a project, and am thinking of visiting the Rayco headquarters, which is only an hour away. Brown Bear also makes a huge dedicated machine, but it is beyond my means, although I probably could profitably rent it out.

Two more questions: I’m going to be clearing a good bit of land that has kudzu. This type of land is hard to clear with a traditional bush hog because the vines get wrapped around the blades. Will I have the same problem with a rotary brush mower? I would assume this wouldn’t be a problem with the rotor-tooth machines. The rotor-tooth machines which clean to ground level and below look like they essentially plow up the ground. Is this correct? If so, I could just throw down grass seed as soon as I clear the brush.

Thanks to all of you for any advice you might have. Please advice on any options that I haven't mentioned.

 

[Lumberjack]

Where in MS are you? I am in Columbus.

 

[MasonDixon]

I'm in the north end

Hi Lumberjack,

I'm up north, in Holly Springs, about 35 miles southeast of Memphis. Most of my land projects are in Ohio and Kentucky, although I have a fair number in Marshall and Benton Counties.

I think you have more posts than me!

 

[clearance]

How about a hoe (hydraulic excavator) with a rotary brushcutter on the end instead of a bucket? This will quickly knaw down the brush, but if you want do real land clearing everything goes, roots and all. You could get clearing rake and a hydraulic thumb for the hoe to clear land. Bin it or burn it, you could also do traditional hoe work for others, like excavation or roadbuilding to pay for it. You are right about getting a good operator no matter what machine you decide on. I have worked with good operators running fairly big hoes (225 Cat, Hitachi 200 etc.) amazing what they can get done in a day.

 

[MasonDixon]

I think a hoe would be too big

How about a hoe (hydraulic excavator) with a rotary brushcutter on the end instead of a bucket? This will quickly knaw down the brush, but if you want do real land clearing everything goes, roots and all. You could get clearing rake and a hydraulic thumb for the hoe to clear land. Bin it or burn it, you could also do traditional hoe work for others, like excavation or roadbuilding to pay for it. You are right about getting a good operator no matter what machine you decide on. I have worked with good operators running fairly big hoes (225 Cat, Hitachi 200 etc.) amazing what they can get done in a day.

Clearance,
I would call what you are referring to a track-hoe I think. I think this is too big for me.
It seems to me (with my limited knowledge of heavy equipment) that a skid-steer or dedicated forestry mower could mow more acres.
I do need to be able to move the equipment around. Most of the skid-steers and dedicated mowers are around six-feet wide.
Also, there are a large number of people building roads and such in my area. Nobody has the equipment to clear land with anything other than a bulldozer.

Frank

 

[Lumberjack]

I would say if you want to be a specialized in brush clearing and land development the best thing would be a specialized tool.

However if your like me you like to have a multi purpose tool. With multipurpose comes the lack of perfection in any one thing, but I think a compromise can be made.

Since it seems that your willing to spend what it takes to get whats right the first time, I would recommend getting the largest skid steer with the most hydraulic flow pressure. I say get one on tires and get the add on undercarrage (different than add on tracks). Add or make sure there is plenty of protection on your belly of the machine as it will have a rough life.

Then research and get the best mower. I would think a fixed tooth would be best but I am not sure. A bushhog like attachment would be ill suited I would think, but then again I dont know.

Also get a grapple for it and several other attachments to keep the machine in profitable work, to recoupe your money invested.

 

[Thor's Hammer]

I do mostly land clearance, and the best thing for your type of job is the Slashbuster on a 40000lbs trackhoe. buy the slashbuster, and hire the hoe when you need it. this product is the best tool i've ever seen for brush/tree clearing. check out the video section on their website... unbelievable
http://www.slashbuster.com/

 

[Frans]

Check out the Fecon brush mower. It is an attachment for the skid steers.
It is a good idea to get a skid steer, lots of attachments all of the attachments work very well so you have a true multi-use machine.
In our area, Northern Calif. we have very steep areas, rocky, and also all different kinds of vegitation. The guys who do the clearing all use minimum 100 horse power skid steers w/ high flow hydrolics.
The Fecon does/will go just below grade so you can instantly sow seed and the resulting mulch is compatable to protect the areas from runoff and provide the ideal planting surface for the seeds.
frans

 

[Pacific]

I agree with Clearance as thats how land is cleared here in B.C. homeowners/land owners don't fool around trying to use a small machine to clear the land. A 40,000lb machine like a 200LC Hitachi John Deere with a clean up bucket scraping the scrub brush up and piling it into burn piles get the ground bare. You get the ground scraped it pulls all the roots and all out so the stuff that does grow back could be cut with a mower of some sort.

What a excavator can do in one day will replace what a skid steer would take a week todo. Any time you cut brush is grows back any time you rip brush out from the ground it doesn't come back.

The other option is get a bulldozer and start pushing it works but it will never do as a clean of a job as a excavator with a bucket and thumb because the excavator can sort the material. You can move and place rocks build berms etc you can dig ponds or ditches to drain swampy areas etc. You can build access roads into the areas you need to get into.

Trust me you will be pizzing up a rope fooling around with a bobcat machine time is money if you don't consider your time money then go ahead buy a skid steer you will be all year to clear a acre.

I work for and with excavation contractors that do residential lots to subdivisions where your clearing a 1 acre residential lot to 20 acre parcels where you dealing with 12" diameter trees to 36-40" diameter trees. You have to rip out the stumps and either burn them or cart them away same with the brush.

Ohya when the developer is done the lot value for 1-5 acre lots ranges from 100,000 to 600,000 dollars some of the waterfront lots are going for million dollars for 2-3 acres of land.

 

[Newfie]

If I read the original post correctly, He IS NOT CLEARING the entire lot just the property lines. Big machinery would be overkill

I would stay away from a bobcat. they cost big bucks to get a machine w/ high flow hydraulics and have terrible ground clearance. Look at some of the dedicated brush clearers like a fecon. They can do an acres worth of clearing in a couple of hours.

 

[Lumberjack]

A dedicated mower would indeed be best. But I was thinking he may need multi purpose. If not a dedicated mower will be best. Its only purpose is to clear land, so it excells at that.

 

[Thor's Hammer]

Pacific - Thats what we mostly do, but without the burning.
I also think a skidsteer will be to small for this kind of work, and won't handle things like an excavator. we use a daewoo 220 solar, perfect. dedicated mowers are good, but very expensive, and don't easily handle bigger trees. check this thing out though, its frikkin' fantastic for what we're talking about

http://www.slashbuster.com/images/Tree-shredding.wmv

 

[Pacific]

Wow that shredder attachment works good I would definatly recomend that if it really does what it shows in the wmv

 

[MasonDixon]

Thanks for the input

I'm still in the shopping phase, but a track hoe isn't the thing for me. I need something I can easily move around, and sometimes what I will be doing is heavy mowing.

I've got a couple of hundred acres that I'm wanting to clear right now, but I think this is something I should just hire out. Normally my clearing needs will be smaller, as little as five or 10 acres, although usually a bit more.

My thinking is that if I get a really good skid-steer, with high-flow hydraulics, then I can use a scaled-down fixed-rotor brush shredder, and also get a good rotary brush mower, as well as some other attachments.

I appreciate the product name suggestions and am eager to hear any more suggestions. At some point I might look into the track hoe attachments, but I think I better start semi-small and move up. I'm not going to be too small, though, because it would be a waste of time.

I did talk to a Brown Bear representative who said they would rent me the FS4000 for a month for $17,000 plus a couple of thousand in shipping. I'm tempted, but for now am looking for someone with a hydro-ax.

BTW Thorshammer, my wife went to sixth-form boarding school in Wales, at Atlantic College in Glenmorkin (sp), near Landswick. She was one of four Americans selected to attend, and she really enjoyed it.

 

[eyeinstine]

MasonDixon,

Wow.. sounds like you got some work cut out for you... For your small lots, like the less than 10 acre stuff, you probably will get by with a skid steer mounted shredder or dedicated clearing machine.. These wont be the fastest means, but will get the job done. They are not going to take care of the larger trees or the stumps. With this approach, i would go in and cleanup and clear everything you can with the machine. Then there will be plenty of room to work and see for the larger stuff. Either call a local tree guy/forrester, or yourself if your capable and cut down the larger trees with the chainsaw. Then you'll still need the hydro hoe or a large backhoe to remove the stumps. You can hire that out for a per day rate or whatever the contractor is willing to do. Dont be fooled into thinking the backhoe is the better deal when he tells you 500 a day, and the hydro hoe is 1000 a day. you will get 4 times more stumps out of the ground in that one day using the hoe.

On you larger tracts, if it is wooded, call in a logger first. You may be able to make some money off the valuable trees, and be getting some stuff cleared/removed in the process. The trails they make with the skidder will also give you some 'roads' in and around the lot for your clearing purposes.

So, have fun, and be safe. Doing alot of this work your self can be dangerous.

Ron

 

[eyeinstine]

Forgot to mention, up here in NJ, lot clearing on small building lots of 3 acres or less, runs about 5000$ an acre. That can vary alot depending on what is on the lot. 5000$ is the average price of clearing a wooded acre. Price goes down as the acres goes up..

HTH
Ron

 

[MasonDixon]

I'm cutting a lot of heavy brush

Thanks eyeinstine,

My big problem is very heavy brush, too big for a tractor-pulled bush hog. Also, the hedge row along the road is a mess. I don't expect to grind down too many trees, although it would be nice to take care of some of the smaller ones, particularly cedars and pines.

In many cases, if I can just clean the land a little bit, then the customers can see what the land looks like.

Also, as i mentioned early, I'd like to cut out my survey lines.

There's some pretty neat stuff on the market. Now if I can just get my money together!

 

[eyeinstine]

Well, if all your really trying to do is clean up the lots a bit, and not so much total clear cutting - ready to build, then i'm sure you'll do fine with a skid steer mounted cutter/shredder. They have some pretty impressive ones on the market now. Get the biggest, most powerful skid steer you can afford, and if the ground is soft, wet, or sandy at all, then get the tracks also.

There are some nice looking, dedicated machines for this purpose, but i dont have any experience with them. I'm sure they'll out perform the skid steer a bit at the task at hand, but its hard to beat the versatility of the skid steer and the 100 or so attachments for it!

Have fun
Ron

 

[Thor's Hammer]

best skid steer machine for that kind of job is the asv rc100 with an fae fixed tooth 1.5meter head. the best minimulcher money can buy.

 

[NORMZILLA44]

There is a skid steer I have seen used, and heard great things about it is called an ASV posi trac it is a skid steer with rubber tracks, for all types of terrain even very steep slopes. I have used before also used bobcats, and skatracks, the ASV run laps around the ones with rubber tires even on flat ground, and doesnt bounce, and buck like the ones with tires. It is smooth fast, and has a great mower that will cut just about anything.