Clearing small trees

dsaw · May 16, 2013

I just purchased a lightly used Kubota L3940 with FEL and a 54" Howes rototiller, 60" Woods brush cutter, and a 6' box blade. Eventually I'll need to clear more, but my initial project is to clear about an acre of what was once pasture 20-30 years ago (maybe less time, don't know for sure). It's now fairly clear, but has some mainly 1-1.5" diameter trees growing in it. Maybe a handful of 2" diameter trees. I'd like to till it up grow grains on it again, but I'm wondering on what is the best route to remove the trees. I don't know if it's possible, but the best case scenario would be to cut everything off with the brush cutter, then grind what's left up with the rototiller. I have zero experience with a tractor mounted rototiller, so I have no idea of this is realistic. In searching the forums, I couldn't find much advice on this topic, but I did find one post where someone suggested setting a box blade tines to their lowest setting to use them to rip out some of the roots. While I'm game to try that, on further investigation with the box blade I got, they won't go much more then about 2-3" below the box; so I question how much good they'll do.

So, my question is, can a rototiller/and or box blade handle the small root balls, or do I need to pull them individually? I'm sure the best answer is to pull them individually, but my land is about 1:20 from home, and time at it is at a premium (lots of short two legged creatures roaming the house), so if it's a question of breaking a few tines ($) vs. actual time, I'll opt for the $.

schmism · May 16, 2013

Id brush hog it with an HD cutter (will handle 2" trees fine) then rip with BB teeth.

Id pass on the rototilling.

Dingeryote · May 16, 2013

You'll be fighting a nightmare of bound up tines, and a smoking PTO clutch. Tillers suck at chewing up green wood, and get stuff stuck in the tines with maddening regularity in poorly cleared ground. Keep a set of short handled loppers, and a folding pocket saw handy for the first couple times, you till up new ground.

Get a set of teeth for the FEL, and grub out the rootballs, or drop a plow and turn them out, and rake them up.
Old two bottoms can be had for a couple hundred bucks, if you can't borrow one.

DKCDKC · May 17, 2013

Tillers are not chippers. Simplest thing is to get the trees and roots out of the ground, piled and burned. Your L3940 is heavy and powerful enough to pull most out of the ground. My smaller JD pulls up such trees with my ratchet-rake when the ground is not bone dry. I have literally made a run through small saplings and pulled almost all of them up. You can make other passes at those left, or hitch a chain around them and pull them up that way. If you get the trees us, you can then till fairly easily.

msch2112 · May 17, 2013

Brush hog cut it, then dig roots out. Then go rent a chipper

jeff9366 · May 17, 2013

Wait until after a good rain before going after the roots.

I recommend a Ratchet Rake for your bucket for pulling out the roots. A great tool for $300. Available from T-B-N store and most Tractor Supply stores.

Softwood roots will likely come out of moist soil easily.
Hardwoods, especially oaks, may be difficult by the time they reach 2", but you can spray the hardwood roots with Roundup/Glycophosphate 2-3 times, with a week between applications, then drag them out with a Ratchet Rake after a couple of months. When dead, root clumps "release" in a couple months, at least in Florida.

An L3940 is about the ideal weight tractor for a $400 bucket spade to function optimally, however I think a Ratchet Rake will handle your tasks.....in moist soil.

I would recommend against using your tiller. Not the correct tool.

I have a Ratchet Rake and a heavy rollover box blade. For what you want to do the Ratchet Rake will be effective, the box blade marginal. For an acre it would be worthwhile to buy the RR. A Ratchet Rake will also pile up your roots for burning.

LINK:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/266341-trees-removed-roots-using-fel.html

deezler · May 17, 2013

Don't brush hog it first! Leave the trees intact as leverage for popping out all the root balls.

A ratchet rake or tooth bar for the loader edge is going to be the most effective way to quickly get the trees AND their roots out of the ground. As everyone else has mentioned, you don't want to try to till your way through root balls. So, you need to get the roots out. If you simply brush hog and cut off the trees, it will just make it harder to get the roots out. So leave the trees intact, and drive forward, push them over, get the ratchet rake or toothbar hooked on the tree trunk or some low branches, and it will drag the roots out.

DeereRack · May 17, 2013

Bush hog it, and set your teeth on your bb down all the way and shorten your top link on your 3 pt all the way so your blade doesn't even touch ground. That should rip the roots out.

Missouri Pioneer · May 17, 2013

You might want to consider a BrushGrubber | Home. I have a middle sized one and a big one. Works best with a helper to take it on and off while you remain in the tractor seat.

My experience with my RatchetRake is that it works better smoothing out dirt and gravel than it does removing small trees and bushes.

Xfaxman · May 18, 2013

Missouri Pioneer said:
You might want to consider a BrushGrubber | Home. I have a middle sized one and a big one. Works best with a helper to take it on and off while you remain in the tractor seat.

I also have the big Xtreme Plus, 35 pound one, it is stronger than I am! :laughing: It works great on roots or short stumps that are hard to get a chain on.

Right click the pictures to open in a new tab.