Clearing Forested Fence ROW

   / Clearing Forested Fence ROW #1  
M

MarEng

Silver Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Messages
137
Location
Willis, TX
Tractor
Branson 3510 Ford 3000
Help! I need to clear about two miles of ROW for a fence. Land is hilly and timber covered. I accept that I will have to get out of my comfy tractor seat to take care of anything big, but is there an implement I can use to clear the remaining small trees/downed timber? I have a fairly young stand with a thick canopy so there is very little underbrush but plenty of downed timber (tops and limbs) rotting from the last thinning and lots of 2-4" base diameter trunked trees. Stand is mostly white oak with some pine.

I would like a finished lane 4-5' wide. My father-in-law offered his brush hog but said it wouldn't do much more than heavy grass. The local tractor dealer said he could get me an HD Brush Hog that would take care of small trees. I figure I could add a push bar and make a mini-mulcher. I'd love a real mulcher but cannot afford the mulcher, let alone a 100hp tractor.

I'm picturing a horizontal saw blade or chain flail or giant chain saw or . . .

I'm sure there is info here on whatever works, I'm just not sure what it is called. My other option is to rent a D3 but there are a number of issues with that, not least is that I want to work the fence project as I get time and $$$ and the dozer delivery charge requires I take a week off work and run flat out to make it cost effective.
 
   / Clearing Forested Fence ROW
  • Thread Starter
#2  
Help! I need to clear about two miles of ROW for a fence. Land is hilly and timber covered. I accept that I will have to get out of my comfy tractor seat to take care of anything big, but is there an implement I can use to clear the remaining small trees/downed timber? I have a fairly young stand with a thick canopy so there is very little underbrush but plenty of downed timber (tops and limbs) rotting from the last thinning and lots of 2-4" base diameter trunked trees. Stand is mostly white oak with some pine.

I would like a finished lane 4-5' wide. My father-in-law offered his brush hog but said it wouldn't do much more than heavy grass. The local tractor dealer said he could get me an HD Brush Hog that would take care of small trees. I figure I could add a push bar and make a mini-mulcher. I'd love a real mulcher but cannot afford the mulcher, let alone a 100hp tractor.

I'm picturing a horizontal saw blade or chain flail or giant chain saw or . . .

I'm sure there is info here on whatever works, I'm just not sure what it is called. My other option is to rent a D3 but there are a number of issues with that, not least is that I want to work the fence project as I get time and $$$ and the dozer delivery charge requires I take a week off work and run flat out to make it cost effective.
 
   / Clearing Forested Fence ROW #3  
If it were me, I'd hire a dozer/operator to push the trees over. You can then have him pile them up, or in my case, I have a MF 1130 with a JD blade on the front that I'd pile them up with. Then, set em on fire.

I don't think I'd put a rotary cutter in there, especially if it is thick with trees (even if the cutter is HD). It is true that some HD cutters can cut 3" diameter trees, but I doubt that cutting several of those size trees at a time with it would be good for the cutter. I'm having to do the same thing you are doing, and there are tons of chinese tallow trees to contend with. I'm going to shred what I can, push what I can't shred, and chainsaw what I can't push. Then I'll paint them with broadleaf herbicide.

Hope that helps. Just my two cents worth.

BC
 
   / Clearing Forested Fence ROW #4  
If it were me, I'd hire a dozer/operator to push the trees over. You can then have him pile them up, or in my case, I have a MF 1130 with a JD blade on the front that I'd pile them up with. Then, set em on fire.

I don't think I'd put a rotary cutter in there, especially if it is thick with trees (even if the cutter is HD). It is true that some HD cutters can cut 3" diameter trees, but I doubt that cutting several of those size trees at a time with it would be good for the cutter. I'm having to do the same thing you are doing, and there are tons of chinese tallow trees to contend with. I'm going to shred what I can, push what I can't shred, and chainsaw what I can't push. Then I'll paint them with broadleaf herbicide.

Hope that helps. Just my two cents worth.

BC
 
   / Clearing Forested Fence ROW #7  
First thing to do is make sure you know where to clear the line. I guessed with my bulldozer and was off by more than 10 feet in places. My wandering line was good enough for the surveyors to stake the real thing. Then I cleared the line well enough for a string to be strung. I cut trees and drug them or pushed brush with the little dozer.

Then I had the logger come out with his 300 class excavator. That puppy is about 12' wide. I told him to put one track near the string line and then knock everything out in front of him all the way around. He pitched stumps and logs over into the property.

After he was done, I used my tractor and BB to smooth it out well enough do drive on.

Always build a fence line road large enough to drive your pickup. This is a firebreak and a maintenance road so wider is better. 4-5 feet will be filled back in right away with weeds since you can't mow it or drive it.

Once the fence is up, you won't be able to clear or out brush from the other side so it is best to do it as part of this fire lane. Your road should end up no less than 12' wide with 2-3 of those feet on the other side of the future fence.
 

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   / Clearing Forested Fence ROW #8  
First thing to do is make sure you know where to clear the line. I guessed with my bulldozer and was off by more than 10 feet in places. My wandering line was good enough for the surveyors to stake the real thing. Then I cleared the line well enough for a string to be strung. I cut trees and drug them or pushed brush with the little dozer.

Then I had the logger come out with his 300 class excavator. That puppy is about 12' wide. I told him to put one track near the string line and then knock everything out in front of him all the way around. He pitched stumps and logs over into the property.

After he was done, I used my tractor and BB to smooth it out well enough do drive on.

Always build a fence line road large enough to drive your pickup. This is a firebreak and a maintenance road so wider is better. 4-5 feet will be filled back in right away with weeds since you can't mow it or drive it.

Once the fence is up, you won't be able to clear or out brush from the other side so it is best to do it as part of this fire lane. Your road should end up no less than 12' wide with 2-3 of those feet on the other side of the future fence.
 
   / Clearing Forested Fence ROW #9  
Another.

The surveyor gave me points every 200 feet or so.
 

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   / Clearing Forested Fence ROW #10  
Another.

The surveyor gave me points every 200 feet or so.
 
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