New guy looking for advice - CUT for brush hog work

   / New guy looking for advice - CUT for brush hog work #1  

lungdoc

Gold Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2008
Messages
295
Location
Niagara & Muskoka ON
Hi. Hoping for some advice for my father-in-law. This is a great forum and I've learned a lot by lurking recently. Let me get to the specifics:

He/we have 1200 acres of woodland in Northern Muskoka (few hours north of Toronto) - mixed forest, Canadian shield type of terrain. We have quite a few roads and numerous trails on the property; the trails are mostly smoothed by an excavator in the past so no big rocks anymore or larger trees. We've paid people in the past to do brush hog-type cutting, both with side-type cutters for ditches on the main roads and with rear rotary cutters for the trails. Can actually do some of the work with an old riding mower, but obviously not up to the whole job.

We thought a 4WD CUT with a 5' brush-hog/rotary cutter would do the job nicely, thinking of approx 30HP machines with 25 HP PTO's - looked at Deere and Kubota mainly as those dealers are close, favour Deere because of dealer but not married to the idea. Would probably get a FEL and a woodsplitter, likely get a mid-PTO with idea of future front snowblower option, probably add a cab if that was the case. Probably get a box grader for road repair work as well. We do have a large 4WD JCB backhoe for main snow clearing and heavier work on roads etc.

My thoughts are towards the "heavier duty" models in that range like the Kubota L3240 (as opposed to L3400) or Deere 3120 or 3320 as opposed to 3005. Seemed like better built and more suitable for this sort of work, or is it overkill? Thought a shuttle-type transmission would be fine; would want a safe (live or independant I think) PTO for brush hog work but I believe most are that type now.

Appreciate any advice or thought people have especially if they've used similar machines for this type of work. We want to get what is good for the job; it's a waste of money to get something half-assed. Appreciate any advice on attachment specifics or other things to include/look for. Probably get it for next spring as less use for it at this time of year now.

Cheers

Mark
 
   / New guy looking for advice - CUT for brush hog work #2  
IMO, You may want to look at a little more HP. Somewhere in the high 30's. Never ceases to amaze me how I lust for more power...
 
   / New guy looking for advice - CUT for brush hog work #3  
HI MARK welcome to the forum. i think you might want to go a it bigger than 30 hp that is a lot of land to work even if u only need to work 5 % of it.
 
   / New guy looking for advice - CUT for brush hog work
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Thanks guys. Coincidentally just got up north and my father in law had a good classified ad for a 2006 Deere 4320 - at 48HP might be quite suitable for our needs!
 
   / New guy looking for advice - CUT for brush hog work #5  
i can buy ford 8n tractors with 5' brush hogs for $1500 all day long off my local craigslist.
 
   / New guy looking for advice - CUT for brush hog work #6  
1200 acres? I would probably go with a 75-90 hp used tractor with a 10' cutter. Maybe look for a used county road machine. Then you can cut and make some progress and will be able to push over trees in the 2" range with little effort.

Then again, if you only have a couple miles of trail, the 5' would work, but would take some time. Maybe a 6' or 8' cutter ? and a 45 or 60hp machine would be a good compromise?
 
   / New guy looking for advice - CUT for brush hog work
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Thanks for the advice. Although it's 1200 acres the vast majority of it is forest. We have probably 4-5 miles of gravel roads and an equal or greater distance in roughed in, approx 12 foot typical width trails (most previously smoothed with excavator but not gravelled) and some turnarounds. I think the 6' cutter which is the width of the Deere 4320 we seem to have settled on will work well and not be too bulky. We'll have forks on it to lift trees out of the way if needed. We keep up with it so not typically very heavy clearing - < 2" saplings at the most, mainly crap like raspberry bushes, ferns etc. Seem to have settled on the 4320 and planning on getting an MX6 cutter to accompany it. R4 filled tires on the machine.

The other question I'd have is the side of the road cutting - we can get some driving along the side with the cutter but interested in reasonably economic options for side/ditch cutting - ? flail mower, ? offset mount for cutter ? other options. Is there any side to side movement with the cutter on 3 pt hitch - my guess would be not much!
 
   / New guy looking for advice - CUT for brush hog work #8  
I think I'd try to find a small frame utility tractor.. IE.. something in the 40-60 hp range.. but with a footprint not much larger than a compact..

A ford 4600/4610/4630.. perhaps a 3010s / 3910 / 3930.. etc.

Soundguy
 
   / New guy looking for advice - CUT for brush hog work
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Thanks. My father in law has gone ahead and got the Deere 2006 4320 with 400CX skid-steer type quick attach loader, quick attach forks, rear remote, loaded R4 tires, telescoping arms on the 3 point. It's ehydro. I think this should suit our needs well with the MX6 (getting it in the spring as hard to get at this time of year here and the price is better with a large dealer order).
 
   / New guy looking for advice - CUT for brush hog work #10  
LungDoc,

I have a 4700 with an MX6. It handle 2.5 inch saplings just fine. The 4700 has 48 engine HP and 41.5 on the PTO. Mine is a PowerReverser.

The 4700 has more than enough HP. I wish it had more hydraulic power and traction but HP has never been a problem. I mow grass and brush with the MX6. The last time I used the MX 6 I finally was able to get to our western property line and get the tractor down the line. Just barely fits in places between trees. The MX6 was taking down lots of very think undergrowth/saplings.

It just did what it was supposed to do and mowed it all down. I have had the MX6 and 4700 since 2000 and I just readjust the slip clutch every spring before using on the MX 6.

We did get a DR mower to get into places the tractor could not go and it too handles 2.5 inch saplings. Its much harder work "driving" the DR vs the JD. :eek: But it too gets the job done. :D

Later,
Dan
 
 
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