Rethinking Tractor - Maybe a bulldzozer?

[woodlandfarms]

I have been pretty close to pulling the triger on a 35hp tractor for my 40 acres in Washington State. It is new property, in bad shape. Lots of blakberries and tree stumps on slopes and steep slopes. Now that winter is setting in, the land is dying off and I can see things much more clearly. I think there is a real need for a dozer, and probably a years worth of work (assuming a couple of hours a week).

Anyone ever buy a dozer? Any suggestions or comments? I will need a tractor, for sure, but this may be an additional same time purchase, or a first purchase this spring, then in the fall a tractor and unload the dozer...

My thinking on this is that a tractor is not going to be stable enough, nor powerful enough to get stumps out, level the ground and push brush around....

 

[GaryCrowell]

Rent a dozer, don't buy. Used dozers are sold for a reason, they're unreliable and the chance of them breaking is too great. A broken tractor is relatively easy and inexpensive to fix, not so with a bulldozer. Blow the transmission out of one and you're looking at a minimum of $15K to fix, if you're lucky. All of a sudden your "cheap" dozer isn't so cheap any more. This comes from expensive experience in case you're wondering.

Stumps aren't that easy to remove, especially is they're of any size. A dozer can dig them out with enough time, but a stump that might take 30 minutes to dig out with a dozer could be taken out in 30 seconds with an excavator. It might be cheaper (and a whole lot easier) to pay a guy to bring in an excavator to remove the stumps. If you really need a bulldozer to clean up your property then I'd rent one for a week, take a week off of work and run it from daylight to dusk.

 

[Turbys_1700]

I agree with Gary. A large track-hoe could remove those stupms in a week. Much cheaper than a dozer. It's gonna be best to get the property in good shape first. I don't know what the going rate would be for a large excavator. I would guess $100 per hour or $800 per day. I know that's a lot of money but if you're looking at a week of stumping and a week of clearing the cost is gonna be in the $8000-$10,000 range. Then you could keep the property up with a tractor. Good luck in your decision.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I have been pretty close to pulling the triger on a 35hp tractor for my 40 acres in Washington State. It is new property, in bad shape. Lots of blakberries and tree stumps on slopes and steep slopes. Now that winter is setting in, the land is dying off and I can see things much more clearly. I think there is a real need for a dozer, and probably a years worth of work (assuming a couple of hours a week).

Anyone ever buy a dozer? Any suggestions or comments? I will need a tractor, for sure, but this may be an additional same time purchase, or a first purchase this spring, then in the fall a tractor and unload the dozer...

My thinking on this is that a tractor is not going to be stable enough, nor powerful enough to get stumps out, level the ground and push brush around....

I bought about 90 acres of overgrown farm back in 1971. I spent 3 summers cleaning out fence rows, unclogging a creek full of downed trees, and picking up limbs around the edges of 3 fields. Year 4, I started actually using the place as a farm. I did most all of it with 2 tractors. I could have done all the work in one summer with a 'dozer.

Sold that place and bought a place about half the size last year. The place was in almost the same condition as when I started on the old farm. I rented a D6 for one month. (That's better than 3 years) I did the dozer work last september, seeded in early october, and one year later looks 100% healed.

 

[Timber]

Hi Carl,
I am with everyone else. Buy your tractor with a tach-all and get yourself a nice Brush/Root Grapple. Do all your cutting and Brush burning and take out what you stumps you can. Then I would hire a track-hoe to come in and pop your stumps and drop them and move on to the next. You can deal with them easy enough with your grapple at your leisure






This was a tree that was about 18 inches in diameter. It took longer to get in place than to pop the root ball out





I think if you were all prepared for the guy to come and just pop stumps you would be very pleased with the cost. Sometimes it is cheaper to pay someone to do things regardless if you can do them yourself. The right machine with the right person at the controls can mean a lot

 

[roxynoodle]

I am wondering if the money would be best spent on a backhoe attachment for the tractor. It would take longer to remove the stumps but if it's yours, it doesn't matter how long it takes. The backhoe attachment would cost less than buying or renting a dozer or excavator. And it would be yours to keep.

 

[MadReferee]

You are going to need a big dozer to dig up stumps, one in the 40,000-50,000 lb range as a minimum. And then it's going to take some time to dig around and push them out. It will be much faster and cheaper to simply contract a big excavator with experienced operator who can come in and get it done in several days depending on how much you have to clear.

I am clearing a couple acres with my dozer. Plenty of ground level stumps 18" to 30" in diameter (and roots to match) and plenty of rocks from football size to car size. I have cleared the brush and in the spring will get an excavator in for a few days to dig up the boulders and stumps.

 

[GEB]

I am wondering if the money would be best spent on a backhoe attachment for the tractor. It would take longer to remove the stumps but if it's yours, it doesn't matter how long it takes. The backhoe attachment would cost less than buying or renting a dozer or excavator. And it would be yours to keep.

A small backhole is handy to have around, use mine all the time.

I would look around for a private guy who does this type of work on the side.
We just went through the same thing here, about a 3 mile dig to clear a creek
to control flooding.
The right operator with the right equipment can really get alot done in a short amount of time!
All of our trees and brush was pushed up in big piles, and yes there's plenty
of work for you just cutting clearing, burning the piles!
We only own about a 1000ft of the 3 mile clearing, still alot of work to clean up.
For that type of work I would really look into a pro taking on the job.
Price can range anywhere from $75-125 per hour?
Our deal for myself and neighbors worked out very well.
Good luck.
Gene

 

[Vernonator]

i agree with GEB - while my project was MUCh smaller than yours (4 acres) I talked to a couple of the local farmers and they pointed me to a local guy who did that on the side - when he was not farming. Charged me $75/hr and had all the gear to clear, level, condition and seed....he worked in the evenings and on a Sunday and had things wrapped up in no time

 

[PBinWA]

I have been pretty close to pulling the triger on a 35hp tractor for my 40 acres in Washington State. It is new property, in bad shape. Lots of blakberries and tree stumps on slopes and steep slopes. Now that winter is setting in, the land is dying off and I can see things much more clearly. I think there is a real need for a dozer, and probably a years worth of work (assuming a couple of hours a week).

Anyone ever buy a dozer? Any suggestions or comments? I will need a tractor, for sure, but this may be an additional same time purchase, or a first purchase this spring, then in the fall a tractor and unload the dozer...

My thinking on this is that a tractor is not going to be stable enough, nor powerful enough to get stumps out, level the ground and push brush around....

What's your budget? Are you looking for the cheapest solution, the fastest solution, or do you want to just buy equipment that you can keep and use for the long term?