Clearing water access land questions...

   / Clearing water access land questions... #1  

acs55812

Silver Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2004
Messages
135
Location
Duluth, MN
Tractor
4100/410
I have a water access cabin, it hasn't been used much in 15+ years and has LOTS of spruce/pine trees that have encroached everywhere around the cabin. Several of this is thick plots of trees in large "clumps" about 20 feet tall with trunks 6 or 7" in diameter.

Other than a bunch of high schoolers--or young adults cutting and clearing this by hand--what type of small tree grinder might be able to attack this size tree growth on a three point hitch setup with about 20 drawbar HP?

Moving fast would not be as important as doing a decent job of making mulch of these trees, the end result will never be a smooth yard type plot---it will forever have rocks creeping up out of the soil.

I would envision taking the small tractor and whatever the implement of choice is out in the winter and leaving it there all summer since thats really to only manner to get equipment out there since its water access.

Thoughts?
 
   / Clearing water access land questions... #2  
I don't think you are going to "mulch" 6-7" trees with a 20 hp tractor. You might be able to mulch them with a skid steer mulcher ($100,000 setup) but it would be a very slow and difficult process. A big mulcher would be a better approach.

Best approach would be a dozer to push them over into a pile and burn them. Second would be a backhoe or trackhoe to dig them out.

Ken
 
   / Clearing water access land questions... #3  
How thick of an ice will get? How much weight have you taken across the lake? Are you planning to "make" an ice road to build up the thickness and remove snow to make it stronger? I really don't think you can mulch those huge trees with a cut. That wood size is firewood to me. A chainsaw, CUT and PTO wood chipper is the way to go. Cut trees down. cut branches off and run in chipper. Cut rest of log into firewood or drag with cut across lake during winter.
 
   / Clearing water access land questions... #4  
if you had a few more PTO horses, you might consider file:///C:/Windows.old/Documents%20and%20Settings/Joe/My%20Documents/Kubota/Turbo%20Saw%20-%20Tree%20and%20Brush%20Cutters%20for%20Tractors.htm

I am impressed w ability to cut off at/below surface ...spendy, tho

Then, there are stump grinder in the $2K range (e.g., DR Power Equipment - DR® Stump Grinder ? Tree Stump Remover for your Property ) that, along w. chain saw felling can do your job ...with patience. You might also be able to find a PTO stump grinder, but I would think stand-alone would better suit your situation. At about 150 lbs. you could boat it in and out as required
 
 
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