Cutting Brush ???

[Anonymous Poster]

I have a jd4100 w/ bucket, 60" deck. I have a section of property that is brush and small trees 1-2" or so in dia. I want to cut this stuff? Any good ideas?

 

[Thomas]

I found out the best way on the 2"plus brush cut close to the ground w/a chainsaw,and the smaller brush I use a good size trimmer w/the saw blade and again cut close to the ground..
Ture its a little more work but the out come easier to clean up also easier on the mower w/no stumps

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[dmccarty]

Search the archives for land clearing. We have had this discussion many times over the last couple of months and I'm sure you get more information from those thread.

I have an MX6 which is rated to cut up to two inch thick material. Do you have a rotary cutter or is your 60 inch deck a mid mount? I would be suprised that a mid mount mower could cut up to two inches of wood.

I've cleared lots of roadway/land with a chainsaw and a good trimmer outfited with a cutting blade. Its time consuming but you can cut stuff smooth and level to the ground. My Stihl timmer with a saw blade can handle 4-5 inch pine and 3-4 inch hardwood.

What are you going to do with the land? Can you leave the stumps in the ground or do you want the stumps out of the ground?

Later...
Dan McCarty

 

[Anonymous Poster]

this is nasty stuff, mainly smaller ground cover, bushes, with the exception of some blueberry bushes I am keeping. I was hoping to not have to cut each bush individually. I had heard of a device with angled teeth that "catch" and then pull up all stuff under about 2"??

 

[dmccarty]

Carl,

There was a FEL type of dohicky that was called a brush grapper or some such. I'm sure the discussion was in the Attachment area. Basically it was large tooth bar that would catch the saplings and pull them out of the ground.

I have a 4n1 bucket on my FEL. This allows me to grab things. I have used to to pull 2 inch saplings out of the ground without to many problems. It works best if the ground is wet.

I just bent my rotary cutter's wheel when I was backing up. The wheel was on the ground, I had moved the 3PH lever up buy my hydraulic top link had leaked down a tad so that the wheel found a stump hole. Not a disaster just the wheel ain't quite right. I really don't like using the rotary cutter to cut down large saplings......

I still use my Sthil brushcutter to do most of this type of work. I'm thinking of buying a bigger brushcutter. Wants I have a save area to get the tractor into, I'll maintain it with the rotary cutter. I saw an add in a magazine that has some sort of applicator that fits on the bottom of the brush cutter. When the saw cuts the sapling it applies a chemical to keep the stump from regrowing. Can't believe it would really work but its there.....

Later...
Dan

 

[OverlyRun]

The last few weekends I have been cleaning up a 25 acre field that has overgrown with brambles and small trees and bushes up to about 2" in diameter. I am using a NH 35, with a FEL and toothbar and a 60" Landpride rotary cutter. For clearing the brush (a lot of the field is still just grass and weeds), like many others, if I lower the FEL (with a toothbar); it pushes them over so the tractor can ride over and the rotary cutter minces them up. On some larger bramble piles I need to push it out of the way as otherwise I would be ensnared in a mess of prickers that would envelope the whole tractor. Instead of this, with the toothbar I can grab the lower stems/roots and with a curling motion lift the whole pile out of the ground, where it can carried aloft for a few feet, or be flattend with the FEL and then driven over or backed over. For small trees where I am worried about ripping up the underside of the tractor (it is not armor plated after all) I have done the same thing: get the FEL down right on the ground, hook the teeth under the roots and lift as I go forward. This pops them right out where I can decide to chop em up with the cutter or simply push them out of the way for cutting later with a saw. This suggests the utility of the toothbar to me. It is not a brush-grabber, but I can lift roots out of the ground, and carry them, with the bar and bucket. In a world of limited dollars, the bar ($250) has made the FEL a super brush-clearing addition to the rotary cutter.

Another time saver: In very thick weeds or bushes I also move very slowly with the FEL down low, so I can feel any rocks or stumps (can't see them for sure!). This has sharply reduced the number of shear bolts I replace and will I suspect also lengthen the life of the cutter blades and cuttter deck. The toothbar works pretty well on old stumps as well. I haven't found one I can't pry out yet (they are all pretty old and rotten - but some are up to 18" in diameter.)

This project is one that I had ignored for three years when I was armed only with chain saw and hand tools. 1. I couldn't get through the weeds to the things you might chain saw, and 2. There's too much of the small bushes, trees and brambles to make a dent in without a tractor and a cutter. Once I get it cleaned up, I suspect I can get away with once a year cutting to keep the brush down...though this will still let weeds get plenty tall.

The result is a very pretty field, dotted with tall shade trees, set against the mountain and bordered on the other side by the stream...almost makes me want to learn to paint. Or repair the fence and get some animals.

Chas

 

[Hillbilly]

Use A bulldozer!!!

 

[DDT]

With 1 to 2" saplings I always use the loader bucket. Pop them out of the ground, back drag the loose dirt back in the hole I made and haul off the trash. no more stump for tire punchers