Clearing Brush

[KiotiAcres]

Hello All,

Have a road roughly 1 mile long with shrub brush starting to intrude into the roadway on each size. It is coastal shrub, similar to manzanita, ranging from knee to shoulder high. Thickest limbs are wrist or so thick.

I have a 21hp tractor with a rotary mower, and have tackled this thickness before in limited doses. It's thick enough that I'm not thrilled about driving over all it, let alone not sure how much it will bang up the rotart cutter.

Thinking it might be the job of a small tracked dozer? I suppose I could attempt using the box scraper as well (in reverse). Don't think the FL would have much success.

Any experiences worth sharing?

TIA<

Tom

 

[leeinmemphis]

how about renting a tracked bobcat with a grapple bucket?

 

[KentT]

I suggest you get a small tracked mulcher to come in and make a couple passes down each side of the road. Then, it'll be in a condition that you can maintain it with your rotary cutter.

See the Construction forum for lots of discussion about mulchers...

 

[HangtownMatt]

You now have a good excuse to get a sprayer for your tractor. Fill it with 2 oz. of Roundup for every gallon of water and you can now control the overgrowth without even breaking a sweat, until at your convienence, you decide to actually remove the woody material. But the Roundup will stop it in its tracks right now!

Be sure to get Roundup from a Farmer's Fruit Growers Exchange or equivalent. Get the stuff the professionals use, not the Home Depot stuff.

I recently removed a ton of brush, some of it 15' high. I connected a 16' 5/8ths chain to the drawbar of my 26hp Mahindara. I than put a clevis/pin at the other end. Wrap the chain around the base of the brush and and connect the clevis to the chain so the it will cinch up like a noose. Worked great for me because I did it at just the right time of year when the soil was just right, not too wet and not too dry.

HangtownMatt

 

[GAFarmer2]

I agree with hangtown, the roundup is probably your best bet. If you do go over it with your rotary mower, I would back over it if I was you.

 

[thunderworks]

I am not opposed to selective use of Roundup. I spot control locust and hedge saplings and poison ivy with it . . . but FWIW, in the last 2 to 3 years there has started to be a lot of chatter in the scientific community about the perils of Roundup. For many years, Roundup has been considered completely safe ecologically, but there is a building body of data that the surfactant in Roundup is a real problem - all sorts of genetic defects in amphibians and other vulnerable creatures.

I would suggest that you try to clear your scrub mechanically, not chemically. Broadcasting gallons of chemicals would certainly kill the vegetation, but you're still stuck with physically clearing it.

It's clearly my bias to avoid broadcasting chemicals. You may or may not share it. To each his own. Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[Soundguy]

I agree with the others.. 'wrist' thick brush is more like scrub trees.

I've accidentally cut those down with my 70 and 95 hp tractors and HD 10' and 15' mowers.. but i don't make it habit of normal diet.

I'm afrait a wrist size limb to a 21hp tractor may give it indigestion real bad..

Soundguy

 

[rox]

KiotiAcres,
The first thing i did when I looked at at your post was look to see where you are from. So many times responses are given based on your location. If you go to your Profile you are able to enter where you are from. It sure does help and makes the community more friendlier, just seeing where people are from.

 

[Kubotasrking]

I suggest you get a small tracked mulcher to come in and make a couple passes down each side of the road. Then, it'll be in a condition that you can maintain it with your rotary cutter.

See the Construction forum for lots of discussion about mulchers...

I 2nd the vote....

 

[KiotiAcres]

Thanks all, I looked into the tracked mulcher. What I found was "the killer" a Davco unit. I agree this is the best bet.

Running $515/day in Northern CA (for the T.L. and mulcher attachment).

A little steep, but I imagine it will chew through a lot of brush...

Thanks!