Tractor for land clearing and preparation

[mboncalo]

Good day everybody,

I'm looking to buy a tractor which will be mainly used for land clearing and preparation in the beginning. Land is full of small 1-2 inch thick trees which need to be cleared.
Short story, I bought recently 300 acres of virgin land which needs to be cleared, leveled, prepared from scratch.
Initially I was thinking to start with an 80 hp tractor with a front and loader , grapple and leveler but afterwards I had second thoughts that it might be cheaper fuel wise to start with an 50-60 hp tractor which might reduce my costs for clearing the land but I will have to buy a bigger tractor afterwards for land preparation, tilling, planting.
Though these are just thoughts, I have no experience with tractors beside all the reading
I'm not living in USA , in case you are thinking of recommending some tractor models
To be honest, I'm stuck a bit and I would appreciate some advice

Thank you.

 

[dodge man]

You’re a little vague on what you are going to do with the land. Farm it, if so what crops? Build a house on it?

 

[crashz]

Big dozer with a root rake? 300 acres is a lot of land to reclaim.

 

[old and tired]

Tractors are great for many things, like farming... Land clearing, not so great. It can be done but it would take lots of time. Do you have lots of time on your hands? Are you thinking of just mowing down the 1" to 2" stuff? or digging them out?

A Big Mulcher would make short work of it.

 

[2manyrocks]

Dozer.

 

[Richard]

I'm with these guys. I've got a 100+ HP tractor and (if I recall) a 90 HP industrial backhoe/loader.

Wife has a CORNER of the woods that she wants cleaned up for a detached garage. Tractor is idle. I'm using the backhoe to get the trees down (saplings up to 30" diameter) Dragging the fallen trees to burn pile, good sections cutting into logs and stacking those.

MUCH slower than antiicpated and I'm doing something less than 100 feet x 100 feet!

The saplings are what are taking the longest. Easy to push a tree over. Those sapings....there are TONS of them and I'm trying to pluck each one out. I might just get the trees down, then take the rotary mower and mow the saplings down other than.... the tractor (ESPECIALLY with mower attached) is WAY too big for the area....no room to turn around.

Plan B might be to take a 4' box off the 444 International (which is dead needing engine rebuilt) and putting the tiny 4' box blade behind the 1066 International. it BARELY fits but can work in a pinch.

Meanwhile, since we're on a slope, probably use the backhoe & loader bucket to try to dig most of it down to grade, then maybe try to fine-tune with boxblade.

Either way, I'd say that both of these are not the ideal tools however, that said, I'm getting more done with the backhoe/loader than the tractor.

 

[2manyrocks]

I'm with these guys. I've got a 100+ HP tractor and (if I recall) a 90 HP industrial backhoe/loader.

Wife has a CORNER of the woods that she wants cleaned up for a detached garage. Tractor is idle. I'm using the backhoe to get the trees down (saplings up to 30" diameter) Dragging the fallen trees to burn pile, good sections cutting into logs and stacking those.

MUCH slower than antiicpated and I'm doing something less than 100 feet x 100 feet!

The saplings are what are taking the longest. Easy to push a tree over. Those sapings....there are TONS of them and I'm trying to pluck each one out. I might just get the trees down, then take the rotary mower and mow the saplings down other than.... the tractor (ESPECIALLY with mower attached) is WAY too big for the area....no room to turn around.

Plan B might be to take a 4' box off the 444 International (which is dead needing engine rebuilt) and putting the tiny 4' box blade behind the 1066 International. it BARELY fits but can work in a pinch.

Meanwhile, since we're on a slope, probably use the backhoe & loader bucket to try to dig most of it down to grade, then maybe try to fine-tune with boxblade.

Either way, I'd say that both of these are not the ideal tools however, that said, I'm getting more done with the backhoe/loader than the tractor.

Similar ongoing experience here about removing saplings with the backhoe. I have found that I can snag them between the teeth on my backhole bucket if I push them away, then move the bucket sideways while pulling the bucket back. Anyway, there's a particular set of motions that let me pull the small ones out, but it is still slow as blazes to pull them out, pile them, and them move them.

Mowing saplings only leaves behind stubs to get their revenge by causing flat tires later.

 

[Richard]

Similar ongoing experience here about removing saplings with the backhoe. I have found that I can snag them between the teeth on my backhole bucket if I push them away, then move the bucket sideways while pulling the bucket back. Anyway, there's a particular set of motions that let me pull the small ones out, but it is still slow as blazes to pull them out, pile them, and them move them.

Mowing saplings only leaves behind stubs to get their revenge by causing flat tires later.

Yeah, agree 100%. I try to 'weave' the saplings in the teeth of the bucket so I can "simply" pluck them out. I do that.... try to grind them with a tooth directly where I think the roots are...A couple ways I try to attack them.

If I cut them, I'd probably cut them around knee height so I can just drive over them and push them over with machinery.....or allow them to go under the belly. My real concern right now is getting the big trees down. If I could get those out, it opens up options for the smaller punji-sticks.

Knocking on wood....I've never impaled a tire with something but I always try to leave them a bit long (verses mowing them down) so they might push over if driven over.

 

[edgarrian]

300 acres. You need a dozer. Tractor will take to long.

 

[cathy liebchen]

Tractors are not land clearing machines. Mulcher or dozer. Dozer cheaper but erosion issues