I live in Maine and I have a few acres to clear for a new lawn. Mostly small trees (2" - 12"), some bigger fir/spruce/maple. I realize that I may not be able to pull all the stumps with a CUT and backhoe. But after they are out and the big rocks are cleared what is the best implement to start leveling? Blade, box, or something else?
Best way to clear land
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sweettractors
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I would use a dozer to do the initial clearing and then a box blade with teeth should get you in pretty good shape. Ken Sweet
ModMech
Platinum Member
1) Stihl - cut trees, move to pile out of the way. Section as time allows, store for "seasoning" split before fall (use or sell).
2) Dozer stumps, rocks and general leveling.
3) Box blade, land plane and drag harrow to "finnish".
Basically, I agree with Ken.
2) Dozer stumps, rocks and general leveling.
3) Box blade, land plane and drag harrow to "finnish".
Basically, I agree with Ken.
Soundguy
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ditto that.. hire a dozer for inital clearing.. if he's any good, he will leave it flat.
then you can use a box blad and drag to contour and plant grass seed and cover it.
soudnguy
then you can use a box blad and drag to contour and plant grass seed and cover it.
soudnguy
lungdoc
Gold Member
Dozer I would think would work well where soil is good and land basically fairly level. On rocky ground (like we have in Muskoka) an excavator works better, especially if it has a thumb. This is particularly true if you want to use any of the rocks for landscaping/retaining walls and if you want to bury some of the stumps to fill holes etc.
Opti-Mist
Platinum Member
Checkbook. Easy on the back but harder on the pocket.
brin
Super Member
I agree to use a dozer but I would ad ..if at all possible have the dozer push the big trees over before you cut them and then cut the stumps off and burn them, bury them or haul them off but if you cut your big trees first and leave too short a stump you will need a track loader with a tooth bucket or an excavator in there to dig those stumps out and that gets expensive.
20 20
Elite Member
I'll be the odd ball and say excavator, especially for 12"+ roots. I have ran both and an excavator for this type of work will be faster, from my impression of what you're asking. A dozer will work but roots can be a job for a it. An excavator {something like a 307 cat} with a balde will run circles around a dozer. It is also easier to take out the whole tree{rootball and all} while it is still standing, IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING !!!! Now if you're just worried about leveling simple ground then go with a dozer.
sweettractors
Advertiser
I can take out 12 inch + with my D3b Cat dozer, 1 pass knock over, back up and lower blade and take tree with rootball to the pile. When I am traveling backward on the dozer, I am dragging my blade and leveling. No time wasted that way. Not much left to do when finished with the dozer. Ken Sweet
lungdoc
Gold Member
Don't doubt that that works well in decent soil. In our area with lots of knobs of bedrock dozers catch too much rock to make it very efficient and can be rough on the equipment. All about right tool for the right job AND terrain.
20 20
Elite Member
Agreed if ground is willing. Don't get me wrong I have nothing against dozers{own a small one now}. I was just saying for an all around machine an excavator will be a better choice.
Soundguy
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true.. the excavator is better at roots.. but for general land clearing. the dozer is the tool.
soundguy
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It's pretty amazing what a good operator can do with either a dozer or excavator.
lungdoc
Gold Member
No offense if you've worked everywhere, but I suspect this comes down to local experience and conditions. Central Florida is a lot different from the Canadian Shield granite conditions of Muskoka and the Adirondacks where 20 20 is. Even in some very local areas what works like a charm in a river valley may be very tough going in a rocky hill area.
One small example of services being run to our lot...
Egon
Epic Contributor
You said "A few acres for lawn"
Yes, the Dozer or Excavator are the implement of choice.
However, depending on your time you may want to see how you make out with your own tractor and hoe. That would give you a chance to pull most of the roots and get it ready for cultivating and leveling. Some of the larger trees and rocks may make good lawn ornament areas. :thumbsup:
Yes, the Dozer or Excavator are the implement of choice.
However, depending on your time you may want to see how you make out with your own tractor and hoe. That would give you a chance to pull most of the roots and get it ready for cultivating and leveling. Some of the larger trees and rocks may make good lawn ornament areas. :thumbsup:
Soundguy
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I didn't say an excavator was bad.. but it't hard to make a flat 2 ac field with an excavator bucket....
both of them together, along with a laorge articulated loader with a root rake and now you are starting to talk.
soundguy
both of them together, along with a laorge articulated loader with a root rake and now you are starting to talk.
soundguy
No offense if you've worked everywhere, but I suspect this comes down to local experience and conditions. Central Florida is a lot different from the Canadian Shield granite conditions of Muskoka and the Adirondacks where 20 20 is. Even in some very local areas what works like a charm in a river valley may be very tough going in a rocky hill area.
One small example of services being run to our lot...
jenkinsph
Super Star Member
I would use a combination of boxblade, landplane grader, landscape rake depending on the surface debris. I would then use a tiller to work the ground at least 4" deep then run the landplane again for final leveling. If the ground was uneven enough that the landplane scalped the ground in places I would make a second pass with the tiller.
Where possible I try to get the rocks and other debris buried below the frost line. May be hard to do in Maine though. The idea being that I don't wan't to till up anything in later years in my yard. Others may know better but I would think that anything buried shallow would be subject to frost heave, meaning the rocks would be forced up to the surface in subsequent winters.
I should add that I am particularly fond of the landplane grader, it does an excellent job of smoothing out the ground for lawns.
slan
Silver Member
Good dozer D5 - D6 with real root rake and experienced operator will leave you with a nice level field free of roots with a few nice clean burn piles. :thumbsup:
Ask the farmers around your area who clears land and who is the best in term of cost and quality of work.
Dozers have much higher productivity rate when the conditions are right. My father cleared land for over 30 years and there is definetly an art to it so get someone that does it a lot.
IMHO
Ask the farmers around your area who clears land and who is the best in term of cost and quality of work.
Dozers have much higher productivity rate when the conditions are right. My father cleared land for over 30 years and there is definetly an art to it so get someone that does it a lot.
IMHO
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