Best way to clear land

[sweettractors]

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.

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]

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

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]

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

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]

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.

true.. the excavator is better at roots.. but for general land clearing. the dozer is the tool.

soundguy

 

[two_bit_score]

true.. the excavator is better at roots.. but for general land clearing. the dozer is the tool.

soundguy

It's pretty amazing what a good operator can do with either a dozer or excavator.

 

[lungdoc]

true.. the excavator is better at roots.. but for general land clearing. the dozer is the tool.

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...

 

[Egon]

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:

 

[Soundguy]

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

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]

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?

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]

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