Best mower for overgrown mess?

[hrcarver]

Which type of mower is best for trees up to about 3"(8-10')? Was thinking about picking up a flail, but some of the specs I saw didn't look as impressive as a decent bush hog. Shred it better, probably...

Best choice for a two or three year growth brush mower is.......

 

[RoyJackson]

None of them are going to be good at taking 8-10 foot trees down. Even after you cut them down to stumps, it's still going to be tough with a cutter.

That said, buy the most heavy duty unit your tractor can handle and have a half dozen or so shear pins handy.

Of course, after a million hours of operating, you should know equipment by now...don't you think?

 

[woodlandfarms]

3" is really hard on a brush hog. Conventional flails aren't that great.

There is a couple of shrub / tree grinders out there that work great, heavy duty flail type mowers, but honestly go rent a dozer

Carl

 

[hrcarver]

None of them are going to be good at taking 8-10 foot trees down. Even after you cut them down to stumps, it's still going to be tough with a cutter.

That said, buy the most heavy duty unit your tractor can handle and have a half dozen or so shear pins handy.

Of course, after a million hours of operating, you should know equipment by now...don't you think?

Yes, but I've only owned bush hogs. Various 5', 7' and 10.5' mowers tore to pieces. Got a 8' land pride rcr 3596 that I run now.Never considered a flail mower until I saw the 100 page thread on them. Got to thinking all the road crews around here run them, even out in the country where bush hogs wouldn't hit nothing.

Short blades with a big jumper on a bush hog the best way to go?

 

[Gordon Gould]

Hire it out to some one who has a brontosaurus. Its a grinder on a boom and comes down on the trees from the top. Nothing left but small chips, stumps flush to the ground. Probably won't pay unless you have a lot to do.

 

[leonz]

The hiring of a professional wood cutter that does land clearing is one way to approach this with what you are describing as they could shear the tree at the ground level as one option or grind it to below ground surface.

Another option is the purchase of a surplus flail mowing tractor with a boom arm and use that as you will be able to grind down your trees and also mow afterwards or during the tree removal job. The hammer knives are the heaviest knife for brush and grinding trees from the top down.


time and available funding are the issue that will prevail with your research renting a land clearing machine with tracks or on rubber from an equipment dealer is another option if they offer rental machines.

 

[hrcarver]

the hiring of a professional wood cutter that does land clearing would be the way to approach this with what you are describing.

Another option is the purchase of a surplus flail mowing tractor with a boom arm and use that as you will be able to grind down your trees and also mow afterwards or during the tree removal job.

Always wanted one of those, especially for mowing around ponds. Never had the surplus to get it! I even tried to get the state boys to mow them for me for a few bucks, but no luck.

I guess its best to leave the really big stuff to pros. My bush hog does pretty good on two year growth, third year gets really tough.

 

[hrcarver]

Hire it out to some one who has a brontosaurus. Its a grinder on a boom and comes down on the trees from the top. Nothing left but small chips, stumps flush to the ground. Probably won't pay unless you have a lot to do.

Those things are IMPRESSIVE!:thumbsup:

 

[tractorsanmore]

Look on the Bush Hog ( brand ) website . They make mowers that will cut up to 4" material .

 

[flyingcow]

Look on the Bush Hog ( brand ) website . They make mowers that will cut up to 4" material .

with a stump jumper