Cutting Red Willow bushes in pasture with skidsteer, Brush cutter or Scissor cutter?

thorholt · Mar 14, 2016

Hello Everyone, I need to cut down some brush in a old crp field, Red Willow bushes, they grow in clumps with each branch about 1\2-3\4" diameter, I was looking at either a skidsteer brush cutter or one of those shears the mount on the front of the skid steer, I know the brush cutter will do the job but they are expensive and I really have no use for one when done with it, The shears are reasonable but never seen one in action in this situation, I do have a good bush hog type mower for my tractor but prefer not to beat up the tractor running down the brush before it gets cut, If I sheered it with the skid steer then ran the mower over it to grind up or gather it up and burn it, Any advise? It is about 40 acres of random brush to clean up. Thanks

4570Man · Mar 14, 2016

Is renting a skid steer brush cutter an option? I'd try to kill the brush and them burn it in place.

SPYDERLK · Mar 14, 2016

thorholt said:
Hello Everyone, I need to cut down some brush in a old crp field, Red Willow bushes, they grow in clumps with each branch about 1\2-3\4" diameter, I was looking at either a skidsteer brush cutter or one of those shears the mount on the front of the skid steer, I know the brush cutter will do the job but they are expensive and I really have no use for one when done with it, The shears are reasonable but never seen one in action in this situation, I do have a good bush hog type mower for my tractor but prefer not to beat up the tractor running down the brush before it gets cut, If I sheered it with the skid steer then ran the mower over it to grind up or gather it up and burn it, Any advise? It is about 40 acres of random brush to clean up. Thanks

You have a free bushog - the ideal tool. It does not hurt a tractor to run over twigs.

thorholt · Mar 14, 2016

I wish there was one to rent locally but I haven't found one, I will kill it this spring when it greens up but burning might be tough as they are spread apart quite a lot and I am surrounded by woods and would be nervous of the fire getting away from me.

4570Man said:
Is renting a skid steer brush cutter an option? I'd try to kill the brush and them burn it in place.

thorholt · Mar 14, 2016

SPYDERLK said:
You have a free bushog - the ideal tool. It does not hurt a tractor to run over twigs.

Some are 10' high it would scrape up the tractor pretty good, I tried a few last fall, it does work but not very good, A lot of them pop back up after I drove over them requiring me to drive over them again from the opposite direction.

ebbkubota · Mar 14, 2016

How about backing the bush hog over the willows if you don't want to drive over them first? I do this all the time on locust with my M7040 and Land Pride cutter.

SPYDERLK · Mar 14, 2016

thorholt said:
Some are 10' high it would scrape up the tractor pretty good, I tried a few last fall, it does work but not very good, A lot of them pop back up after I drove over them requiring me to drive over them again from the opposite direction.

Hm-m ... Ive done exactly that type of stuf, but I think my setup was probably better suited. My JD 127 Gyramor cutter is narrower than my wheel track and the blades swing near the bottom of the side skirts - and well below the front skirt. ... So the stuf is not broken down, only bent, as it goes into the exposed blades. This gives a clean cut. Very satisfying.

RSKY · Mar 15, 2016

If my little 22-hp Kioti can ride over something and bend it over my very light duty rotary mower will chop it up. Just ease up slowly over the clumps and wear ear plugs. Even a light duty mower will chop up 1/2" stuff.