Buying Advice Bought 100 Acres. Upgrade my tractor or hire some work done?

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

Check this guy out. I would consider this route.

Bull Hog Skid Steer Mulching Attachment - Fecon

I wouldn't have a skidsteer with the Marshall cutter do mine. It seems slow.

I have seen these forestry mulchers work and they can really plow through the crap, and fast.

How much would one of those set you back?

 

[Xfaxman]

How much would one of those set you back?

Here is a used one: Used Fecon Equipment - Fecon

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

Here is a used one: Used Fecon Equipment - Fecon

View attachment 489202

Is that all? That's pocket change :laughing:

 

[bigdeano]

Personally I would push small trees over with my loader, then there aren't stumps sticking up. As you drive over them the ground gets pushed down and the stumps stick up farther every time. Looks like the OP's tractor is too small for that, so time to buy a bigger one for 100 acres. You can never have too many tractors.

 

[bigdeano]

Maybe something like this would work with the OP's tractor.

Introducing the DR TreeChopper Tree Shear: Low Cost and Effective Tree Cutting - YouTube

 

[nosurprise]

At 33 yrs old I would most likely do it myself. **** at 52 I would be all over it with a couple small chainsaws. No wider than you need to be for ATV trails it will go faster than you think. Doing it yourself will be a lot more satisfying, depending if that kind of thing is important to you or not. Personally, I hate the thought of having to pay someone else to do work on my land that I know I am capable of. Maybe rent bigger equipment. I did that once on a fish pond that was very dirty. I was quoted 3k to do it. I rented a old JD 690 excavator for 600 a day, did it in 2 days saved a little, more importantly to me was the satisfaction of doing it myself. Good luck with it, and congrats 100 acres is awesome your very fortunate young man.

 

[ClaySlayer]

I'm 33 and I'd rent a small dozer for the weekend and have at it...ok it might take a few weekends but you get the point. Depending on how dense the woods are id want to clear out an acre or so here and there for food plots anyway... I don't mind some manual labor but being asmatic and already having two hernia surgeries I'd rather rent the right equipment and make it a little easier on myself.

 

[nosurprise]

If physical constraints are a factor for whatever reasons it definitely puts a different spin on the task at hand.

 

[DieselBound]

Every day is a journey on my farm. I hired a large Excavator to dredge a small pond this Fall. First thing I've hired done there. Didn't get much satisfaction out of watching him do that......

Every day is a holiday for me I blame my wife for that!

I had an issue with an excavator I'd rented this past summer (I dug to China with it:laughing. Owner came by and straightened things out then he commenced digging for nearly an hour! It was a beautiful day, a Saturday, and he hadn't operated the machine in quite a while (other than loading and unloading). I asked him if his time cost me more or if I paid less because I got to use it less :laughing: But, yeah, after a while I was like, "hey, let me back on that thing!" He's a terrific guy.

 

[DieselBound]

If physical constraints are a factor for whatever reasons it definitely puts a different spin on the task at hand.

YES! And for those that aren't negatively impacted they need to focus on this, make sure they don't do things that would cause them to be constrained. Best tip is to not go all-macho on something: I popped out my clavicle using just my bare hands (doctor said that he only sees this kind of injury from football injuries and car accidents); I'd pulled many T-posts by hand, this one just went totally wrong.