How much land could this thing clear in a day?

[FTG-05]

I have 10-15 acres of overgrown timber/woodland on my property that is pretty useless due to all the brush and especially the invasive Tree of Heaven. I'd like to have the underbrush cleared and I'm thinking of having it down with one of those brush grinder machine services, see picture below.

The questions I have are:

- About how much does one these cost on per day basis; this is a service, not a rental.

- About much land would one of these machine process in one days work?

Obviously, until I can get the guy out here for an informed quote I won't get an exact answer. Right now, I'm just looking for the "best guess" type answers.

Thanks,

 

[Industrial Toys]

Do you have large trees, stumps or stones?

Are you turning it into open field?

How is the terrain?

Up here, I'm just guessing something like that would go upwards of $200.00 CDN an hour. So, for a long summer day it could be a couple of grand a day. Plus transportation. As for progress, well it depends on conditions. Chewing substantial material takes a lot longer then just brush.

 

[rustydollar]

Depends on how often vines, cable or old fencing gets wrapped around the tines. Other than that this machine looks pretty awesome and should move at a brisk walking speed.

My thoughts are that most invasive species will self propagate from root cuttings, perhaps once the roots have been shredded then by turning the loose soil the roots will dry out rather than take root.

That tree of heaven looks like a seed producer, tilling seeds into the earth is like getting rid of fleas on a dog.

 

[roadhunter]

I believe they get about 300 per hour down in Central Nebraska for those, called a Gyro. They are very expensive, like a couple hundred grand for a nice one. I helped replace teeth on one a while back and I remember thinking the price for teeth was just crazy but I suspect they do much better than the skid steer versions. Skid steers simply do not have the hydraulics for those attachments and always overheat, even with the forestry kit and all if you run in the summer.

 

[RNeumann]

Wait for some folks who have tried doing this type of operation. From my reading folks regret this after a few years when things grow back out of the same stumps. The longer term solution is to remove with roots, pile and burn or chip.....at least that's what I have read!

 

[bcp]

County may be helpful.



From:
https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/SP627.pdf

For more information:
Please contact your county Extension office for more information or help in identifying and controlling non-native, invasive plants around your home or property. Your county Extension agent will be able to provide you with assistance as needed.

 

[rustydollar]

This would be the machine of my choice.

 

[Wagtail]

County may be helpful.



From:
https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/SP627.pdf

For more information:
Please contact your county Extension office for more information or help in identifying and controlling non-native, invasive plants around your home or property. Your county Extension agent will be able to provide you with assistance as needed.

I couldn't agree more. Especially as you're dealing with Tree-of-Heaven:

"Tree-of-heaven disperses by seed and vegetative suckering. Dumped root segments can also take root and segments spread by machinery during clearing activities can easily resprout. Stumps resprout after cutting and have been reported to grow at a rate of 3 cm per day in the United States (GISD 2005).
A single mature tree can produce about 300,000 seeds each year. The seeds are winged and can be carried a fair distance from the parent plant by the wind or by water. One plant reproducing from suckers can become a large clump very quickly (Hoshovsky 1988). It has been reported as being able to sucker from roots for at least 4 years after a tree is cut down, sometimes many metres from the parent plant (Blood 2001)."

"Control of the species is difficult requiring careful removal of potential propagules (such as seeds, roots and stumps), poisoning and repeated treatments.
Trees should not be burnt or bulldozed as this encourages its spread." (source: Dept. of the Environment, Australian Government)

You've got a job on your hands that I don't envy FTG.

 

[Silvic]

I run one similar with a Fecon Head on a dedicated ASV prime mover. Not a dedicated Fecon mulcher unit as in your picture.

Despite what is said below

Skid steers simply do not have the hydraulics for those attachments and always overheat

I disagree. With a caveat.

I have 45 GPM flow and have never even been close to an overheat on either my engine or my hydraulics so the statement is not true as to ALWAYS. It is true on some of the smaller less dedicated platforms; they do overheat and especially if they do not have the extra cooler that is required for this type work. Mine is designed as a forestry machine so it has extras to ensure it can do the work and 45 gpm flow is not to be trifled with in any way.

I would agree that the dedicated Fecon units (as in your picture) are better in some ways but they have less maneuverability and they do have disadvantages. Nothing is perfect; trade-offs all around which is true of just about everything, isn't it?

Area per day is an unknown variable without an on site visit. I have done over 2 acres per day and have done less than an acre per day.
Depends upon terrain, material to be mulched and desired outcome. Do you want it "parked out" or just cleared?

We don't have Tree of Heaven but do have our own invasive species. The use of chemicals and staying on top of it for several years may be required no matter what you do. We have one species that the seeds remain viable for up to 20 years plus. You can fight it a long time no matter how you do it. Invasive species are not fun to deal with in any case.

Cost can vary by area, a lot. In my area, it runs $200/hour or about 1500/day plus tax. 100 miles north of me my dealer say that they get $3000 per day.

Call your guy and get an estimate.

 

[FTG-05]

I run one similar with a Fecon Head on a dedicated ASV prime mover. Not a dedicated Fecon mulcher unit as in your picture.

Despite what is said below



I disagree. With a caveat.

I have 45 GPM flow and have never even been close to an overheat on either my engine or my hydraulics so the statement is not true as to ALWAYS. It is true on some of the smaller less dedicated platforms; they do overheat and especially if they do not have the extra cooler that is required for this type work. Mine is designed as a forestry machine so it has extras to ensure it can do the work and 45 gpm flow is not to be trifled with in any way.

I would agree that the dedicated Fecon units (as in your picture) are better in some ways but they have less maneuverability and they do have disadvantages. Nothing is perfect; trade-offs all around which is true of just about everything, isn't it?

Area per day is an unknown variable without an on site visit. I have done over 2 acres per day and have done less than an acre per day.
Depends upon terrain, material to be mulched and desired outcome. Do you want it "parked out" or just cleared?

We don't have Tree of Heaven but do have our own invasive species. The use of chemicals and staying on top of it for several years may be required no matter what you do. We have one species that the seeds remain viable for up to 20 years plus. You can fight it a long time no matter how you do it. Invasive species are not fun to deal with in any case.

Cost can vary by area, a lot. In my area, it runs $200/hour or about 1500/day plus tax. 100 miles north of me my dealer say that they get $3000 per day.

Call your guy and get an estimate.

He called me back late last night after I sent an email from his website. We talked about 15 minutes or so. Price was exactly what you said: $1500/day. Don't know if that includes tax and/or transportation; I was too depressed to ask. He also estimated 2-3 acres per day. Since my back 10 acres that I want cleared is hilly, this becomes even worse.

Unfortunately, this looks like a non-starter.

ETA: I'll see if I can take some more pics of what I want cleared in case there are more suggestions on how I can get this land cleared economically. Here's one I already have:

This is one edge of my woodland. You can see the mature trees, which I want to keep, and all the little brush and TOH that totally clogs up the forest floor, pretty much making the land useless.

 

[tractorshopper]

Guys that did my property did it in 3 days. Didn't do entire property, so about 2 acres per day.

Was really nice looking, down to mulched ground and sticks basically except the mature trees that I wanted to keep.

Came back up into a thicket quick. Have to stay on top of mowing/brush hogging, or it will go back to nature. If you keep mowing regularly, some stuff will finally stop trying to re-sprout, but it can take a few years or more. Stumps eventually will rot out as well. If I had my pick, I'd have stuff pulled out roots and all with an excavator, then smoothed out. I believe that would give better longer lasting less maintenance results, but that's just a guess on my part.

 

[Cord]

Find a outfit that will rent equipment commercially. Then look into renting a large tracked skid steer and a forestry mower. Yea, it'll be $500/day, but that's still less than hiring it out.

 

[1bush2hog]

I wouldn't even think of cutting or mulching tree of heaven unless you treat it beforehand or immediately after. It will come back with a vengeance if you do. There are various methods for treating this super invasive species depending on the size and stage of growth. Foliage spray, basil bark, hack and squirt, and cut stump. I would NOT recommend cut stump as it seems to produce the most regen suckering

There is no quick way to rid this species from your property as follow up treatments are usually required to treat suckering

The good news is that once the trees are killed they start falling down in a couple of years

Good Luck. You are not alone

 

[roadhunter]

Find a outfit that will rent equipment commercially. Then look into renting a large tracked skid steer and a forestry mower. Yea, it'll be $500/day, but that's still less than hiring it out.

That's a toy compared to the machine the OP referenced. Skid steers struggle running fecon heads, I would never recommend it. Hydraulics overheat and are underpowered.

 

[jeff9366]

If you are going to peck at it with the L4330 get a Ratchet Rake for your FEL bucket and a Field Cultivator for your Three Point Hitch. More than half the de-brushing struggle is transporting detritus to a safe area for burning. Field Cultivator works very well dragging vines and brush while leaving dirt behind.

ratchet rake brush clearing - YouTube

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ement-vine-root-removal-woods.html?highlight=

Your photo depicts "before" land very similar to mine in Florida ~~~~but I do not have Tree of Heaven, I have wild grape vines, wild climbing rose and Yaupon Holly.

 

[Rustyiron]

This might be true if you have a normal or "dirt work" SS. The newer larger machines (past 6-8 years) have an available forestry pkg. that covers all your concerns. Like any equipment, the attachment is sized to the carrier's power output and might only be taking a 60'' cut on a SS or CTL, but it WILL do it all day long. Mulchers can be a $120-130,000 skid steer variety up to almost a half million dollar machine. There are wheeled, tracked, and excavator based machines out there, of all sizes.

 

[Kentuckyfarmer]

The best, cheapest, and fastest way is an excavator. Second is a track loader or highlift. A highlift you can tear up a lot of stuff if your a beginner at operating. Did that type of work several years and I preferred the excavator doing it. Fast and you can dig a pit and burn the brush in it. Then what doesn't burn just bury it.

 

[airbiscuit]

The power companies around here use ASV skidsteers with a similar cutter. They do a great job - it looks like a golg course when they're done.

If the cost is too great, you can do some damage with your own tractor and a rotary cutter. I cut trails through 8' tall hazelnut brush with a 15hp Shibaura and a 4' Kingkutter rotary cutter. Just walk the area first to look for surprises, and use a chainsaw for stems over 1 1/2".

 

[dickfoster]

I have 10-15 acres of overgrown timber/woodland on my property that is pretty useless due to all the brush and especially the invasive Tree of Heaven. I'd like to have the underbrush cleared and I'm thinking of having it down with one of those brush grinder machine services, see picture below.

The questions I have are:

- About how much does one these cost on per day basis; this is a service, not a rental.

- About much land would one of these machine process in one days work?

Obviously, until I can get the guy out here for an informed quote I won't get an exact answer. Right now, I'm just looking for the "best guess" type answers.

Thanks,

I had a couple of them do my five acres in a couple of days but that included felling some large trees next to the house and much of my property is sloping. Mine were on track steers so they probably moved a bit faster than one on a cat could. I had them quote the job, not an hourly rate. That included a hand crew limbing up the larger trees left standing. The masticators or whatever you want to call them ground up the brush piles the hand crew made from thinning the limbs and other stuff.

 

[Kentuckyfarmer]

I'm 62 years old and that's the first time I have ever seen wheels on the front of a 3 point hitch bush hog. Guess it's pretty good keeping it from scalping the ground but you must have to pick it up when you turn. Huh?