Brush clearing down steep hill, need advice!

[Ziess]

New to the forum, just acquired 10 acres and a new L2501- love it all so far!

Anyway, I have a steep hillside along one side of the property that is covered in blackberries and runs down to a nice creek that I'd like to access. So far I've only found one potential path down for machinery and it is THICK with blackberries and other brush. I tried backing the tractor down the hill and mowing it down only to make it 10 ft before the slope changed a bit and got too risky. Even then, I had trouble getting back up the hill with tractor due to traction issues.

What kind of equipment is out there that can be used on steep terrain to decimate brush and blackberries? I'd really like to start with just cutting a path into it so I can get a sense of what's even down there, doesn't have to be super wide at this point. Also, I'm leery of spraying much due to proximity to the creek so herbicides are out for the moment.

What would you recommend in my situation? TIA

 

[bcp]

Bruce

 

[Industrial Toys]

Rent something. Maybe a tracked loader. Maybe fix up a road while you are at it, so you can maintain it in future with your Kubota.

 

[Ziess]

Rent something. Maybe a tracked loader. Maybe fix up a road while you are at it, so you can maintain it in future with your Kubota.

It's just so steep at this point I'm not sure if a large machine like that could handle it. Any experience with the walk behind brush cutters?

 

[Industrial Toys]

Miserible as all heck! I just got rid of one, that I got for free, except a small engine guys bill to go over it. I don't like large carry type trimmers, but hate even more trying to push anything through or up difficult terrain! A tracked loader can handle quite a slope approaching up or down.

 

[Fragger]

I PURCHASED ONE OF THIS FELLERS AT HOME DEPOT AND IT DOES THE WORK OF A SMALL BRUSH HOG!:laughing::thumbsup:! WHEN DOING STEEP CREEK BANKS I WILL TIE A ROPE TO MINE AND EASY IT DOWN REMEMBER WE'RE not 10' tall and bulletproof anymore ullinghair::shocked:
I use .105 diameter line on my weed eatter does a fair job on big stuff!!:confused3:

 

[Industrial Toys]

Looks like the DR I couldn't get rid of fast enough. lol Cursed every time a wheel went into a rut or had to roll over a stone/branch!

Also, it had a hard time cutting Burdocs (sp?) even with the heaviest line available.

 

[LouNY]

One option would be to hire some one to brush hog it.
Or rent something to try and do it yourself.
Some of the mini skid steers will get into some amazing places,
and they are small enough that if it all goes to heck in a hand basket the recovery isn't that bad.
Brush Wolf 42 Mini Skid Steer Brush Cutter | Skid Steer Solutions
some thing like this that you stand on the rear and can safely exit if need be.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I also depends on if you have stones and rocks. I had a bush hog that went on the front of a Gravely Dual Wheel Pro 12, 2 Wheel tractor. I had cut a portion out of the front deck with a plasma, so you didn't have to run over something to cut it. The party came to an abrupt halt, when I hit a stone, and sheared the drive shaft of the cutter. That would have been powerful and ideal. It was a handful to handle though, and if the deck hit something, the handles could whip sideways in a fraction of a second breaking ones ribs. Small price to pay for cleared brush! lol


Shown with commercial mowing deck, not bush hog.

 

[TripleR]

When we were getting a neglected farm back in shape on some spots we bought a walk behind with a sickle-bar cutter. If you could handle it, it worked well, but dress properly and take it slow. We had people standing in line to borrow it.

You might check around for someone with right machinery and skill to do it then you will be able to make plans going forward. We have blackberry patches and I dont know how to get rid of them without chemicals.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Silly me. I have so much stuff, I forgot. This replaced the walk behind. Has a stump cutter mounted, but shows that it's not affraid to climb!

We Steiner guys love little projects for our Steiners. Find a guy with a brush mower and hire him.

 

[Industrial Toys]

View attachment 626669

Silly me. I have so much stuff, I forgot. This replaced the walk behind. Has a stump cutter mounted, but shows that it's not affraid to climb!

We Steiner/Ventrac guys love little projects for our Steiners. I sort of made a rough cut mower with an old beat up 48" deck. Find a guy with a brush mower and hire him.


I got duals after this, shown with a 60" side discharge deck. I would use the duals in very steep terrain.

 

[Fragger]

I LOVE MINE!!:thumbsup: you should have sent it my way

Looks like the DR I couldn't get rid of fast enough. lol Cursed every time a wheel went into a rut or had to roll over a stone/branch!

Also, it had a hard time cutting Burdocs (sp?) even with the heaviest line available.

 

[Diggin It]

Anyway, I have a steep hillside

I tried backing the tractor down the hill and mowing it down only to make it 10 ft before the slope changed a bit and got too risky.

What would you recommend in my situation? TIA

It's just so steep

How steep? Angle? Elevation change?

How deep? Distance from top to bottom?

 

[zoedog2012]

New to the forum, just acquired 10 acres and a new L2501- love it all so far!

Anyway, I have a steep hillside along one side of the property that is covered in blackberries and runs down to a nice creek that I'd like to access. So far I've only found one potential path down for machinery and it is THICK with blackberries and other brush. I tried backing the tractor down the hill and mowing it down only to make it 10 ft before the slope changed a bit and got too risky. Even then, I had trouble getting back up the hill with tractor due to traction issues.

What kind of equipment is out there that can be used on steep terrain to decimate brush and blackberries? I'd really like to start with just cutting a path into it so I can get a sense of what's even down there, doesn't have to be super wide at this point. Also, I'm leery of spraying much due to proximity to the creek so herbicides are out for the moment.

What would you recommend in my situation? TIA

Are you in California? If so just torch it!

 

[Ziess]

How steep? Angle? Elevation change?

How deep? Distance from top to bottom?

Great question. Probably a 50' elevation change over 40 yards. No idea on actual angle, the other issue is that the slope is not straight down, it kinda varies side to side a bit in places so it makes tractor work super sketchy.

 

[Ziess]

Are you in California? If so just torch it!

Oregon, and I have been burning it bit by bit down with cardboard but the slope goes down behind my barn at a point so can only do that so long.

 

[ruffdog]

View attachment 626665

Bruce

^^I agree^^ Until I know what is on the steep slope with a creek at the bottom, I would use the brush head to clean a path. A simple rock, log, or hole could spell disaster for a tractor.

 

[Tropical Jack]

I live in the mountains of North Carolina. I own an old Gravely 2 wheel walk-behind tractor and a Kubota L3301. But many of my slopes are too steep and rocky for a machine. I too have many blackberries. String trimmers with saw blades scare me. I use a rechargeable hedge trimmers for the blackberries. It is labor intensive, and sometimes bloody; but works best for me.

Jack

 

[AchingBack]

I have the same situation, including a bunch of willows which make excellent ladders for the blackberries. It is a never ending job to keep a path cleared. The tools I use vary depending upon how long I've let things go. I used to do a lot of the mowing with my tractor. However, it is very risky, even with 4WD, and excellent traction.

What works best for me once I've done some hand pruning, and using my EGO hedge trimmer, https://www.homedepot.com/p/EGO-20-...attery-and-210-Watt-Charger-MHT2001/308672042 is my trusty, all-terrain, DR field and brush mower. Now days you will pay a premium for one, and they are very unwieldy. Mine is an older, very reliable model with traction control, 4 forward gears, and 1 reverse. It's practically impossible to get stuck of find anything within reason, (1"-2") it can't handle. Look for the one with the 12.5 HP Tecumseh engine if you can find one used.

The key is, steady and slow goes far in a day.