Rotary Cutter Solution for Heavy/Dense Brush with 34 hp PTO tractor?

[dstig1]

You don't have big enough equipment to realistically tackle this, IMO. ...Unless you have unlimited time... I would get a bush hog for maintenance, but hire someone with a skid steer or other equipment with mulching head (or even a dozer) to make the first pass and chew it up. Then you can handle maintenance mowing with your BH.

 

[AWSubie]

Have a unit bookmarked on my computer. The Perfect Tree saw. Plan on building one in the future. Seems simple and effective for small spindly growth.

That perfect tree saw looks like a great solution for all my mesquite!!!

 

[kreyszig]

After spending a small fortune on bush-hogs(2),Stihl shoulder saw,50 hours with a 100 HP tractor and bush-hog;I finally got smart and "hired" a Skid Steer with a FECON head.He did more in four days than I did in ten years.

Thanks for the info, I did not know these. I understand your point and it might be the best solution. Was it mostly brush that you had cleared? How much did you pay for 4 days (was it recently?)?

Thanks!

 

[GeeVee]

Unless you need a serious bushog for the rest of you life for other use, I'd hire a forestry mulcher or rent a CAT skid steer with the drum style mulcher and get it done once, then you can maintain as you say.

Drum mulcher will blow though that stuff in one pass right at the ground and even the root crown, then you can spot treat and start mowing..... No sense doing any of this work by hand, or buying a new attachment (because a used one is going to give you fits) If you rent one, you can almost use it as a TILLER, and be sure you are getting the root crown. A contractor may not want to go to that depth.

I do a lot of selective clearing and grubbing with small equipment to build disc golf courses in wooded spaces, and I turn the flyways into natural walking paths. Dealing with the cleared material is a big part of the efforts, I don't want to pick it up and haul it, so mulching is best management practice. One machine. Not, Chainsaws, Grapple, Loader truck, haul to landfill, just so it can decompose there..... plus all the people involved. I don't own a Mulcher, as I can get the Government agency I am building this Disc Golf Park, natural walking trails, to contract that effort, but I still go in behind them and do some sawing and I use My skid steer to move the brush, trees, to a space where I reduce it so I can run my 4' bushog over it to reduce it to mulch and a stem.... See this 2 minute video to see my ASV RC 30 moving brush, and how dense the juvenile canopy is and the large Oaks, Hickory, Magnolia, Gum, that I leave/have to work around. And what it looks like after.... A year and a half later, this space sees 150 disc golfers and 100 walkers, mountain bikers and dog walkers using it...

Holland Park Build - YouTube

 

[nybirdman]

Thanks for the info, I did not know these. I understand your point and it might be the best solution. Was it mostly brush that you had cleared? How much did you pay for 4 days (was it recently?)?

Thanks!

Mostly what I had cleared was 10-12 ft.Red alder brush,buck-thorn;very thick(a beagle could hardly get through it).Left alone for at least 75 years.The 100 HP Skid steer and FECON head was $285/hr.Again the best money spent.I now maintain with my tractor and six ft.bush-hog.Skid steer work was done two years ago.It was so rough they broke it three times(lots of rock).

 

[FTG-05]

After spending a small fortune on bush-hogs(2),Stihl shoulder saw,50 hours with a 100 HP tractor and bush-hog;I finally got smart and "hired" a Skid Steer with a FECON head.He did more in four days than I did in ten years.

This. Include a lawn chair, some shade and enough Iced Tea, it's still cheaper and easier than anything else.

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

One possible solution.. Or the start of a long term solution..

When your ground is stable enough to get to all the spots you need to cut, rent a tracked skid steer with a forestry type cutter.. Do it all, or all you can, as close to the ground as you can. The track machine will not have a problem with stickers..

Luckily where bush tries to reclaim our pasture, I can get at it with the brush hog to keep it at bay..

 

[BoylermanCT]

One possible solution.. Or the start of a long term solution..

When your ground is stable enough to get to all the spots you need to cut, rent a tracked skid steer with a forestry type cutter.. Do it all, or all you can, as close to the ground as you can. The track machine will not have a problem with stickers..

Luckily where bush tries to reclaim our pasture, I can get at it with the brush hog to keep it at bay..

This. My Skid Steer Solutions - Eterra Brush Cutter Clearing Attachment on my Bobcat - YouTube

 

[Jchonline]

Here is what was used on our place. FTX15 Tracked Carrier | FECON

 

[ptsg]

Tractor Time with Tim just posted a video where he is mowing brush pretty much like the one shown on the picture of the first post with a 38hp JD: UNLEASH THE FURY! Brush Mulcher in Action! - YouTube

I think he could go a bit slower to leave a better job but that comes with practice. It's an expensive attachment, specially when it would be used pretty much one time just to clear the bigger stuff.

On a personal note, I've dealt with stuff similar to that, just with green leaves on it, with my 35 HP tractor. Actually it was it's break in period. Using a conventional brush mower but fitted with high strength chains instead of blades. These chains can handle thicker brush and rocks or whatever it's thrown at it without getting damaged like the blades would. It would handle that stuff shown by the OP just fine and the mower only cost me $700 new that I can use for all kinds of brush.

Here is a clearing job I did some time ago. The brush is believe it's called gorse bush in English, it's about chest height and at least 15 years old. Took me slightly more time because it's a very steep hill even though it's does look like much in the picture. It was about one acre job.