FEL Mounted Brush Cutter Recommendations

[jeff9366]

Have you heard of the Vantrac 4500 w/tough cut deck? It looks interesting and might work in my situation. Although I think I saw tough cut deck only handles 1" brush.

I have 80 acres of dense forest in Oregon to clear of underbrush like blackberries, poison oak, saplings and of course mature Fir, Pine, Oak and Madrone.

The primary market for Ventrac and Steiner equipment is golf courses, though they market to municipalities and residential customers. Ventrac and Steiner forward mount implements are driven by rubber belts. Excellent equipment for golf courses.

You need tracked equipment for eighty acres unless you have months to clear with your Deere 4120 tractor and grapple.

Burning would be part of clearing with a tractor. Can you burn in Lane County, Oregon?

You are over estimating what light weight equipment can accomplish.
You are underestimating the operator hazard involved in this volume of brush reduction.

 

[BukitCase]

Jeff, as I mentioned I'm one county north of RB - BOTH counties' governments seem to be populated by control freaks, so I doubt Lane county is much different than Linn - I get so frustrated by their over control I've been looking for a used tree service shredder. My burn pile at the moment is about 30 x 40 feet and about 9 feet high, it's been at least 3 YEARS since I was allowed to burn. The pile is over 100 feet away from ANYTHING, I have water available all around it, I keep the area around it mowed about 3/4" above "rototiller" mode....

Just to give an example of the control freak crap, I actually called the "burn ****" message center during the wet season (about 8 months here) DURING A POURING RAIN, and got the message "no backyard burning allowed" -

About 5 of my 10 acres is similar to RB's 80 acres, so in a small way ( about 5/80ths) I can empathize... Steve

 

[jeff9366]

If you and the OP cannot burn I cannot think of an alternative to hiring mulchers for eighty acres.

 

[Supraman0614]

Is it possible to rent an excavator, dig a really big hole, or several smaller ones in strategic locations, and bury the brush? It will make really nice soil in a few years. You can use the dirt from the hole(s) to make raised fire break roads through the woods. Just thinking out loud.

 

[RutnBuck]

I have 80 acres of dense forest in Oregon, full of all manner of underbrush like blackberries, poison oak, saplings and of course mature Fir, Pine, Oak and Madrone.

What I have: (Deere 4120 = 3,700 pounds bare tractor weight.)
- Front hydraulics for Everything Attachments Wicked Root Rake Grapple (operates by switch on joystick)

I would consider a FEL grapple as the primary attachment for clearing brush using a 3,700 pound bare weight compact tractor, knowing that eighty acres would take maybe 1,000 operator hours. Burning would be part of clearing. Can you burn in Lane County, Oregon?

At any rate, I recently came across the front (FEL) mounted brush cutters like the Lane Shark, Limb Ninja, Trailblazer, and Path Slayer.

These attachments are utterly unsuitable for clearing eighty acres.

If you feel pressured for time your best alternative is to call in a commercial clearing company operating medium weight forestry munchers. Not a cheap option, but you have to balance the cost of commercial forestry mulching against value impairment from a major fire. The operating stations of the tracked forestry mulching equipment will be well armored.

I speculate that the FULL cost of operating your tractor in clearing is around $30 per hour, valuing operator time at '0'. So clearing your eighty acres yourself might cost out at $30 X 800 engine hours = $24,000. Just a soft number to consider as part of the cost equation.



For those reading here with only three or four similar acres to clear consider a Ratchet Rake attached to the FEL bucket and a Field Cultivator AKA "All Purpose Plow" on the Three Point Hitch.

Front-End Loader - Ratchet Rake // Today

I had a snarled mass of wild grape vines and brush near a gate. Decided I should clear it today, before everything emerged from dormancy. Photo #1 Ratchet Rake on bucket. Downward oriented teeth make this attachment excellent for pulling brush and light grading, but you cannot dig a hole...

www.tractorbynet.com

Dirt Dog - All Purpose Plow / Field Cultivator REVIEW + PICTURES

Dirt Dog All Purpose Plow / Field Cultivator Dirt Dog Model APP 66-5 Total Width 66", Working Width 62", Five Tines, Weight 284 Pounds, Paid $835.00 (2010) Field Cultivator: A Three Point Hitch mounted, secondary tillage implement, used to perform operations such as soil aeration...

www.tractorbynet.com

Jeff . . . yes I can burn in Lane county, at least up until they close the season which is around this time of year. While I do burn, I hate it. While I have 80 acres, I struggle with enough area to have multiple burn piles. I currently have only two spots and when I strat them, I have enough fuel to burn all day and into the night. I don't like having open flames at night though so I stop feeding it early in the evening. As soon as the piles are gone, it takes no more than a couple hours and I have huge piles again. And that just with clearing all the dead fall I have laying around using my grapple.

Unsuitability . . . I know that ANY tool I buy as a homeowner will have its limitations and I make purchases based on that knowledge. For example, the FEL mounted cutter I know will not be the one-stop-shop implement I need to clear. I understand I'll also have to put some more manual labor behind my Stihl FS240. My thoughts are, "can I get something good enough to take care of the bulk of the job...the areas of thick blackberry, vines and scotch broom". If i can get bulk areas done, make some path ways, etc...I'd be happy!!

The problem I have with the root rake is that it does not get everything out by the roots. We have some very stuborn vines that wrap themselves up through the trees and they simply slide through the rakes. I have tried the root rake method with my grapple. Granted, the "teeth" are wider apart, but the concept is the same.

 

[RutnBuck]

Is it possible to rent an excavator, dig a really big hole, or several smaller ones in strategic locations, and bury the brush? It will make really nice soil in a few years. You can use the dirt from the hole(s) to make raised fire break roads through the woods. Just thinking out loud.

It is possible but given the clearing I've done already, I'd have to have a REALLY big hole!

 

[RutnBuck]

What do you all think of this FORAX GP40 . . . https://www.forax.ca/uploads/1/3/6/7/136794484/gp40.pdf

 

[BukitCase]

Looks interesting; any idea of cost? Probably have to call for quote, + it's in New Brunswick, so duties/shipping might be a be-atch... Steve

 

[jeff9366]

I can burn in Lane county, until they close the season which is around this time of year.

While I do burn, I hate it. I have two spots and when I start burning I have enough fuel to burn all day and into the night. I don't like having open flames at night so I stop feeding it early in the evening.

Start with a burn pit.

The burn pit in the photo is about 40" deep. The berm is about 8'.

What is removed from the pit goes on the berm.

Grass grows continuously on the far side of the berm. Intermittently on the fire side of the berm. Grass roots prevent berm from sliding into the
pit.

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[LouNY]

Interesting but with only a 40" width it would be slow.
There other mulching heads of 72" need more hydraulics then any small tractor has but they do mention
a power pack which I'm assuming would be a 3point mounted pump and volume tank for hydraulics
which would be a nice combination.