attachments/process needed post clear cutting

[budepps3760]

Starting Monday I am having 75 acres clear cut. The goal is to build a house there in the next 12-18 months once it has been replanted. The logging company is under contract to remove any ruts over 12" deep however that will leave a lot less than 12". The logger will not be pushing debris up and burning. When I replant I plan on going back with long leaf pine which will have controlled burning one year from now and every 4-5 years going forward. My land has many sloping hills and valleys and I am thinking that since these areas will be replanted I will let these areas be and let time reclaim these ruts. The power line however I wish to smooth out. I am thinking of using this general area for my garden since it has been clear of trees for 50+ years. I will not have to worry about removing stumps, etc to plant in the future. Total acreage in areas would be around 7 acres.

Areas around where I will build my house and around my existing shop I wish to smooth out and plant ground cover grasses to prevent erosion. My question is what implements will be bested suited to do this and what process? I have currently 5' bush hog, 5' box blade and 5' disc harrow. My tractor is Mahindra 2810 with 28hp pto and does not have FEL. I have read various threads over the months here suggesting disc harrow with I-beam dragged behind harrow, which I also have. Is that the best process or do you recommend a different method or a different attachment?

 

[JRobyn]

For clearing within 100ft or so of the homesite, and where you want any smooth "lawn" or garden, IMHO, the only "implement" you should consider is a dozer. Just too much for most any tractor, especially if you have any stumps. A dozer won't leave it perfect, but what's left CAN be handled with a tractor and box blade or grading scraper. And you can actually MOVE significant amounts of dirt with a dozer to contour the grade the way you want. And it will be cake to push up nice tight burn piles. A good operator on a capable dozer can do amazing things in just a few hours. Me on a rented dozer, maybe 2-3 days.

I hate paying someone to do what I can do myself, even if it takes 10 times longer, but a good dozer/operator is one place where it really makes sense to pay up.

 

[kebo]

For clearing within 100ft or so of the homesite, and where you want any smooth "lawn" or garden, IMHO, the only "implement" you should consider is a dozer. Just too much for most any tractor, especially if you have any stumps. A dozer won't leave it perfect, but what's left CAN be handled with a tractor and box blade or grading scraper. And you can actually MOVE significant amounts of dirt with a dozer to contour the grade the way you want. And it will be cake to push up nice tight burn piles. A good operator on a capable dozer can do amazing things in just a few hours. Me on a rented dozer, maybe 2-3 days.

I hate paying someone to do what I can do myself, even if it takes 10 times longer, but a good dozer/operator is one place where it really makes sense to pay up.

Agree on the dozer. I am sure this is not what the OP wanted to hear, but it will be the most effective way to clear off the building lot areas and cut a road to the building lot as well (unless the loggers make a road to the lot that you can turn into your driveway). Depending on how wet the power line already is (does it have any low, wet spots?), and how wet it gets during logging (heavy rains), the skidders may or may not tear it up so bad that you can't repair that much of it with your tractor. So, really, you need to wait and see how bad the powerline is once they are done logging.

Most logging crews have dozers now and you could possibly have written into the contract for them to clean up the powerline afterwards. If your logging crew doesn't have a dozer, then it's probably too late to renegotiate that with another crew. If they do have a dozer, I would talk with the owner after they are finished, but before they move the equipment out, and see if he will charge by the hour to do some more clean up that is not in the contract. It will almost certainly be cheaper that way rather than hiring another contractor to haul in his dozer and do the work.

The bottom line is if there are lots of stumps, 12" or less ruts, debris, etc, left over in the 7 acres of land you wish to build or farm or, it will take a lot of time and effort with a 28hp tractor. A 28hp tractor it just not a good subsitute for a dozer in the hands of a skiller operator.

Good luck with it!

 

[jeff9366]

In your situation, how did you acquire a tractor without a front end loader? Consider adding a tractor FEL as your next implement purchase. Your back will thank you now, and years later when you are old, like me. Without an FEL, you will be improvising to laboriously and inefficiently complete tasks that would be relatively easy with a loader.

You have what most of us would consider the BASIC THREE implements: Rotary Cutter/Box Blade/Disc Harrow. I consider a Ratchet Rake bucket attachment the #4 basic. If you want your ground really, really, level a Chain Harrow after the Disc Harrow is excellent. Wingfield makes the best. Winfield's heavy 1/2" diameter mat wire is much more effective than 3/8".

VIDEO: ratchet rake - YouTube

LINK: 7' 2" 3pt MaxiLift Harrow


Grass seeds are fine. Grass seed need direct sun to germinate. If you drag, too much seed will be covered too deeply. Drags are for medium and large seeds.

You will have better success if you buy a $300 poly lawn roller which will cover the area between tractor wheels. Roll before casting seed, roll again after casting seed. After last Fall use, empty roller of water. If you have a hard freeze with water in the roller, ice will split the seams. I have used the same roller for eight years.

The only picture I have show the poly roller behind my Kubota RTV500 but I pull it behind my Kubota L3560 too. I used a U-bolt to attach a ring, which goes over a trailer ball, to pull roller.

Mount a Handi-Hitch on your tractor Three Point Hitch.

After you plant, maintaining the grass seed consistently moist is crucial. If it drys out once, seed is history. I used 10' T-posts with pulsing sprinklers on top. Very wide coverage. Just need to keep seed moist; not wet deep.

These are cheap China sourced sprinklers. They should be better constructed then they are. If you buy six, five will work properly. Do not plan on having them oscillate. Plan for them to rotate 360 degrees. I do not recommend for semi-permanent installation, but for moistening lawn seed for five weeks they are good. These sprinklers are sold on-line too. If I could find the bases as separate components I would buy the bases and install high quality Rainbird (brand) sprinklers on top.

For your garden soil prep buy a tractor PTO-powered roto-tiller. You may also want a weed cultivator with adjustable tine width to straddle/cultivate your vegetable rows. Photo shows "Wunderbar" modular, tool-bar cultivator in expanded Blueberry patch.


LINKS (3): Groundwork T-Post Sprinkler - For Life Out Here

This T-post sprinkler might be better: T-Post - TP12-H | Maxim Manufacturing


3 Point Handy Hitch for Kubota BX Trailer Compact Tractor Drawbar John Deere | eBay

 

[budepps3760]

I agree pertaining to the dozer around the home site and road construction. The power line that I will be using for my garden is an area that will not have any tree stumps as trees have not been planted there for 60+ years. Removing ruts there is the question I am asking. My original post was not clear on this point.

Pertaining to buying an FEL attachment I have thought about it. I have been looking for 2 years on various sites but I have not seen a Mahindra one. I have also not been able to find something that would show compatible FEL. Another question I would have is sufficient hydraulic pressure to run one. I have the specs from Tractordata. Do you have any suggestions for after market FEL's?

 

[jeff9366]

Here are AFTERMARKET LOADER threads from the T-B-N archive:

Google (Multiple pages.)

Google

 

[jeff9366]

Removing ruts under power line is the question I am asking. My original post was not clear on this point.

Box Blade for dragging earth to fill the lowest places.

Disc Harrow, moving fast, to chop high spots, then use a drag to move soil to lower area. A beam drag will do. Chain Harrow on a frame is better.

Always best to fill and level when soil is moist.

Other T-B-N threads "ruts" : Search Results | Compact tractor forums, news, reviews, information. Multiple Pages.


Other implements to consider: Chisel Plow, Pond Scoop

LINKS: Buckeye Tractor Online Catalog Page 18-01 Chisel Plows

Buckeye Tractor Online Catalog Page 18-04 Chisel Plows

TYM/Mahindra ML108 Loader: TractorData.com Mahindra 281 tractor attachments information

VIDEO: pond dirt scoop - YouTube

Tractor 3 Point Hitch Scoop Pan