Can a tractor clear this?

[ProjectKing]

Hiring a guy with a dozer may be the quickest and most cost efficient. Or someone with a big mulcher head. especially if you know nothing about tractors.

+1. Excellent advice!

 

[CobyRupert]

I would love to do it all my self with my own tractor, but I think for the sake of time perhaps the consensus is right that I should rent something more suitable for the task and then get the tractor I need after the house is built. ... I think my approach will be to go at it with a chain saw to clear out enough land to see where we want to put the house. Then I'll rent a heavy machine from sunbelt and clear what I need for the house and detached garage/workshop. Then once we're living out there I'll get the tractor and clear the rest as I need it over time. My realtor (who is very knowledgeable in these matters) said I should expect to pay $6-8k to pay someone to clear 2 acres. I can rent a machine for under $1k for a week and save money and still get the satisfaction of doing it my self.

I know this is a tractor website, so using a tractor is the (sometimes pricey) answer for everything...but regarding your plan to use a chainsaw for the initial scoping out: Before walking through an area with the chainsaw walk through with a straight-handled blade/brush cutter/weed whacker.
Stock photo:


You'll be amazed by the damage one of these can do to the landscape with 2 pints of gas and a couple hours of trimming. And for only the price of a average chainsaw.
I use the least aggressive 4 sided "grass" blade and cut up brush (and small trees) up to about 2" (and sometimes more, with a few whacks). The brushcutter blades can handle even more. Then the landscape is free & clear and open to get at the bigger stuff with the chain saw.
...THEN it would be nice to have a tractor and grapple to clean up the brush.

 

[SteveM70]

I think you answered your own question a few posts back. Yes, a tractor and a chainsaw would do it, as well as an oxen and ax lol. but you need to consider time constraints and how much free time you realistically have to devote to it. With all the other irons you have in the fire trying to make this move come together you could be better off to hire someone with more suitable equipment to do this job faster. I also agree with bundling projects. That would be the cheapest way to get them all done.

Don't worry about an excuse to get a tractor in the future. It sounds like your needs will be there once your moved in.

 

[nightdevil]

I think you answered your own question a few posts back. Yes, a tractor and a chainsaw would do it, as well as an oxen and ax lol. but you need to consider time constraints and how much free time you realistically have to devote to it. With all the other irons you have in the fire trying to make this move come together you could be better off to hire someone with more suitable equipment to do this job faster. I also agree with bundling projects. That would be the cheapest way to get them all done.

Don't worry about an excuse to get a tractor in the future. It sounds like your needs will be there once your moved in.

I will also add based on my recent experience, you have to make sure you also removes stumps of any type of tree which can be hard to bear. Depending on the type of equipment we received from Sunbelt Rentals it may not do the jobs. Also I assume that estimate what do also removed the debris or Shred the debris remove it from the property.

 

[chsdiyer]

Thanks for all the great info/advice...it's greatly appreciated!

Jeff - that is a deterent toward buying it now as well. Though my cousin has a very large german sheppherd thieves aren't usually the smarest bunch and I'd hate to see the dog get hurt over a tractor.

AxleHub - I wasn't aware of those restrictions on septic tanks...particularly the no driving on beforehand but it makes sense. The land was tested before I came along and it perked with no problems and the realtor provided me the permit they had for it. Definitely something to keep in mind regardless in case I have to get it all redone for some reason. Definitely not rich, that's why I'm going to be my general contractor and sub out the big things.

Thanks Coby, I wasn't aware of that kind of tool...i'll have to look into that.

Steve, I got one better than an Ox. I have a three year old with way too much energy. I might offer him an M&M for every small tree removed.

Nightdevil - I'm not really sure what the estimate included, it's just what my realtor said to expect to pay and was more than our budget allowed for. I'm going to have to talk with the person who is going to be a mentor to me in all this and see what his foundation guy would charge for this type of task. I kind of also want to do it my self because at this point I don't really have a clue where we want the house so I might have to do a little, assess it, do a little more , reassess, etc and i'd hate to have to pay someone to come out multiple times. We have some time to give to this, but not too much considering I need to get this done before I can finish drawing our plans. Of course we still haven't closed on the land and still trying to work out an easement issue with the neighbor....like I think I said before....the circus follows me in all my adventures. Hopefully not too much longer.

 

[SteveM70]

This may or may not be possible in you area but a helicopter ride over the land could help you visualize things that are not possible from the ground yet.

 

[prichard]

When we bought or seriously overgrown land the surveyor cleared a few trails then I went in with my string trimmer with a blade and created more paths so we could see everything.

Later we hired a mulcher to "clear". When what was cleared started regrowth I bought the tractor and bush hog.

 

[chsdiyer]

I thought about using my neighbors quadcopter but he paid a lot more for it then I felt comfortable flying (he didn't have time). I'm not sure I'd get a great perception though from that. There was a company that was offering helicopter rides near our current house but they only stayed in business a month or two.

Prichard - right now there is a walking trail that makes a circle around the outer part of the property. I'll probably make another one across it and down the middle to try and get a topology survey (i think that's what it's called) to get a better idea of elevation changes and just how much the property does slope.

 

[prichard]

The other option for getting around on the property is to rent a Billy Goat or similar.

 

[jeff9366]

Have you looked at the FREE satellite pictures of your property on Google Earth?