Clear Cut Land

[RollTide1974]

That type of work goes faster than masticating trees and heavy slash.

THat's why I'm thinking I could probably do it, if I could rent a skid steer with a mulching attachment.

 

[RollTide1974]

A few pics of a job I just finished up for a friend with something similar. Mostly softwood and a lot of smaller overgrowth in the 1 to 3" range. Everything around 5" and under was cut. 6" to 8" laid over and piled to burn. About 2 acres and took 12 hours to finish. The small stuff goes pretty fast. View attachment 728147View attachment 728148View attachment 728149View attachment 728150

Man, that looks amazing afterwards!!!! I'd love to own some land like that. How much did you charge him? I know, my land has very little on it like that to cut.

 

[jyoutz]

A few pics of a job I just finished up for a friend with something similar. Mostly softwood and a lot of smaller overgrowth in the 1 to 3" range. Everything around 5" and under was cut. 6" to 8" laid over and piled to burn. About 2 acres and took 12 hours to finish. The small stuff goes pretty fast. View attachment 728147View attachment 728148View attachment 728149View attachment 728150

Nice work. The people who managed the op’s clear cut harvest obviously were focused on cutting out and getting out and not doing slash management. Also, the slash should have been dealt with by burning before the plantation was established. Now there is only one feasible slash cleanup method: mastication.

 

[jk96]

Man, that looks amazing afterwards!!!! I'd love to own some land like that. How much did you charge him? I know, my land has very little on it like that to cut.

$1,380. I charge $115/hr. I run a CID extreme cutter. 84" high flow version with mulching teach on the blade housing.

https://cidattachments.com/product/cid-x-treme-duty-piston-motor-brush-cutter-attachment

I only do a few side jobs and don't do it for a living. It's really hard on a machine so I pick and choose my jobs and stay away from ones with a lot of larger mulching. If I can keep the larger stuff to a minimum I can clear a lot of land in a hurry. Keeps the landowner happy for what it costs and makes it easier on my machine. This cutter will walk right through stuff in the 3 and 4" range and can easily take down 6" material. 6" hardwoods get a little slow though, no issues on softwood.

 

[Jchonline]

Looking for some advice on cleaning up some clear cut we’re buying. It’s been re-planted in pines (in rows). I’m wanting to cut between the rows and clean it up. There are some stumps from where it was cut 3 years ago along with some sage and thorn bushes. What would you recommend to use to clean it up? I’ve got a Mahindra 4540, but thinking a skid steer would be better.

How much room between the rows of new trees?

 

[RollTide1974]

$1,380. I charge $115/hr. I run a CID extreme cutter. 84" high flow version with mulching teach on the blade housing.

https://cidattachments.com/product/cid-x-treme-duty-piston-motor-brush-cutter-attachment

I only do a few side jobs and don't do it for a living. It's really hard on a machine so I pick and choose my jobs and stay away from ones with a lot of larger mulching. If I can keep the larger stuff to a minimum I can clear a lot of land in a hurry. Keeps the landowner happy for what it costs and makes it easier on my machine. This cutter will walk right through stuff in the 3 and 4" range and can easily take down 6" material. 6" hardwoods get a little slow though, no issues on softwood.

Not bad...I think it would be very feasible for my land to be cleaned up within that time frame.

 

[RollTide1974]

How much room between the rows of new trees?

I haven't stepped it off, but I'd say the yare a good 8-10 ft apart

 

[Jchonline]

I’m thinking a skid steer with a mulching attachment would knock it out pretty well. I can touch it up with my bush hog afterwards….I think.

Agree. Digging stumps might damage roots of healthy trees If they are only a few feet away.

 

[jyoutz]

Agree. Digging stumps might damage roots of healthy trees If they are only a few feet away.

The masticator is a one treatment process. It will grind up slash and stumps. But, it’s more desirable that the masticator be operated to create chunks, not small chips. A deep layer of small chips smothers the ground vegetation and is impossible to use prescribed fire. The continuous layer of chips holds in heat from the fire and cooks the tree roots. Chunks don’t look as neat as chips, but it’s better for the Forest ecosystem.

 

[newbury]

Looking for some advice on cleaning up some clear cut we’re buying. It’s been re-planted in pines (in rows). I’m wanting to cut between the rows and clean it up. There are some stumps from where it was cut 3 years ago along with some sage and thorn bushes. What would you recommend to use to clean it up? I’ve got a Mahindra 4540, but thinking a skid steer would be better.

Why do you want to "clean it up"? And what type of pine?
If the rows are 8' apart you may be doing a lot of damage to 3 yr old trees. And at 3 or 4 yrs you may not be losing much.
In our area (Mississippi, Alabama) loblolly is about the fastest growing and takes about 12 to 15 yrs for the first thinning. Longleaf pine grows slower but is more valuable for poles. But with lumber prices that may change.
Do you want to "clean it up"
So it's "pretty" ? - masticate the whole thing and replant. Just be careful of erosion.
For "wildlife"? - just bush hog a few rows. Wildlife likes what's growing there. Everything that's dead (stumps etc.) will rot in 20 or 30 years.
For lumber? - come back in 10 years for first thinning
For lumber/poles - do another thinning at 20 or 30 years.

Buy a skid steer anyways, I've read they are fun.

 

[RollTide1974]

Why do you want to "clean it up"? And what type of pine?
If the rows are 8' apart you may be doing a lot of damage to 3 yr old trees. And at 3 or 4 yrs you may not be losing much.
In our area (Mississippi, Alabama) loblolly is about the fastest growing and takes about 12 to 15 yrs for the first thinning. Longleaf pine grows slower but is more valuable for poles. But with lumber prices that may change.
Do you want to "clean it up"
So it's "pretty" ? - masticate the whole thing and replant. Just be careful of erosion.
For "wildlife"? - just bush hog a few rows. Wildlife likes what's growing there. Everything that's dead (stumps etc.) will rot in 20 or 30 years.
For lumber? - come back in 10 years for first thinning
For lumber/poles - do another thinning at 20 or 30 years.

Buy a skid steer anyways, I've read they are fun.

Great questions.

They are loblolly pines were just planted in Jan 2021. The main purpose was just to basically make it look "pretty". Although, I actually had the same thought you mentioned earlier today. When it comes to wildlife, If I do cut down a lot of that sage and brush, the deer may not hang around as much. I also didn't consider the erosion potential if cleaned up to well.

 

[oosik]

Seventeen years ago I had my 80 acres selectively logged. I ended up with ruts at the log loading site and about six large slash piles. Alternating between the rear blade and then the LPGS took care of the ruts.

I waited three years for the slash piles to dry out. I was prepared to burn them. So ..... I go down in the spring to burn. Almost every slash pile has a band of quail. Holed up, way deep in the pile. The slash piles were never burned. They have been given over to the forrest animals and Mother Nature. It was an excellent decision.

 

[Jstpssng]

Seventeen years ago I had my 80 acres selectively logged. I ended up with ruts at the log loading site and about six large slash piles. Alternating between the rear blade and then the LPGS took care of the ruts.

I waited three years for the slash piles to dry out. I was prepared to burn them. So ..... I go down in the spring to burn. Almost every slash pile has a band of quail. Holed up, way deep in the pile. The slash piles were never burned. They have been given over to the forrest animals and Mother Nature. It was an excellent decision.

What do those slash piles look like now? I imagine they are almost nonexistent. We don't have the fire danger to consider here, but there is NCRS funding for people to build piles for the same effect you're getting naturally.

 

[oosik]

"What do the slash piles look line now". Well, Jstpssng - they are still used by the quail but they are about 1/4 to 1/3 their original size. Been thinking about combining them. Probably only three piles but almost back to the original size. For whatever reason - two of the six piles have never been used by the quail. JMHO - those two piles do not provide the needed protection for the quail.