Clearing olive and heavy stickers

[Hay Dude]

Just completed a large (to me) project for a customer. I cleared about 1200 feet of stream edge, bordered by a wire fence, completely tangled with brush/saplings and stickers and a typical 1/2 acre farm pond that had been let go for 15 years. It is a sensitive area that is on the national historical register. It is toured by travelers and artists 7 days a week. It is also part of a land conservancy where wildlife disturbance must be kept minimal. The stream and pond edges are also somewhat steep, very soft and muddy. For that reason, it could not be done with a machine. There were some flat dry areas where I could use one of my farm tractors and my John Deere CX-15.
I owned all the tools I needed, but started by purchasing a Stihl FS560 brush saw to make the job go faster.I brought along my Stihl 91 Kombi with the pole saw and weed wacker with saw blade attachments. I also brought my Makita (Sachs Dolmar) 20" chainsaw and Dewalt 60v 16" limb saw. Charged DeWalt batteries from truck using Dewalt mobile charger. The DeWalt performed better than I thought and was really nice on flush cutting the little 2"-6" stumps
I did the entire job alone and not the young, spry fella I used to be, so it took me about 3-4 weeks in mud boots much of the time or standing in water. I had to drag all the fallen saplings out by hand.
Equipment used:
Kubota M126X
John Deere CX-15 15' bush hog
Stihl FS-560 brush saw
Stihl Kombi 91 with saw blade and pole pruning saw
DeWalt 60V cordless 16" limb saw.



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[groundcover]

That looks a lot like work ! Looks good! I have a friend that has a grinding head on his mini excavator that I bring in for jobs like that, one guy sitting in a heated cab cab can do in a day what would take me weeks of agony.
Pretty spot, looks like Wyeth country.

 

[Hay Dude]

That looks a lot like work ! Looks good! I have a friend that has a grinding head on his mini excavator that I bring in for jobs like that, one guy sitting in a heated cab cab can do in a day what would take me weeks of agony.
Pretty spot, looks like Wyeth country.

You have a good eye. It is Wyeth Country.
The brush I cleared was the very place where Andrew Wyeth stood and painted one of his most famous paintings
“Evening at Kuerners”

 

[groundcover]

Sweet! I grew up nearby, Kennett Square , West Grove and Jennersville.

 

[Hay Dude]

I sell 90% of the hay I grow to the mushroom companies there.
I’m in Chadds Ford

 

[Dakota Joe]

Hay Dude, thanks for sharing. Very similar to a (smaller) project I have in process here, so very interesting to see what tools others have used. I have been struggling with what to use to bring all the tools along the long rows with me—I don’t have a pickup. My Gator bed is too short, I think. Was thinking about getting a trailer for Gator or a trailer for tractor...