Hi, this is the username's daughter. My dad has cleared most of the land he has acquired with a large tractor. However, he is having a tough time clearing the roots - they are too big to lift by hand but small enough so they slip through the rake. Furthermore, the large tractor is making the ground uneven. What should he do? What kind of smaller tractor should he buy?
clearing palmetto palm field - loader or dozer?
- Thread starter rlee6
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JoeR
Platinum Member
It all depends on how much land you are going to maintain and what kind of work you need to do. The post says you are clearing 1 to 2 acres but it does not say how many acres you will be maintaining. If it is 1 to 2 acres and you need to finish off this property, I would think a 25-35 hp tractor should be sufficient. I cleared 3 acres of palmettos recently, and I had to hand pick up the leftover palmetto roots. Took me about 3 hours and had my daughter driving the tractor with front end loader. I was throwing the debris into the loader... After we picked up the debris, I used a 5' disc to break up and loosen the soil, followed by a chain to level and smooth the ground. I had to do this 3 to 4 times to get the soil level enough... Then of course, more palmettos roots popped up and I had to go pick them up again.
Good luck,
Joe
Good luck,
Joe
Soundguy
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That's good advice. Only think I could think to offer is that if there are any big ruts.. you might box them up before discing and dragging.
Soundguy
Soundguy
Thank you all for the helpful suggestions. I just finished clearing (to be exact, messing up) 2 acres in 5 days with JD 544h. This is what I have learned so far.
Soundguy and another person suggested knocking everything down with a bucket and picking up downed stuffs with root rake. I got both bucket and rake, but didn't know how to remove rake and put on bucket. (I still don't know how to) So I was stuck with root rake.
It worked okay. I just pushed toward burn pile. I didn't dig under and lift up. But had I knocked everything down flat, it would have worked better. That's what I am going to do next time I clear another acre or two.
As someone suggested, I am going to go back and pick up loose ones. I realized they are pretty light once they are dried up. Like him, I have a daughter back from college for the summer who can drive a tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Looking back, I didn't have to rent a 120 hp loader for 1 week. What I needed was both a large loader and small tractor. After all, $2000 per acre wasn't bad. But I didn't do bad, either. I learned how to clear palmetto's.
Foot note: What I have is not exactly Palmetto (or Cabbage) Palm. I have Saw Palmetto. It doen't grow tall. It grows sideways and I don't think anybody would buy this ugly palm.
Soundguy and another person suggested knocking everything down with a bucket and picking up downed stuffs with root rake. I got both bucket and rake, but didn't know how to remove rake and put on bucket. (I still don't know how to) So I was stuck with root rake.
It worked okay. I just pushed toward burn pile. I didn't dig under and lift up. But had I knocked everything down flat, it would have worked better. That's what I am going to do next time I clear another acre or two.
As someone suggested, I am going to go back and pick up loose ones. I realized they are pretty light once they are dried up. Like him, I have a daughter back from college for the summer who can drive a tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Looking back, I didn't have to rent a 120 hp loader for 1 week. What I needed was both a large loader and small tractor. After all, $2000 per acre wasn't bad. But I didn't do bad, either. I learned how to clear palmetto's.
Foot note: What I have is not exactly Palmetto (or Cabbage) Palm. I have Saw Palmetto. It doen't grow tall. It grows sideways and I don't think anybody would buy this ugly palm.
hobbyfarm
Veteran Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I do not know about Palmetto trees at all, they just don't thrive in Indiana. However, I've dropped some huge oak trees with a dozer in the same manner mentioned. I did have one big problem though. On one particular oak, I powered against it, pulled back on the joystick to lift the blade, and stood on the power spinning both tracks. The big oak cracked and went over just like I expected. However, the root ball came up between the tractor and the blade. Being that this tree was much larger than the others (I was using a D9 - BIG), the stinking root ball stuck firm between the tractor and the blade. No problem, right?! Just back up until it comes out. Not! After dragging that stupid tree around for nearly 2 hours I finally had to go get a chain saw!
You would think that after 2 hours of bouncing, dragging, beating, and cussing, that there wouldn't be much dirt left in the roots either. Wrong again! What a mess. Not only did I waste a lot of time, but I ruined a good chain saw blade. Man, I felt like a kitten with a ball of string stuck to my claw. I could shake the heck out of that tree, but it wouldn't let loose of me. )</font>
What!?? No pictures?? Ahhh.. the migthy oak...what a tree! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
You would think that after 2 hours of bouncing, dragging, beating, and cussing, that there wouldn't be much dirt left in the roots either. Wrong again! What a mess. Not only did I waste a lot of time, but I ruined a good chain saw blade. Man, I felt like a kitten with a ball of string stuck to my claw. I could shake the heck out of that tree, but it wouldn't let loose of me. )</font>
What!?? No pictures?? Ahhh.. the migthy oak...what a tree! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Highbeam
Super Member
We need pictures of the newly cleared land. How clean the palmetto pile is and such. Even if you break even on the clearing you will get better as you go and by the end you will be more efficient. Plus it's fun.
We need pics, must have pics.
We need pics, must have pics.