Clearing questions front a newbie.

[jmc]

This thread is full of great advice although I don't think I would have appreciated all of it until I had some experience clearing brush. For example, Egon's suggestion about a face shield would have saved me a trip to the hospital and several stitches. But even now, I still don't wear a face shield because its uncomfortable and it reduces visibility. The lesson learned however, was that compressed brush is just a giant spring looking for an opportunity. Over the years, the many narrow misses before that big one should have served as a warning to me. Sounds like you have a great combo for this type of work. The only thing I would add is to practice your clearing skills on the easy part of the property before you head into the jungle, and think about the inevitable narrow misses.

John

 

[AndyMA]

Unless you are pressed for time you've got all the equipment you need. Maybe a backblade or box blade for smoothing trails if you are real fussy.

Egon If I were doing trails one thing is definately missing, a backhoe. With a backhoe, you can dig around trees and let them fall with the roots. Dig out rocks and also pull stumps from the ones you need to cut.

It's' real slow work making a trail through the woods without a backhoe. Now that I have a exavator and backhoe, I'd say the excavator is about 20 times faster than the backhoe on making trails.

Andy

 

[Turkeyman]

I would remove your rear safety chains and back into the brush. Often a 2" tree will bend under the mowers rear flange and get cut by the blades. When it is laying down you can then drive over it. I do this in 2wd so the mower does not just lift up. A hydro make this much easier. Ditto on the face shield and safety glasses and hearing protection.

When done install your rear chains.

 

[DaneJasper]

The 6' hd mower powered by the ample 45 hp tractor should pretty much chew up anything you can push over with the front axle... In keeping with taking care of your equipment.. around here.. it's a fair consensus that 2" green material and 1.5" woody material can be mowed pretty regularly, and the accidental 3" green, and 2" woody every now and then makes alot of noise.. and otherwise doesn't hurt much.. as long as you are not mowing a hedgerow of the stuff.

Small trees that are green and flexible should be pretty easy to push over using mechanical advantage, and your loader... Anything 4" and woody is chainsaw teritory, IMHO.

Feel free to post specific questions.

Soundguy

How does a flail mower compare for this type of work? I've got a Gearmore 61" unit, but am wondering if I should purchase a cheap rotary brush hog type solution for clearing.

Thanks!

-Dane

 

[Egon]

For sure Andy, an excavator or backhoe are real aids for making trails. Trees and rocks are handled much easier. Side slope get leveled quickly and a whole host of other items become much easier!

However; if one does not have access to these items one may have to go around obstacles or change trail location etc.

 

[MarkV]

Dane, flail mowers come with different types of blades for different tasks. The ones with the proper blades are used on boom mowers by municipalities to clean ditch lines and will cut some “woody” material. Generally though a flail mower is not the tool of choice when you start taking on those 1”-3” trees.

MarkV

 

[Soundguy]

How does a flail mower compare for this type of work? I've got a Gearmore 61" unit, but am wondering if I should purchase a cheap rotary brush hog type solution for clearing.

Thanks!

-Dane

There are some flails for light brush.. but mostly thay are for lighter work.. I.e.... no trees.. etc. While a brush cutter can diget 1.5" stuff.. I see a flail mower getting beat to heck on that..

Soundugy

 

[DaneJasper]

Dane, flail mowers come with different types of blades for different tasks. The ones with the proper blades are used on boom mowers by municipalities to clean ditch lines and will cut some “woody” material. Generally though a flail mower is not the tool of choice when you start taking on those 1”-3” trees.

MarkV

Thanks for the info.

Mine says it will cut up to 2" brush, but we really didn't plan to do any clearing with it. It's instead generally used to mow the vineyard, mulch cane trimmings, etc.

Maybe I'll need to get a Brush Hog of the big variety for this type of work - or a small excavator/backhoe.

-Dane