DIY Land Clearing

[lead_dog]

Thanks everyone...great ideas to consider.

I have contacted the forestry division and they will be here next Wednesday. The grapple for my tractor is a good idea, although mainly useful after I've pushed the trees down, I believe. If it's not a burn, then I guess I'm leaning toward a small dozer to push them down.

 

[Taylortractornut]

For the size brush you mention and larger dozer or track loader would work great. One then would be to get a stacking rake. I ran a D66Komatsu for a comapany its the only rear engined Hydra st trackloader made by them. It was in a 963 Cat range. I did several acres with it and a toothed bucket and later got a dedicated stacking rake and doubled my production. big stumps are hard on everything but an excavator. If theres alot of big stumps we used to rake around them and leave them exposed for an excavator but usually we had a D8 with a stinger blade to bust them and root them out. A track loader is very handy and can replace a few dedicated machines. They can even do grade work. Doser or loader either one you can get dirt in your piles but what we do is before we get to the main pile raise the blade a few inches to spill the soil.

 

[Redbug]

I also would go for the root grapple on your tractor. I think on those size trees, you can raise the grapple up and push them over. Then lower the grapple into the exposed root ball and push the tree out. I do it occasionally with my tractor, (and it's smaller and weighs less than what you are using). Grapples are pretty versatile.

If you have any big stumps left from years past then what the other fellows said about heavier equipment would be needed. Hopefully, they have rotted away or softened up. Just thinking about it some more...I know that around here, sweet gums especially will sprout from a cut off stump and regrow. That means a small little tree growing with a big stump...

 

[tlbuser]

Thanks everyone...great ideas to consider.

I have contacted the forestry division and they will be here next Wednesday. The grapple for my tractor is a good idea, although mainly useful after I've pushed the trees down, I believe. If it's not a burn, then I guess I'm leaning toward a small dozer to push them down.

With a "C" shaped root rake/grapple you should be able to move 3" stuff by the roots.

 

[woodchuckcanuck]

Just curious...are you guys talking about a root rake with grapple that attaches to loader or are you talking about a grapple boom on the back of the tractor with grapple claw?

 

[Redbug]

Hi WoodChuck...I think most people are talking about a grapple attached to the loader in front.

 

[tlbuser]

Just curious...are you guys talking about a root rake with grapple that attaches to loader or are you talking about a grapple boom on the back of the tractor with grapple claw?

Front for this particular application. If you look at http://www.anbomanufacturing.com/,m their heavy duty is a "C" shape vs. a flat bottom stone type bucket with grapple arm(s)

 

[Eagleview]

Obviously you don't have an excavator with a vertical tree extraction grab like I do , but you can do the same job with what you have . I only pull out the bigger trees , if the soil is sandy and the 3" stuff is not brittle I swing the grab from side too side at ground height to knock them down . I then scoop them up with the grapple rake on the tractor and mow the area with the flail mower . This 6 acres took 3 days .

If you bought a Talon grapple rake from Quick attach (make sure it has a full length top clamp)to fit your loader and also bought a heavy duty flail mower you could get results like this . You need to push all the trees down in one direction , your tractor has enough power and traction to push low to the ground . You can then scoop them up @ 90* to the fall . Put them into piles and then mow the area . DO expect though to get a puncture or two along the way , it's just a fact of life with tyres and sharp things .

 

[Eagleview]

The Talon grapple rake is the best implement I have ever bought . These huge trees blocked my way while slashing a Forest trail . Within an hour I had the road open , imagine what you could do with 3" material . But as I said , make sure it has the full length top clamp as the other type let all the loose material pull out of the center of the rake when dragging material out of a mess like this .

 

[Redbug]

Boy, those are some pretty woods you have there Iron. Some huge trees. Wonderful country! When was it last logged...100 years ago?

A couple pics of my grapple...