Flail mower for grinding up brush piles

[Torvy]

I wouldn't necessarily call these things "cheap." I've got a heavy duty one (MZ series) and it's been an insane workhorse; I doubt anything else would be any better. I think I'm on the 4th year of ownership and still running the original belts (and have never even adjusted them!).

They are inexpensive compared to the Italian models. I meant cheap in that if my low-priced one can handle it, any of them should.

I tend to burn my dead fall, too. I've been very pleased with the small chunks that remain if I use the flail, though. If it's small enough (2-3"), I don't even pick it up. Hit it with the flail and add to the mulch that keep the trails clear.

I need a few more dry days so I can more safely/easily pick up the mess from our last big storm.

 

[CoyPatton]

I do it the other way around. Start burning before the rain hits. That way the rain helps to put it out, but doesn't obstruct getting it lit.

It's almost always damp here except for maybe in August.

Well for me my burn location is in an area where the row crop farmer that farms the land usually sprays when they spray the crops for weeds and all in the fields. So I burn after the rain so everything is damp and I don’t end up with an out of control grass fire. I have done that a time or two and that is no fun. I’ve never had an issue not being able to get seasoned limbs to catch fire. Now green stuff needs a hot fire to get it burning. Ad for the fire burning itself out, it does that easily around where I am. I watch for wind conditions as well. But do what works in your area.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

I generally burn my brush. Two or three small fires can burn as much or more than one great big one, all without the risk of losing control.
I did recently help a friend do a major chipping job with a rented 6" diameter power-feed chipper. It was a day's work for 4 men, but we chipped and reduced a major pile of brush into firewood and chips. The rented big machine was worth the investment.

 

[Doug Vee]

I usually burn a couple times a year. If I have taken down trees or am cleaning up windfalls, I may have more than I want in a pile. If that is the case, I build a storage pile that I feed from. The grapple makes it pretty easy to do this.

I have not tried chewing up larger stuff with my flail mower yet. It has hammers and would probably work OK for it, but I think I would rather just burn the bigger stuff.