Grapple or Brush Hog?

[Muddybuckeye]

My first post, maybe you can help, since I don’t get much time with my tractor and winter is giving way to spring I am looking to get to work on my recreational property. I am looking for advise on which to buy first a Brush hog or a root grapple? The property I own is 3.5 hrs away on 20 acres of which approximately 12 acres are wooded 5 are groomed and 3 are long grass not wooded. My primary tasks are cleaning and gathering wood and keeping the woods in check. The property was selectively harvested of oak trees a few year ago without a good cleanup, and I want to eradicate the Russian olive that has been getting out of hand especially under the fallen tree tops. The tractor is a Kubota L3301 with a loader and box blade 16 hrs. to date. I also have a Ford 8n with loader and blade. Looking forward to hear any ideas although I probably have my mind made up and my bias probably shows in the question.

 

[buck12]

I have both a grapple and a bush hog. These are my most used implements. I do not know where you are located. If you were in my area I would say bush hog because if you do not keep an area clipped sweet gum, cedar, and other scrap trees and brush will take an area over in a couple of years.

Also you can accomplish much of what a grapple will do with a bucket. It is just a lot more manual labor. I did that for two years before I bought a grapple.

 

[oosik]

Even though I don't own one - I'd also say a bush hog. I don't see much in your picture needing to be grappled. BTW - Welcome to TBN and the forum. Just for my info - what are the two animals down at the far end of the left trail?

 

[3Ts]

I'd go for bush hog first also. The weeds and grasses will grow a lot faster than you'd expect and your access lanes will get grown up and you won't be able to get into your forest.

 

[i7win7]

A root grapple removes material before you drive over it. May locate stuff you don' want to drive or mow over. More of a multi-purpose tool.

Bush hog is faster, will maintain cleared land, only good for mowing and rear ballast.
Both tools nice to have

 

[ehcrain]

Agree with the brush cutter first, the heaviest you can afford, much easier to run over small trees than to have to cut each one.

 

[rademamj1]

After looking at your photo, I would get the rotary cutter first. Try for a 60" cutter, and good for 2" thick brush. Any heavier cutter and you may see engine bogging down and possible overheating of the tractor. Recommend for first pass, start cutting as soon as fields dry out, and before the really heavy summer growth starts. It just makes everything easier to see what's on the ground. Follow up with another cutting in the fall.

Trees that are already on the ground, chainsaw and move them out with your bucket.

 

[K Arno]

Can you rent a mower near you? I own a bucket and a grapple and use them a lot.

 

[nybirdman]

My brush-hog(s) for sure get the most hours;thumb on the bucket is probably the best investment and very handy.

 

[Muddybuckeye]

The picture was one of the few I had and correctly doesn’t represent grapple usage. The prop is located in mid Michigan with Oaks, Maples, Poplar, White Birch, some Pine out front on south side. Dead standing and down Ash(emerald ash borer). The problem I really want to get to is the invasive Russian Olive (nasty fast growing thorn) that has begun to overtake in quite a few locations. Especially where I have tops left from an Oak Harvest 3 seasons ago. It grows under the fallen 6-10 inch limbs and tangles under growing sideways. Ive been yanking the branches out with chain or cable. I have a forestry weed wacker and stump cut the Russian olive and treat with crossbow but then I have to get them out which if been dragging with a cable. I use the property more like a private campground in the summer with lots of the downed wood for fires. That’s why I was leaning root grapple until I get the russian olive under control. Trails are heavily ATV ridden and I zero turn what I use for the groomed areas. I know I will not go wrong with either purchase. I‘ll try to get some better pics and let you know what I decide on.

 

[Muddybuckeye]

Thumb on the bucket and brush hog mIgor be the way to go

 

[Muddybuckeye]

Yes I was thinking of renting a brush hog also

 

[Muddybuckeye]

i Would have taken pics this past weekend but there was 2’ of snow everywhere. Also now that there’s been some recall of my days there in the summer I’m leaning more towards grapple because I could probably just play with the tractor grappling without getting out of the seat. I know brush hogging is the same but doesn’t seem as much fun! Lol. It’s probably going to come down to availability because I‘m sure I can acquire a brush hog easier than the grapple I’ve been researching.

 

[buck12]

Do you have the third function installed on your FEL or a rear remote? If not factor that into your cost.

 

[Muddybuckeye]

I’ve got one just not installed yet.

 

[mcfarmall]

Get the hog first. I prefer the "dovetail" back cutters over the round back. The straight edge in the middle is great for backing into saplings and cutting them off. Backing into standing brush with the cutter will also help prevent sticks through the radiator, oil filter(s) punctured, electrical connectors and the like from damage. Crawl under the tractor and see all the wonderful places for damage to occur. I've lived with just a hog for 30 years and bought my first root rake grapple in 2020.

 

[Jchonline]

Brush hog and forks would be my first choice. While not a grapple, forks and a chain go a long way.

 

[RalphVa]

I've trails I maintain across our property and 2 other neighbors. Gotta have a bush hog. Don't have a grapple and plenty of autumn olives. We declared war on the AOs, oriental bittersweet and green briars last winter. Wife had to cut up a bunch of downed trees to get at some of that stuff. We cut back all the AO, OB and GB and painted the stumps with glyphosate, but the damn stuff has come back. I'm no good on my feet any more and wife cannot tell the green stuff from a pickle; so, we plan to hire someone this spring to go spray some of the small, new growth.

Wife (and I some) loaded cut up stuff into the FEL and carried to gullies we have on the property and piled up. Really small stuff got chipped up. Got a new, slightly bigger chipper now: going back and chipping up some of that in the piles.

 

[buck12]

Get the hog first. I prefer the "dovetail" back cutters over the round back. The straight edge in the middle is great for backing into saplings and cutting them off. Backing into standing brush with the cutter will also help prevent sticks through the radiator, oil filter(s) punctured, electrical connectors and the like from damage. Crawl under the tractor and see all the wonderful places for damage to occur. I've lived with just a hog for 30 years and bought my first root rake grapple in 2020.

Good point. If you plan on working in a wooded area protect the underside and grill. I have learned to protect both areas the hard way.

 

[Muddybuckeye]

I’m going with the brush hog. i know it’ll be a great tool to use. Glad to hear from Ralph on the Olive infestation and the problem they can be. I’ve declared war on them too! I call them the scourge!