Hiring Brush Hog Work

[Travelover]

I volunteer for a local state park at the fringe of the Detroit Metro area. We want to cut back the brush about 5 feet on each side of a 4 mile long paved trail. I think that it would require an offset bush hog to avoid having to drive over everything first.

A couple of questions:

1) What type of business would I be looking for to hire someone to do this?
2) How large of a tree can a bush hog take out?

Thanks.

 

[thatguy]

I cant answer #1 - but #2 depends on the size of the tractor/rough cutter.. Bigger both of them are, the bigger the tree it can maul..

Ill take a wag at #1 - depending on how rough it is, you may need to get a 'right of way' clearing company out.. they have stuff that will take out/down 12" diameter trees.. BUT they wont be cheap..

 

[jeff9366]

Brown Tree Cutters are used for right-of-way clearing in my part of Florida.

LINK:

Tree Cutters | Brown Manufacturing | 800-633-8909

 

[mikehaugen]

How big of trees do you have? Just about any brush cutter will cut 2" trees. It doesn't sound like a very big job really, there may even be some landscaping companies with equipment for that.

 

[Travelover]

How big of trees do you have? Just about any brush cutter will cut 2" trees. It doesn't sound like a very big job really, there may even be some landscaping companies with equipment for that.

Most of the trees are 2" or less. It is mostly honeysuckle and buck thorn. The bigger trees we'd have to take out by hand.

 

[jeff9366]

You have EIGHT miles of clearing to do. Don't fool around. Hire a pro with HEAVY DUTY equipment.

It will take specialists with the right equipment a full day to do eight miles. They will drive over everything, straight ahead. Operator's station will be caged with heavy wire. Tires will be Kevlar. Underside of prime mover will be armored.

In eight miles you will have hundreds of trees larger than 2". Dozens 4" - 6". Too much opportunity for a volunteer to be injured. One injury will cost more than having an insured specialist clear the eight miles safely.

There will be plenty of mess for the volunteers to clean up after the job.

I would spray with a pre-emergent herbicide within a short time after the job is completed. Surflan and Simazine are two names. There are many others.

The next year responsible volunteers can spot kill with enhanced potency 2,4-D "Brush Killer", which will leave most of the grass, in hand sprayers. Hats, long sleeves, long pants, gloves, no smoking or eating, bathe and change clothes immediately after completion of spraying.

 

[Travelover]

You have EIGHT miles of clearing to do. Don't fool around. Get someone with HEAVY DUTY equipment.........

Sounds good. Where does one find these guys?

 

[RDrancher]

Sounds good. Where does one find these guys?

Google ROW (Right Of Way) Maintenance in your area.

 

[jeff9366]

Try the Yellow Pages: LAND CLEARING AND LEVELING.

Ask at your local tractor dealer(s); they repair the equipment. My Kubota dealer repairs BTCs several times per year.

Call Brown Tree Cutter and ask for a referral to people they have sold Tree Cutters in your area.

Brown should have at least one distributor in Michigan, who would know everybody in clearing line of work.

C&E Pipeline Services
7808 Lanac St., Lansing MI 48917
(517) 214-4631
Specialties Site Preparation, Remediation, Landscaping, Site Access and Restoration, Right Of Way Clearing, Pipeline Right-of-Way Clearing, Right-of-Way Restoration



VIDEO:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7mDRda85oU

 

[MinnesotaEric]

This is a 2505C brown tree cutter that can cut up to 8" material.

The 2505C is browns smallest tree cutter.

From the sound of it, any pro tractor with a heavier rotary cutter set-up would be able to cut your set-back unless you have embankments.

If you have embankments steeper than 15 degrees, you need a pro with a boom or saber mower like a Tiger.