land clearing strategy??

[TSMART]

Newbie here (OK, had my Jinma 224 4WD with Koyker 160 on it since may).. I need to clear about an acre of land, and nothing on it has more than a 2" trunk. So how to do it? Lower the FEL and just put it in drive? Knock them over? Scoop them out? Would it be worth it to get a tooth bar for the Koyker? Should I use a chain and just wrap around the trunk and pull them up with the bucket? Or is the new FEL bucket sharp enough to shear as I go? Just want to use my time wisely. There's maybe 500 of these trees there.... Thanks. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[RonMar]

Add a brushhog to that formula(as heavy duty as you can afford) and you will have the way I do it with my 284. I lower the FEL blade down till it runs just above the ground. As I creep along, This runs into stumps and logs and big rocks(slowly, first or second low low range) and keeps me from driving over them and possibly damaging the steering or the mower. Since I am going slow, anything that won't move will stop the tractor(wheels start to dig in and spin). The loader will rarely shear off the trees, but crawling along in creeper gear will push them over. Sometimes I have to raise the fel a bit to help push over larger clumps, but I get it right back down as soon as I can.

I drive right over the pushed down brush and trees and they eventually make it back to the brushhog where they try and stand back up(big mistake for them and are shredded by the mower blades. I use a fork bucket that I built while doing this so I can more easilly move logs and rocks I find while mowing, but a regular bucket will work for this also. In fact, a regular bucket might be better as my fork bucket combs through the brush and rips a lot of it out and I have to dump it and crush the pile before I drive over it.

Unfortunatly I think your tractor will only run a 48" hog for this type work as it is a pretty good workout on the mower(again, get as heavy duty/built as possible). I think the 48" deck will be a bit narrower than your tire width but should still work OK.

In doing this sort of work, be prepared to rip up the boot on the hydraulic steering cylinder(the stock boot is pretty soft rubber) and to possibly tear out some wiring. I ripped out the wires that ran under the left deck plate while driving through the brush. This winter I re-located/re-wired all the rear wiring to a location above the deck plates and inside the fenders to keep it out of harms way while clearing land. I have quite a lot of this brush work left to do /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif. I also found a good replacement for the stock steering boot in the form of a rancho suspension shock boot. You can order these online for between 4-5 dollars, which is about 1/3 the price of a OEM replacement rubber boot.

Good Luck

 

[Ranch_Hand_Supp]

TSMART,

What are your plans to do with it once it is cleared?

Ronald
Ranch Hand Supply

 

[TSMART]

Most likely a new double wide mobile home. Maybe a conventional small house. Thanks.

 

[Ranch_Hand_Supp]

TSmart, could keep on asking questions...... dont know how soon you want to start etc. But maybe bush hog it down, plow or bog it up to get rid of all the little stumps......you will have to pick up some also. Then prep for grass. ???

Ronald
Ranch Hand Supply

 

[HGM]

I'm not a long time pro here, but I have been told(and it makes sense to me) that after the first mowing, you need to keep it up. In otherwords, do as suggested with a mower and continue to keep it mowed down as anything pops up. This should discourage it from growing over and continue to make it easier. On the other hand, I believe your talking about scrub oaks, not palmettos right?? if you were to cut it now and not get back to it untill next year, it will probably be thicker /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif..

I wonder, after its cut, maybe you could spray the stumps with round-up(or something similar)? Just a thought, maybe someone else can chime in here...

I would think that if you left the stumps, you'll be ok because when you bring the trailer in, you'll need a backhoe or something to install the septic system. You can take care of the stumps then. Unless this is a hunting camp..........Then all rules are out /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif We had a couple down in South Florida and it was pretty primitive, but nice set-ups non the less.. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Egon]

One Acre.

Get a toothbar and go to work with the loader digging up stumps as you go. After clearing it may be advisable to cultivate and plant grass of your choice.

Egon

 

[JohnS]

You will probably want to buy or make a set of forks for your FEL. It will make stacking the trees in a burn or decay pile much easier. I have moved whole piles with even make-shift forks, made from the angle iron from the tractor crate.

 

[TSMART]

This property used to be an orange grove...it is well wooded and really flat, typical of central florida.... I will leave many tall, healthy trees. Just get rid of the little ones that wont make it anyway. The intention is not to grow grass, as there would not be sufficient light left from the really tall trees to grow really nice grass. I want to leave it with the "wooded" look, then put in some crusher run or whatever I must do to get over like 500' of sugar sand.

The suggestion to get help from the backhoe used in the septic insulation was wonderful, why I didnt think of that I will never know....thanks! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif