Need advice, land clearing. Any video's?

[motocephalic]

I just bought 5 ac parcel of a larger farm that has not been managed for 20 years. Most of the fields (1 ac total) have been over taken by small trees mixed alders etc. I would like to use my newly acquired FEL L 3200 to make this project work. My question is can I use a bush hog, and box blade to prep the land for planting? I have a tiller and plow to get the ground ready. I would be happy to get 1 ac cleared and ready for planting. Will this work efficiently to clear land, or will I beat up my equipment needlessly? Any video's of others doing this kind of work would be greatly appreciated. I can't do much till spring thaw, so I have been having fun here. Thanks for your help.

Clem

 

[oj may]

I have 5 acres as well. 3 acres of it was overgrown with Buckthorn, Multiflora Rose and Box Elder. I have a BX-25, FEL backhoe and 60" mmm. I also use extensively a Ratchet Rake and a heavy duty Brush Grubber. The RR is what I have used the most, getting out most everything root and all. The backhoe gets rid of the bigger/stubborn stumps.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Depends on how fast you want to do it and how big the trees and brush are. Lets say you go through with a chainsaw, cut out all the stuff that is 1.5" or wider at the base. drag those trees out, go back in with the brush hog, cut wack it down. Box blade is will not do you much good. You are going to have to turn the land, let all the junk on top rot, it could be 2 to 5 years at this pace. Alders do rot quickly.

Go hire a guy with a dozer and a root rake. Probably under 1500 for the day. have him level and grub, getting the roots out of the ground.

 

[SanDucerro]

I have an L3130 and have used it to clear several acres of our property of Huisache trees. Most were less than 10 feet tall and the trunks were generally less than 3". I just pushed them over with the FEL on the front side, kept driving, and then let the Brush Hog rip them to shreds on the back side. While I didn't hurt the tractor or the cutter (other than dulling the blades), I really didn't accomplish much other than making the pasture "look" nice. The roots were still in place and the trees can - and do - come back from the roots. The good thing is you just need to keep the pasture mowed to keep the trees in check. The bad thing is the roots are still there and they make it difficult - if not impossible - to plow. In the end I hired a guy with a dozer to come out and remove the trees from the area I wanted to plow thinking that the dozer would uproot the trees and that would do the trick. In this case the dozer guy did not own a root plow and not all of the trees "uprooted" - so I'm basically still in the same spot. Now the dozer guy is trying to setup a deal to use a friends tractor who does have a root plow so we can get rid of the darn things once and for all. Moral of the story - get a dozer (or tractor) with a root plow.

 

[boggen]

Tractor And Skid Steer Attachments For All Tractor And Skid Steer Manufacturers

they really do a good amount of work, to cover pretty much every attachment out there, with a video. of how to set things up and use the attachment. along with some text to go along with things.

for land clearing and planting, i would suggest learning how to either set the "slip clutch" on the bush hog (rototary cutter) or double check you are using correct "GRADE" of bolt for the shear pin/ shear bolt.

if you have larger trees you need to cut out / down. leave a good amount of stump sticking out of the ground, so you can possibly pull the tree stump over and possibly pull the root ball out at the same time.
renting a mini ex (mini excavator) can make easy work of dealing with stumps. and does not cost that much in rental charges. ((call places up to 2 hours away for renting, prices can be that much different to make it worth while))

but to actually plant, it is the roots of trees that going to cause you problems. if you were just going to put things in grass and keep things mowed, that might be one thing, but to sink a plow down into the ground and hit a root, you may be in for tearing things up and frustration.

 

[tractorshopper]

Put a toothbar on your FEL and you can push over/dig and pop trees out up to 5-6" easily enough. Once you get the tree bent (approach with FEL up 4-5' and push on the trunk), the roots loosen and you can stick a tooth under the main root area and pop the rest of the tree out of the ground with the roots on it. I've done this a good bit. 3" or smaller stuff, just approach with the tooth bar pointing in, get under the root and curl the FEL and pop it right out. Wish I had video to share, but the tractor does this pretty good. Make sure you have your BB on the back for counterweight. I've got the L3800 which is just like yours and have my rear wheels filled and use the BB as additional weight. Some bigger stuff than 6" (unless pines) can be harder to get and you will probably have to dig more which I have done some of with my FEL with tooth bar. Just takes longer to go around the tree from different angles and dig until it finally starts to come up. I wouldn't attempt an 8 or 10" tree without a backhoe (which I do not have)

 

[motocephalic]

From the sound of things, it seems that I am in for renting a dozer. Not the route I was planning, nor do I have the funds. I was hoping that others have done it the way I am planning on going. I am really in no rush, but I want to make it so I can plant a garden there if not this year, then next for sure.

here is a picture, it's not the nice field, but the hilltop before the nice field.

 

[motocephalic]

Put a toothbar on your FEL and you can push over/dig and pop trees out up to 5-6" easily enough. Once you get the tree bent (approach with FEL up 4-5' and push on the trunk), the roots loosen and you can stick a tooth under the main root area and pop the rest of the tree out of the ground with the roots on it. I've done this a good bit. 3" or smaller stuff, just approach with the tooth bar pointing in, get under the root and curl the FEL and pop it right out. Wish I had video to share, but the tractor does this pretty good. Make sure you have your BB on the back for counterweight. I've got the L3800 which is just like yours and have my rear wheels filled and use the BB as additional weight. Some bigger stuff than 6" (unless pines) can be harder to get and you will probably have to dig more which I have done some of with my FEL with tooth bar. Just takes longer to go around the tree from different angles and dig until it finally starts to come up. I wouldn't attempt an 8 or 10" tree without a backhoe (which I do not have)




Oh now that sounds promising. Yes I would definitely put one on if you think it would get most of the roots out. I have the tires filled as well, and with the BB it might be heavy enough.

 

[SanDucerro]

In my area the dozer runs about $1000 a day. Fortunately, my dozer guy puts in a full day and then some. In the two days he was on my place the dozer probably saved me 6 weeks of work. It was expensive - but oh so worth it.

You could do the job with a couple of mules, some chains, a shovel, a fulcum, a long bar, and an axe - but I wouldn't want too (nor would I be willing to help). The point of course is not what "can" do the job, but rather what's your time worth...

 

[motocephalic]

I am kind of doing it for therapy, so I guess doing it makes it all the more important. But I hear what your saying.

In my area the dozer runs about $1000 a day. Fortunately, my dozer guy puts in a full day and then some. In the two days he was on my place the dozer probably saved me 6 weeks of work. It was expensive - but oh so worth it.

You could do the job with a couple of mules, some chains, a shovel, a fulcum, a long bar, and an axe - but I wouldn't want too (nor would I be willing to help). The point of course is not what "can" do the job, but rather what's your time worth...