Newbie here! Just closed on 80 acres. Question about land clearing...

[7879fordman]

Best is to higher a dozer to shear the stumps and any standing trees then pile it all then burn it .

A tractor and grapple will only do so much .

Sent from my iPhone 5 using TractorByNet

 

[Oldstuff]

more to consider- some state have a "land deviation" permit. For example in Missouri if one clears more than 3 acres they consider it a potential problem with respect to drainage. Been there and done that!

Oldstuff

 

[deerseeker001]

Welcome from Wisconsin

 

[dave1949]

Best is to higher a dozer to shear the stumps and any standing trees then pile it all then burn it .

A tractor and grapple will only do so much .

Sent from my iPhone 5 using TractorByNet

For 45 acres, I think this makes sense. If the trees are of any size, it would be better to use heavy equipment. A tractor with grapple is a great tool, but it it is more suited to cleaning up behind a dozer or excavator than as a primary tool.

If you do the 45 acres in stages, maybe you would benefit from doing the timber cutting in stages too, half at a time or whatever. The uncut trees continue to grow and make you more money.

After a timber harvest, you won't be able to use your tractor until the stumps are cleared. If you leave stumps and can't bush hog, then you will be getting regrowth to deal with. If your stages are one or two years apart, that's not a problem. If it goes 3-4-5 years, it could be.

Like OldStuff mentioned, some states have timber land use conversion rules. You are planning a clear-cut and a conversion to open field by Maine standards. We have restrictions on the size of clear-cuts, and the conversion is supposed to be completed in two years. Otherwise, people would say they are doing a conversion to step around the clear-cut rules. You should check your state's timber harvest rules to stay out of trouble.

Have fun.

 

[TripleR]

We have several tractors including an 85H but hire a dozer for stuff like that. A tractor is OK for small acreage, but it can sure gets old quick on big parcels.

 

[kenmac]

Welcome to the site from Alabama :welcome: Where in Al are you ? If you don't work out some type of agreement with the logger. They will leave you a mess that will take you a long time to clean up. As far as the stumps. I know a guy that had his property logged. the logger ( like most I've seen) left a mess... The guy hired a person with a dozer try to get the stumps up with very little success. I have never seen a Logger (here) remove the stumps. If you want the stumps out , you better rent or buy a mini ex. or a backhoe. Only other way would be have the logger push the trees over and then cut them. Then, you could probably handle the stumps with a tractor

 

[farmer2009]

I will agree that a dozer is best but hiring one around here will cost you more per acre than what you will make off of good timber. The op said he wanted to do it in stages and he talked like he was a DIYer so I made a suggestion of how he could use a tractor that he already wanted to buy. Clearing 45 acres will take time with a tractor or a dozer lots of time.

 

[paulharvey]

A dozer isn't really ideal for stumps and clearing, that's why pretty much everyone in the business uses a track hoe (20-30 ton) and a loader with a root rake. I agree that hiring it out would be expensive, so I would start with your minium requirements. Do you need 1 acre, 5, 20, all 80 right from the start. If you can start with say, 2 acres, I would try to do that with a 50+ hp tractor, or better yet rent a small/medium hoe for a week (maybe a JD-160 or so, approx $1500/week) clear your starter area, and use termites, fire, and decay to help along the rest. Push your brush piles up around your bigger stumps and burn them together, probably will take some diesel and several burns, but you'll eventually get there.

 

[Western]

I have hired dozar operators several times, and I wouldn't "blink" hiring one to clear acreage again, allot depends on the operators talent too. I think the biggest factor is what you leave the dozer guy to deal with, stumps have little leverage and are much harder to "grub" out, standing timber is easy. I had 3 acres of Oaks cleared, it was medium sized trees with thick underbrush, so thick it was impossible to walk through, he had the timber piled and rolled dirt free, area smoothed in 4 hours. Size of the dozer makes a difference too, same will apply to the excavator or BH.

I would insist the timber company remove the stumps though, or I wouldn't sell, you will loose the profit cleaning up the mess. I may would make a concession on the tops and limbs, but the stumps would have to be at least up rooted. BTW, I wouldn't want them ground either if I wanted a nice field, 3-5 years and there will be sinks everywhere. Just MO

 

[mdjohn1427]

Welcome to the site from Alabama :welcome: Where in Al are you ? If you don't work out some type of agreement with the logger. They will leave you a mess that will take you a long time to clean up. As far as the stumps. I know a guy that had his property logged. the logger ( like most I've seen) left a mess... The guy hired a person with a dozer try to get the stumps up with very little success. I have never seen a Logger (here) remove the stumps. If you want the stumps out , you better rent or buy a mini ex. or a backhoe. Only other way would be have the logger push the trees over and then cut them. Then, you could probably handle the stumps with a tractor

Southern Cullman County...near the Dodge City Exit on I-65