Flail Mower Opinions on the best implement for this type of brush clearing...

[mattn]

Howdy!

I've got about 10 acres of chaparral brush that I want to clear. It's pretty heavy brush with some of the larger bushes at 2" diameter. It's probably 5-6 ft tall at most.

I'm trying to figure out what I can do to clear this material. I've got a Kubota L4300 (45 hp) and was looking at fitting a gearmore flail mower on the rear. Some of the larger models with the hammerhead (GCF series) are supposed to be able to cut this larger material. Has anyone had experience with this mower? I've got a lot of steep land where I'll have to do hand clearing, but I'd still need to mulch this stuff up.

Also, there is a good bit of fairly flat land where I was hoping I could just back (or go forward) the mower straight over this stuff.

Any ideas?

 

[leonz]

Hello Matt,

It will simpler and much more sane
for you to hire it out to a logger that has
a forestry mower mounted on a feller buncher
and you will be done quickly and very economically
and then you can buy the Gearmore later on after they
go through and level everything with the forestry mower.

Its simpler than dealing with a small dozer and a six way blade
in that you will know where all the stumps are as they wil be flush
with the ground too.

I want you to succeed Matt and not tear your hair out.

I would call your local cooperative extension agent or a local sawmill
if there is one near you to find someone to do this for you as a rubber tired
or tracked feller buncher will make quick work of this for you and then you
can flag the bads spots that you want to have knocked down again after the first pass.


A lot of loggers do land clearing as well and this can easily be done for you.


If you find a logger with a Fecon forestry flail shredder you will be done in
one pass down to the sod!


In this way you can do a few acres at a time or the entire parcel as the tracked
feller buncher will go everywhere as the wheeled feller buncher is limited by the
slopes and available traction of the tires.

I am not trying to spend your money I want to save you a ton of work Matt.
___________________________________________________________________
Once you go flail you never go back:thumbsup::licking::drool:

 

[mattn]

Hi Leonz,

Thanks for the info! I've walked the property with brush clearing guys and they tell me that, due to it's steep terrain, it will have to be cleared largely by hand. EEK! This is typical with this area though, and I had to have it done on another property. Some of the grades are over 35%...and rocky.

I'm thinking that instead of paying someone else to hire labor and manually cut this material and haul it to a road to be shreadded, I may as well buy the shreader myself and save the $$. I've looked into a few models and it looks like this Gearmore will do the trick.

I will look into trying to find someone with the feller buncher arm, but I'm doubtful that they would be able to do much with this land due to the slope...

Thanks!

 

[leonz]

Hello Matt,

I could not sleep so here I am on TBN.

Find a local saw mill in your area and ask
to speak to the lumber buyer if possible as
they will know who has a tracked feller
buncher in the area and most likely they have
a Fecon flail head or know who does in the
business. The tracked feller bunchers will work
grades you have on your property with ZERO
ISSUES.

I want you to succeed and not tear your hair out.


______________________________________________________________
Once you go flail you never go back.:thumbsup::licking::drool:

 

[beeforty]

I know there are areas in SoCal that are prone to wild fires, any chance you can offer your property to the local agencies for training:thumbsup: They do that occasionally up here, you can maybe have a BBQ for them when they are done.

 

[magicheater]

Howdy!

I've got about 10 acres of chaparral brush that I want to clear. It's pretty heavy brush with some of the larger bushes at 2" diameter. It's probably 5-6 ft tall at most.

I'm trying to figure out what I can do to clear this material. I've got a Kubota L4300 (45 hp) and was looking at fitting a gearmore flail mower on the rear. Some of the larger models with the hammerhead (GCF series) are supposed to be able to cut this larger material. Has anyone had experience with this mower? I've got a lot of steep land where I'll have to do hand clearing, but I'd still need to mulch this stuff up.

Also, there is a good bit of fairly flat land where I was hoping I could just back (or go forward) the mower straight over this stuff.

Any ideas?

What would you be replacing the vegetation with? Eradicating what is holding the soil could be a problem. A more complete overall plan may help with advice.