Prepping for a homesite

[LSmith]

Hi All,

I am looking for advice on how to best clear up a flat spot on our land for a future homesite. The woods close by were select cut about a year ago and several large brush piles were pushed into this clearing with a track loader and then burned. The result is still a mess. The Trac left large ruts and there are sticks and limbs embedded in the ground. How much do you think I can acomplish with an 18hp Kubota and a boxblade? Will a landscape rake or a disc be of more use or a combination therof? I want to smooth out this clearing and eventually build here and plant a garden and yard. Any advice will help.

L.Smith

 

[RobS]

It all depends on how far you want to take it. If you're just picking up sticks, smoothing some ruts and other "straightening up" activities your Kubota/box blade should handle it nicely. If you intend to actually create a flat spot for the home it may be a bit undersized. One thing to remember is that the homebuilding process is going to tear things up pretty well anyway and you'll likely have an excavator on site for a foundation. Perhaps you could pay a few more dollars for some site work at that point. Also, a dozer is usually called for at backfill/rough grade time so there is another opportunity to add some more big work.

Hope this helps, if not ask some more /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[BubbaJr]

When they excavated our basement for our new house, I had them pull out a bunch of stumps that were in my way also. They took about 1.5 hours and only charged me an extra $80, since they were already there. These stumps were much too big for me to get out with my B2910. I guess my point is that as long as you are going to have the big boys and their big toys on site for the house, it won't cost you that much more to add a few extras to the job list.

The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

 

[theboman]

If you have a dozer getting the land ready for the footer, just have the dozer do the grunt work on stumps, major leveling etc, then use the tractor for the final prep...raking, tilling etc.

 

[TimSullivan]

I wasted a lot of time and effort prepping our home site. I pulled out stumps, rose bushes and scrub trees. There were two stumps just to big to get out.

When the excavator arrived to do the big hole, he dug out the stumps in a few minutes. As for the ruts, there will be more. The rough and finish grading will smooth it all out.

Unless you just want the tractor time let the big equipment do it.