Thoughts on Clearing Land?

[Diggin It]

Don't want to say too much yet since things are still in flux and though not really superstitious, I don't want to jinx things.

Working on getting more land. It's badly overgrown and will take a lot of work to clear. I'll probably have to get a forrestry mulcher in to do part of it, maybe most of it. Part of it can be done with a large rotary cutter that one neighbor has offered to help me out with on his big JDs. Another neighbor has a skidsteer with larger brush cutter and has volunteered to do some of it. I have to price the mulcher to see how it's all going to work out and if I'd save enough on their bill by taking the neighbor's help. Area to be cleared is roughly six acres. Mostly low brush, vines, saplings up to two inches. Denser areas have saplings of three inches or more. Nothing I've seen so far is over four inches.

Estimates on how many hours a mulcher would need?

There are a few acres adjacent to the area above that won't be plantable due to the slopes involved and the number of larger trees. I'll cut some of it for firewood for my own use, but there's a lot more than I'll need. I'll offer some to the neighbors who help clear the plantable areas. Trees are not big enough or plentiful enough for a timber cutter to mess with.

So, I thought about putting signs out in a couple of local businesses 'You cut, you haul'. If you were to do something like that, would you charge anything? Or let them have it free for the sake of getting it cleared?

Opinions on any liability issues?

 

[bdog]

A big mulcher could probably clear it all in a day. We have contracted out over 200 hrs of mulchers a week (3 machines) for the past month and maybe have a month to go. It is amazing what they can do but these guys are working on roughly 15,000 acres.

No bigger than things are you could likely do it with the skid steer. We have a brush cutter on ours and have took out 7 trees with it. Get it all knocked down and then shred it again with the tractor and brush hog.

I can稚 imagine anyone wanting to come get any of for any reason.

 

[tractorshopper]

If it's all 3" or less, I'd use the skid steer and pop those trees stumps and all. That prevents any holes later from left over stumps rotting out if you smooth it now after removing the trees and also prevents a lot of stuff trying to regrow.

 

[/pine]

Don't want to say too much yet since things are still in flux and though not really superstitious, I don't want to jinx things.

Working on getting more land. It's badly overgrown and will take a lot of work to clear. I'll probably have to get a forrestry mulcher in to do part of it, maybe most of it. Part of it can be done with a large rotary cutter that one neighbor has offered to help me out with on his big JDs. Another neighbor has a skidsteer with larger brush cutter and has volunteered to do some of it. I have to price the mulcher to see how it's all going to work out and if I'd save enough on their bill by taking the neighbor's help. Area to be cleared is roughly six acres. Mostly low brush, vines, saplings up to two inches. Denser areas have saplings of three inches or more. Nothing I've seen so far is over four inches.

Estimates on how many hours a mulcher would need?

There are a few acres adjacent to the area above that won't be plantable due to the slopes involved and the number of larger trees. I'll cut some of it for firewood for my own use, but there's a lot more than I'll need. I'll offer some to the neighbors who help clear the plantable areas. Trees are not big enough or plentiful enough for a timber cutter to mess with.

So, I thought about putting signs out in a couple of local businesses 'You cut, you haul'. If you were to do something like that, would you charge anything? Or let them have it free for the sake of getting it cleared?

Opinions on any liability issues?

Seems like this post is a contradiction in terms...you don't want to say much to an anonymous group yet you have already inquired about getting actual help from neighbors etc... to do some work...funny...!

 

[Diggin It]

If it's all 3" or less, I'd use the skid steer and pop those trees stumps and all.

Hundreds? Maybe thousands of them? Some places are so thick you can't even walk between them.

 

[Jstpssng]

So, I thought about putting signs out in a couple of local businesses 'You cut, you haul'. If you were to do something like that, would you charge anything? Or let them have it free for the sake of getting it cleared?

Opinions on any liability issues?

Call me paranoid (I am) but there's no way I would allow somebody I didn't even know on my property with a chainsaw unless they had worker's comp and a good GL policy; as well as a contract.

 

[MossRoad]

Call me paranoid (I am) but there's no way I would allow somebody I didn't even know on my property with a chainsaw unless they had worker's comp and a good GL policy; as well as a contract.

X2 :thumbsup:

 

[Egon]

A Cat ( D8 or so ) with blade and pulling a heavy Rome type disk would work.

 

[KY Gun Geek]

X2 :thumbsup:

X3 Very Scary

 

[tractorshopper]

Hundreds? Maybe thousands of them? Some places are so thick you can't even walk between them.

Yes. That is exactly what I would do. If I want to clear it, the skid steer can take the roots up and all and also smooth out the land as you go. You can pile the brush in piles with the saplings and set them off on a rainy day or little by little on rainy days. Set it up one time for easy maintenance from now on.

What are you planning to do with it? Grow grass, crops, etc? If planning to mow pasture or grass, I'd definitely do what I said and have smooth easy cutting in the future. If crops, I'd still do it because you want the root balls and as much roots out to begin with. Whatever is left will rot in time being turned under (from my experience with my food plots).

As crazy as it sounds, I do most of what I'm describing with my little BX with a tooth bar. I did even more of that with my original clearings with my old L3800 with a tooth bar on stuff up to 5". Your skid steer will do it way faster and better than either tractor I've done it with.