Tractor for land clearing and preparation

[Gord Baker]

Good day everybody,

I'm looking to buy a tractor which will be mainly used for land clearing and preparation in the beginning. Land is full of small 1-2 inch thick trees which need to be cleared.
Short story, I bought recently 300 acres of virgin land which needs to be cleared, leveled, prepared from scratch.
Initially I was thinking to start with an 80 hp tractor with a front and loader , grapple and leveler but afterwards I had second thoughts that it might be cheaper fuel wise to start with an 50-60 hp tractor which might reduce my costs for clearing the land but I will have to buy a bigger tractor afterwards for land preparation, tilling, planting.
Though these are just thoughts, I have no experience with tractors beside all the reading
I'm not living in USA , in case you are thinking of recommending some tractor models
To be honest, I'm stuck a bit and I would appreciate some advice

Thank you.

 

[Gord Baker]

300 acres is a lot of land to clear for farming. Hire it out and then with a 60-80 HP tractor begin to plow it. It will take considerable time to plow, disc and make it field ready for planting. Get a popular make of Tractor with nearby Service and all the implements you will really need.

 

[MD2595]

I'm with these guys. I've got a 100+ HP tractor and (if I recall) a 90 HP industrial backhoe/loader.

Wife has a CORNER of the woods that she wants cleaned up for a detached garage. Tractor is idle. I'm using the backhoe to get the trees down (saplings up to 30" diameter) Dragging the fallen trees to burn pile, good sections cutting into logs and stacking those.

MUCH slower than antiicpated and I'm doing something less than 100 feet x 100 feet!

The saplings are what are taking the longest. Easy to push a tree over. Those sapings....there are TONS of them and I'm trying to pluck each one out. I might just get the trees down, then take the rotary mower and mow the saplings down other than.... the tractor (ESPECIALLY with mower attached) is WAY too big for the area....no room to turn around.

Plan B might be to take a 4' box off the 444 International (which is dead needing engine rebuilt) and putting the tiny 4' box blade behind the 1066 International. it BARELY fits but can work in a pinch.

Meanwhile, since we're on a slope, probably use the backhoe & loader bucket to try to dig most of it down to grade, then maybe try to fine-tune with boxblade.

Either way, I'd say that both of these are not the ideal tools however, that said, I'm getting more done with the backhoe/loader than the tractor.

Get a tree/post puller. It works great for pines up to 8" diameter and oaks up to 6" diameter on my Kubota M7060HDC12 (71 hp). It's a quick attach to the loader and uses a third function hydraulic.

 

[kenhar]

If you have 100+ acres of 1 to 2 inch saplings, you need a 75 to 80hp tractor and 15' bush hog. Anything bigger, I would suggest a track loader with 4 in1 bucket. Preferably a dresser 175c. A track loader with a 4 in 1 bucket is much more versitle than a dozer. Dozers push and that's it. A loader will push, load, pile, and dig. You can get a root rake attachment for a loader bucket. I use the bucket teeth for big roots and a 3 point, spring loaded chisel plow for the brush. Move all the teeth to 1 row and you will clean the ground.

 

[crest25]

Good day everybody,

I'm looking to buy a tractor which will be mainly used for land clearing and preparation in the beginning. Land is full of small 1-2 inch thick trees which need to be cleared.
Short story, I bought recently 300 acres of virgin land which needs to be cleared, leveled, prepared from scratch.
Initially I was thinking to start with an 80 hp tractor with a front and loader , grapple and leveler but afterwards I had second thoughts that it might be cheaper fuel wise to start with an 50-60 hp tractor which might reduce my costs for clearing the land but I will have to buy a bigger tractor afterwards for land preparation, tilling, planting.
Though these are just thoughts, I have no experience with tractors beside all the reading
I'm not living in USA , in case you are thinking of recommending some tractor models
To be honest, I'm stuck a bit and I would appreciate some advice

Thank you.

I have one I just listed. It is a Massey-Ferguson 50E industrial tractor with a diesel engine. It has a 7 foot Gannon and a 7 foot bucket. If you are not in the USA how are you going to get it? I am in Southern California.

 

[mboncalo]

WHY would want to tear up 300 Ac of land??
I live where the land has been in Production since around 1820. Mother Nature has been trying to reclaim her domain around the edges over the past 70 years that it has not been tended to. I am giving giving it a bit of a trim with a de-foresting machine, but not bulldozing it.
I would suggest you live on it awhile before turning it into a parking lot.

I know what you mean and I agree with you, actually I want to improve the area. Currently , those trees bring no benefits, small roots, they get dry in dry season, mostly like a bigger bush, not good to cool off the air or ground and trigger some rain perhaps. I thinking to grow bigger trees in a designated area and leave some of older vegetation on others

 

[mboncalo]

I have one I just listed. It is a Massey-Ferguson 50E industrial tractor with a diesel engine. It has a 7 foot Gannon and a 7 foot bucket. If you are not in the USA how are you going to get it? I am in Southern California.

We don't have those models around here so no parts

 

[shadowm77]

i would hirer a forestry mulcher they can grind your trees and mulch them into the soil and smooth your ground at the same time then buy your tractor it would give you a better idea of how much tractor you need

 

[mra400ex]

A dozer or a loader dozer would be best. I do a lot of clearing for deer plots and have a few repeat customers. I have a D4G which has 6 way blade and hydro on the stick. On 1 to 2 inch trees I would grub them out and as I go also be running over what ever the blade does nor get. I then approach at like 90 degrees and gather it all up. Another choice is a heavy bush hog to cut them down or a skid steer with a grinder. Either way there you will have the trees trying to sprout out again. Also after cutting a chisel plow could pull out the clumps. No matter how you look at it requires a lot of time on that type growth and 300 acres is a large area. From origional post I presume the property is not in the USA? I attached pictures of an area I recently did. Lots of stuff 1 to 2 inch with larger trees and remains from logging a few years back, but it really looked good and property owner loved it. With the hydro the d4 can maneuver like a skid steer. Of the clearing I have done for people this seems to work the best. One guy had me with the dozer and one guy also grinding. I loaded up after I did the bigger trees as he said he would have the grinder do the rest.. I had asked at the time, "If you are done with work for the D4 I'll load up while it is handy?" When you are all hooked to the trailer and ramps are down etc. it's easy to load back up. He said I'll have them grind the rest. Next day he texted me and said he wished I still had the dozer there. Either way 300 acres of that type of growth is a lot of work

 

[rhuffie]

Good day everybody,

I'm looking to buy a tractor which will be mainly used for land clearing and preparation in the beginning. Land is full of small 1-2 inch thick trees which need to be cleared.
Short story, I bought recently 300 acres of virgin land which needs to be cleared, leveled, prepared from scratch.
Initially I was thinking to start with an 80 hp tractor with a front and loader , grapple and leveler but afterwards I had second thoughts that it might be cheaper fuel wise to start with an 50-60 hp tractor which might reduce my costs for clearing the land but I will have to buy a bigger tractor afterwards for land preparation, tilling, planting.
Though these are just thoughts, I have no experience with tractors beside all the reading
I'm not living in USA , in case you are thinking of recommending some tractor models
To be honest, I'm stuck a bit and I would appreciate some advice

Thank you.

I'm with many of there other responses. Save yourself a lot of time and trouble by first hiring an experienced dozer operator to clear and level as needed. These large machines will by able to make short work of the first stage of opening up your land. Once that big job is complete, survey to see what operations you will need to complete both that job and the other ones you will be be doing moving into the future. Then figure out the tractor that will best fit your needs.