Lot Clearning - DIY or Pro ?

[VH5150]

Hi all,

I'm in the process of acquiring almost four acres of land with plans to build a house on it. I'm considering clearing the lot (maybe an acre or so, not the entire lot) of trees and stumps by myself with an excavator in an effort to rough clear a path for a driveway and for the home site itself. Some of the lot has already been cleared and leveled with fill so I have a great place to start and to fell/stack trees.

Here's the pickle: I've never operated an excavator before. The only hydraulic equipment I have experience with is my Kubota BX and a Bobcat Skid Steer (S550). I've wanted to learn to excavate for many years though and feel I could be up to speed fairly quickly on the basics of the machine and safety.

The area to clear consists of trees that are mostly 15" or less in diameter and there are all types: Oaks, Maples, Hemlocks, tall pines, etc.

My plan was to rent an excavator for a week to fell trees, stack them, and, if necessary dig out the stumps of anything I can't push over. I will have a helper to help chainsaw trees if needed and will rent a big chipper.

So, my questions:
(1) Am I crazy to want to try this on my own?
(2) What size excavator would you recommend - I was thinking an 11,000lb machine at first but now I'm looking at 18,000-ish. Too big? Too small? In the Goldilocks zone?
(3) Will companies rent a larger excavator to a Joe Shmoe like me without experience?

Thanks in advance for any replies!

 

[davesl708]

Not crazy.
Get the biggest excavator you can. Will make the job go faster.
Rental companies do not know who they rent to even when a guy drives up in a company truck.

Go for it. The job will get done the way you want it. Why let the contractors have all the fun.

 

[VH5150]

Any tips to safely fell trees in an excavator? I've been checking YouTube but thought I'd solicit some advice.

I'm thinking an 18,000lb (KX080 for example) machine should be adequate. Seems to be the right balance of size and cost to rent.

 

[davesl708]

Any tips to safely fell trees in an excavator? I've been checking YouTube but thought I'd solicit some advice.

I'm thinking an 18,000lb (KX080 for example) machine should be adequate. Seems to be the right balance of size and cost to rent.

18k should work. Push away from you. Watch for overhang. Don't want it to break off and fall back on you. Push slow and steady. If tough undercut on the back side to cut some anchor roots.

 

[Sprinklerman]

The digging will be pretty much the same controls as your bx , a lot faster and way more power ( when you get back on the bx you will notice it) They are pretty much easy to run take your time and have the guy delivering the machine show you the controls . there is a first time for everything.

 

[VH5150]

18k should work. Push away from you. Watch for overhang. Don't want it to break off and fall back on you. Push slow and steady. If tough undercut on the back side to cut some anchor roots.

I've seen some guys on YouTube rotating the excavator chassis to push over trees instead of using the boom/stick hydraulics. Is that bad practice or are they just doing that because it's easier than maneuvering the excavator for every tree?

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I've seen some guys on YouTube rotating the excavator chassis to push over trees instead of using the boom/stick hydraulics. Is that bad practice or are they just doing that because it's easier than maneuvering the excavator for every tree?

The swing of the machine does not have nearly the force that the straight line push pull of the boom does. Push the trees away from you.

 

[tonyoz]

You have never operated an excavator and are going to clear trees? You better factor a big damage bill on top of the rental. Clearing trees is NO place for a novice I'll give you the tip and watching videos don't count as experience.

 

[VH5150]

You have never operated an excavator and are going to clear trees? You better factor a big damage bill on top of the rental. Clearing trees is NO place for a novice I'll give you the tip and watching videos don't count as experience.

Fair enough. I appreciate the honesty. How did you learn without experience? I've already identified some trees that I don't dare touch. A lot of them are practically sticks to an excavator (>4" in diameter). I wouldn't think of attempting this if I thought it was out of my league. Anything big and I'll let the pro's handle it.

 

[sixdogs]

Go pro for safety reasons. Also, don't dig any stumps where the driveway goes so you have the base for your gravel that is compacted.

 

[rustyshakelford]

I helped a buddy for years to get my skills. Things can go from fun to deadly within a second. I'd hire it out unless you have somebody that knows what they are doing to help you. I've got quite a few hrs on a Dozer and a 7" base pine tree walked up the blade and hit me in the chest so hard it shattered my phone screen in my chest pocket. Happens in a second.

Brett

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Go pro for safety reasons. Also, don't dig any stumps where the driveway goes so you have the base for your gravel that is compacted.

If I understand your post correctly this is absolutely terrible advice. If I misunderstood I apologize in advance. But leaving stumps in the ground is a recipe for disaster for a long lasting driveway. Stumps do not make a good base. Wood rots and leaves voids that create holes. a good solid road must have the topsoil stripped and a proper subgrade installed to transfer the weight of the vehicles to the natural soil. Generally crushed rock is used because it distrubutes the load well to a weaker soil. If you don't have good support for the surface of the road, it's going to fail PERIOD.

 

[sixdogs]

If I understand your post correctly this is absolutely terrible advice. If I misunderstood I apologize in advance. But leaving stumps in the ground is a recipe for disaster for a long lasting driveway. Stumps do not make a good base. Wood rots and leaves voids that create holes. a good solid road must have the topsoil stripped and a proper subgrade installed to transfer the weight of the vehicles to the natural soil. Generally crushed rock is used because it distrubutes the load well to a weaker soil. If you don't have good support for the surface of the road, it's going to fail PERIOD.

Yeah, you read it wrong but that's OK. You are absolutely correct.
More correctly, I wrote it wrong. If you dig a big hole to remove a stump and don't absolutely compact it, your driveway and surface materials will have a problem. Better is to find a pathway for the drive that avoids the stumps or where they were.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Yeah, you read it wrong but that's OK..
More correctly, I wrote it wrong. If you dig a big hole to remove a stump and don't absolutely compact it, your driveway and surface materials will have a problem. Better is to find a pathway for the drive that avoids the stumps or where they were.

Well I'm glad I apologized before hand then! But your right, if the compaction isn't better than 95% and more likely better than 98% there are going to be settlement problems for a long time!

 

[sixdogs]

Well I'm glad I apologized before hand then! But your right, if the compaction isn't better than 95% and more likely better than 98% there are going to be settlement problems for a long time!

I do earthwork things and have seen people backhoe out a huge stump, loosely fill the hole and then wait a month or two before concrete. This, despite commentary from all involved. You know how that worked out. Also saw a guy subsoil rip where his driveway went--20" down--and then watch as it settled for the next number of years.

 

[tonyoz]

Fair enough. I appreciate the honesty. How did you learn without experience? I've already identified some trees that I don't dare touch. A lot of them are practically sticks to an excavator (>4" in diameter). I wouldn't think of attempting this if I thought it was out of my league. Anything big and I'll let the pro's handle it.

I had many thousands of hours up(over 150,000 hrs seat time) on excavators before I started clearing and was fully conversant in their operation. I was on a job 2 years ago and they had a 30 ton excavator taking out saplings. In a day and a half there wasn't a straight panel or window on it. That operator(I use the term loosely) had never cleared trees before.

 

[RichardGD]

I have hired some clearing out and done some myself using a 20K track loader and skidsteer that I had. Found that a professional on a 50K excavator can do more in a day that I could in a week. And the finished product usually looked better/cleaner. Rate around here is $125/hr or $1000/day. I would compare that against what it would cost to rent one for a week and decide. You also don't use your vacation days when hired out. It is fun to play with new toys but I occasionally make some stupid mistakes and death scares me so I leave it to the professionals these days.

 

[VH5150]

I had many thousands of hours up(over 150,000 hrs seat time) on excavators before I started clearing and was fully conversant in their operation. I was on a job 2 years ago and they had a 30 ton excavator taking out saplings. In a day and a half there wasn't a straight panel or window on it. That operator(I use the term loosely) had never cleared trees before.

I'd be a darn fool not to take your advice. How about a newbie with no experience renting an ex to dig up the stumps? Around here we have numerous companies that will log a minimum of 50 trees for free. They leave a mess behind, but that would solve my logging issue. I could use the ex for cleanup.

 

[Walkin Horse]

I had many thousands of hours up(over 150,000 hrs seat time) on excavators before I started clearing and was fully conversant in their operation. I was on a job 2 years ago and they had a 30 ton excavator taking out saplings. In a day and a half there wasn't a straight panel or window on it. That operator(I use the term loosely) had never cleared trees before.

Ok just how old are you. 150000 hrs divided by 24 divided by 365 is 17 years. 150000 divided by an 8 hr day 5 days a week is about 75 years.

 

[VH5150]

Ok just how old are you. 150000 hrs divided by 24 divided by 365 is 17 years. 150000 divided by an 8 hr day 5 days a week is about 75 years.

I assumed it was a typo, more like 15,000