Advice on 40 acres

[TigerFanatic1]

Hello everyone, I've come across the site numerous times searching google, so I decided to join and become a part of it. My family recently purchased 40 acres near our house (family land that came up for sale), with about 30 acres of it being wooded with a lot of 3" diameter undergrowth. We are probably going to at least work on clearing the undergrowth, but currently don't have a current plan of what we are going to do with it or how we are going to attack it. We own a Kubota M9540 ~95 HP with a few attachments: FEL, 72" bucket, pallet forks, 72" box blade, 15' flex wing rotary cutter, original chisel plow. I will probably hunt on it this winter while debating on what and how to deal with the property. We thought about a few cows, but I work off 2 weeks at a time, maybe extending to a month a time, so I'm not sure cows is the right answer. I would also like suggestions on what you would do with it and how you would attack it.

 

[jeff9366]

TractorData.com Kubota M9540 tractor dimensions information


Wonderful tractor but with R1 tires width is 78". Pretty wide to thin trees unless you intend to take out a lot.

A Danseur Intimidator likely useful.

ETA LINK: Everything Attachments | Skid Steer Attachments, Tractor Attachments, 3 Point Hitch Attachments, and Farm Tractor Implements.

VIDEO: danuser intimidator - YouTube


Land Pride makes a Tree Puller as well: STP15 Series Tree/Post Puller | Land Pride


A Ratchet Rake bucket attachment is top notch for tearing out brush and subsequently piling brush into burn piles. As your 15' batwing R/C is too wide for the woods, the Ratchet Rake would be very useful. (Ratchet Rakes are sold by the T-B-N store, button at top of this page.)

VIDEO: ratchet rake brush clearing - YouTube

 

[TigerFanatic1]

Yes sir Jeff, nice tractor but a little big for what I want to do with it. I help a family member keep up some land and really need one that size to turn the 15' flex wing. If not for that, I would sell it and purchase a 50ish HP HST tractor. Thanks for the videos, as I haven't seen either of those attachments before. I need to get out and thoroughly walk the property, to see just how much I want to take out. I've been clearing some of the more open areas with just the bucket and rotary cutter, but it has been wet so the bucket leaves a lot of soil in the roots and the rotary cutter leaves a split portion which will probably end up puncturing tires. The ratchet rake will probably make the list especially for piling up the brush; it looks like it does a good job on tearing out brush also, I will research it a little more for the 2-3" stuff that I have.

 

[tonyoz]

A PTO driven forestry mulcher would be worth looking at. You have enough HP in your current tractor to drive it as long as it has creeper gears or hydrostat transmission:2cents:

 

[TigerFanatic1]

Was looking at some type of PTO saw the other day, I think it was made by Turbo Saw. I don't have the creeper gears or hydrostatic. I'm not sure if I can get by with my current set up without burning up clutches.

 

[jeff9366]

Three Point Hitch mounted tree saws cost $6,000. After you cut the tree you have the residual stump to deal with.

 

[TripleR]

Depending on your time frame, it is doable with your tractor, we own an M8540HDC with a tree puller and grapple. But a couple of years ago, we needed to clear about 25-30 acres of similar stuff in a relatively short time period and rented a tracked skid loader with a cab. We didn't have the grapple then, one of the things that convinced us to buy one, so my son used the skid loader to push the trees out and put them into a pile. I used the M with pallet forks to move the piles and to scout areas to direct him as visibility sucks in those things, I saw a large washout he was headed for that would have swallowed the loader and warned him, we were using handheld radios.

I also used our Woods DS1260 10' to clear out some of it, it will cut 3", but I didn't want to put our tractor and cutter through 40 acres of that stuff, did it years ago, but not again, bent too much stuff and too many flats. We also have an L5740 for tight stuff, but didn't use it that time. We have used them side by side and it is surprising how nimble the M95/8540 can be. Ours was limited by the cab, but ovrszd uses an open station M9540 in the woods a lot.

I'm sure he can help you out with this. Good luck.

 

[TigerFanatic1]

I must say, this is one time having a cab is isn't a good thing. I thought about removing the side driveshafts on our flex wing, but I'm like you and don't want to put it through that much. We may end up renting something in a year or so. I have an uncle that operates heavy equipment and will be looking for a job come September, but I'm hesitant on buying a skid steer and mulcher; I would need to work it on the side and not sure about starting a small business with it.

 

[Gary Fowler]

If you aren't in a super big hurry to get it cleared, a small backhoe with a hydraulic thumb is great for 6" and less trees. I cleared about 2 acres of sweetgum thicket with my B26 using the backhoe in about 10 hours of time. Most of the trees required just taking a scoop with the bucket and uprooting it, then just used the thumb to pick them up and move out of the way. I would back into a group and take out what I wanted, stack them to the side, then back into another group. It looks like you may have 10 acres of cleared land and 30 acres left. Some of it you could likely cut with a 6 foot bush hog and a small 45 HP tractor (rental) and get it down to a manageable amount of trees to take out with a backhoe or even better a track hoe. You probable want to leave the larger trees anyway and just thin out the <6" trees. This is good seat time for me, lots of fun.
For 40 acres, you might be needing a backhoe for improvements anyway so why not just buy one, even a used one is a good investment because you could probable sell if for what you gave for it a year later if you didn't want to keep it.

 

[TigerFanatic1]

I'm not in a big rush. We still aren't sure what we want to accomplish with this, but I need to at least keep it from getting worse right now. We will try hunting it this winter and go from there

 

[Qapla]

Have you considered a "controlled burn"?

 

[TigerFanatic1]

I have thought about it, but I know very little about controlled burns and nothing about wooded property.

 

[kthompson]

TigerFanatic1, you mentioned cows so I have a different thought. Are the trees ones cows will eat, at least the leaves? Yes cows are fans of certain types of trees and if they happen to be ones they will eat and are small enough they may eat them down for you. Do not remember all the kinds ours would eat (40 plus years ago) but they liked will oaks I well remember. kt

 

[TigerFanatic1]

Not sure if it is the kind cows would eat or not. I'm gone to work now, but plan to scout the set of woods when I return.

 

[roadhunter]

If it's fenced you might be able to have it grazed a time or two before you attack it. Cows have a way of opening things up. Any neighbors have cattle?

 

[ch1ch2]

Was looking at some type of PTO saw the other day, I think it was made by Turbo Saw. I don't have the creeper gears or hydrostatic. I'm not sure if I can get by with my current set up without burning up clutches.

I have the Turbo Saw. I have put it on 3 tractors. It works great on my 90 hp NH. No clutch issues. Just make sure you have ROPS. I do not have the one with a grapple. I would suggest you consider it (the grapple). I have a grapple on my FEL. With the grapple and a shredder I have cleared a lot, but the Turbo Saw works in those hard to get to areas and keeps from having stumps to run over. If I had the saw w/grapple it would be easier to get some of the trees out. With the FEL grapple, I can get more trees at one time but I have to have a very wide area to carry them through.

 

[grind down]

Not sure if it is the kind cows would eat or not. I'm gone to work now, but plan to scout the set of woods when I return.

I'm close to you. I own Brooks Mulching & More. This is not a sales pitch, but I could come look at it for you. I run goats on my place to control under-growth under my trees. I like messing with them. You just have to have good fencing. Give me a holler and I can look at your equipment and let you know what you can get done.

Brandon Brooks
Brooks Mulching & More
318-992-0499
318-623-3906

 

[kthompson]

I'm close to you. I own Brooks Mulching & More. This is not a sales pitch, but I could come look at it for you. I run goats on my place to control under-growth under my trees. I like messing with them. You just have to have good fencing. Give me a holler and I can look at your equipment and let you know what you can get done.

Brandon Brooks
Brooks Mulching & More
318-992-0499
318-623-3906

I would sure take Brandon up on his offer and I know nothing about him in any manner but a great offer.

 

[tacboss]

@Tigerfan.... My wife and I have a small business that sells two types of specialty skid steer attachments. The Monster Tree Saw and the Monster Tool. The Monster Tool has a grubber attachment that you might find useful in clearing small trees. Our website Monster Tree Saw - Skid Steer Tree Saw With No Hydraulics shows the details and a demo video of the Monster Saw. The Monster Tool is new and not on the website yet. If you have any interest in more information feel free to contact me.

Bobby

 

[TigerFanatic1]

I'm close to you. I own Brooks Mulching & More. This is not a sales pitch, but I could come look at it for you. I run goats on my place to control under-growth under my trees. I like messing with them. You just have to have good fencing. Give me a holler and I can look at your equipment and let you know what you can get done.

Brandon Brooks
Brooks Mulching & More
318-992-0499
318-623-3906

Thanks Brandon, definitely an offer I will take you up on. I've been busy with work (good thing in this economy), but should be home in a couple weeks. I'm going to hunt the land a little this year while my wife and I explore options of what to do with the land. If we don't come up with a plan to make a little money with the land, I'll end up doing minimal clearing and just continue to hunt it. I finally had a chance to walk through the property and a lot of the thicker stuff is < 2" diameter and briars. I'm thinking that I may be able to attack some of this just before spring, if it isn't too wet.