Am I Nuts?

[El Wood]

Well, I started clearing land back to my future pond site... It's a lot thicker then I thought! The road is going to need to be about 600 feet. I may also clear out some area on both sides of the road to make it look nice. The tool I have is a JD 3320 with grapple and MX5 heavy duty cutter. I know that heavy equipment would be the best way to do this but I want to use my tractor. Can this be done? Am I going to damage by brush hog or tractor? I know it will be slow going but I'm having fun do it. Here are some pics... Thanks for the advice!!

 

[TripleR]

No doubt you can do it, but it doesn't look as though your cutter is dealing well with some of the thicker saplings which can easily damage your tractor, I guess it is your call on whether it's worth the risk.

My son and I have cleared some pretty rough land with our L5740 and M8540, but this year rented a Bobcat tracked skid steer to take the worse punishment and save our tractors. We still tackled some tough stuff, but sometimes you just have to decide not can I, but should I?

 

[swines]

You can certainly do the dirt work for the road with the 3320 with a rear blade or box blade. I don't think you'll want to try and mow the thick brush shown in your photos. You need something like a skid steer with Loftness TimberAx. You need to use the piece of equipment designed for the job you're doing. I'd either rent a skid steer or pay someone with a tree / brush shredder to clear the heavy brush and trees and then do the remainder of the roadway myself with the tractor.

Seems like you'll need a PTO driven chipper/shredder to deal with the wood as well. Depending upon how much time you want to spend, you could do it with a couple of chainsaws for the brush and trees and then chip the brush. But a tree and brush shredder could probably do the entire road cut for you in about 1-2 days. The all you'd have to do is clear up the debris and start working on the road.

Looks like lots of fun to me!

 

[RaydaKub]

Are you nuts? Yeah! Nuts about your tractor! Looks like a lot of great seat time to me!

 

[El Wood]

Thanks for the comments guys. Like you said TripleR; I probably can do it but should I. I would hate to put a few years of wear and tear on my equipment for just this project. Or damage my toy. The little I did, I would push brush down with the grapple and then try backing the brush hog onto the material. A few times my bush hog completely disappeared and I couldn't get over the top of it. That's when I started getting a little concerned.

My new neighbor has an excavating business. Maybe I'll ask him how much he would charge to blast through there with some heavy equipment and then I 'll clear up the aftermath with my tractor.

 

[DKCDKC]

I've found you can always find ways to do more with a tractor than you think. Looking at your brush, I might suggest you consider a Ratchet Rake on your FEL. I have a smaller tractor but have been very successful bulling through brush and small trees... Pulling them up usually and then pushing into a pile for burning. It is amazing how well it tears out brush and small trees.

 

[TripleR]

Thanks for the comments guys. Like you said TripleR; I probably can do it but should I. I would hate to put a few years of wear and tear on my equipment for just this project. Or damage my toy. The little I did, I would push brush down with the grapple and then try backing the brush hog onto the material. A few times my bush hog completely disappeared and I couldn't get over the top of it. That's when I started getting a little concerned.

My new neighbor has an excavating business. Maybe I'll ask him how much he would charge to blast through there with some heavy equipment and then I 'll clear up the aftermath with my tractor.

Sounds like a plan to me, I love doing that sort of thing, but as mentioned, after doing quite a bit of it decided to save the wear and tear on our tractors. Fortunately my son can operate more equipment than I, so we got by with paying $1,100 to use a tracked skid loader for about ten days. We have also rented an excavator in the past, cheaper than buying one and maintaining one. Our sheds and barns are already full of equipment, campers etc.

 

[jinman]

Greatlakes, I looked at your photos and don't see a thing that seems over-the-top for a tractor and cutter like yours. Certainly, the tractor is not gonna stay shiny and new with work like that, but grease it good daily when doing heavy work (especially the FEL) and take small bites. Backing a rotary cutter into brush is the way to go. That small brush I see is exactly what your cutter was designed to cut. I WOULD NOT drive forward into that stuff, but just repeatedly back in and pull out. Watch for vines getting tangled on your PTO shaft too. Work your way around the bigger stuff over 2" diameter and come back later to dig them out or cut them off flush with the ground. You've paid a lot for that tractor and should use it. It'll stay shiny if you keep it in your garage, but you didn't buy it to be a trophy, did you? Just maintain it well and use your head when operating. Of course, I'm talking about brush clearing here. Your tractor is not the tool I'd use for pond building. Hire heavy equipment to do that job and use your tractor to clean up after them and do the landscaping.

 

[Jerry/MT]

I'm not a big fan of clearing trees and brush with a tractor. Wheeled machines are designed to work in grassy and cleared areas. I know there will be a lot of folks who say "I've done it..." etc but I think the job is easier and better done with a tracked machine like some of the small Cats. They are armored and designed to do this kind of work in forested and brushy conditions. You can get a lot more clearing done with a small Cat than with a tractor, especially if you have clearing forks on it. Certainly you can "do" this job with your tractor. The question is "should you" and only you can answer that. Be aware of tearing lines and wiring off and puncturing filters, tire's, the radiator, etc with broken branches, etc when you use a tractor in the brush. If that doesn't concern you, than go to it!

Opinions are like belly buttons-everybody has one. This is mine on this subject

 

[hunterridgefarm]

I have a L3130 Kubota and statted clearing a road and property for our current home a few years ago. I quickly dicided that fun as it was it would require a lot of time with a machine this size. I hired a local person with a track loadrd that did in two days what it would have taken me months to do with my tractor. It can be done if you have the time just be careful and expect a couple of flat tires.

I will try to attach the thread I posted this process in...hope it works..
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/106641-land-clearing-house-building.html