Cleaning lawn of branches

[Creamer]

Looks like an excellent way to de-thatch a lawn, if it doesn't dig in too much.

You could set them to do that but normally the end of the tooth is more tangent to the ground and doesn't dig.

 

[mikester]

Every spring, I spend at least a full afternoon cleaning up downed branches from my ~4 acres of lawn, mostly from the more mature walnut and maple trees. I get to repeat this exercise after each major storm, all summer long, and I'm getting awful tired of the routine. Presently, I drive the FEL to an area with a bunch of downed branches, pick up each larger one and put them into the bucket. Then I rake up all of the smaller bits, and scoop them into the bucket. Very tedious.

I'm wondering what automated options might be possible. A landscape rake with float (anti-scalp) wheels would do half the job, at least gathering them together. Although driving over them in the process is just going to make them harder to pick up, in the end. Perhaps a tooth bar on my bucket, fitted with large swivel caster mounts on either side, so that I can drive around gathering branches with the bucket floating just an inch off the lawn.

Ideas? I can't be the only one hating this chore.

The full auto method is to hire someone to clean up for you. If you can afford to mow 4 acres you can afford to hire a contractor.

A slightly cheaper option is to get a 3PH bush hog and run over all the small stuff. You will still need to pick up the big stuff. A grapple on your loader is helpful with the bigger stuff.

 

[SF82]

Landscape rake and debris forks can help, would still need something like a dethatcher for the really small stuff I guess if you didn't want to dull your mower blades

 

[Hay Dude]

I take a hay or pitch fork and run it along the ground, pushing the branches into a pile. Once I get a bushel or so of branches, I then use the fork at a downward angle, “stabbing” the pile to kind of compact them together. In one motion, I then lift the branches up almost vertically, so they sit against one another in the back support of the fork tines and carry them to the pile.

Not a way of using the tractor, but its inexpensive and effective.

 

[Texasmark]

I use the teeth pointing forward to drag material to the disposition site. I drag numerous loads to the site. Then I turn the blade around so that I can push the material backwards into a pile.....piece of cake. Then torch the pile and be done with it.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I have a harrow which works great for cleaning up branches.

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This is a picture of it being used to to shave ice so it's not so slippery but I've used it to clean up branches too. You just drag it through the grass till the tines are full. Then drag the branches to where you want them and lift the 3 point. Repeat till your lawn is cleaned up. There is very little handwork involved. Maybe rakeing branches away from tree trunks and the odd small branch that gets missed.

 

[crashz]

My 2 acres of lawn is surrounded by a few maple, and lots of pine. Huge pine that sheds. I've found that I have to hand pick the big branches 2" and larger, but the small stuff either gets mowed or I will rake up with a pine needle rake. It much more forgiving than a landscape rake and won't dig up the soil/sod. Does a fair job of thatching too.

The pine needle rake is also part of the leaf removal process in the fall.

 

[WinterDeere]

The full auto method is to hire someone to clean up for you. If you can afford to mow 4 acres you can afford to hire a contractor.

This is true, for the single spring clean-up, but more difficult to schedule for the repeat of this task required after each and every major summer storm.

 

[WinterDeere]

I take a hay or pitch fork and run it along the ground, pushing the branches into a pile. Once I get a bushel or so of branches, I then use the fork at a downward angle, “stabbing” the pile to kind of compact them together. In one motion, I then lift the branches up almost vertically, so they sit against one another in the back support of the fork tines and carry them to the pile.

Not a way of using the tractor, but its inexpensive and effective.

I've been doing a lot of this, lately. Works, to a point, when the stuff is small enough to fit in the bucket, but large enough to still stay together in a bundle. I still end up bending and picking up a lot, though.

 

[GeneV]

I'm on 2.6 acres. Each spring, I go around with the wheelbarrow picking up bigger branches. After that, I hook up the tow-behind lawn sweeper, which gets the smaller stuff adequately enough. Whatever's left over gets mowed and disappears that way.