Clearing 8" diameter pines

nuke · Feb 13, 2006

Clearing 8\" diameter pines

I am considering buying a tractor with a FEL and clearing some land with 8" max pines. Can I do this with a tractor and FEL or will I be wasting my time and money trying? What minimum size tractor (HP and/or weight) will be required for this work? I understand there is a 24" tap root on pines this size and I want to make sure if I get something that it has enough A$$ to push these trees.

Marlowe · Feb 13, 2006

Re: Clearing 8\" diameter pines

A tractor with a FEL is a wonderfully useful machine, but not for removing 8" pines. Depending on the numbers of pines you need to remove you might consider renting a backhoe or even a dozer. The dozer is preferred if you don't mind clearing everything on the land, while the backhoe can be more selective. When you're done with the trees, get on that tractor.

Tom

ToadHill · Feb 13, 2006

Re: Clearing 8\" diameter pines

I've seen a lot of pine trees blown over in heavy wind or by ice and I've never seen one with a tap root. They have a root ball that extends out from the trunk about 4-5 feet on an 8" tree and it may go down up to 24" in the soil but it's not a tap root. In general the only trees with large tap roots are nut trees.

beenthere · Feb 13, 2006

Re: Clearing 8\" diameter pines

Which pine species do you have?

IslandTractor · Feb 14, 2006

Re: Clearing 8\" diameter pines

8" trees are a bit much for a tractor and FEL. Dozer or backhoe would be my advice.

meadowlarkponds · Feb 14, 2006

Re: Clearing 8\" diameter pines

nuke,

I can tell you from lots of experience with East Texas pines that a tractor with FEL will not do the job on 8 inch pines. Our pines have a long tap root, as mentioned, and you simply have to have a dozer or back hoe to take them out at that size. I have a Case 450C dozer and even it struggles with 8-10 inch pines because of the tap root.

MMM · Feb 14, 2006

Re: Clearing 8\" diameter pines

How much is some land? The neighbor's 6 ton, machine (IH1486) can do it regularly in sandy soil, but not quickly as a dozer or backhoe. They can be had fairly cheap also. I've taken the odd 8" pine here and there with my 7,000+lb tractorl, but wouldn't want to take on even an acre or 2 with it. Pines do have a tap and they can be tough if tap wont snap when pushing tree to ground.

Dk45_Jeff · Feb 14, 2006

Re: Clearing 8\" diameter pines

nuke,

I can't tell you what will quickly clear 8" pines, but I can say its going to be bigger then a 45 HP CUT. I'm to the north of you in Spotsylvania county, and have found the pines anchor themselves very well in this clay soil.

ToadHill,

I think your confusing balsam or fir with pine trees.

nuke · Feb 14, 2006

Re: Clearing 8\" diameter pines

Thanks for all of the advice guys! I am building in Caroline county so my soil conditions should be similar to Spotsylvania. I was hoping a midsized tractor would do the job and I could buy something for around the price as the price tag to clear. I would be clearing around two acres BTW. I am considering renting a trackhoe as I need to be carefull while clearing over the drainfield site (only 24" deep). The dozer would be good for the driveway, but I would like to rent only one piece of equipment to do the whole job for $$ reasons.

Do you fellas think a novice (lots of small tractor experience) could rent a trackhoe for a week and get up to speed in operating it or will I piss away $1500 for a week to learn my lesson?

SnoFalls · Feb 14, 2006

Re: Clearing 8\" diameter pines

I'd say after 1 day you'd be up to speed on it ... properly sized, it should make quick work of shoving over the tree and plucking them out.

8" pines are small, but are you going to try to use the logs for firewood or any other purpose? You possibly could stack them where you could then take em off a pile, cut to 8' lengths, limb, and then make a pile of "timbers" for use as short retaing walls, rasied planters, etc.

I would guess you would make use of a midsize tractor *after* (and probably during) the clearing. You'll have lotsa brush, grading, probably the other multitudes of uses for a tractor on those 2 acres.

Make a plan *before* you rent the trackhoe tho ... what are you going to do with the brush and trunks? Do you have a property line you can pile along for a "hedgerow"? Gunna have a big burn pile? Do you have a nasty slope you can lay the trees on for erosion control (and wildlife habitat)?