Grading Considering an upgrade

[YLee Kioti]

Hello folks
So as a new guy here already starting out to pick your brains.
This is a description of the property. Of the eight acres about 5 to 7 was heavily populated with large huisache.
It was cleared once by two dozers that got stuck and had to be recovered years ago. I spoke to the guy that did this work. The land is so deeply rutted it takes me three days to mow at a very slow speed.

In order to smooth out the grade I tried using the BB but cannot travel more then 30 feet before I'm at a dead stop from a 3-4in stump. The gent that cleared it years ago, told me it would be about a thousand an acre to root plow.

Wife looks shocked as she stares at me and asks now what? I go to Shiner and pick up a 28" Root grub plow from Armstong Ag. Works on small stuff but have such a dense population of the big stump that it takes me 3-4 minutes working the root and then trying agian at a 90 degree angle to pull them out.
Now mentally trying to estimate duration to clear these acres whew. So now I have a fab shop building me a serrated tooth bar like the Piranha that I can bolt on. These root balls are like pulling a 3 lb potato sack with a four foot tap root when they come out. They literally stop my machine dead.

If the serrated tooth bar does not help speed up the process then my next step is.....drum roll.... looking at the NX4510HST.
The thinking process is this. Another 1600 lbs plus almost 3200 lbs lift ability of the arms can help with the grubbing. Here is my approach. Dig in about 3 feet from stump dig aobut 4-6inches and then when contact is made lock diff. raise arms to try and pull them up.

I'm thinking the NX4510HST specs will meet the demands for clearing out these stumps.

For those already thinking why bother, here's why. I need to grade uphill (slight slope really) to fill all the ruts and contour the severely eroded areas for better rain drainage. Yep the center of our pasture is in a 500 year flood plain as well. One cannot walk the pasture with chancing an ankle twister its that bad. The previous owner(s) also had four 12 x 30 x 8 foot holes dug. He thought he could bury that much huisache ha boy he missed it. But left me the dang holes and mowing around and in them ain't no fun.

So that's it lots of hard grunt work left and do not want to spend all spring and summer and miss out on spring food plots, garden etc. If I'm gonnah spend a few thousand to root grub why spend once and enrich someone else when I can invest in a upgrade work tool we will still use after it's all finally cleared and got all purty yah know.....

OR you folks recommend another solution?

OK, I'm gonnah get my pop corn and sit back read the replies as they come in...for now night yah'll

 

[BoylermanCT]

Sounds like a job for an excavator. Pulling trees and stumps is much easier and faster with one vs a tractor.

 

[rustyshakelford]

I agree. Rent a 30k machine with a thumb and ideally a leveling blade. Deere makes a real nice one. Would be much much faster and easier on your machines.

Don’t really know the size of what you’re saying. Could get along fine with a much smaller machine too

Brett

 

[jeff9366]

Huisache
Acacia farnesiana

Secondary Names:
Sweet Acacia, Weesatch
Similar Species:
Honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) can have similar form and bark, but leaves are much larger, greener.


Leaf Type: Semi-evergreen
Texas Native:
Tree Description:
A common shrub or small tree with light green foliage; often forms a multi-trunked clump shaped like a fountain.
Range/Site Description:
Widespread in South Texas, with small populations extending into Brazos and Travis counties. Occurs on heavy, wet clays and clay-loams.
Leaf:
Leaves almost feather-like, 1" to 4" long with minute leaflets just 0.1" long and too numerous to count. Foliage is gray-green and twigs are armed with a pair of straight thorns up to 2" long at the base of each leaf.
Flower:
The bright, orange-gold flowers are borne in spherical clusters up to 0.75" across, in spring. Very fragrant.
Fruit:
A small brown pod, 1" to 2" long, pointed at the tip. Shiny seeds are borne in two rows within the pod.
Bark:
Reddish-brown and thin on young plants, breaking into flat ridges and shallow furrows on older trees.
Wood:
Bark can be used for tanning, dying, and ink making. Pods have been used to create a mending substance for pottery.
Interesting Facts:
Flowers were collected to manufacture French perfume in 19th century.

 

[jeff9366]

Excavators have tracks, which are a much more stable platform than a tractor's wheels, plus you can rotate hoe 360 degrees.

A third for a mini-excavator.

VIDEO: mini excavator stump removal - YouTube

 

[jeff9366]

I'm thinking the NX4510HST specs will meet the demands for clearing out these stumps.

The thinking process is this. Another 1600 lbs plus almost 3200 lbs lift ability of the arms can help with the grubbing.

Here is my approach. Dig in about 3 feet from stump dig aobut 4-6inches and then when contact is made lock diff. raise arms to try and pull them up.

Absolutely no way. Tractors are too unstable for this type of task. And you have clay soil.

It takes a 50% increase in bare tractor weight before you notice a significant tractor capability increase. It takes a 100% increase in bare tractor weight to elicit MY-OH-MY!

Doubling the weight of your tractor would not allow you to accomplish your goal with the FEL.

 

[Woody65]

Mini-ex!!!! I purchased one and have never regretted it. I find things to do with it all the time. And it saves wear and tear on my tractor doing tasks that the tractor is not suited for.

 

[Redlands Okie]

Excavator vote here also.
IF it has to be done with a tractor I would use a stump bucket with a very narrow point. Be sure to keep all 4 tires on the ground at all times when digging and prying. Bigger tractor would help some.

Construction Attachments Worx Stump Bucket

 

[YLee Kioti]

Huisache
Acacia farnesiana

Secondary Names:
Sweet Acacia, Weesatch
Similar Species:
Honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) can have similar form and bark, but leaves are much larger, greener.


Leaf Type: Semi-evergreen
Texas Native:
Tree Description:
A common shrub or small tree with light green foliage; often forms a multi-trunked clump shaped like a fountain.
Range/Site Description:
Widespread in South Texas, with small populations extending into Brazos and Travis counties. Occurs on heavy, wet clays and clay-loams.
Leaf:
Leaves almost feather-like, 1" to 4" long with minute leaflets just 0.1" long and too numerous to count. Foliage is gray-green and twigs are armed with a pair of straight thorns up to 2" long at the base of each leaf.
Flower:
The bright, orange-gold flowers are borne in spherical clusters up to 0.75" across, in spring. Very fragrant.
Fruit:
A small brown pod, 1" to 2" long, pointed at the tip. Shiny seeds are borne in two rows within the pod.
Bark:
Reddish-brown and thin on young plants, breaking into flat ridges and shallow furrows on older trees.
Wood:
Bark can be used for tanning, dying, and ink making. Pods have been used to create a mending substance for pottery.
Interesting Facts:
Flowers were collected to manufacture French perfume in 19th century.

Thanks for sharing for those not familiar with this type of tree.
Yeah I did look at excavators but it is difficult to convey the density of these trees via a forum.
Maybe the use of the word tree is misleading?
If it was just a dozen or so of these stumps that would be the ticket. I really don't want to pull out the hundreds (countless) of roots. Just want to shear them to about a 5 to 6 inch depth. Then use BB and grab an inch or so of dirt and grade the ruts to reduce their depths and make it safe to mow.

Going to try out the serrated tooth bar as soon as the fab shop is done. An excavator would take me all summer as well since the population was so thick. That's why the dozer guy told me a root plow is the way to go. Course a dozer would pull them all out. But shearing them below grade is just fine. It'll kill them off and allow me to grade and then plant.

I'll keep you folks update in a week or so. If it ever stops drizzling down here, that is sigh....

Thanks for all the info!

 

[YLee Kioti]

Yes sir, agree was not using the FEL.
I've got a root plow. RG28.
It's the one at the very bottom Armstrong Ag - Rock & Brush Equipment

 

[rustyshakelford]

If it’s like mesquite, it will come back. Cutting them off like that doesn’t kill it. You’d be surprised how much you can get done or go the root rake option on a Dozer. The root plow is typically on a d8 sized machine and is also called a KG plow. From what you’re describing the rake would lift them up and allow you to roll the dirt out before piling

Sometimes the more expensive option is the cheaper option if that makes sense

Brett

 

[flingwing1969]

Sadly for you, even after you get everything grubbed out and leveled, you will have to fight that thorny Huisache for a couple of decades with herbicide as it really likes to be disturbed to sprout.

I think the ideas here though have been pretty good. If I had the money, I would hire a D-7 or D-8 guy with a nice set of rippers and let him/her have at it. Then they could do a rough fill job on the big holes and you could come in after with your nice new tractor and a back blade or land plane and work it over to your satisfaction. A dozer will make a mess but has the grunt necessary to do the job in a hurry. In a couple of years you won't even remember having spent all the $$$ on getting the job done.

I imagine your plan is to burn the stumps when you're done. Let's not go there. Best of luck to you.

 

[flingwing1969]

If you don't have the money to hire it done, the only alternative is to swap your time and that won't get you a big garden/pasture this year.

 

[YLee Kioti]

The kill rate according to our county agent is pretty high once the roots are cut below the crown.
The killer is that when the guys cut these all down, man there were a lot of beans hanging on these trees so there will be lots of seedling growing in the future....yeah it will be a life long battle to keep pasture in good shape.
For now though I'll have to settle for grubbing slowly and grading slowly. 7k is too big a chunk for a dozer guy, since I'm done contracting out as a Project Mgr.

Maybe later this year I'll post a fresh thread on progress.
Thanks for all the insight.
Lots of good info to consider.

 

[FM504]

Went through roughly the same process with mesquite at my place. Absolutely BROKE a 65hp tractor with a stump bucket, upgraded to a 100hp tractor and a 90hp skid steer. The skid steer and stump bucket is the answer. IMO you will eventually tear your tractor up trying to use it like that. As was mentioned before a track how with a grubber, a dozer with a rake or a good size skid steer with a stump bucket and get the roots.

 

[Coyote machine]

If you want to upgrade your tractor certainly do so. But if your main logic is to do so because you want to break the pesky plant on your property, it sounds like you will likely be disappointed by the results.
I'm with the spend more now on right pieces of equipment, see results you want as result of that decision.
Your local County AG dept may be able to assist in pointing you to people who have succeeded in your task, and know what specific eqip. to use and where to access it/rent it with skilled operator.
You may have to postpone your garden this season and save up to access the right tools for your specific job, so the outcome is once and done, vs. fighting it season after season, which could cost more in the long run.

 

[DwayneB]

Somebody good on a D6 size dozer should be able to do the job. An 8 would be better but, the cost goes up significantly. If you're any good on a dozer a lot of places have D6 size dozers for rent.

 

[rustyshakelford]

Could we get some pics of your place? If it’s what I’m thinking I could knock out 8 acres in about 2-3 days and burn as I went with a Deere 450j Sized machine

Brett

 

[bdog]

You need a dozer. No other machine is the right job for the task. Hire it done, or rent one. Wish you were closer I would make you a deal on doing it.

 

[RPW]

I'd also recommend a dozer. The rentals are easy to use and you don't have to pay for maintenance. I used a Deere 450 to clear 30 acres of Juniper trees of all sizes in an 8hr run time of the machine. Cost was about 1500 dollars.