grownup fencerow:

[KiotiJohn]

I have a smaller backhoe than you would get on a DK55, and I've used it for your jobs as well as many others. Yes, you can use a backhoe to dig out old fence and brush, etc. But you can also hook chain, or nylon rope around much of it and pull it out with a tractor that size.

I don't know how much fencerow you're needing to eliminate, it could take a while. As MikePA stated, you may want to rent a dozer or the like if you feel that this fencerow thing is going to be the only need for a backhoe, but in my case, I use mine a lot.

My backhoe was back ordered when I first bought my tractor, and I pulled a lot of saplings and vines out of my fences with chains attached to the drawbar. It was a lot of on and off the tractor kind of stuff and took quite a while, but did the job admirably.

For lighter work, a toothbar on the loader can also do a lot of clearing of that type of material, but if it's old growth stuff with a lot of roots, it may not be appropriate to use the loader. You'd be surprised how much you can get out by first pushing over the fencerow and then digging at the roots with the toothbar.

John

 

[KiotiJohn]

I have a smaller backhoe than you would get on a DK55, and I've used it for your jobs as well as many others. Yes, you can use a backhoe to dig out old fence and brush, etc. But you can also hook chain, or nylon rope around much of it and pull it out with a tractor that size.

I don't know how much fencerow you're needing to eliminate, it could take a while. As MikePA stated, you may want to rent a dozer or the like if you feel that this fencerow thing is going to be the only need for a backhoe, but in my case, I use mine a lot.

My backhoe was back ordered when I first bought my tractor, and I pulled a lot of saplings and vines out of my fences with chains attached to the drawbar. It was a lot of on and off the tractor kind of stuff and took quite a while, but did the job admirably.

For lighter work, a toothbar on the loader can also do a lot of clearing of that type of material, but if it's old growth stuff with a lot of roots, it may not be appropriate to use the loader. You'd be surprised how much you can get out by first pushing over the fencerow and then digging at the roots with the toothbar.

John

 

[tf116]

Thanks for the Welcome....I agreed about the one time job, and renting or hiring it done....
but I had to replace septic lines recently and it cost me 1800$ using same tank,plus had to dig by hand back to house....I could of saved a lot of money and hard diggingby hand, if had a backhoe....
I am buying the backhoe because I need to dig a lot of ditches, clean out a pond , do some work for my brother who has a farm up the road ,and lots and lots of fencerows.....if it was just the fencerows,I would be better off buying a dozer....then I couldn't buy a tractor.....
I have been looking at a grapple setup that looks great for ripping out old fencerows,posts,etc....or I could use a backhoe , with maybe a thumb attachment?....
I have used a scraper blade to clear brush also . drop the blade and back up....then pull forward.....also pulled out brush with a chain and drawbar.....like the idea of teeth on bucket though....
have also dug with an 800ford and FEL loader....It didn't have PS so I would lift the whole front of tractor , turn the wheels and drop it back down.....noticed that the DK55 will not lift the front wheels off of ground....
Basically I guess what I am saying is that I need a loader and also a backhoe for several different tasks and will be using both off and on for several years.....
I'm no longer young and don't work,like i use to....I sort of work when I feel like it.....Nice huh!....You folks have really helped me a lot on this forum and I appreciate it....buying a new tractor to me will be like going from a bicyle to a cadilac .....Thanks again.
Mike

 

[tf116]

Thanks for the Welcome....I agreed about the one time job, and renting or hiring it done....
but I had to replace septic lines recently and it cost me 1800$ using same tank,plus had to dig by hand back to house....I could of saved a lot of money and hard diggingby hand, if had a backhoe....
I am buying the backhoe because I need to dig a lot of ditches, clean out a pond , do some work for my brother who has a farm up the road ,and lots and lots of fencerows.....if it was just the fencerows,I would be better off buying a dozer....then I couldn't buy a tractor.....
I have been looking at a grapple setup that looks great for ripping out old fencerows,posts,etc....or I could use a backhoe , with maybe a thumb attachment?....
I have used a scraper blade to clear brush also . drop the blade and back up....then pull forward.....also pulled out brush with a chain and drawbar.....like the idea of teeth on bucket though....
have also dug with an 800ford and FEL loader....It didn't have PS so I would lift the whole front of tractor , turn the wheels and drop it back down.....noticed that the DK55 will not lift the front wheels off of ground....
Basically I guess what I am saying is that I need a loader and also a backhoe for several different tasks and will be using both off and on for several years.....
I'm no longer young and don't work,like i use to....I sort of work when I feel like it.....Nice huh!....You folks have really helped me a lot on this forum and I appreciate it....buying a new tractor to me will be like going from a bicyle to a cadilac .....Thanks again.
Mike

 

[Highbeam]

I guess we don't have "fencerows" here. We do have lots of briars and brush though that grows up around fences since you can't mow through them, is that a fencerow? If it is then why the heck don't you just brush hog it? I realize the fence posts and wire will be an obstacle but if the brush material has trunks thinner than your wrist then just chop it up. I have cleared these briars up to a dense treeline by raising the loader and smashing the brush down, then spinning around and chopping it up with the mower.

I have also run a dozer along the fenceline with the edge of the blade right beside the wire. Occasionally turning away from the fence to deposit the pile of briars inside the field before getting another blade full. This work would have easily been done with a brush hog.

Brush clearing is very satisfying. So is a nice, clean, and straight fenceline.

 

[Highbeam]

I guess we don't have "fencerows" here. We do have lots of briars and brush though that grows up around fences since you can't mow through them, is that a fencerow? If it is then why the heck don't you just brush hog it? I realize the fence posts and wire will be an obstacle but if the brush material has trunks thinner than your wrist then just chop it up. I have cleared these briars up to a dense treeline by raising the loader and smashing the brush down, then spinning around and chopping it up with the mower.

I have also run a dozer along the fenceline with the edge of the blade right beside the wire. Occasionally turning away from the fence to deposit the pile of briars inside the field before getting another blade full. This work would have easily been done with a brush hog.

Brush clearing is very satisfying. So is a nice, clean, and straight fenceline.

 

[tf116]

what about the wire? and posts?....what I have is a wood post with a woven wire fence nailed to it.......but it is really grownup with brush and such......I have done like you said and raise the hog up and dropping on the brush and letting it rip.....works great,but never tried it on metal wire?......
Maybe I can pull some posts with backhoe and drag posts,wire and all out of the way and pile it up and then brushhog the fenceless row? 57acres that hasn't been farmed since around 1980 some....
fence encircles entire farm, plus three fields that are fenced?.....
thanks Mike

 

[tf116]

what about the wire? and posts?....what I have is a wood post with a woven wire fence nailed to it.......but it is really grownup with brush and such......I have done like you said and raise the hog up and dropping on the brush and letting it rip.....works great,but never tried it on metal wire?......
Maybe I can pull some posts with backhoe and drag posts,wire and all out of the way and pile it up and then brushhog the fenceless row? 57acres that hasn't been farmed since around 1980 some....
fence encircles entire farm, plus three fields that are fenced?.....
thanks Mike

 

[coasterez]

Well, you certainly have quite the job in front of you. I had a similar situation on a smaller scale (only about 100' of fencerow). I pulled and pushed the whole thing down, rolled and piled it all up. Then I burned the brush and posts after it had dried for a few weeks. The wire fence left behind was then rolled up and hauled to the land fill. But, be careful. That wire really aireates the brush; makes for a huge fire, albeit short lived. I burned mine while it was raining on the third day of a steady downpour.

Anyway you cut it (no punn intended), it's a huge undertaking if you have much fencerow at all. Separating the brush from the wire, and then disposing of the wire is a real problem. I would think a bunch of wire would just destroy a brush hog. Or at least you'd spend a lot of time clearing wire from the spindles. Hence, it seems to me that a FEL with tootbar and grapple is your best bet.

Good luck my mountaineer friend.

Tom

 

[coasterez]

Well, you certainly have quite the job in front of you. I had a similar situation on a smaller scale (only about 100' of fencerow). I pulled and pushed the whole thing down, rolled and piled it all up. Then I burned the brush and posts after it had dried for a few weeks. The wire fence left behind was then rolled up and hauled to the land fill. But, be careful. That wire really aireates the brush; makes for a huge fire, albeit short lived. I burned mine while it was raining on the third day of a steady downpour.

Anyway you cut it (no punn intended), it's a huge undertaking if you have much fencerow at all. Separating the brush from the wire, and then disposing of the wire is a real problem. I would think a bunch of wire would just destroy a brush hog. Or at least you'd spend a lot of time clearing wire from the spindles. Hence, it seems to me that a FEL with tootbar and grapple is your best bet.

Good luck my mountaineer friend.

Tom