More brushhogging ????

[s1120]

Ok sense I am out shopping for a tractor, and a brush hog, I thought I should know how to use it.

I have a lot of saplings in my woods that I want to cut down. Most are about 1in, to 1.5in. Will a brush hog do this? Also do you run into the trees with the tractor to knock them down then mow over them? Or can you back the cutter into them. Seems like you would tear up the tractor running into them.

Any other tips you guys can give me? I don’t have the tractor yet, but it will probably be an older tractor, with out live PTO. I do plan on using an overrunning clutch on it if that’s the case. Thanks for any help, I can use it./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[s1120]

Here is some of the trees I am talking about... Oh BYW the waters gone now.

 

[Thomas]

When we use to keep the fence line clear,we used first gear and went slow also raise the mower deck just a tad from the lowest setting,for you might come arcoss where a small tree has grown over a rock etc../w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif than we would walk the area to double check for rocks etc..than lower the deck to the lowest point and mowe back the other way.

When going into the trees etc..just keep an /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif open to protect your grill & motor etc..and if you should come upon thon apples trees,I would try and back into them w/the mower first.

Protect yourself to the fullest and keep an /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif open for thos hanging bee hives. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[s1120]

Thanks Thomas. I am planing to do some of the hevy stuff this fall, winter, spring. when the under brush is down, and I can see better. I was also toying with the idea of making some type of a removable woods bumper, to knock the stuff down first. But I guess I need the tractor first before I plan to much./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Thomas]

Sounds like you got a good plan Paul..and I'm sure before I know it I be scanning the TBN post and notice post..Got one yippe etc..you have a grand of a working tractor w/attachments /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif and do send photos. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[jinman]

Paul, when I first began to clear land of small postoak and blackjack oak trees, small bushes, and cedar, I was always at odds as to whether to use my rotary cutter or boxblade attached to my 1954 Ford Jubilee. I honestly think the boxblade worked much better for small saplings like the ones in your picture. I'd push backwards and get the saplings down, then pull forward with the rippers to jerk the roots out. If the tree was big enough to push over including the root ball, I'd pull/push it out and make a pile to later burn or fill a gully. What I found with the rotary cutter was that I'd always get my confidence a little high and end up breaking a shear pin or stalling the tractor. Once, while cutting, I couldn't stop quickly enough and drove a small dry branch (pencil size) straight through my grill and radiator. On old tractors and many new ones, you don't have any front protection for hazards like that. I now use my FEL on my new tractor as a shield for front damage.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that you can use a rotary cutter, but you better carry a bunch of shear bolts. My real preference for clearing brush like yours would be a boxblade. ...my two cents.

 

[s1120]

Thanks, I never thought about using a box blade. Sounds like it may work. Also good tip about the sticks hitting the rad. May have to add a grill screan to my idea of a woods bumper.

 

[BigDave]

Some of the trees are bigger than 1.5", do you plan on take them down with your brushcutter? I am in the process of converting some overgrown woods into shaded lawn leaving trees 5" and larger. I have a steel blade on a Husqvarna brush cutter which works on trees 5" and smaller. For 0.5" and smaller, I use trimline. It's expensive (~$600) & heavy (~20lbs) for a weed whacker, but would clear the larger stuff in your area no problem.

I'll post two pictures for comparison. First a representative before shot.

 

[BigDave]

After shot, well actually it's the intermediate shot, I'm not done yet. I now need to rake/leaf-blow the leaves out of there, remove the stumps, level, and then plant grass.

I'm not saying go out & spend $600, but instead I'm just showing you a toy that you could add to your collection. /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[s1120]

Ya thats what I am planing to do. I do not want to clear cut, just thin it down a bit. I plan on chain sawing the bigger ones, once I can get to them.

 

[MossRoad]

When I use to use a 5' 3pt hitch brush hog on my IH2500B I would come up on saplings and put the bucket on 'em and push them over, then drive over them and send them under the brush hog. This worked OK, except for the occasional tough sapling that would pop up and, like the others have stated, poke the grill, hydraulic cooler, radiator, underside of the engine compartment and anything else that they could find. For really thick stuff, I would have to back into it over and over again. Very uncomfortalbe after a few hours.

Now that I have my Power Trac PT425, with the brush hog out front, I am convinced that this is a better way to go. I am amazed with the ease of use. I got more done in 1 hour with the Power Trac's 48" brush hog than I did in two hours with the 5' hog on the IH2500B. The IH2500B was rated at 50PTOHP and the Power Trac PT425 engine is rated at 25HP, so the hydraulic PTO is probably less than 15HP given the losses and such. I still can't believe what a great job it does. And all of the stuff is chopped up and gone before I have to drive over it. There is not much for the brush to poke under the PT425 anyway, becuse it is pretty much a solid steel skid plate from front to back.

Now I don't expect you to go out and buy a Power Trac as you mentioned purchasing an older tractor, but I thought you might apprectiate some thoughts from someone who has used both.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=powertrac&Number=182915&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&fpart=>Here's a link</A> to a thread on our PT425 brush hog. About 10 posts down there are 4 or 5 photos of some land that I brushhogged some trails on several weeks ago. Hope you enjoy them. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[s1120]

Mossroad,
I would love to get a Power Trac. I think it would do what ever I needed it to do on my land. I just don't have the cash at this time to spend a lot on a tractor. When, and if I do have the money to buy a new, or newer tractor, that will be first on my list to look at. But hay, a beat up old, taped together tractor, is better then none./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[MossRoad]

I completely agree with you. I bought my IH2500B used for the "take down weight" and the price. With the filled tires and heavy duty FEL it weighs close to 8000# and my primary jobs were to excavate, knock over big trees and finally brush hog. Now that I got that out of the way, and when I could afford it, I stepped over to the PT425. It can't do the really heavy stuff like the IH, but I don't need it to.

Also, I believe, if you are careful and find a good used machine, you can't beat it. The HP for the dollar in used tractors is hard to beat.

 

[tdenny]

s1120,

I have "mowed" over many alder saplings but they seem to be about half the size (diameter) of the ones in your picture. I found the most successful way for me to clear with the hog was to back up on to the saplings. This works well and then later on I go over the remains in the forward direction. So far I've cleared saplings completely off of about 2.5 acres. A couple of tips you've gotten so far include 1) Go slow, and 2) Watch out for hornet, wasp nests. Last weekend I was clearing around a nice cedar tree and almost ran into a huge bald faced hornets nest that was about my eye level. Scared the living #$%* out of me. Good luck.

 

[jtcweb]

I have alot of brush with vines (Oh how I hate those vines) grosing on them. I back into it with my Ford 9N with 5' brush mower. That way when I get booged down, I just drive out.

 

[s1120]

<font color=red>I back into it with my Ford 9N with 5' brush mower. That way when I get booged down, I just drive out. </font color=red>

Thats what I was planing to do. Seems to make sence to me.

 

[KYFARMER]

S!!20, I can not believe you are going to cut very big trees with a 9N. I have cleared about 40 acres with a 5000 series tractor and a 6' brushhog(Rhino TW72). It will cut anything this 67 HP tractor will ride over. It will not cut it well. It will leave sharp pointed stumps that caN CAUSE REAL TIRE PROBLEMS the next time over. I NEVER raise my mower up higher when I mow over a tree because I want that stump/stob to be as low as possible.
In this area we have some thorn trees and multaflora roses. Since they are death on tires, I tend to mow around them until I am done with that area then starting on side of field I back over them and work my way over to the other side thus avoiding driving over them with my tires.
It is also a must to have guards all the way around the mower to avoid throwing stuff out the sides.