My third post: Best way to clear brush

[miltrade]

I'm new here, so if I ask too many questions, forgive me. I own a horse farm in VA, about 13 acres or so. The previous owner did nothing whatsoever to clear brush from the areas outside of the horse pastures (we are about 1/2 cleared and 1/2 wooded). I have a JD 4200 tractor with brush mower, finish mowers, Front end loader, forklift attachment, and blade.

I am trying to clear brush and debris from the wooded areas just outside my pastures and around the house in order to cut down on insects (flys, mosquitoes, etc) and to create a generally better appearance.

I borrowed a neighbors yard rake attachment to try to do some clearing and it worked ok, but it was difficult to make piles because the 3point hitch will only lift the rake a couple of feet and I can't get enough clearance. I have also tried to use the FEL, but it doesn't work that well. I have no teeth on my FEL. The neighbor said that the best way to clear brush is to get teeth on the FEL and drag it backwards.

While I have pretty much figured out that the only way I am going to get the fallen trees is to cut them up by hand, I can't figure out a way to then clear all the brush and debris effectively. Also, I can't run my brush mower through there to cut down on the summer growth, insects, and snakes because of all the fallen debris.

Can somebody please tell me what is the best method? You can make out the kind of area I need to clear of debrish and brush if you look BEYOND the pasture in this photo. Thanks.

 

[RonR]

If you don't keep a mid mower on that unit, make sure the belly does not have exposed senisitive parts, such as hoses and plastic fans, etc.

Our Kubota's have sensitive undersides, and driving them through brush is an excellent way to mess up the Bota tummies, unless you have a skid plate deal to protect it.

ron

 

[HomeBrew2]

This may not be a viable solution for you but, I just hired a local guy with a machine like this to rid my creek area of the types of brush you describe. He'll charge me $500 and save me at least a couple weeks (straight) of work that would be pretty tough on my BX. It shreds loose brush and downed trees to a mulch. The BullHog.
Cheers!

 

[miltrade]

That is one awesome machine. The question would be how do I find somebody that has one of those?

 

[LarryD]

There's lots of wasy to attack that job, right up to bringing in a bulldozer and striping everything down to dirt, probably more impact that you're looking for.

I would probably just tie on to the down trees and drag them to a burn area. You'll be surprised how much other stuff will reveal itself, by this I mean things bad for a brushhog. Once you've cleared in a few feet, brushhog that section and start over.

 

[Farwell]

I have found that by dragging the downed trees out, a bunch of brush gets cleared in the process. A grapple hook or a boat anchor fastened to a chain or strong rope pulled through the brush helps as well. I also use a brush whacker (a weed whacker with a saw blade attachment), this is not tractor time but will help clear things until you get the big stuff out so you can use the brush hog.
A bulldozer will finish the job faster than anything else but I agree with the impact may very well be more than you want.
Farwell

 

[KubotaSteve]

I did what Farwell said to do. I hooked to down trees and while dragging them up they pulled out alot of other stuff and what it didn't drag out it crunched up pretty good. I then used the landscape rake to clear it out. To solve the problem of the pile, I just pulled the piles and left them lengthwise then pushed them together with the loader.

 

[JimMorrissey]

I agree with Larry, Farwell and Steve. Sometimes you'll simply need to get off the machine and tackle the big stuff manually. Brushsaw and chainsaw sound good, then use the landscape rake to drag and clean up. A chain tied to your bucket or drawbar to pull the bigger brush is a good idea. Pulling is better than cutting IMO, but it's also more work. Eventually you'll be able to use your brushhog without worry and you'll get the know the terrain pretty well from having to walk it.

I'm quite familiar with the neglect aspect.....I'm still trying to clean up my place two years later of the most random stuff one would think should be taken to a landfill/transfer station, not dumped in the back yard!

You could also try one of these for your machine (attached picture). Don't think they are out of the question $$ wise. Worth looking into for your size property. Basically it's a hydraulic root rake with grapple.

http://www.addingtonequipment.com/

BTW Mil....nice place!

 

[miltrade]

Thanks, these are good suggestions. I will try the log-pulling method of getting some of that stuff out. It's tough with turf-tires, but I'll still give it a go. Also, sometimes it's difficult because there are many 4 inch diameter saplings that block the path so I can't just go cruising around. My intention is to try to push those all over with the tractor and then drag them out as well. I want to clear the brush and saplings out, but leave the large hardwoods, so I have to conduct this whole operation amongst the trees, most of which are 80Ft plus, some about easily 130+. Another complicating factor is that I have to drag each log up, out, and around the fence to get it it any sort of area to burn. It's a real pain in the ****, but I don't see that I have any other choice.

Another problem with using the yard rake is that it didn't only gather up branches, leaves, etc. It also brought up a lot of soil. So the "brush" piles I made seem to be half dirt, half brush, which is difficult to burn.

Whose idea was it to buy a farm anyways?? Oh yeah, it was mine.

BTW, the leafless bushes that form a crescent shape in the photo mark the location of a Confederate field house from the civil war. I'm always digging up mini-balls, tent stakes, ceramics, and other stuff when I mess with the soil in the field just on the other side of the fence from those bushes.

 

[Soundguy]

A toothbar would be nice... helps you pick up that debri.. etc.

Some hand cutting to make pieces small enough to fit your bucket may be needed.. or you can skid the smaller ones out.. etc..

Soundguy

 

[JimMorrissey]

Very cool historical site. Amazing....

Think about driving into the mess with a chain and just chaining onto the saplings/trash wood and pulling them out by the roots. Then put it aside and keep pushing in. Gather up the mess on the way out by piling onto the loader arms, between the arms and the back of the bucket. Carry a bunch to the burn pile and dump. You'll need chain hooks welded to the sides of your bucket or a D ring welded inside the bucket so you can cleanly pull the junk out by the roots.

 

[dmccarty]

miltrade,

I just got a DR Mower to help clear out the brush around the house. The tractor is just too large to get into most areas of the woods and at this time of the year some areas are too wet as well. The DR can get in there and cut up 2.5 inch diameter saplings. My MX6 is rated to cut the same size material. I'll still have to get in a use a chainsaw on down trees and limbs but the DR clears the way for the chainsaw.

I'll use the tractor to take out pallets of firewood. Tops and trash I think I'm just going to leave in place and just rot. The DR does a good job of mulching up most of the saplings it cuts down so only large stuff falling from/with trees will be left.

Later,
Dan

 

[JimMorrissey]

Sound, The problem I've had here with cutting is that six weeks later the mess is worse than before because the saplings now have twice as many stems! I suppose if you cut it off close to the ground it should kill most trees, however a lot of "trash" trees will root sprout. One also then encounters the problem of cutting perfectly straight so you don't have sharp stems sticking up ready to get somebody or a tire. I've had good long term luck with a few wraps of a medium sized chain and bit of throttle /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[miltrade]

dmccarty , the idea of leaving the stuff to rot is the reason I am trying to get this stuff cleared in the first place. Local folks in the area with knowledge tell me that the fallen logs and rotting wood are the prime breeding grounds for deer flys, horseflys, ticks, and snakes. I have been on the property through one summer and the deerflys were so bad I had to basically dress in a biohazard suit to even go outside to work, regardless of how hot it was. I want to create an environment outside my pastures that are basically clean and clear of everything except for large trees. Then, in the spring and summer, I can just run through there with my three-point brush mower and keep everything clean.

JimMorrissey, is it recommended/feasible to pull the saplings out using the drawbar or is the FEL essential? Seems to me that using the FEL for this purpose subjects the hydraulics and hoses etc. to unnecessary strain.

 

[dmccarty]

miltrade,

If you have to remove the brush, your options are fire, chipper, and FEL work. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Like I said the DR Mower does a pretty good job of mulching what it cuts. Bigger sapplings don't seem to get mulched as much. If you leave a stick on the ground that should not be a breeding ground or hiding place. If the stuff its just lying on the ground rotting I would not think you would have as much of a bug/snake problem.

Ticks and chiggers we have. Chiggers and tick like plants that are 12-24 inchs tall. At least in my area. Especially chiggers. Keeping this kind of brush cut down does help. BUT as long as you have deer and other animals feeding the tick and chiggers you are going to have tick and chiggers. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif I think the only way to really remove them is with controlled burns.

I don't go into my woods in from spring until the first freeze without dressing for ticks and chiggers. Mowing should keep the chiggers down but ticks will still be there but hopefully reduced. I have been the host of quite a few chigger infestations. I ALWAYS pick them up in grass/brush 12-24 inches tall. Momma chigger likes to lay the eggs on brush that will rub up against an animal. I'm not sure she would lay that on dead wood. I know I have never gotten chiggers from dead wood. Ticks will be in the leaf litter as well as grass/brush. I won't say I have not picked up ticks from dead wood but there would be dang few. Usually its the same scenario with chiggers as with ticks. 12-24 inch tall grass/brush. BUT I have seen ticks running across gravel to get to me. They see ya they will run for ya. Ye just need to move faster or see them first. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

If you have piles of wood that might attract the snakes. But I don't think it will do much for the ticks and chiggers. I have noticed that the bitting flies seemed to like tall grass/brush. Remove it and their population decreases.

You can use your FEL to pull up saplings with no strain. I have notice the DR Mower will pull some saplings out of the ground before munching.

Pallet forks are really useful to carrying large amounts of brush. You have to manually stack it on the forks or pile the brush up first so the forks can get under it but it works pretty well.

Later,
Dan

 

[capt_met]

miltrade,
another option might be to rent a skid steer with a flail mower attachment on the front. you could at the same time rent a root grapple for it. you could use it to clear all the brush and small trees up to 3"-4". then clear all the trash with the root grapple. you would still have to clean the larger stuff but at least would be working in a clearer area. and you wouldn't be worried about damage to your tractor.
good luck,
metin

 

[Wesdor]

I have about 20' of cable that has a clevis on one end and a clip on the other end. This saves wrapping a chain around brush. I back up to a honeysuckle or multiflora rose, wrap the cable around it, snap the clip and then get back on the tractor and pull. Once it is out, I use the FEL to push things into a pile to burn.

Another option that I have found useful is to back up with the box blade, hit the offending brush a bit high and then come in low for a second pass. Last week it was really nice here in Illinois and I pushed out a lot of honeysuckle, goosberries, and multiflora rose.

The biggest thing in my mind is to either work at it slowly or spend $$$ to hire someone to bulldoze it out. I have a lot of wild flowers in the timber and prefer to use the lower impact method.

 

[Defective]

I just watched the action video. All I can say is HOLY ****!!!

I don't want to be anywhere in line-of-sight when someone is grinding standing trees with that thing.

Awesome destructive power tho...

 

[HomeBrew2]

HA! The outfit I hired is a retired guy who does the bidding and a youngin that runs the machine, on the weekends. After I showed the older guy what I wanted done and he concurred that it would be about a half days work, I commented on what a b!tchen machine it was cuz I looked it up on the net. He said, yeh. Then he moved a sparse lock of hair to reveal about a 1" gash, healing, on his upper forehead. He added that he was 150' away when he got tagged. I said, cool. He didn't seem to appreciate that. I don't think he's lived in these hills all that long /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Defective]

Last time I saw that much shrapnel, I was wearing a flak vest and diving for cover. Still spent a couple of hours getting excess hardware removed.