nybirdman
Super Member
Tried a dozer,fail.It did the job but removed the top soil and then you still have piles of brush to deal with.Hire a Skid Steer and a Mulcher type head.Use your tractor to "maintain".
Tractor for land clearing and preparation
- Thread starter mboncalo
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2manyrocks
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Another factor to consider is the end use of the land. Drum mulching may indeed grind the saplings right down to the top few inches of topsoil, but the roots will still be present if you intend to plow it later.
paulsharvey
Elite Member
Retracted after actually reading the OPs situation.
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4570Man
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Get a d8 with a rake. A tractor will be way too slow and be destroyed before you’re done.
paulsharvey
Elite Member
"Good day everybody,
I'm looking to buy a tractor which will be mainly used for land clearing and preparation in the beginning. Land is full of small 1-2 inch thick trees which need to be cleared.
Short story, I bought recently 300 acres of virgin land which needs to be cleared, leveled, prepared from scratch.
Initially I was thinking to start with an 80 hp tractor with a front and loader , grapple and leveler but afterwards I had second thoughts that it might be cheaper fuel wise to start with an 50-60 hp tractor which might reduce my costs for clearing the land but I will have to buy a bigger tractor afterwards for land preparation, tilling, planting."
Based on the 1-2" thick trees (and assuming probably so 3-4" stuff muxed in); what I would do:
Bush hog everything with a good heavy-extreme duty 6 or 7 ft bush hog. That's going to smash that stuff up pretty good.
Then get a heavy duty disk; not the 5 or 6 ft ones from Countyline; a heavy disk or chopper; disc/chop the heck out of that roots/stubble; probably work it once, then come at it from 45 degrees or so; and go over it again (this is gonna be your heavy HP work); something in the 1200 lbs plus weight range
Then run a ripper-rake style attachment.
Absolutely wear the area out; and pile and burn the roots.
All of this is based on what your described; not trees; and assumes your not dealing with rocks bigger then basket balls.
I'm looking to buy a tractor which will be mainly used for land clearing and preparation in the beginning. Land is full of small 1-2 inch thick trees which need to be cleared.
Short story, I bought recently 300 acres of virgin land which needs to be cleared, leveled, prepared from scratch.
Initially I was thinking to start with an 80 hp tractor with a front and loader , grapple and leveler but afterwards I had second thoughts that it might be cheaper fuel wise to start with an 50-60 hp tractor which might reduce my costs for clearing the land but I will have to buy a bigger tractor afterwards for land preparation, tilling, planting."
Based on the 1-2" thick trees (and assuming probably so 3-4" stuff muxed in); what I would do:
Bush hog everything with a good heavy-extreme duty 6 or 7 ft bush hog. That's going to smash that stuff up pretty good.
Then get a heavy duty disk; not the 5 or 6 ft ones from Countyline; a heavy disk or chopper; disc/chop the heck out of that roots/stubble; probably work it once, then come at it from 45 degrees or so; and go over it again (this is gonna be your heavy HP work); something in the 1200 lbs plus weight range
Then run a ripper-rake style attachment.
Absolutely wear the area out; and pile and burn the roots.
All of this is based on what your described; not trees; and assumes your not dealing with rocks bigger then basket balls.
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ROUSTABOUT
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Tractor will be fine. Cut all them little trees down. Never had a cut off tree hurt a tire. I would go to town on it. I've cleared a lot of land, contracting the jobs. A good bush hog and some of them mud grippy tires, you'll be unstoppable. If in any way I think I can do with a tractor, I will use the tractor. If some trees are a little big for the tractor, get a couple of chains and pull them up.
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I was thinking about that as well...I could use a dozer but afterwards I will have to clean the land again with a tractor
Sorry for the lack of details
The land will be used for crops
I was thinking about clearing the land with a tractor because of the costs but I'm still not sure of that, it's a viable idea only if I will use less than 23 liters ( 6 gallons ) of diesel per acre
That's why I asked if it would be cheaper, per acre, to start with an 50 HP tractor or 80 HP
Clearing the land with a dozer would cost me the equivalent of 50 liters of fuel per acre (13.2 gallons ) plus cleaning the mess afterwards
Time is not an issue , only money unfortunately. I had the opportunity to buy this piece of land and now I must find ways to work on it with limited resources so if I clear most of it in half year or more, I'm ok with it. At beginning, the farming will be a side job, until it will grow. I must continue working, remotely from home, in order to support all the costs and slowly build the farm. It's not great but this is the situation I have but I'm ok with it and happy as long as my dream of getting a farm comes true.
I suppose everybody is thinking about this situation considering their environment but in my case I can't get a loan at the moment to clear the land and get a tractor at the same time, so it's one or another. If I clear the land with a dozer then I will have to wait for a tractor so I wouldn't be able to start to prepare the land for crops
Loans are a lot more expensive here as well so I'm trying to be as effective as possible.
Also the options here are very limited, there are only 3 options: clear with tractor, by hand or with a dozer.
The land will be used for crops
I was thinking about clearing the land with a tractor because of the costs but I'm still not sure of that, it's a viable idea only if I will use less than 23 liters ( 6 gallons ) of diesel per acre
That's why I asked if it would be cheaper, per acre, to start with an 50 HP tractor or 80 HP
Clearing the land with a dozer would cost me the equivalent of 50 liters of fuel per acre (13.2 gallons ) plus cleaning the mess afterwards
Time is not an issue , only money unfortunately. I had the opportunity to buy this piece of land and now I must find ways to work on it with limited resources so if I clear most of it in half year or more, I'm ok with it. At beginning, the farming will be a side job, until it will grow. I must continue working, remotely from home, in order to support all the costs and slowly build the farm. It's not great but this is the situation I have but I'm ok with it and happy as long as my dream of getting a farm comes true.
I suppose everybody is thinking about this situation considering their environment but in my case I can't get a loan at the moment to clear the land and get a tractor at the same time, so it's one or another. If I clear the land with a dozer then I will have to wait for a tractor so I wouldn't be able to start to prepare the land for crops
Loans are a lot more expensive here as well so I'm trying to be as effective as possible.
Also the options here are very limited, there are only 3 options: clear with tractor, by hand or with a dozer.
rScotty
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That's right. Hire a dozer to do the rough work. Even a big tractor wouldl take you forever and tear itself up trying. Tractors are for maintaining the ground, not for the heavy work you are facing. Yes, the dozer will leave piles to burn as well as huge ruts and the topsoil all chewed up.
That's OK because when the dozer is done is when you bring in your tractor to smooth things out. Even so, it needs to be a full size tractor for that amount of work. While the dozer is working, you can be looking for a tractor in the 75 to 100 hp range with a loader and some implements.
rScotty
jeff9366
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TELL YOUR READERS WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED.
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