What' best way to clear 5 acres of stumps, slash, and regrowth?

[jdonovan]

With something like the above, say 12" or smaller dia, would a small track hoe get the job done?

Eventually.

3,500lbs is overall weight, they don't list lift capacity

Dig force is somewhere between 75%-100% of weight.... usually.

Any thoughts appreciated

I wouldn't want to go stumping on a rental with anything less than about a 15T.

I've got a 5T and there are more than a few stumps that I have to work at to get out. But its bought and payed for, so my only 'cost' is fuel & maint.

 

[Carl_NH]

ChiefPa.

I would suggest at least a 8-9000Lb class (KX121 Kubota for example) with a thumb as a minimum for 10-12" and it will still take a while.

You might be better off hiring an excavator with an operator - I see them in this area for $75-100 an hour for the big machines.

 

[dave1949]

I vote for the hired excavator, cleaner burn pile and fast. You could have the stumps piled up in one or two windrows down the center, or thirds, of the field. That way while you are walking around hand picking scraps of roots, you are never far from somewhere to throw them :laughing:

If you let the windrow dry for two-three years it will burn much better. Fresh stumps are slow or no burners.

Dave.

 

[Chef Pa]

Roger that, thanks for the comments. Downside is I wouldn't get to play with an excavator, but I don't want to be at it for two weeks either.

 

[VA MTN MAN]

Dozers, dozers, dozers---No, no, no.

Old technology.

Dozers seem to be popular because they have been around a long time, but track hoes, excavators, whatever you want to call them are much more efficient. They will tear up the ground less, they are faster, cheaper and can be more selective about what goes into the pile. With a dozer, whatever is in front of the blade goes into the pile. With a track hoe they can be selective and less dirt goes into the pile. And the track hoe can groom the ground as well as a dozer can--maybe even better.

Take it from someone that has owned and run both for over 35 years, if the stumps are under 16 inches or so the dozer will work circles around an excavator in the amount of time it will take. As far as pushing the dirt a good operator will only push the stumps and the site will only need to be seeded or at most graded with a tractor after the dozer. There will be a lot more finish work with the excavator. Unless you have a lot of time to waste dont even try it with one of the mini excavators. Here the rent on a good size dozer would be about 2500 a week and you would finish in a week or less. the small excavator would probably cost 800 a week and you would be lucky to finish in 2 months. A larger excavator would cost around 1800 a week and it would take a couple weeks mainly due to slow clean up and travel time taking the stumps to the pile asumming you are wishing to pile the stumps on the edges or out of the way. Hope this helps.

 

[Western]

Take it from someone that has owned and run both for over 35 years, if the stumps are under 16 inches or so the dozer will work circles around an excavator in the amount of time it will take. As far as pushing the dirt a good operator will only push the stumps and the site will only need to be seeded or at most graded with a tractor after the dozer. There will be a lot more finish work with the excavator. Unless you have a lot of time to waste dont even try it with one of the mini excavators. Here the rent on a good size dozer would be about 2500 a week and you would finish in a week or less. the small excavator would probably cost 800 a week and you would be lucky to finish in 2 months. A larger excavator would cost around 1800 a week and it would take a couple weeks mainly due to slow clean up and travel time taking the stumps to the pile asumming you are wishing to pile the stumps on the edges or out of the way. Hope this helps.

I agree with this!! I have hired this out twice in the last 6 months, a good dozer operator is fast, clean and efficient for me, either way you'll have a hole and a dozar is good at finishing out the dirt. The only spots my guy tore up was some track marks where the bigger stumps where and of course the holes. I did a little "touch-up" with my tractor, but it wasn't needed.

I had about an acre done (I had already cut most off and stored for fire wood) Thick woods, mostly Oaks, he did it in 1 day with a D6, that included load and un-load. Far cheaper than I could have done it myself with a rental.

Good operator is the key IMO

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Brush and small tree clearing gets done all the time where I live. Root rakes will dig the roots right out of the soil and leave you something you can actually cultivate and plant.

Video Clearing Trees with Root Rake.MOV - YouTube

Cats around here also get fitted with longer teeth, kind of like a multi-tooth subsoiler on the rear in place of the cable winch. To clear acres of ground you need a lot of horsepower and an operator who knows how to clear ground.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Wow! There is a ton of great information here.

Here are a few updates/clarifications specific to my situation.

#1 - The loggers cut all the trees at about 1" to 3" max (basically at ground level.

#2 - The area of the clearcut is also the area where they setup the loader so there is quite a bit of slash and some minor soil compaction in this area.

So here is what I have learned thus far. I think...

A - Don't bother with a small track hoe, go big or go home (true for both excavators and dozers).

B - A skilled operator will be more $/hour, but should be MUCH fewer hours and in the end a net savings.

Now I have a couple aditional questions.

a) - What about the heavy equipment mulcher/grinders (like the 300 hp John Deere I mentioned way above)? How much problem will I have long term with the stumps 6" or so under the turf? I plan to have horses in this pasture, I don't want broken legs, etc. In effect, how does mulching/grinding the stumps and slash compare to popping the stumps, raking and burning?

b) - Is it possible to rent a heavy equipment mulcher, or is my only option to contract it out?

c) - I do not have 2 years to let the stumps dry out. I need to get this done so I can quit paying boarding fees. So... How do I burn green stumps (most of them are pine (at least 65% to 85%). AND, How do I prevent a large fire like this from spreading to the other 42 acres of mature forest (i.e. my crop) or my neighbors forest that borders this area on all 4 sides? I have to say the idea of lighting a gigantic bonfire intimidates the **** out of me. My house (and therefore my well) is not close enough, and will never provide enough water to put this fire out.

Thanks again to all commetors :thumbsup:! I hugely appreciate your sharing your wisdom and experience with this newbie.

David

 

[Reg]

Dave,

I am looking to rent I believe. I have another thread where I got a Craftsman 18HP tractor with front and rear blades and other attachments but it is way too small I suspect.

I am also considering getting a contractor to do it.

I've spoken with a person with a 300hp John Deere stump grinder tractor (but I worry about rotting stumps making sink holes over time).

I've talked to one dozer guy (pretty spendy just to pop the stumps and make a burn pile).

My state forester wants me to use a track hoe because it tears up the land much less.

Add to this, I'm a computer geek and city boy by history. this is all new to me.

I think the sink hole issue is much greater for buried stumps, due mostly to the included air (oxygen).
Stumps that are ground down will decay so slowly that e-v-e-n-t-u-a-l-l-y you will get shallow depressions, not something I would worry about for horse pasture - for a riding arena it would be a VERY DIFFERENT issue !

 

[Larry Caldwell]

B. Not only will a skilled operator get the job done quicker, but he will give you a much better idea up front of how much it will cost.

c. Pile the stumps and slash together and burn them. A big pile will burn for days, and it helps to fold the fire every day or so. You keep it from spreading by burning in the rain. Once you get a big pile going, rain won't put it out. Get the clearing done and build your fire piles, but don't light them until conditions are right.