Best options for managing 40 acres of heavy woods?

[orangekuby]

I'm looking to buy something that I can manage my 40 acres for hunting. It's mostly thick aspen (95% is under 3 inch diameter) that I want to cut down part of, and trails through other parts. I'd like the option of being able to plant small corn fields, but not absolutely necessary.

Originally I was thinking a track skid steer with a brush mower/blade would work well, but doesn't give me the option of tilling. I've also heard "rent a skid steer, buy a tractor", but I'm not sure if there's any tractor attachments that would be able to handle the woods.

Thoughts on what to buy? What would be best for my situation and most usable in the future?

 

[85Hokie]

Is this hills or mainly flat land?
Any moving of dirt or gravel or anything like that in the future?

 

[orangekuby]

It's mainly flat, constant gradual slope that is not really noticeable. I don't plan on moving a lot of dirt, but there is a gravel drive way onto the property I'd like to maintain which also has a few massive rocks (~3 ft) that at some point either need to come out, or get buried further (probably come out, the winters will eventually push them up anyway).

 

[Oliver]

I laid my trails out to miss most of the larger rocks and trees so I mostly cut 1-3" ones. For doing this I used my UTV along with a chain saw, loppers, and a straight shaft trimmer with a brush blade. I didn't dig the small trees up instead just cut the stuff close to the ground to drive over. I only used my tractor, a B7500, in a few places to move an outcropping rock and carry a few loads of stone.
As far as changing a section of your woods to field it might be best to hire a larger machine for a couple days to clear the trees roots and all.

 

[lewgar]

I bought an MX5200 earlier this year with backhoe and FEL to handle a similar 50 acres. The 50 acres are a lot of hills and woods. Cut a lot of trails as well and maintain the land. Bought a LaneShark as well to brush hog and maintain trails, love this attachment. Box blade to grade and maintain the trails, but that will be for the spring/summer, have yet to use it. Gotta pause for hunting season.

 

[ken erickson]

I had very dense Scot pines in the 3 to 6 inch range on my 56 acres when purchased. I converted 28 of them to open oak/savanna prairie. The initial removal of the Scots was handled by a contractor that has a tracked skid steer and Fecon forestry mulching head. What is nice about forestry mulching is that the trunks can be brought right down to soil level. Even so with his machine he spent 6, seven hour work days mulching @ $175 per hour.

A year after the land we were able to no-till plant even with the remaining mulch. I think it would be tough to rototill however until what is remaining of the underground stumps and roots break down. Which for pine is pretty quick.

I purchased a L2501 with grapple and have a box blade and other implements . I now can remove scot pines, roots and all, in the area that was mulched but it is slow going.

Just my observations but you may want to consider forestry mulching initially and following up with a tractor brush cutter/box blade to maintain.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

Some random thoughts:

How much time do you have? How will you dispose of the brush? You mention tilling some, so getting the stumps out will be necessary. I used my L35 to make a trail through sycamores and tulip poplars up to 4 - 5 inches. The smaller ones you can work the loader bucket under and pop out. The larger ones, I pushed over with the bucket up higher and then backed up and pushed them out with the bucket at ground level. This worked in fairly sandy soil but in hard soil, the larger trees tend to break rather than pull up. It's also ok for smaller areas but pretty slow. It can be hard on the tractor - you have to be careful and there's a lot of hoses and wires hanging under there for stobs and roots to damage. The L35 is tougher than the average tractor and I bought it used knowing I wasn't going to baby it. I'd be reluctant to use a new one like I have this one.

So I'd say if you have plenty of time (oh yeah, I'm newly retired and don't have a deadline to get this work done) and are careful you can do what you've described with a tractor. But if you want it done quickly, you'd probably be better off hiring a dozer and root rake to clear, then using your tractor to maintain.

 

[orangekuby]

The land is mostly sand and black dirt. It's roughly 15 acres of plantation pines that I will thin out with a chainsaw, and 20-25 acres of dense but small aspen that's been let go for 50 years. The aspen have almost no roots below the surface, and I can usually push/pull them over with an ATV. Unfortunately, avoiding rocks is not possible. There are massive rocks in random pockets everywhere.

I don't plan on disposing of the brush other than either piling and burning it and/or mulching it. I also have as much time as I feel like dedicating to it. I already planned on spending a month or two worth of weekends on the initial go around.

My hope for the first year is get a small plot opened for clover, couple trails in/out of the main areas and in general setting it up for better diversity of trees. There are plenty of oaks starting, but they are currently choked out by the aspen and have not had a chance to grow well.

I have a straight shaft brush saw, but that really is not feasible for this type of work. After a 10 hour day I really did not make a dent. The forestry mulcher would be best and fastest, but I'd prefer something I can continue to use to maintain the land and trails.

 

[UpNorthMI]

The big question is how big is your investment budget for equipment and how do you see yourself using a tractor longer term?

I have well over 300 acres of woodland and face this same issue constantly on a much larger scale, irrespective of budget you will need time.

I would strongly advise you to start by first making a clear plan with an order of priority, you need to be realistic about what can be achieved and focus on your plan, it's easy to go off in several directions.

Consider if you really want to take on the work, cost and investment versus contracting the work out, contractors with the right equipment will do things much more efficiently and allow you to focus your efforts and investment specifically on what you want to do in the future.

 

[PaulL]

On hiring out - my advice is to do the things you enjoy doing. If any of those tasks become a chore, hire it out. Usually hiring out works out cheaper, so if you're not enjoying it better to pick up a few extra hours at work and pay someone to do the jobs properly.

 

[nbryan]

I love my B2650 in the woods/bush. Turns on a dime, fits tight areas.

 

[Oliver]

I agree, B series and small L's work pretty well in tight spaces. For my woods/trails set-up I put the small 48" bucket on, ballast box holding loppers and mattock (or rear blade) and chain saw in the SawHaul scabbard.

 

[sdk1968]

yep you need a tractor....

think about all the things you can do with it... stumpgrinder, woodchipper, bush hog, brush grabber, ground drag, tiller....

i do all these things with mine. its all about TIME. do you have time to do it yourself?

BUT: if you just want to clear a massive amount of ground quickly? a skid steer with a forestry mulcher on it just cant be beat. those dudes make what you pay them worth every nickel for rapidly clearing ground.

 

[nbryan]

... SawHaul scabbard.

Show and tell about the scabbard please?

 

[Oliver]

I don't really have a good image but it's mounted on the left loader arm. It looks like I have my small battery saw in it here but I usually have my gas saw in it. https://www.gearhaul.com/products/sawhaul-complete-kit-for-tractors

 

[MNVikingsGuy]

My two cents as an owner of 70-ish acres of mixed woods and wetlands with long driveways and tight trails. Get an LX3310 (or B2650 for a little cheaper or L3901 for a little bigger) and then hire out the heavy tree removal to a skid steer with tree mulcher - those things do the work of 10 men with 5 tractors when it comes to trail/road clearing.