Land clearing - best use for tractor

[Tunaslayer]

Hello all,

I have a small scale land clearing project I started in my back yard. Mainly brush and dead logs. The area is only about 3/4 of an acre. I plan on keeping most of the healthy trees, and just trying to get it so there is no undergrowth, roots, and stumps. So my question is, other than a root grapple, which I know is probably the best but out of budget for me, which implement would you recommend for grubbing up all the small roots and junk. I have an area designated for a compost pile I can drive into with the tractor, so disposal of the material is handled. I am leaning towards a landscape rake, as it would be useful for maintenance in the future, but not sure. Tractor is a L2501 - love it...

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[mdhughes]

The Piranha tooth bar works really well at cutting off and digging up small trees and roots. I paid $309.00 for mine.

 

[Tooljunkie]

Between the tooth bar and backhoe you should pretty much be able to clean it right up. A set of bolt on forks would help with moving brush piles. A grapple bucket would be the ticket but if budget doesent allow then tooth bar and forks would be the cheapest option.

My L1501 with home made forks on three point will move a massive pile of brush. I was shocked when i first tried it.

 

[D2Cat]

Tunaslayer, here's an idea for you.

I fabricated this simple hay fork years ago out of material in the "bone pile". You could easily build something similar to pick up the brush after you get it loose.

I actually used barbell rods for the forks. Put ears on each side to slide over the lip of the bucket. Welded a chain to the back with an "0" on the end which went behind the bucket and over a ball I have in the center of my B8200, which was the tractor I made it for. The chain has a tightener welded on one end to keep it snug on the bucket.

Something like this and a Piranha tooth would make it pretty easy.

 

[zoomy]

The tooth bar is good. You can rent a grapple if needed. The grapple will really speed up the project since you won't have to chain up logs to move them and less hand work moving brush piles.
Be careful when using a tooth bar or grapple when digging out brush and sapplings near trees that you want to keep. You might damage the feeder roots and injur or kill those trees.
By the way, that is a nice looking piece of property and a beautiful house you have.

 

[waross]

By using a bucket or forked bucket to tear out the stuff you don't want, you could also do significant damage to the trees you wish to keep. The roots which feed a tree are found in the top 3 inches of soil and spread out beyond the drip line of the tree. It would be better to cut down the trees you don't want and grind the stumps. Thereby doing less damage to surviving trees. Plus overuse of the tractor in the area would compact the soil. Another thing that would harm remaining trees.

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[bearskinner]

I have a piranha on my BX and a Grapple also. These two are the ultimate for removing ankle sized trees, and all the brush, then picking it all up to dispose of. I have done two areas creating more yard space, and mowable lawn around the trees I did keep. The Piranha hooks into the trees and takes them right out of the ground with roots intact.
What would take you two weeks with dragging out the trees and brush, can be done in a half of a day with the Grapple, not to mention you are not on and off the tractor 100 times a day.
Use your Piranha to dig a burn pit, load it and start it, so it will keep burning down while you just drop on more brush and trees.

 

[Spectre381]

I used (use) an attachment called the Ratchet Rake for doing the stuff you're talking about. Similar to the Piranha tooth bar, but even more aggressive. Makes very quick work of underbrush, vines, saplings, etc. Here's a pic of it on my B2650...

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[RCW]

By using a bucket or forked bucket to tear out the stuff you don't want, you could also do significant damage to the trees you wish to keep. The roots which feed a tree are found in the top 3 inches of soil and spread out beyond the drip line of the tree. It would be better to cut down the trees you don't want and grind the stumps. Thereby doing less damage to surviving trees. Plus overuse of the tractor in the area would compact the soil. Another thing that would harm remaining trees.

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What waross said is worth consideration, especially on a decent slope like you have. Guessing in Massachusetts upslope from and near a lake or pond, there's quite a bit of clay-type, wet soils?

Looks like white pine and some hardwoods (oaks?) mixed in? Both will be rooted in the top foot or two. Both are pretty hearty.

If you get too over-zealous, could have windthrow of trees in a wind storm. Since they are all small crowns (tree tops), there is also less diameter of the root system holding the trees up. Not to be scary - you've got good stock there. If you open it up too much, gives much more effect of the wind.

But still, I really like my Piranha Tooth bar. Just don't overuse it, or make the woodlot a highway for compaction issues.

There are few trees in there I would get out, too. Cut 'em down, get them out, then after a few months, clean the stump up.

Good luck, and great looking spot!!

 

[Tunaslayer]

Thanks for all the replies! This site is great. I do understand the compaction issues, and want to save as many of the trees as possible. I use to work a tree farm, and consider myself a steward of the land. I consider myself lucky to have a nice stand of trees, and would like them around for years to come. I have found most of the feeder roots in high traffic areas, and try to stay off them, but I want the area to not be completely reclaimed by the brush. This was my thought process for the rake, as I could gently remove most of the small roots after loosening the top soil with the backhoe. Just finished removing two pretty big stumps. This little tractor can really dig!! I was shocked how easy the diggin was once through the Pete moss layer. All sand, with some small rocks. The prospect for future projects looks good with this machine.


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