# Clearing trees.



## Ingersoll444

Well A lot of my land is 10-15year old trees. These are EVERYWERE, an in the summer it is so filled in, you cant get in to mow. Well, last weekend, was SOOO nice, I took saw in hand, and started cutting. I mush have took a good 50+ trees out. Right now, I am just leaving a stump, and later I will go in and eather cut them flush, or pull them. Probably just cut flush for now. WAY to many to dig.


Here is a shot of a big section I did......

<img src=http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=78472>

As you can see I have a LOT of work to do!!!!


----------



## Greg

How big are the trees, Paul? How big is your property. Cutting down trees on a crisp morning....Ah, a winter tale for sure.


----------



## guest

its always nice in the winter to see what the land actually looks like.. in the summer i get so much overgrown brush.. you cant tell where to walk or not.. the winter is definetly the best time to design paths and clear some trees..


----------



## Ingersoll444

SJ,

Ya thats what I am thinking. I want to get a lot cleared, so I can just go in with the brushcutter, and knock down all the underbrush. I have all this land, and it does not eaven look like it goes with the house. 


Greg,
I have 4.5 acres. About 2.5 is feild/lawn, the rest is BIG oaks, surounded by all these tiny trees. Of the small ones, some are two-4" in dia, but most a little twiggy. Just to big for the brushcutter.


----------



## Ingersoll444

another look at what I have ahead of me....

<img src=http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=78477>


----------



## John-in-Ga

Ingersoll444,

Great pictures and I can see you need to clear some under brush. 

Is this a way you’ve cleared ground before? The reason I ask is: its been my experience that if a tree is small enough to pull it easier to do it with the top on; as far a cutting stumps flush, every time I tried that the mound of ground around the stump has sunk leaving the stump too high to mow over. Maybe you can explain what I’m doing wrong.


----------



## Ingersoll444

Well I tryed pulling the whole tree. Problem is, that waven though they are tiny in Dia, they are REAL tall!! Some 40-50' streaght up. I also had the "stump growing" problem, but this part of the yard for now, will be just cut with the bruch cutter. I will worry about it later when I turn it into a lawn.


----------



## Chipmaker

I have to agree with John in GA. If its only two inches or less in diameter I would hook up to it and pull it out. Anything larger I cut as close to the ground as possible, or leave it high enough that I can still see it (yes its an eyesore) and work at them a little at a time to get the stumps out. Too short and the grass grows up and hides them, and your bound to hit it with the rotary cutter mor lawn tractor, and there goes a blade, shear bolt etc...........nothing worse than hitting a low stump hidden in the grass...


Is your property fenced........get some goats...they will make short work out of the undergrowth, and over a period of time will have it reduced to nothing. Sure is much easier to run a fence around and turn the goats loose and let em eat and do the brush removal while I sip a cool one 

My goats stand up on their rear legs and reach up into the trees and limbs and have it pruned more uniform and neat than you could do by hand. I can stand and look right through heavily wooded areas and its clear from the ground up to about 6 feet or so. They will keep that area cleaned out pretty well.


----------



## Live Oak

If you can't pull them out with a choker cable hooked up to your tractor; you need one of these:


<img src="http://www.stihlusa.com/graphics/trimmers/FS450k.gif">


FS 450 K Brushcutter/Clearing Saw  

I have one and she works like a champ! It can cut down trees up to 4 inches and even 5 inches in diameter if you are careful. The brush saw blade allows you to cut the stumps off just about even with the ground.


----------



## Chipmaker

I also have a brush cutter, but its made by Jonsered..Have had it since earl;y 80's and it sure saves a lot of back work and bending over when dealing with numerous brush and saplings...Chainsaws and brush are a bad combination, especially if you have lots of small brush around. ....its easy to initiate pull in or kick back.


----------



## Ingersoll444

Ya Chip, I play that game before. I did all that with a hand saw. More work, but safer, and good exersize to boot.


----------



## Ernie

Looking good Paul....I wonder if you try to bush hog (brush cut) if you wont high center you cutter and beat the hell out of it or having to replace shear pins often..

Other than the small stuff are removing it all? as in a mowing grass type yard???


----------



## Ingersoll444

Well for now I am hoping to just get some grass type weeds, or mostly just some thing growing, and I will just keep it trimmed with the brush hog. As time allows, some of it I will level out, and plant some real grass in. But for now, I just was a rough yard, so I can go through it in the summer.


----------



## slipshod

*Clam Bucket*

That is the best thing I have found for clearing land of trees up to four inches. I drive at the tree on an angle with the clam open , turn sharply into the tree with the gap around the tree,then bend the tree a bit, close the clam, push forward, then pull back. Ussually I can then just go up with the tree still in the jaw and pull it right out of the ground roots and all. No double handleing either I drive it to the pile and let go. Also works great for picking up the pile. 
For smaller trees, up to about an inch and a half I just drop the open clam around them and bite close to the ground and drive forward. The brush and small trees I take out get piled out of the way and I try to leave a hollow in the pile. It gives the bunnies good cover The larger hardwoods get cut into firewood, and anything over about eight inches go as saw logs.
My situatiion is a bit different then yours as I am reclaiming the plant for planting and pasture. Thus far I have cleared approximately a dozen acres over the last three years, working mostly in my spare time.
Clam Bucket: Best extra $1,000 I spent when I bought my Deere! I dont even carry a chain on my tractor and no climbing up and down or trying to figure out how to grab things.Also no chasing a pile around trying to get things in the bucket, just take a mouthful and move it!


----------



## Live Oak

That gets a BIG "Tim the Toolman Taylor" grunt Slip! Arrg, Arrrrrrg, Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrg!!!!!!  :thumbsup: Nice shot!


----------



## ducati996

I would also suggest renting a stump grinder, and maybe something like Slipshods PTO 3 pt setup....or the hydrolic lever activated stand alone types....easily can do 8" or more below surface

If you are not going to build on top of those stumps, then grinding might be the quickest way...otherwise they must come out. You could possibly rent a backhoe as well

Ducati


----------



## Greg

Slip said...."That is the best thing I have found for clearing land of trees up to four inches."

<img src=http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=79318>

If that's a 4" tree...how do ya get on that tractor??:furious: :furious: :furious:


----------



## cimochowski

thats a really nice bucket. with small trees i won't pull them ill rip them out with the bucket. 9as for brush i use the rear brush cutter. and anything else, just use a chain saw. i remember i wanted to clear land for a paintball field and i probably spent a whole winter with a bow saw and loping shears. when i had finished i was tired, but proud. and the next day my dad used a bush hog and chain saw and did as much as i did in one day. so now i use the chainsaw for bigger trees, and i just pull them right out with the bucket if their smaller.


----------

