I have a 4 acre lot. 2.5 of which is timber. It is overgrown pretty bad, and I want to “clear it out”.

I have access to a compact new Holland tractor. Not many attachments maybe a disc and boxblade.  

Rent a mini and run through there?

Skid steer with grabber attachment?

Once it’s cleared how do I go about using Tordon and not killing everything back there?

I want to clear anything that’s less than 2” diameter.

Side question:  I have a ton of poison ivy throughout my timber. Wrapping around several trees that are now dying/dead. I have chopped a lot of it at ground level.  Any better way of clearing poison ivy from trees?

Thanks guys.

Are you in good health, not pressed for time? 2.5 acres clear by hand (chainsaw) and burn.

So I’m talking cleared out to bare ground. I have a pole saw that I will take through and get the majority of it.  I like it because I can cut more efficiently down low using the pole saw. And I will carry all that out by hand easy. I’m talking root systems, stumps. I want all that out so I can run my side by side and zero turn through there. The side by side will technically only need a path, that path will be were the majority of the brush I want cleared out. I would like to spread some kind of seed that would be easy to mow every now and then.

You will need a small bull
dozer for that.

Takes a little time and a good fence
Goats ?? will have a great time and
BBQ one when done
Maybe can rent some goats or let a goat farmer have access to property

Bobcat skid steer with heavy duty mulching attachment

You can have a contractor do this for about $100 hour. Attached File

Do you know the name of that attachment?  I have a hillside by my lake that needs the same work done. Actually all around my lake.

Thanks guys. Great responses.

Forestry mulcher is what you need. I would pay someone to do it. One day and it is done. They are expensive, do wouldn't recommend buying

brush mower.

if you can spend the money. get a bid from someone with a forestry mulcher.

i consider a skid steer mounter mulcher as the best way. from what i have seen to do the type of job you described.

I don't know anything about Tordon, but I cleared 3 acres that sound a lot like yours by hand over the last 25 years (well, a D6 cleared one of them).

A product that has been a God send is an herbicide called Garlon 3A. Kills anything woody like vines, young trees, etc but leaves soft plants (ie ferns and some ground covers) untouched.
I was spending a fortune on herbicides and was led to this stuff. Available for about $180 for 2.5 gallons. I mix it 1:1 with water for stumps and roots, and about 20:1 for foliar application.
Works really well, and biodegrades into the soil in just a day or two.

Garlon 3A

Depends on the density of brush. I have a Bobcat with a shear and built in sprayer for herbicide. I am getting ready to clear another 150 acres of mesquite, agarita and other miscellaneous brush. The problem with a lot of the stuff that grows is that unless you grub the roots or spray it you just piss it off and it grows right back in a bigger mess. Mesquite is very much that way unless you remove or destroy the bud zone that is below the surface. On our ranch I can cut, spray and stack (using my shear and a separate grapple attachment) an acre in 2 1/2-3 hours. So I am looking at this next project of about 400-500 machine hours plus time for equipment maintenance, etc.

If you have the thick brush like that was posted earlier with the picture of a Bobcat and a mulcher, they are a great tool. Keep in mind however that the mulcher is a $20-30k attachment plus the cost of the skid steer. With only a relatively small amount of area to clear I would either contract it out or rent the equipment. But be prepared to revisit the area to keep it clear otherwise it is just coming back unless destroyed.

Once cleared an option to maintain the brush is a small tractor with a shredder that you run once or more a year through the area. My 6 foot bush hog on my tractor will shred at least 2 inch diameter brush. Or if it is just little stuff after you get done you could maintain with a lawn tractor or zero turn.

With regard to poison ivy, etc. the comment before about running goats is a good one. They love poison ivy and stuff like it. But you need good fences or enough good stuff to eat that they stay put. With 2 1/2 acres to keep clear it would not take more than a few goats to maintain that area. Plus goats can be fun if you can keep them out of areas that you don't want them in. We run 100-200 goats on our place and do nothing for them other than having salt blocks and water for them, shelter for cold and rainy winter weather and occasionally give them some treats so they come back to the homestead at night and away from predators.

I had a guy come here with a forestry mulcher to clear a good bit of my lot.  He charged $225/hour, and one hour for bringing the equipment.  So, for about $2500/day he chewed up trees and ground the stumps.  It wasn't cheap, but when I think about how long it would have taken me to accomplish the same results, it was well worth it.  

Looked like this when he was done:  

Looks very nice.  Have any before pictures?

Perfect use for a forestry mulcher.

Attached File

That looks fun.

I’ll put the word out to see if I know anyone with one (probably not) or start calling local rental agencies. Thanks fellers

Mine is the budget model of the above posters.


I still have 40k wrapped up in it.


Local cat store charges $3600 a week give or take.


My advice: hire a professional.

Mulchers seem easy and fun.

They’re really dangerous and easy to break.





Also, get stuck.

Go big or go home.  This is the grande size forestry mulcher.  Cost is about $340/hour.  My guy can get .5-1 acre/hour, depending on brush load.  Minimum 1 day/8 hours.

This!

My Cat Rental gets $2700/wk on one,  plus you have to carry your own insurance on it. Farmer next road over charges $75/hr w/ 10 hr minimum. He was here and gone in less than 10 hrs. Would've taken me a few hours just to get the hang of it. Not to mention a week of rental would've cost me the same as almost a full week of paying the neighbor to do it. It was money well spent bc I got to do other things instead of sit in a seat for hours.

I'm currently clearing a couple acres of over grown brush, vines, honey suckle, grapes, trees etc. 30 years since it was last tamed. It's fucking nasty hard work with chain saws, pole saw, brush cutter, and tractor.

If i had any since about me I'd hire it out to someone with better equipment.

I do, but they’re on my  2012 MacBook that just crashed - hard.  

But, if you can see what is just outside the area he cleared, it was like that.  Underbrush and medium sized pines, mostly.  

I’ve got a new laptop on the way; I’ll post some better before/ after photos when I’m not on an iPad.  


Forestry mulching wasn’t cheap; but for what I am doing, it was well worth it and the results speak for themselves.  

Is that yours NCUrk? I remembered you saying you were getting into that line of work.


I would also recommend hiring it out versus renting.  A guy that knows what he’s doing will be way more efficient.

That’s why I was tossing around the idea of renting a mini or smaller ex with a thumb and blade. I think I have a small enough lot to not need the heavy duty shit. Plus I wanna leave some cover up for hunting. I know 4 acres doesn’t sound like a lot but I’m in the middle of 1000’s of acres with lots of wildlife.

hiring it out does make a lot of sense vs renting. Especially with the cost and insurance. I know how to run a skid steer......  But a skid steer with an attachment I’ve never used, I can see that going south.

Yep. It came in last week.... (Not my trailer though....)

This.

We paid a guy $400 to clear out in front of our house. He cut everything except the 4-5 trees we wanted to keep. Cleared about 1/4 acre of grown up underbrush and small trees (and one or two big ass trees) in about 3-4hrs. Was pretty impressive to watch and well worth it.

Definitely don't regret it.

He told me he would clear cut a 100yrd x 15' shooting range for $1500. Seriously considering it.

The skidsteer forestry mulcher heads that have been mentioned are awesome, but I don't know that they are going to give you a finished product that is ready to turn into a yard.  It will definitely be ready for you do drive over with an ATV/UTV, but I think you also mentioned a ZT mower?  It will take some additional work to have it ready to seed and mow with a ZT.

Muddy slope give way? Bet the seat still has a crown from the butt pucker.

Nah. Just a little dip.  Though the area was dry, immediately sank.

Awesome.  

Best of luck in your new venture.

Thank you

What part of NC are you working in?

Mulcher would probably be the best and quickest way to get it done. I just bought a used mini excavator, and I've been using it to remove stumps, rocks, and small trees. Also using the blade to grade and smooth the ground. I wouldn't have bought it just for that, but I have lots of uses for it on our property.
Attached File

If that is towards me, I am in Carteret County. If any info is needed, PM. Don't want a COC violation... (Not a sponsor, Mods, please delete if this is wrong)

This was pretty thick woods and brush, but it's starting to shape up. Now if it would stop raining every day I might be able to get back to it.
Attached File

$200-300/hr around here.

And then you’ll be popping the ZTR tires every time you hit a stump. But still beats the alternatives.