Hey All -
(It is not my intention to hijack the OP's thread. So if this belongs in a new thread, Mods please feel free to move.)
This is a great thread. I ran across it when I discovered this forum. Like the OP, I too am also strongly considering buying a piece of equipment to clear about 25 acres. I'm a total noob when it comes to heavy equipment. My experience has been on the farm with a couple of tractors.
One difference between me and the OP, is that I'm in central Texas and my property is completely overrun with Huisache (Wee-Satch) trees. They have zero value and are a major nuisance, full of thorns and nasty to clear by hand. The majority of my trees are in the 2 to 6 inch diameter range, but there are a handful that are 10 inches or more. The tallest is about 20 feet. The average is probably 10 to 15 feet. They have to be ripped out by the roots or they re-grow. If you just cut them, you have to spray the cut stump with Remedy to kill the plant. I've cleared about 5 acres with a JD farm tractor and a 3-point Turbo Saw, but man is that slow going. I also have a 3 point tree puller and I can pull most anything that is about 5 inches or less, but again, very slow going.
There's been a lot of good suggestions to the OP on this thread. My question is, for you guys who have made a specific recommendation to the OP, would your recommendation stand for the type of work that I need to do, or would you modify your recommendation?
Thanks -
Christopher