we are in the process(and this is a LONG process) of restoring some overgrown fields to pasture. I have been using a loader and burning the debris, but we have some areas that are not as easy to work with the loader, and I would prefer not to watch the topsoil wash away. Most of what we are clearing is autumn olive, va pine, cedar. Diameter is under 8" for the most part. About 90% is olive. I am hoping that if we can have someone use a forestry chipper on the land we can reduce the prep work, and just seed over the chips next spring. We are not looking for a perfectly flat finished bed or anything, just enough to bush hog over and let the chips rot into the soil. would anyone know what type of price per ac I could expect? Clearing with the loader I am about at $450/ac with my time as nothing. We have cleared about 35 Ac so far, and have about that again to do in the coming year.
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clearing land would a forestry chipper be cost effective?
- Thread starter hokie97
- Start date
Tones
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- Ex land clearing contractor, part-time retired
Hey mate,that sounds like a job for a forestry mulcher and a hole lot quicker than using a chipper.The cost per acre will be alot dearer than pushing & burning.Can you post up some pic's so others can comment.
Cheers Tones
Cheers Tones
some pics for a good idea of the land
Tones, thanks for the response! I have a few pics I will try to post here. This is about 10ac completed this year with the pile and burn method. I have an estimate on a large forestry chipper or mulcher for about $900/ac. I can rent a bobcat for about $1200/day, but think my learning curve would bring it in around the same cost. Let me know what you think.
Tones, thanks for the response! I have a few pics I will try to post here. This is about 10ac completed this year with the pile and burn method. I have an estimate on a large forestry chipper or mulcher for about $900/ac. I can rent a bobcat for about $1200/day, but think my learning curve would bring it in around the same cost. Let me know what you think.
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qwikDraw
Member
Is your estimate from some one who came out and took a look or from a conversation? Most of my jobs average in the 7-800 per acre range but if you have many trees in the 8 inch range it could be higher.
The bobcat will have trouble in 8 inch material, it'll do it but it won't be fast. Our local dealer rents a Bobcat T300/Fecon for $750 per day.
Any closer pictures?
The bobcat will have trouble in 8 inch material, it'll do it but it won't be fast. Our local dealer rents a Bobcat T300/Fecon for $750 per day.
Any closer pictures?
Tones
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Hokie,thats a real nice bit of ground you have there.The biggest problem using a chipper is that it leaves the mulch in heaps or thickley were it is stationed.Using a forestry mulcher spreads the mulch around a lot better and is a one man one machine operation I will try to post some pic's of what I mean.This job was done using a RC100 and a Fecon mulcher
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Thanks for the replies. I do not have any closer pics, but the qutoe was from a company that came out to the site. They say is may be less, but here is our estimate utnil we get into the wood. THere is some 8"+ but not mcuh. Sure wish I could find that bobcat/felcon set up around here for $750/day. Of course I would spend some time getting up to speed on how to run the head correctly.
qwikDraw
Member
Hokie,
Is the 8" trees softwood? and the rest scrub? I've been looking at those picture and think that the $900 may be a bit high. Especially with a job of 35 acres and not much work out there.
How far north in VA are you? I'm heading out to PA to price a big job and I'll be working in NJ at the end of the month...
Is the 8" trees softwood? and the rest scrub? I've been looking at those picture and think that the $900 may be a bit high. Especially with a job of 35 acres and not much work out there.
How far north in VA are you? I'm heading out to PA to price a big job and I'll be working in NJ at the end of the month...
quikDraw,
We are just east of Front Royal(or about 1 hour from DC). all of the wood is pine, cedar, or autum olive(scrub). Right now I am going to start with about 5 acres to see how the process finishes and seeds. To this point I have been pushing the trees with a loader, and burning the piles then seeding in the fall. I am hoping this emliminates the back dragging, and York raking that we have to do to get the soil reasonably smooth. The compnay I am thinking about working with says it should be a 2 day job to do the 5ac. After this I hope to have a clear idea which method is time, and cost effective. I am pretty sure this is much to small of a job for you, but if we decide to finish it this way we may be able to chat.
We are just east of Front Royal(or about 1 hour from DC). all of the wood is pine, cedar, or autum olive(scrub). Right now I am going to start with about 5 acres to see how the process finishes and seeds. To this point I have been pushing the trees with a loader, and burning the piles then seeding in the fall. I am hoping this emliminates the back dragging, and York raking that we have to do to get the soil reasonably smooth. The compnay I am thinking about working with says it should be a 2 day job to do the 5ac. After this I hope to have a clear idea which method is time, and cost effective. I am pretty sure this is much to small of a job for you, but if we decide to finish it this way we may be able to chat.
surfer-joe
Senior Member
From a medical standpoint, chipping or mulching is very much preferred by your asthmatic neighbors compared to burning. I know burning is cheaper, but as an asthmatic myself, I just hate to see piles of timber and brush burning if something else can be done with it like using a hammer mill or a tub grinder. The smoke and ash really foul up the air and it spreads for miles and miles downwind, causing breathing problems for a lot of folks.
The mulching machine would be an excellent procedure for your property, I think, not much they won’t turn into mush. A chipper would work alright too. Just load the chips into your barnyard manure spreader and churn them out over the fields. You also might be able to sell them to a Lowe’s, Home Depot or maybe a local nursery for consumers to buy.
Use some of the brush as small animal habitat in a pile. Rabbits love them as do many other little critters.
Good Luck!
The mulching machine would be an excellent procedure for your property, I think, not much they won’t turn into mush. A chipper would work alright too. Just load the chips into your barnyard manure spreader and churn them out over the fields. You also might be able to sell them to a Lowe’s, Home Depot or maybe a local nursery for consumers to buy.
Use some of the brush as small animal habitat in a pile. Rabbits love them as do many other little critters.
Good Luck!
earl1957
Member
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- Was a welder on high pressure gas pipelines
does anyone have a long tractor 510
Trakwork
Well-Known Member
Just a suggestion: Buy a dozer at auction, pile and burn , dig out an area large enough to bury the ashes etc. Relist the dozer for sale.
Iron Horse
Senior Member
The cheapest way to clear that country would be to use a Tordon axe and accept the fact that it will be 4 years before it's all rotted away . The leaf mass will be gone in a short time and the grass will then grow as the light gets in and the trees aren't sucking up all the water . The cattle will be able to graze the area soon after .
qwikDraw
Member
Hokie,
Did you have it done yet? How about some pictures. I checked out Lotscapes web site and they look like a good company with good equipment. I'm sure they will do a great job.
Let us know how it comes out.
Did you have it done yet? How about some pictures. I checked out Lotscapes web site and they look like a good company with good equipment. I'm sure they will do a great job.
Let us know how it comes out.
