Brush Clearing- Whats best

[timeout]

Brush hog or flair mower are out, its not little rocks. It literally is rock, no picking them up without a backhoe. Our skid steer loader requires both tracks (think tank style) AND 14 ply foam filled tires in combination to move around out here; thats what we used to remove the large trees that covered the place originally. The original tires that came on it lasted less than a month... Took 3 years of nearly daily work but by god is it wonderful looking. We dont drive a truck off the roads because thats asking for an instant flat.

Don't know where you are geographically but it sounds like you may want to consider regifting it to the native Americans!

 

[Mulligan]

Nothing a good broadcast burn wouldn't take care of in short order.
CW

Edit
Get with your local state forest service and see if they can help..... your trying to improve "wildlife habitat"

 

[savagedasher]

I never have seen herbicide clear anything but it will kill what is there . Larry

 

[MrMajestic]

Ryobi makes a unit that you can put different attachments on the same power head. I have the pole saw attachment and it uses two sections to get 8 foot. You can just add one and it should make it just the right length for you. It sells At Home Depot and isn't expensive at all.

 

[dbduff]

Would suggest you talk to your cooperative extension agent. From what you are describing, you're not the only one trying to control or eradicate what's growing on your property. The locals will have figured out solutions, some legal and some not so much. Cooperative extension will have a solution, or at least tell you what to expect,for your efforts.
David Duff

 

[spife7980]

I'm just north of San Antonio. The various offices aren't too interested in it at this stage. We had a deal with the soil conservation society for the original clearing which they would pay for half of a given method (we went machine) so instead of hiring someone to clear with a dozer we took the money bought a skid steer and shear and did it ourself paying my cousin as his job through college and came out even cost wise but plus a skid steer and cleared land. We also had to replant with native grasses after the burn and I'm trying to avoid burning this soon with them still struggling against the kr bluestem were surrounded by on all sides. But the cedar still come up with it having burnt most stuff as we moved it out from under the remaining big oaks, birds pooping seeds, the burn not 100% smiting it all.

I'll have to try that ryobi attachment as a cheap first option. I already have one of their big battery units I use around the house here but never even though about it for this.

Word had it that there was some cedar blight that a&m was working on that would wipe them out and it was getting studied for other ramifications before being widely distributed but I haven't heard anything on it in a couple years now so I'm sure it failed for some reason but it would have been really nice to just give the cedar a single small pox blanket.

 

[Mulligan]

I'm just north of San Antonio. The various offices aren't too interested in it at this stage. We had a deal with the soil conservation society for the original clearing which they would pay for half of a given method (we went machine) so instead of hiring someone to clear with a dozer we took the money bought a skid steer and shear and did it ourself paying my cousin as his job through college and came out even cost wise but plus a skid steer and cleared land. We also had to replant with native grasses after the burn and I'm trying to avoid burning this soon with them still struggling against the kr bluestem were surrounded by on all sides. But the cedar still come up with it having burnt most stuff as we moved it out from under the remaining big oaks, birds pooping seeds, the burn not 100% smiting it all.
I'll have to try that ryobi attachment as a cheap first option. I already have one of their big battery units I use around the house here but never even though about it for this.

Word had it that there was some cedar blight that a&m was working on that would wipe them out and it was getting studied for other ramifications before being widely distributed but I haven't heard anything on it in a couple years now so I'm sure it failed for some reason but it would have been really nice to just give the cedar a single small pox blanket.

You could use a torch and 20lb propane tank to spot burn during greenup so the Fire won't carry, cedars cannot take much heat. No bending and the tank stays on the 4-wheeler.
CW

 

[snert]

Old Gravely 2 wheel unit and a 30 inch round deck with a heavy brush blade. I suggest a mid 1980's power unit of 12-14 HP, Kohler, and any Ebay round deck and blade you can find. I used one on saplings up to 6 feet tall and 1 inch diameter (some goofy thorny scrub bush native to every place I wanted to have grass in a hillside in NY). Just walk it up to the scrub brush, tilt it up, eat the tree, move on. I did several acres with little effort in a day

 

[snert]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gravely-pro...376924?hash=item2cbe3f3edc:g:134AAOSw~y9ZAgcx

Here is one with a seat (no need for it). Great old machines...and no, I have no affiliation, just pulled this example as just that, an example

 

[Joe Salt]

Find someone with a Forestry Machine!
That should do it.

Joe Salt

 

[timeout]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gravely-pro...376924?hash=item2cbe3f3edc:g:134AAOSw~y9ZAgcx

Here is one with a seat (no need for it). Great old machines...and no, I have no affiliation, just pulled this example as just that, an example

And it's located in San Antonio! Doesn't get any better than that.

 

[ebb]

Longbow

 

[msinc]

Check out a flail mower

And when you do.....be sure and check out the price....he's saying he don't want to swing a $1000 weed eater. There is no doubt that a flail mower is the most effective tool for this job...but, like most every "best" thing it is not very cost effective. That is why only state highway administration and the bigger commercial guys are about the only ones that have them.
If a weed eater costs too much then stick to the clippers. There is nothing I know of that costs less and works, save a match. I clear a lot of brush just like you are describing and I use a 3 point hitch 7 foot bush hog on the back of my 55 Hp Kubota. I hit rocks all the time and it makes a lot of noise and slings them across the field, but so far nothing has been damaged. Don't get me wrong...by no means does it do the blades a heck of a lot of good....but nothing's been hurt....yet.
What about a nice razor sharp machete??? If it's sharp one whack will do it.
Hire someone to come in with an excavator to move the big rocks as a long term thing...believe me, with brush that keeps on growing and needing cut a bush hog, the bigger the better is worth every penny.

 

[Ringostar]

Just out of curiosity, why do you want to get rid of cedars? They are a natural mosquito repellent.

 

[Dos XX]

Flame thrower/torch. You can also burn the needles off your prickly pears and the cattle can eat them.

 

[338 Mollett]

Daisy Cutter !

 

[ED3]

Nothing a good broadcast burn wouldn't take care of in short order.
CW

Edit
Get with your local state forest service and see if they can help..... your trying to improve "wildlife habitat"

Cedar, like most conifers, is extremely susceptible to fire.
In the midwest, they're called 'prairie burns/ restorations' and cedar is considered a non-desirable invasive.

 

[wapiti25]

ATV with a tank and spray boom. Doityourself pest control is reasonable on sprays, I use a lot of Houncho Plus (Round Up).

 

[spife7980]

Just out of curiosity, why do you want to get rid of cedars? They are a natural mosquito repellent.

Because they are invasive to the hills, they are only native to the valleys because they used to be held in check by wildfires. And you gain so much more grazing per acre with them gone. We dont even have to move cattle to a different pasture or feed hay in winter where as we used to have to even in a not particularly prosperous year for grass. Just that much more available. And they are water suckers, some places that have removed them have had their natural springs start to flow again. There is literally no reason to have them and every reason to remove them.

 

[Mulligan]

Because they are invasive to the hills, they are only native to the valleys because they used to be held in check by wildfires. And you gain so much more grazing per acre with them gone. We dont even have to move cattle to a different pasture or feed hay in winter where as we used to have to even in a not particularly prosperous year for grass. Just that much more available. And they are water suckers, some places that have removed them have had their natural springs start to flow again. There is literally no reason to have them and every reason to remove them.

^^^^^^^exactly corrrect^^^^^^^^^
Eastern OR is doing some major eradication and having success with springs returning. Omitting wildfire changes the ecosystem in many ways, ways nobody could have imagined.
CW