Need advice on cost of hiring for land clearing

[outdoorman]

I recently purchased a 5 acre lot in rural Twiggs County that has overgrown since the previous owner moved away some 6 years ago. The area I want cleared is about 2 acres but mostly it is open with overgrown tall grasses with a few scattered cluster of pine and sweetgum saplings.
Last winter most of the grassy stuff seemed to dies away but it's back with a vengence reaching upto 4 ft height. The pine saplings have gotten 8-10 ft tall and as thick as 4-6 inch diameter; also the young sweetgum trees range in size from 2-6 in diameter.
Down the road, someone is having a wood lot cleared for building a home so I left a hand written note on the tractor/backhoe asking for a call to help clear my lot.
Today I got a call from the driver who agreed to meet me this weekend at my lot for an estimate.
As this is my first time dealing with clearing a lot I'm looking for suggestions on the best way to get a good price.
My initial thoughts are to tell him I just want the trees pushed down and pushed into the center for either a burn pile or I could rent a wood chipper at the local equipment rental yard. Then hire someone else local with a small farm tractor and bush hog to clear up the rest of the low overgrowth.
Is this the best way for saving money and how much should I expect the dozer rate to be considering the dozer is just walking distance down the road from my property?

 

[Semi-Pro]

Figure@$150 hr. You can hire a skid steer with a mulching attachment for that much

 

[Lilly001]

I paid 2 k for about 2 acres for my cabin. It was 6-7 yr old planted pine.
I had the trees piled up and I burnt them.
I had to do about a full day of clean up with a tractor and grapple before I was able to build up the building pad.

 

[livinoutdoors]

To be honest with ya the work you described seems like its overkill to bring in a dozer. Other than the fact he is just up the road it may be cheaper just to cut the trees and bushhog it.

 

[dusty200001]

To be honest with ya the work you described seems like its overkill to bring in a dozer. Other than the fact he is just up the road it may be cheaper just to cut the trees and bushhog it.

it would be. Mow now and cut trees as you have time.

 

[outdoorman]

I appreciate all the great ideas; I think I will hear what he will charge for piling up the trees. They are more than I want to have to cut by hand.
I will check to see how much a forestry mulcher would cost.

 

[K80]

I appreciate all the great ideas; I think I will hear what he will charge for piling up the trees. They are more than I want to have to cut by hand.
I will check to see how much a forestry mulcher would cost.

Find out if they are running knives or hammers. A machine with equally good operators A knife head should be about 30 to 40 percent more productive in thick stuff over 3 inches in size. A large kubota, JD, or similar with hammers should be in the 150 to 175 hr range while a large cat or asv with hammers skills be in the 200 to 300 range depending on size of job and other variables. The Operator is just as important as knives vs hammers.

 

[roscoe54]

I had someone in Dodge last year clear some of my land up with a Mulching Machine 4 to 6 inch pines and hardwoods did a great job 150 and hour

 

[Bruiser]

The guys at EMCAR did a great job mulching a few acres on my property. Good guys.

https://m.facebook.com/pages/catego...-Environmental-Solutions-LLC-106997260871529/

 

[outdoorman]

Decided not to go with the Dozer after his quote of $2500 .
I have since found a local rental of compact kubota tractor with bucket and 5 ft bushhog delivered for about $250/day.

 

[outdoorman]

I am concerned about running over something with the bushhog I can't see due to the overgrown grass. I'm thinking of scouting out the lot before renting to stake and flag any obstacles I find.

 

[outdoorman]

Anyone know how long it will take for pine saplings to season enough for a burn pile? I figure when it gets cooler, I'll cut and pile the pine saplings.

 

[livinoutdoors]

Anyone know how long it will take for pine saplings to season enough for a burn pile? I figure when it gets cooler, I'll cut and pile the pine saplings.

Not long at this time of year. Now, do this at your own risk with rental equipment, but you would be suprized the size tree and limbs you can mulch up with a bush hog. If you cut and pile stuff you can back the bush hog up to it and lower it down. It will mulch it like a forestry mulcher. I have done this with privet, pine, cherry limbs, oak limbs, etc. Start small and learn your limits. Builds your soil over time and can help keep weeds down.

 

[tucker80]

Anyone know how long it will take for pine saplings to season enough for a burn pile? I figure when it gets cooler, I'll cut and pile the pine saplings.

Pile them clean and tight as possible, heavy stuff on top to push it down. Get you one of the weed/brush torches that run off of a 20 lb propane tank and they'll burn. May have to rinse and repeat, but they'll burn.

 

[buckmanmike]

$2500 dozier quote may sound high, but its his equipment, his operator, his risk.
What happens if you rent a tractor with a mower and then you run over the engine block left in the weeds? I like to limit my liabilities. A dozier can just push the engine block out of the way and bury it.
I'd suggest you have the operator dig a burn hole, push everything into it, and come back later after you burn to cover.
We were fortunate to have a neighbor farmer that had a dozier and excavator. Had work done on our land when he was using equipment on his. It took several months to get done, but no charges for showing up. He literally drove equipment over the imaginary line.

 

[Bob2010]

I'm contracted with someone to clear 2 or so acres. The work will include.

1. Cutting saw timber size oaks and pines and taking them to the mill. They keep the little pay for fuel.
2. Removing all the pulp wood and small stuff.
3. Removing all of the stumps.
4. Burning stumps and tops.
5. Stump remains to be burried.
6. Grade the area and grade in 800' LF of road bed.

13k. For this work. Seems high until you factor in a back hoe, dozer, log truck, and a Cutting head. Plus operators for the equipment. Fuel and insurance is high dollar right now. $6500 an acre is reasonable really. Sounds like your place could be done with a forestry machine. Mulch it all! My trees are too big . Probably 200 plus trees on my place.

 

[Jud Taylor]

Give me a call at 478-231-6349 I can help you out!!

 

[Bob2010]

Making progress on our clearing. Got a great company helping me. They have around an acre to still cut. Stump removal is next after wood gets hauled to the mill. Pretty exciting watching it come together. Going to have lots of grass to cut.

 

[longrangedog]

Your rental tractor/bush hog isn't going to do much with 10' tall 4-6" diameter trees. You may have other ideas on dealing with them but decided to throw this out just in case. Two issues with a tractor/bush hog combo are 1) everything you want to cut you pretty much have to run over first. 2) bush hog drive trains are protected by slip clutches or shear bolts. Neither would do well on 4" diameter trees. If you are inexperienced hiring help probably is your cheapest and definitely your safest option.

 

[Crakajak]

You could get the Ga forestry commission to cut a fire break and you can burn it since it is mostly grass.Then you can get to the trees easier to cut.