Best Equipment for Lot Clearing

[kylemac]

Hey Guys,

Just wondering what type of equipment I should be renting best suited to clear my lot for my 30 x 40 shop im going to build. Im clearing a piece that has about 30 trees on it and am actally gonna clear about a 60x80 section as I am doing a 12 foot lean too off the side of the shop the whole 40 foot length and then gravel the rest for storage of boats etc. Not sure if a mini ex, skidsteer or dozer is best for doing this work, and what would work the best for the situation. My ground is a lot of sand below grade which I believe should make it easy to pull the stumps, I am also doing a 200 foot separate driveway to the road for shop access and looking for the machine I rent to be good for building up grade, moving gravel etc I figured a mini ex would be best but then again the material moving quantity isn't the greatest as I cant hold a lot in a bucket and the blade on a mini ex doesn't seem like it can move much dirt for levelling. Anyways any help on this would be great.

Thanks

 

[Spencer Was Here]

In the hands of an experienced operator, the dozer would be the most efficient piece of machinery.

I've operated a fair amount of other types of equipment, but never a dozer. Even with all the experience I have using other equipment, I'm not sure I'd feel confident enough to rent a dozer for this task. I get the impression they are not ideal for the inexperienced.

 

[Farmall450]

In the hands of an experienced operator, the dozer would be the most efficient piece of machinery.

I've operated a fair amount of other types of equipment, but never a dozer. Even with all the experience I have using other equipment, I'm not sure I'd feel confident enough to rent a dozer for this task. I get the impression they are not ideal for the inexperienced.

^ Agree.

 

[DetachedGarage]

It really depends on how big the trees are. If it is just brush and smaller trees a skidsteer with a clearing attachment would be best.

 

[James-W]

I agree with the dozer, for clearing large areas of land they are hard to beat. If you have large stumps to remove, the dozer is the right piece of equipment for the job.

Hiring someone to do the job would be the best way of doing it, at least to my way of thinking it is. If you rent one, by the time you play with it for awhile to get the hang of using it, an experienced person using a dozer would have the job done and be packed up and gone on to the next job. I don't mean that in an unkind way, it's just that as with anything else there is a learning curve and it takes some time to get to where you are proficient at doing it.

 

[Strouty]

I hear DR makes some good equipment for removing stumps.

 

[j.schaef]

I'd prefer a 15k lb excavator with a thumb and a back blade. You can push over most trees safely with a bit of cutting, the back blade isn't the best for grading, but it is definitely suitable once you figure it out.

I would personally want something on the heavier side if your trees are of a good size.

 

[JRC3]

I hear DR makes some good equipment for removing stumps.

We all knew it was headed in this direction.

------

I too would hire someone. Right now I'm helping my brother's FIL with his house he's building. He hired out the big stuff and has chosen to do the little sitework himself and he's done nothing but make a mess of things.

 

[hammerhead611]

I hear DR makes some good equipment for removing stumps.

Was thinking the same thing

 

[Bretny]

A dozer will clear the lot the quickest but it makes a mess you may eventualy want to clean up.

Rent an mini ex with a thumb like someone else has said. Logs in one pile, brush in one pile and stumps in there own. You can then start doing fottings or a floor before you have to return it.

Depending on the tree size/species i could have that size lot cleared in about 1 day with a micro mini but thats not removing stumps

 

[finn]

Depends on what you are calling trees. A Deere 35g or 50g with a thumb will handle smaller trees, but a large excavator would be better for 150 year old oaks.

I have removed stumps with a skid steer but was an all day job to remove two large Birch stumps. Small stumps were ok, though not an efficient as my small Deere 26g excavator.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Anybody with equipment that cuts/handles firewood in your area ? You might get a discounted price in exchange for them getting all the wood they want to take.


As a person that burns wood, I'd mark everything out with spray paint and surveyors tape. Cut all the trees for firewood, then have a dozer come in or rent one, to clear the stumps. You'll also need to clear all the top layer of soil to be free of any organics.

 

[stillnostrebor]

If you are not proficient with operating the equipment, the best piece of equipment is your checkbook. A good operator and dozer prepped my pad for a 30'x40' in an hour of work... two if you count the time we spent visiting. Cost me $300.

 

[deter]

I'd prefer a 15k lb excavator with a thumb and a back blade. You can push over most trees safely with a bit of cutting, the back blade isn't the best for grading, but it is definitely suitable once you figure it out.

I would personally want something on the heavier side if your trees are of a good size.

This!

 

[ransil]

The guy that did mine used a mini excavator and 2 bobcats and a vibrating roller.
Probaly 20 trees, largest 15" across
300ft of driveway cut in.
Hillside dug about 10 feet deep to level out site, escavator dug, bobcats spread and was rolled in layers.

Trees were stacked, i started cutting when one of the guys said his brother would cut up if he could take the wood, next day my site was ready to go, with a gravel driveway and building site graveled.


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[K'ledgeBldr]

Dozer? That just pushes stuff around!

You'll have to clear&load- you'll need a loader like a Cat 953C/D gotta have a/c! Running a loader can be exhausting w/o a/c! Besides, the cab keeps to dust and debris from flying onto you.

Trees aren't really problem either- hook the trunk up high with the bucket and you can usually pull out the main root system while felling the tree.

 

[dw1]

If you can find a smaller contractor that could do it in the evenings or weekends!! That's what we did when I cleared my lot, it took almost two months, but we got it cleared and hauled off, gave away a lot of free firewood. We used a Cat Trackhole and a Cat Loader

 

[Falcon67]

When we lived in the "woods", we needed a 200' driveway cut and an area for the house and septic system. Land was thick with post oak trees. One check for payment, a D9 Cat and 3 hours got it done.

 

[mike93lx]

My backyard (75x150ish) was cleared with a 5 ton mini. That included many large hardwoods, moving huge rocks and spreading 150+ yards of material.

The machine is far less important than the skill.

If i was doing it, it would look like garbage and probably taken 2 weeks. Instead, it took two days and came out awesome

 

[Tim Kennedy]

Pay a pro operator -- notice I said operator --- almost any one can 'run' a piece of equipment -- but to get the most for your money & time -- hire someone who knows what they are doing. A true heavy equipment operator & their skills are a thing of beauty! JMHO

 

[Jason280]

Depends on the size of trees, but it's hard to beat a full sized 14k lb+ backhoe.

 

[greg13]

Since you are not an operator, hire someone. The damage you can (and probably will) do to a rental machine will cost more than hiring it out. We have had new machines totally trashed by inexperience and "I saw how to do this on TV" does NOT count.

 

[TractorJeff]

Dozer? That just pushes stuff around!

You'll have to clear&load- you'll need a loader like a Cat 953C/D gotta have a/c! Running a loader can be exhausting w/o a/c! Besides, the cab keeps to dust and debris from flying onto you.

Trees aren't really problem either- hook the trunk up high with the bucket and you can usually pull out the main root system while felling the tree.

Yep!
953 series has the weight/agility needed to get this done in a couple of hours by an experienced operator!

 

[ed_v]

I recommend the same thing others did. Pay a pro.

I can run equipment, but not efficiently. I had a massive drive dug into the side of a hill at my old farm. It left a pile of dirt about 12ft high by about 100 ft long by about 60 ft wide. It cost me $400. It would have cost me more to rent the dozer.

 

[Triumph1200]

Built house and pole barn in the woods, 100 or more oaks 50 to 70 feet tall. Contractor used a Doosan DX255 with thumb. Snapped the tops off, pulled the remaining log and stump out, shook out the dirt and set it in a pile for me to cut into firewood. Cleared 500 feet by 200 feet. Took about a minute a tree to snap off the top and pull the log and root ball. Took longer to put them in a pile than actually pull them.

 

[346ci]

Deere 310 size backhoe, a 12" bucket would be better for stumps but most come with a 24". I have a 99 310E, have dug out some monsters and cleared lots of acres.

The ideal choice would be a track hoe and dozer/root rake but that starts to get expensive fast..

 

[theoldwizard1]

I agree with the dozer, for clearing large areas of land they are hard to beat. If you have large stumps to remove, the dozer is the right piece of equipment for the job.

Depends on the size of the trees and the size of the dozer ! Even with a ripper tooth, it will leave a lot of roots which must be removed before concrete work. A medium size min-ex, with a thumb and a blade, might be more useful.

Hiring someone to do the job would be the best way of doing it, ...

Renting equipment and learning to use it is fun, but not an efficient way to spend money.

 

[ridenrace6]

a track loader with a 4 in 1 bucket or larger excavator imo


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[Showkey]

Built house and pole barn in the woods, 100 or more oaks 50 to 70 feet tall. Contractor used a Doosan DX255 with thumb. Snapped the tops off, pulled the remaining log and stump out, shook out the dirt and set it in a pile for me to cut into firewood. Cleared 500 feet by 200 feet. Took about a minute a tree to snap off the top and pull the log and root ball. Took longer to put them in a pile than actually pull them.

This is how it’s done ^^^^^^^^^ pro would be done all in...... in 1/2 day or less.

 

[MushCreek]

When they cleared the large oaks at my place, they just pushed the trees over with a large excavator, and then dealt with them on the ground. The thumb was handy to pick up the big logs. All of the slash and the stumps were pushed into a pile and burned. No way I could have done the job as efficiently had I rented equipment.

I later had a half acre to clear. It was full of old stumps and brushy trees. It was cheaper to hire a guy than rent the equipment. He used a big track loader, and again, pushed it into a burn pile.

 

[crf731]

An excavator with a thumb would be best for clearing the trees, piling them up out of the way and removing stumps.

A dozer would be the machine for building the 200’ road.

I agree with the others. If you aren’t a proficient equipment operator, you are better off to just hire someone to do it.

 

[TractorJeff]

Built house and pole barn in the woods, 100 or more oaks 50 to 70 feet tall. Contractor used a Doosan DX255 with thumb. Snapped the tops off, pulled the remaining log and stump out, shook out the dirt and set it in a pile for me to cut into firewood. Cleared 500 feet by 200 feet. Took about a minute a tree to snap off the top and pull the log and root ball. Took longer to put them in a pile than actually pull them.

Trees 24 to 42 inches in diameter and between 50 and 70 feet tall take slightly more than a minute as you need to rip off as much of the top as possible to reduce the weight. A big tree on an extended arm will tip an Excavator over!

 

[Jazz1]

Cheaper just cut the trees down and blast the stumps out. Dynamite is a dirt cheap excavator. When I had my vendors permit I sold plenty of stick powder for stumping and knocking down beaver dams.

 

[dan360]

Hey Guys,

Just wondering what type of equipment I should be renting best suited to clear my lot for my 30 x 40 shop im going to build. Im clearing a piece that has about 30 trees on it and am actally gonna clear about a 60x80 section as I am doing a 12 foot lean too off the side of the shop the whole 40 foot length and then gravel the rest for storage of boats etc. Not sure if a mini ex, skidsteer or dozer is best for doing this work, and what would work the best for the situation. My ground is a lot of sand below grade which I believe should make it easy to pull the stumps, I am also doing a 200 foot separate driveway to the road for shop access and looking for the machine I rent to be good for building up grade, moving gravel etc I figured a mini ex would be best but then again the material moving quantity isn't the greatest as I cant hold a lot in a bucket and the blade on a mini ex doesn't seem like it can move much dirt for levelling. Anyways any help on this would be great.

Thanks

Honest answer. Unless you have a pile of money to burn on rental fees and diesel fuel, or really enjoy DIY, it seems as though every area of the world has 'that guy' in town who runs a one-man show with a dump truck, tilt deck, small dozer, small excavator, and a few other pieces of equipment.

In my experience they can do that whole job better than you'll do it for considerably less money than it would cost you to rent enough equipment to get similar results. Especially if they have a grandkid who tags long this time of year and works his *** off just to hang out with grandpa.

My little home town has three of these guys population 3,400 and they're all lights out when it comes to building driveways, shooting grade, making building pads, and doing it quickly and cleanly, for a reasonable price.