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Best way to clear 20 acres of 4-6 inch locust trees?

ksbooner

New Member
Am looking at buying an overgrown pasture and it is loaded with up to 4-6 inch honey locust trees.

There are about 20 acres that I'd want to get into corn/soybeans next year.

This tree puller skid steer attachment looks like it would be good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrVP74cJ1JY

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

What would be the best time of year to do it?

Thanks a ton everyone.
 
Dozer for sure. But whatever you use make sure it has metal tracks instead of tires. Otherwise you will be getting flats left and right with all those thorns.
 
If a dozer is to hard to get a hold of, try a skid loader, my grandpa has a 80 horse gehl with a tree puller and a stump bucket and we pull a lot of stuff with it! 6-8 inch cedars, and 4-6 inch hardwoods (sometimes bigger) with the puller and anything that can't get pulled out gets dug out! ( doesn't leave a big hole either)
 
Probably have cleared 15 acres of straight cedars and small hardwoods with skiddy and have about 20 acres to go! works great
 
My bad for posting so much. When pulling hardwoods with a puller grab on to the tree bout 3-4 feet from the ground, helps with leverage and also helps so you don't accidently snip it at the base! Also to.add, there's not really a best time to get them out, i have found that it is easier to pull trees when its dry not wet because the roots with keep intacted stronger with ground and its easier to get dirt off the roots when its dry
 
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Locust pull hard compared to cedars and others .if the 6-8 inch measure is at chest height then dozer or excavator with a thumb . We have done it many times best is to rip out with the ex and drop from some height to knock the dirt loose then pile and level with the dozer.the difference between tree species in there roots is amazing for there size honey locusts are the worst.
 
4-6" locust? I'd call in a dozer and say it was money well spent.

Locust like to send suckers off the roots, so think about that for your future herbicide selection.
 
We've got the skid loader attachment, it works well for clearing fence lines and smaller projects. I don't know that I would want to clear out several acres with it if there are a ton of trees on the ground it could be very time consuming.
 
A talented operator with a dozer or excavator will make short work out of the job and will be WELL worth the money! Plus they can make a hole to put them in which makes it much easier to torch green trees (and their freaking thorns). A couple years of roundup ready crops should take care of suckers as they come up.
 
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