# Cost to cleanup land per acre



## BowHunter89 (Mar 29, 2014)

We are planting a 4 acre dove field this year and if it does any  good I have 4-5 more acres I could add but it was pines up untill it was clearcut last Nov. What would a cost per acre be to have the pine stumps cleaned up what's the best equipment to use don't they make some sort of drum grinder that grinds everything up.


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## hitchin (Mar 29, 2014)

Too many variables for a good estimate. Trackhoe is the most efficient equipment to get stumps up then dozer to pile. Just planted 12 acres yesterday to corn that was 14 y.o. pines cut 3 years ago.We just harrowed with heavy offset harrow last year an harrowed several times with regular harrow during the year. and yes a stump grinder would work bot only cuts fairly shallow.
If I were to let someone else clean it up I think that I would have spent 12--1500.00 per acre.


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## BowHunter89 (Mar 29, 2014)

hitchin said:


> Too many variables for a good estimate. Trackhoe is the most efficient equipment to get stumps up then dozer to pile. Just planted 12 acres yesterday to corn that was 14 y.o. pines cut 3 years ago.We just harrowed with heavy offset harrow last year an harrowed several times with regular harrow during the year. and yes a stump grinder would work bot only cuts fairly shallow.
> If I were to let someone else clean it up I think that I would have spent 12--1500.00 per acre.



That's completely out of the realm of possibilities.


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## rospaw (Mar 29, 2014)

I thought that was cheap at 1500 ac for stumpy ground. A TUB grinder if you can find one to rent would cost 3-4000 a day to rent. Also would need a good size track hoe to load it. Just my .02


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## ltfireman1604 (Mar 29, 2014)

Could you possibly burn it?? If there is enough fuel left on the ground.  Although that wouldn't get rid of the stumps the way you wanted though.


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## dwhee87 (Mar 29, 2014)

You can clear a couple acres of stumps per day with a trackhoe. I just had 6 acres tub ground for $2k/acre. An all in price would range between $4000 to $5000 per acre, a little less if there is any harvestable timber. Not much value in pulp wood these days.


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## BowHunter89 (Mar 30, 2014)

dwhee87 said:


> You can clear a couple acres of stumps per day with a trackhoe. I just had 6 acres tub ground for $2k/acre. An all in price would range between $4000 to $5000 per acre, a little less if there is any harvestable timber. Not much value in pulp wood these days.



The wood has already been harvested I have a 62hp tractor with loader I can clean up the limbs and small trees with no problems I just need the pine stumps gone. 16k dollars to clean up a dove field is not even remotely in my budget.


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## Boondocks (Mar 30, 2014)

You can plant between the stump rows for a couple years. Then the stumps will be rotted so you could cut over them. That is your cheap way.


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## dwhee87 (Mar 30, 2014)

Why not just push them into piles and burn them?


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## CPage (Mar 30, 2014)

If you are willing to wait those pine tree stumps don't take buts couple of years to rot enough to just push over with your front end loader.  Just give them time.  Like mentioned you can plant between the rows in the mean time.


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## Gadestroyer74 (Mar 30, 2014)

Call the forest service they charge 95 an hour they can help you with that


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## BowHunter89 (Mar 30, 2014)

Im just gonna plant between the stumps, Ill pull a sub soiler through there to pull up the roots. Most of the stumps are 8-10" so it won't take many years for them to rot.


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## jimbo4116 (Mar 30, 2014)

Biggest problem would be getting someone to do it reasonably on just 4 acres.

How big were the pines when cut.  If they were small you might 
look into renting a dozier with a root rake and clean it up your self.


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## BowHunter89 (Mar 30, 2014)

jimbo4116 said:


> Biggest problem would be getting someone to do it reasonably on just 4 acres.
> 
> How big were the pines when cut.  If they were small you might
> look into renting a dozier with a root rake and clean it up your self.




Bout 6-8" some maybe 10" at the largest. What would the rental on a dozer big enough cost me?


Better yet whats a big enough dozer and I'll make some calls.


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## Gadestroyer74 (Mar 30, 2014)

Depending on the rental company and the size of the dozer your looking around 5 to 750 $ plus delivery and fuel. You get 8 working hours


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## Bpruitt (Mar 30, 2014)

BowHunter89 said:


> Bout 6-8" some maybe 10" at the largest. What would the rental on a dozer big enough cost me?
> 
> 
> Better yet whats a big enough dozer and I'll make some calls.



I'd get at least 30k lbs of bulldozer messing with stumps and pushing it all into a pile.Bulldozers get small fast when stumps and distance get involved.


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## jimbo4116 (Mar 30, 2014)

BowHunter89 said:


> Bout 6-8" some maybe 10" at the largest. What would the rental on a dozer big enough cost me?
> 
> 
> Better yet whats a big enough dozer and I'll make some calls.



I am no expert. Last time I rented a dozier was 15 years ago.  We cleared 15 acres of scub mostly small water oak, gums.  No pine stumps though. We were cleaning up to plant pines. As I remember it was a Case 550.  

I think it would be worth your time to check with some rental outfits to see what it would cost you.

As for 4 to 5K to clear an acre of land that seems pretty high to me.  Have a good freind that farms and he just cleanup 40 acres of clear cut pines in that range to put back into farm production.  I am sure he didn't pay that to clear land when he could have bought the 50 acres of open field next to him for $3000 per.


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## Gadestroyer74 (Mar 30, 2014)

The reason i stated the price is I worked for a rental company. I machine equal to a d-6 cat will be plenty of machine to remove those types of stumps. Me personally I would use a track hoe and des tump the entire area and the push the stumps into a pile and burn them. Make sure to keep as much dirt out as possible. Doing the work yourself will be much better than hiring someone providing you know how to use the equipment.there are plenty of folks out there that can do that service. I deff would use the forest service if it was me they can clear the area and plow it. They have the right equipment for doing that. They use the hour meter off the machine. If they worked two days at 8 hours a day your looking at ruffle 1600 I seriously doubt it will take that long to clear that


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## 1gr8bldr (Mar 30, 2014)

Recently, I had my foot in the door to build a house. We looked at the lot, timber just harvested. Big stumps... and amazingly close together considering how big. About 4 acres. Our first quote to remove them was $6000. I thought that was a good price. I never built the job. I bailed because they wanted to much for to little


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## The Longhunter (Mar 30, 2014)

BowHunter89 said:


> Im just gonna plant between the stumps, Ill pull a sub soiler through there to pull up the roots. Most of the stumps are 8-10" so it won't take many years for them to rot.



That's a good way to get killed.

Forestry Commission is the best bet.  They will grub the stumps out, stack them up.  One good thing about the way they charge, is that they only charge for when the machine is running, no travel, no set up.


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## BowHunter89 (Mar 30, 2014)

The Longhunter said:


> That's a good way to get killed.
> 
> Forestry Commission is the best bet.  They will grub the stumps out, stack them up.  One good thing about the way they charge, is that they only charge for when the machine is running, no travel, no set up.



How exactly is that? Low speed pulling a sub soiler the tractor will loose traction long before anything else happens save shearing a pin off.


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## Gadestroyer74 (Mar 30, 2014)

Gave you all the advice I know. I worked for equipment rental companies and I have a background in excavating and logging. I have  done the whole process from clearing and grading to logging  with your lack of knowledge I assume of heavy equipment your best bet is to hire a grading company or the forest service. It will be the cheapest method  good luck


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## The Longhunter (Mar 30, 2014)

BowHunter89 said:


> How exactly is that? Low speed pulling a sub soiler the tractor will loose traction long before anything else happens save shearing a pin off.



Wrong answer.

You can easily flip the tractor over.  You don't know if the subsoiler is going to hit a root or a stump.

Any manual on tractor operation will tell you not to run a subsoiler where it can get snagged.


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## BowHunter89 (Mar 30, 2014)

The Longhunter said:


> Wrong answer.
> 
> You can easily flip the tractor over.  You don't know if the subsoiler is going to hit a root or a stump.
> 
> Any manual on tractor operation will tell you not to run a subsoiler where it can get snagged.



Excellent advice everybody thanks for your time.


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## Boondocks (Mar 30, 2014)

When was the last time you seen a tractor flipped? Have you not heard of shear bolts ,most sub soiler have them , or the clutch. He is only planting a dove field a disc is all he needs.


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## rospaw (Mar 31, 2014)

Gadestroyer74 said:


> Call the forest service they charge 95 an hour they can help you with that



If they charge 95 an hour that is the way to go! You couldn't get one large piece of equipment del, fuel  and rental for that. That .04 now


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## Bpruitt (Mar 31, 2014)

rospaw said:


> If they charge 95 an hour that is the way to go! You couldn't get one large piece of equipment del, fuel  and rental for that. That .04 now



An hour for what though? I see them running around here with 650 John Deeres on the back of single axle tucks.


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## jimbo4116 (Mar 31, 2014)

Boondocks said:


> When was the last time you seen a tractor flipped? Have you not heard of shear bolts ,most sub soiler have them , or the clutch. He is only planting a dove field a disc is all he needs.



Having run a shop that repairs farm equipment for the past 3 years we have cut thousands of 5/8" shear pins for farmers and land clearers using subsoilers on new ground. I have seen at least three different instance of the leg of the subsoiler that was being used on new ground bent and torn without the shear pin being sheared off.

If the tractor does not have a cab being thrown from the seat is definite possibility.


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## poohbear (Mar 31, 2014)

Advice from a guy that used to be in the grading business a Track Hoe is the best machine for this job weather you rent one or hire one this is the fastest


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## elfiii (Mar 31, 2014)

Some of you folks need to review the rules for this forum. No chit chat and no bracing each other up about who knows more about what.


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