Dozer or Skid/Track Steer

[Mennoniteman]

I've used many sizes of machines and extra weight and horsepower always comes in handy for land clearing. I've done quite a bit of land clearing with a Kubota 75SVL 75 HP track machine and they can pop out 6" and smaller trees very efficiently, and are a great rental machine to put in small food plots in smaller timber and brushy areas,, but are a bit small for a mulching head in heavy stuff. The only good reasons for going with these smaller machines are operating cost and trailer towing weight if you are moving it a lot with a pickup truck.

 

[Mennoniteman]

I would say 90 hp+ for a CTL...you can get by with less on a dozer and take down stuff you never believed possible...I have had mine a year and a half now and it works most every dry day. I worked for a gent who has a sawmill who has 2 tracked bobcats in the 95 HP range...they would do a little work but my 75 HP Case did the mans portion of it. I watched him and his hand get thrown all over the place in it using the tree puller attachment. They got a few small trees out but I came behind them and got all the ones they mangled out. That 100 hp machine you are talking about is not far off as far as what you need...

I'm always impressed with your pictures of the work you have accomplished with your dozer and they prove once again that horsepower is worthless unless you can put it to the ground. With your extra weight and steel grousers you could easily win a pushing contest with the biggest rubber tracked CTL on the market. Probably the thing that amazes me the most is that you are also moving it around with your pickup truck.

 

[OkieKubota]

I'm always impressed with your pictures of the work you have accomplished with your dozer and they prove once again that horsepower is worthless unless you can put it to the ground. With your extra weight and steel grousers you could easily win a pushing contest with the biggest rubber tracked CTL on the market. Probably the thing that amazes me the most is that you are also moving it around with your pickup truck.

I “can” and “have” moved it up to 100 miles at one time with my 3/4 ton Cummins Ram but now I pull it around with an F800 I bought cheap...I have a job 60 miles away that is beginning next that I didn’t want to do but a real good friend and highway Patrol officer is wanting it done. I am driving up tomorrow to look it over to see what he needs done and I told him I had to have at least 8 hours of work to even head that way. After that one I have one 5 miles up the road and then a 20 miler...

 

[howboutthemdawgs]

For you guys running a CTL, what would you say is the minimum hP needed for forestry work. Not sure how often I’d be using a mulcher, but I’d be using tree pullers, tree shear and the shredder

I have any opportunity to buy a machine from the guy doing some work for me. It’s a beast of a machine 2018 Cat 299 D2. I don’t think I need 100+ hp, but not sure how much I actually need. A lot of what I’m clearing out are smaller elms and cedars 6” below. I’ve got some massive cedars, but I’ve got a guy from the cedar mill taking those.

Its one of those things were you end up buying more than you need because you never want to be in a spot where you need more power and don’t have it. I just hate to spend the money for a bigger machine if I don’t have to. My plan is to keep for 2 years and then sell once I get most of the major work done. It’s cheaper than paying someone.

I know that is easier said than done.


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I have 299 d xhp. It’s 110 hp. Don’t know how the minimum hp I need, but I know the max I have! It’s been a beast. I don’t have a mulching head or brush cutter but I wanted to option to run one if I want to.
You certainly don’t need something that big. I have a buddy with an svl 75. He does plenty of work with it. But he doesn’t have high flow so that obviously impacts his attachment options.

 

[bearcat]

After speaking with a few operators, it sounds like I might be better off going with a skid steer tree saw over a tree shear. Being that I have mostly cedars, they mentioned it is easier to use the saw vs fighting the lower limbs to get close enough for the tree shears.