Anyone have experience with brush mulching? I talked to a local guy who quoted me $150/hr. to cut a sendero through a patch of woods on our place. This area is not what I would call "brush". It's primarily tall saplings of 2"-3" diameter and so thick you can't walk through it. If you've had any mulching done I would appreciate any advice you could offer. Thanks.

I had a guy come out this year, it was $400 minimum for the first 4 hours, and 150 an hour after that if I remember correctly. Had him do a long sendero, and figured it would take a while. He ended up doing that sendero in an hour, a bunch of stuff I made up on the spot, and still got done before his minimum was used up. They're a lot faster than you would think. Make sure you have a list of needs and wants in case he doesn't take as much time as you planned.

Shotgun Willie, thanks for your input. I want a sendero about 50 yards wide and 200 yards long. I'm guessing it would take at least a full day in brush similar to what's in your pic???

Skid steer type mulchers can do around an acre a day, depending on thickness obviously.

They have thoes skidsteer attachment that is a brushog and mulcher all in one. Worked a highway job in south Texas 2 summers ago clearing roadside and these things will eat anything in its path. Doesn't take long.

Everybody and their brother has a mulcher these days. Make sure you get references from past jobs.

We have talked about it recently here. Good info

dozing-cedar-v-cedar-mulching

Had an acre and half done this month, part of the place was too wet but will get the same guy out next Summer for finishing it up with better way to get around the property and a sendero or two, in thick Mississippi woods. Most of that was 1 to 4 inch saplings and briers and vines. He did some on extending a food plot and getting rid of some 6 inch or so sweetgums. Finished up all he could get to because of the rain we had had for a couple weeks before he got there.

They can walk through the smaller stuff quite quickly. Watched some larger ones mounted on a Skidder walk through some large trees in Eastland county several years ago that were amazing at how quick they could remove trees like a live oak that was about 2 foot through at the base. Those were clearing out for a new large transmission line.

^^^^^^^^ That looks awesome. Unless it's pouring down rain the guy is coming out tomorrow to give me a quote. Thanks for all the responses.

I paid $1000 per machine per day to have 8 acres under-brushed. Took 3 machines 2 and a half 8 hour days.
Before


After

Mine was probably half that. Took him about an hour, hour and a half.

They're fast when they're clearing. Undercutting existing trees takes a lot more time.

How do those machines do with barbed wire? Do they tear it up, or does it wrap up and cause a mess?

I have about 4000' of property line I would like under brush and small trees cleared from...maybe 50' - 75' wide, plus a couple of acres around the cabin.

The fence has been gone for 20+ years. We can try to find and pull up all the old wire, but I don't have a lot of confidence in being 100% effective

Everything is equipment dependent on time, feel free to pm me with the questions to ask your guy before you hire him. On 2-3” hardwood saplings that should be done in 4 hours tops on a skid steer sized machine for what your looking for and less if it’s a softer wood. Likes been stated a lot of guys have small machines now but very few have much experience which in turn costs you more money. IMO it takes about 5,000 hours of seat time to work a machine to its fullest potential but the guys with a few hundred hours all think their seasoned pro’s these days. I hear it several times a week.

It’s honestly cheaper to hire a more experienced and expensive operator due to the fact they will get finished faster but higher doesn’t mean experienced either.

When I had my place, I looked into buying a Caterpillar to do this. You need a specific machine that has hi-flo and a forestry package that encompasses the cab and engine area.

These guys are spending $125k on machine and attachment alone, not including trailer plus all the maintenance required for the attachment unit. I can’t remember what the teeth replacement cost was but it was surprising.

I can’t imagine this being an inexpensive proposition and most everyone knows what everyone else is charging.

Man looks great

It ain't good. They have to remove the head and sometimes disassemble it to get it out. The guy that did mine found some rebar and it gave him hell trying to get it out.

This is kind of what I expected. It would be a sizable job to try to find are pull all the old wire out of the ground and underbrush.. It sounds like it will be the dozer route for me.

I had the guys from Cedar Eaters do mine and I was very pleased. We booked for 12 hours for clearing mostly mesquite. We started with a 3 acre piece which took the first afternoon. Then they cleared about a 16' wide fire break along a fence line. The fence was so overgrown I had never actually seen it from my side of the property. This section was about 1500" long and took 6 hours, and that included a break of about 45 minutes to remove a chunk of hidden barbed wire that got caught in the mulcher. The last two hours I had to create a project, so had them clear some shooting lanes of mesquite that i hadn't yet sprayed, but no worries, I have just sprayed the regrowth and now pretty clear.

My guy is $250 an hour, but he has a beast of a machine, an articulating front end loader.
Tigator Mulching

When already committed, this is a truly wonderful thing.