A skid steer is the workhorse of any brush removal project. You want to make sure you take full advantage of its impressive versatility of attachments and overall performance.
Whether it's for a land clearing business or a personal project, there are four can't-miss tips on how to dominate brush removal with badass skid steer attachments that were designed beginning-to-end to annihilate the most rugged outdoor work.
Operating a skid steer for tree and brush removal is rugged work, but you’ve got to take care of #1 (yourself). Understand what you're doing and stick to safety protocols to dominate the project without injury or damage to the equipment.
Check out the land you're working with. Chances are that there is uneven terrain and hidden obstacles that could lead to accidents or damaged equipment. Pay particular attention to the location of:
Another vital part of assessing land is knowing the legal requirements and getting the necessary permits, especially for large brush removal projects. Animal habitats can be affected by brush removal, and you may want to avoid clearing during nesting seasons.
With stumps, you’ll want to use a stump grinder attachment to grind them so they can be reduced below the turf. Grind to at least 2 inches below ground level, as the ground will erode around them. You want to have at least two to three seasons before you have to grind the stumps again. After grinding the stumps, you can remove the sawdust piles or just spread them out. Hot tip: If you’re planting a lawn, you’ll need to remove the sawdust and put topsoil over the stumps or else the grass won’t grow.
Brush-clearing attachments must match the overall skid steer width, the flow rate of its hydraulic system, and the overall equipment operating capacity. Otherwise, there will be uncut debris that can tear up your skid steer.
Any brush-clearing attachment must be compatible with your skid steer. Prime Attachments come with universal quick-attach plates, making them interchangeable with current skid steer models — John Deere, Caterpillar, Bobcat, you name it.
You will also want to consider the brush-clearing attachment's intended use. For example, a skid steer brush grapple is awesome for raking and clearing brush, landscaping, and site cleanup, whereas a clam grapple is great for picking up large piles of debris.
The size of the area and the type of vegetation will influence the type of attachment needed to tackle tree brush removal.
Some obstacles require you to switch attachments back and forth quickly to reduce wear and tear on the equipment or surroundings. So, you want brush-clearing attachments that are easy to use and swap out.
Keeping your attachments in good shape will make each job a cinch. Here are a few quick pointers:
High build quality makes maintenance easy because the attachment will be thick enough and reinforced enough to dominate brush removal without signs of wear and tear to structural points. That’s why we make Prime Attachments, by the way — because we were sick of sub-par builds that cut corners and would fold under a heavy load. All of our attachments are built to be badass.
Once you have done the heavy work, you’re ready to finish the lawn. A landplane can smooth out any lumps and then you’re ready to amend the lawn with fertilizer. If you are in an area that has clay-like soil, liming the soil before you fertilize helps change the pH, giving the grass the type of soil it needs to thrive.
Browse our pages to locate the last attachments you’ll ever need for brush clearing with your skid steer. Contact us at 877-757-5919 if you have any questions about equipment, shipping, and picking up equipment.