OT-Question for the board does anyone know how much it cost to have someone come in

[99jc]

and do forestry mulching. is it by hour or job quote? need some work done on property in Arkansas.

[Martianlander]

That?s out of my wheel house so I really can?t help you but I will say if you can get a quote for the job not by the hour. That way you will know the exact cost and the contractor will have more incentive to be efficient.

[Offshore Dawg]

That?s out of my wheel house so I really can?t help you but I will say if you can get a quote for the job not by the hour. That way you will know the exact cost and the contractor will have more incentive to be efficient.

This, in case they run into root problems that slow the job down.

[SilentSteel16]

I can tell you right now is not the time to be doing that unless you have a fat bank account for multiple reasons.
1) if it is pine trees or any type of soft wood to clear it will run you from 4K per acre to 7k per acre to clear and burn or bury the wood. No mill will take the wood nor will a lumber company haul it. Unfortunately I know this from 1st hand experience being that I am building right now and needed 6 acres cleared.
2) if you are mulching it with a bobcat with a drum mulcher, meaning just clearing underbrush. It will cost you about 150$ an hour and most good operators can clear about 2-3 acres a day. So do the math on that. Then you have the problem of a bunch of mulched up wood lying on the ground and not allowing grass to grow in that spot. Makes a hell of a mess. Again unfortunately I have 1st hand experience with that. Plus make sure you use a drum style mulcher NOT the bushog style mulcher.
3) you can save a lot of money renting the equipment and doing it yourself. A mini excavator will run you about 3k for the week plus diesel which is $5 a gallon right now. Then you run into the problem of what are you going to do with the wood. Can?t sell it and it will become a snake pit leaving it lying around. Plus your soft pine stump will then rot in the ground and create a ?pool? where it is rooted then you have a soil problem if you plan on doing anything on that spot. Again, unfortunately 1st hand experience in that.

I just got a house pad completed and had to bring in over 400 loads of dirt to backfill my dirt due to the above mentioned rotten stumps of pine trees. I also have very good soil only problem was it was so dang wet due to the stumps. Got to love the federal administration from mid 90s that made farmers convert pasture land into forestry land. Pine trees are WORTHLESS right now. If you can wait I would wait.


Good luck

[Leeshouldveflanked]

Year 1995 ?. Plant a bunch of Pine Trees and you will be able to retire in 25 years.
Year 2022 ?. Too many Pine Trees not worth crap.

[trob115]

I know one guy that charges $300 an hour, but that's an industrial sized mulcher.

[EdwardDrayton]

and do forestry mulching. is it by hour or job quote? need some work done on property in Arkansas.

If you have trees to remove, dig next to the tree to release the roots and push the trees over with the excavator. Then pile and burn them. Yes, renting the excavator and doing it yourself will save you a ton. And, yes, drum mulcher is the way to go for the underbrush. $1000 for five hours skid/mulcher/operator is not bad; normally you might find someone for $800 but it's up right now because of diesel.

[99jc]

Thanks to all for the input. i had 17 acres on top of a mountain near Yellville Arkansas i was going to do but me thinks i will wait.