Frequently Asked Questions

Forestry mulching uses large carbide bits, or sharp steel knives to cut, shred, and pulverize vegetation. This method of clearing causes little to no soil disturbance, and leaves behind an environmentally friendly bed of mulch.

Stumps, just like the rest of the tree are ground up and mulched. We try and grind stumps around 1 inch sub surface. This unique approach to land clearing allows you to not have to worry about stumps or giant holes left from digging out root systems.

Absolutely! This is referred to as “selective clearing” and it is a very important part of being a land owner. In Texas, we have a few species of trees that can take over and eventually kill off your wanted trees. With our equipment we are able to mulch around and under mature trees allowing them room to grow and be seen easily.

As you can see here, we removed the smaller saplings, cedars, and underbrush highlighting these large oaks.

The mulch will be essentially sprayed from the front of the mulcher. Areas with bigger trees, soft wood evergreens such as cedars, will leave a thicker mulch bed. This mulch bed is very beneficial to the environment. It helps control weeds, it reduces erosion, and over time as it decomposes returns nutrients to the soil.

This question is very important, and one will ask as we help decide which machine to bring. 

Skid steer mulchers, like our Kubota, are very limited to what they can handle size wise. While they do great for brush and saplings. Anything over 6 inches is going to be the limit.

Our dedicated machines such as our Fecon FTX128L have much higher horsepower and are capable of mulching up to 16 inches in diameter (we can handle larger but those are determined on site due to safety reasons)

If your land clearing jobs requires mulching more trees than brush it is always a better idea to go with a dedicated machine over a skid steer mulcher. As the old saying goes, there is no replacement for displacement. In the woods more horsepower always gets the job done faster.

This question is one we really hate to answer over the phone. With clearing no two jobs are the same and the variables always can skew this data one way or the other. Below are some pictures of before and after and the time as a general rule of thumb the Kubota is geared for 0.5 to 1 acre a day of underbrush. The Fecon can handle as much as 4 acres a day in underbrush or 2 acres a day of trees under 10 inches in diameter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This question is very important, and we will always recommend the machine that gets the job done right and for the best price for our customers. Unlike a lot of companies out there we have a fleet of different machines that are capable of handling different sized projects.

Skid Steer mulchers (like a bobcat machine) are great for tight spaces and urban areas. They are light weight and equipped with rubber tracks. Generally skid steer mulchers are around 100HP and produce about 40Gal/Min of hydraulic flow (this is what powers the mulcher head). Skid steer mulchers are really more so brush and sapling mowers than true forestry mulchers. 

Skid Steer Mulcher Pros

• Smaller in size and can navigate tighter areas
• Rubber tracks that can be driven on roads and over curbs
• Shorter height can fit under trees easier

Skid Steer Mulcher Cons

• Low horsepower and hydraulic flow reduces production in terms of size (acreage) and tree size
• Smaller cutting width
• Get stuck very easily
• Cannot handle steep or sloped terrain well

Dedicated forestry mulchers (like our Barko 930B machine) are purpose built to handle the rigors of forestry mulching. These machines are generally higher than 300 HP and produce more than 100Gal/Min of hydraulic flow. This increased horsepower and flow means they are able to mulch faster and larger trees. Dedicated mulchers are built on articulating tractor chassis.

Dedicated Mulcher Pros

• High horsepower and high hydraulic flow means more production power
• Large tractor tires are able to handle a lot of different terrain types
• Still able to handle selective clearing
• Less prone to break downs on the job
• Higher flow allows for a finer more finished mulch

Dedicated Mulcher Cons

• More expensive to transport
• Not practical on smaller jobs less than 2 acres.

 

When should I choose a skid steer mulcher?

• For small lots (less than 1 acre) with light vegetation (mostly brush with a few trees than need to be removed)
• For urban lots where the machine must be unloaded on a road or driveway
• For jobs where height clearance is an issue. 

When should I choose a dedicated mulcher?

• For larger clearing jobs (greater than 2 acres)
• For larger trees or thicker vegetation
• When there are slopes and steeper terrain
• Where trees are larger