Caterpillar Performance Handbook, January 2017, SEBD0351-47

Equipment SelectionTable

Land Clearing

EQUIPMENT SELECTIONTABLE

CUTTING AT OR ABOVE GROUND LEVEL

KNOCKINGTO THE GROUND

INCORPORATING INTOTHE SOIL

UPROOTING

LIGHT CLEARING — Vegetation up to 5 cm (2 in) diameter Small areas

Bulldozer blade; forestry machine road builder arrangement Bulldozer blade; forestry machine road builder arrangement

Wheel-mounted circular saws

Bulldozer blade; forestry machine road builder arrangement Bulldozer blade, rotary mowers; flail-type rotary cutters; rolling brush cutters; forestry machine road builder arrangement; site prep tractor with brush cutter or mulcher attachment Rolling brush cutter; flail- type cutter; anchor chain drawn between two crawler tractors; rails; site prep tractor with brush cutter or mulcher attachment Bulldozer blade; forestry machine road builder arrangement Bulldozer blade, rolling brush cutter [up to 12 cm (5 in) diameter], rotary mower [up to 10 cm (4 in) diameter]; forestry machine road builder arrangement; Site prep tractor with brush cutter or mulcher attachment Bulldozer blade, flail-type rotary cutter, anchor chain; site prep tractor with brush cutter or mulcher attachment

Moldboard plows, disc plows, disc harrows

4 hectares (10 acres)

Medium areas 40 hectares (100 acres)

Heavy duty sickle mowers [up to 3.7 cm (1 1 / 2 in) diameter] tractor-mounted circular saws, suspended rotary mowers; site prep tractor with brush cutter or mulcher attachment Site prep tractor with brush cutter or mulcher attachment

Moldboard plows; disc plows, disc harrows; site prep tractor with mulcher attachment

Large areas 400 hectares (1000 acres)

Bulldozer blade, root rake, grubber, root plow, anchor chain drawn between two crawler tractors; rails

Undercutter with disc; moldboard plows; disc plows; disc harrows; site prep tractor with mulcher attachment

INTERMEDIATE CLEARING — Vegetation 5 to 20 cm (2 to 8 in) diameter Small areas

Bulldozer blade; forest machine road builder arrangement Bulldozer blade; forest machine road builder arrangement

Wheel-mounted circular saws

Heavy-duty disc plow; disc harrow

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4 hectares (10 acres)

Medium areas 40 hectares (100 acres)

Tractor-mounted circular saws, single scissor type tree shears; site prep tractor with brush cutter or mulcher attachment; wheel/ track feller buncher with high speed saw head; forest machine with directional felling head Shearing blade (angling or V-type); site prep tractor with brush cutter or mulcher attachment; wheel/track feller buncher with high speed saw head; forest machine with directional felling head

Heavy-duty disc plow; disc harrow; site prep tractor with mulcher attachment

Large areas 400 hectares (1000 acres)

Shearing blade, angling (tilted) bulldozer blade, rakes, anchor chain drawn between two crawler tractors, root plow

Bulldozer blade with duty harrow; site prep tractor with mulcher attachment

NOTE: The most economical size area for each type of equipment will vary with the relative cost of capital equipment versus labor. It is also affected by whether there are alternate uses for equipment such as using tractors for tillage.

Edition 47 27-3