Spring has sprung! With days getting longer and temperatures on the rise, it’s time for land clearing professionals to break out their equipment and prepare for a productive – and profitable – season. Make the most of your time and tools with these four revenue-generating ideas:
Among the biggest opportunities for land clearing pros during spring is cleaning up the mess that winter leaves behind. In northern regions, brush and debris become trapped beneath layers of snow. Across the country, farmers need fields cleared of trees and other materials in preparation for the upcoming growing season.
“After the snow is gone and before ground foliage comes in is the best opportunity to see exactly what is on the ground,” noted Matt Nelson, Director of Development at Diamond Mowers. “This clear line of sight helps operators avoid hitting rocks and other obstructions while mulching and clearing.”
Employ a brush cutter to slice through grass, brush, branches, and trees to keep land neat and manicured and prevent weeds from sprouting. To clear large expanses of land, opt for the speed and productivity of a disc mulcher. Its distinctive disc design stores energy and combines it with hydraulic power to enable operators to slice and process trees and brush in their path. For those working with midi-excavators, Diamond Mowers’ new Excavator Drum Mulcher is a great choice for tackling post-winter clean-up. Its impressive torque powers through material up to 8” in diameter. For heavy-duty land reclamation and forestry management, the Excavator Disc Mulcher Pro X is available in 36” or 48” cutting widths and can process material up to 12” in diameter.
Early spring is an effective time to remove many invasive species. Clearing them out before they go to seed is critical as these tenacious intruders pose serious risks by altering and degrading the environment, overtaking resources native grasses need to live, and ruining valuable grazing and production land. The following are some of the most common invasive species by region:
Managing and even eradicating invasive species is an attainable goal, especially if new introductions are detected early. Start by trimming back branches and tall brush. Next, utilize a disc or drum mulcher to grind tree trunks into chips for easy removal or natural decomposition. Then, finish the job with a stump grinder to completely eliminate invasive species at the source.
“For those seeking a versatile attachment, Diamond Mowers recently introduced the Drum Mulcher OD Pro X, which boasts an optimized infeed system that produces a smaller end-product than conventional open drum models,” said Nelson. “This heavy-duty mulcher provides power and flexibility for harsh mulching needs and is a great choice for when significant ground contact is expected.”
Spring is the ideal time to maintain fence lines and cut back overgrowth in preparation for spring planting and grazing.
“Grasses and trees that touch the wires of electrical fencing can cause it to ground out and lose power,” explains Nelson. “Keeping vegetation cut back and away from wires will help to keep critters out and livestock in.”
Diamond Mowers offers several attachments to help get the job done. The Brush Cutter Pro, for instance, features a lower push bar that reaches under most bottom wires for quick maintenance. A drum mulcher may be the best option for jobs involving considerable mulch and brush management. Depth control and open drum mulching attachments are great for agricultural applications and roadside maintenance. Their discharge geometry is specifically designed to send material down toward the ground, limiting the amount of thrown material and making them ideal for preparing fence lines along busy roads or near buildings.
April showers may bring May flowers, but spring also heralds the beginning of storm season. If you live in an area prone to tornadoes, hurricanes, or forest fires, be prepared for disaster cleanup jobs with equipment that can cut, shred, mulch, and process downed trees, broken branches, and burnt brush.
“Whether you’re cleaning up after a hurricane, flood, or fire, it’s important to have the correct tools at your disposal,” explained Nelson. “Clearing the land of debris quickly reduces hazard potential, gets landowners back to work, and keeps areas looking beautiful.”
After severe weather, the area can be littered with hazardous trees and brush. Specifically designed to mulch these materials, the TR Boom Drum Mulcher DC can fulfill all reaching, cutting, and processing needs without leaving branches and other materials strewn on the ground, so there’s no need for a clean-up crew to achieve a well-groomed result. It can work through material faster and requires less maintenance and fewer consumable costs than attachments that also cut grass. It also is a great choice for working near roads or in populated areas thanks to a bolt-on door on its backside that holds chips and controls thrown debris.
Diamond Mowers offers a wide range of specialized cutting attachments compatible with most skid-steer, tractor, wheel loader, and excavator brands. For more information, visit www.diamondmowers.com.