Brush Hogging

Has anyone ever used one of those Billy Goat Brush-hog’s that they rent at Home Depot ? Are they any good ? And wonder how they might work going through a sea of palmettos

 

I use to rent one once a year......worked great for what I was using it for. THICK THICK bushy weeds/grasses and some sappling trees out behind my fence line.

Not certain what a sea of palmetto's is though.

 

I have one. It works really good if you use it within reason. You wont be running over pine stumps and cutting them up. But anything a couple inches or less it will run right over. Be prepared to man handle it though. Especially in tight quarters. Mine has 3 fwd gears and 1 reverse. High grass, underbrush 18" or so tall etc it makes quick work of. Basically if you could cut it with a handheld brush cutter (weed eater with a blade on it) the Billy goat will cut it but a lot faster and wider cutting path.

 

A walk behind brush-hog will not handle palmetto scrub.

If you want to be rid of scrub you will need to hire a service with a forestry mower/grinder. Most of them use the drum-type that mount on the front of something like a Bobcat, like so....



These will pulverize the very pulpy scrub into very small pieces, and down to the ground.

You will, however, still have to mow over it occasionally until any new shoots stop emerging and the cluster dies.....

 

Sure lots on here have experience hogging

 

I thought it was Bush Hogging.

Just me?

 

Now I know where the name "Canadian Bacon" comes from.

Thick Alberta farm girls?

 

Yeah , I’ve seen those in action down here and they are incredible.. can’t rent one though . Only hire someone to do it . I’m a hands on guy and want to at least try it myself . The brush Hogg is $ 105. Bucks a day . I’ll give it a shot and see what it can do

 

This. I've done the rent-a-walk-behind thing and have also hired someone to come in with one of these machines. Well worth the extra expense.

Alternatively, look on Craigslist. I'm sure there's someone offering bush hogging services with a little tractor.

 

The guys running forestry mulchers around here have raked in $$$ the last couple years since the city mandated that if you owned vacant land you have to keep it cleared from overgrowth. Between palmetto scrub and pepper trees being so dominant, that's a pretty steady revenue stream.

I've been thinking about hiring them to open up some of my property. I have a lot of palmetto and it's a pain cutting it back every year.

 

Palmettos are immortal. They cannot be killed.

 

It's like a Florida battle cry.

 

I think the palmetto’s are beautiful. I just want to clear a driveway through them and a small clearing for a building where they fade to a live oak forest

 

Not that far west

 

Nope, that's what I always heard it called. I like bush better.

 

Rented a Billy Goat Brush Hog this morning.. damn that Friggen thing is awesome . Run over 2-3” diameter 7’ trees like nothing .. and goes through those Scrub Palmetto’s like a hot knife .
Home Depot ; $105 @ day or
$ 430 @ week .. took a week !!
3+ hours today , now at the bar overlooking the Homosassa River watching the brown pelicans flying by .., life is good

 

Before/after pics?

If it's as good as you say it is I may give it a try on some of the smaller palmetto patches I have and some of the overgrowth in the back .25 acre of my lot.....

 

I’ll have to work on getting pictures .. but I’m going through Palmetto patches that are up to my neck .. I’m 6’4”” tall

 

Had a forestry mulcher out at my place. Cleared about an acre in about 6 hours and this was on a hill side. Found him on Craigslist. Pretty cool machine.

Video #1


Video #2

 

How much $$.. ??
Edit ; down here it’s a minimum of $ 1000. Bucks just to have them answer the phone