Best Ways To Clear an Overgrown Lot (And Reclaim Your Land)

When you have an overgrown lot, a standard lawn mower is simply not capable of tackling the tough job ahead. To take on a sea of thick weeds and pesky saplings, you’ll need something a little more powerful. Whether you need equipment to clear your own lawn or a machine that can tackle a diverse array of unpredictable landscapes for your commercial land clearing business, our guide on the best ways to clear an overgrown lot will help you determine the best land-clearing method for your application.

Use a Brush Cutter Attachment

If you ask us, the best way to clear an overgrown lot and reclaim your land is to use a skid steer brush cutter or brush mower. On overgrown lots, saplings can often reach heights of two to three inches or more, as well as grow several inches in diameter. In addition, overgrown lots also often include various weeds and other thick growths that would destroy a regular lawn mower if you used it to try to cut through the overgrowth. However, this precise application is what a brush cutter is essentially made to do.

A brush cutter is designed to cut through small trees and saplings smoothly and efficiently. When using a brush cutter, you won’t have to constantly go back and forth to try and cut through an area of overgrown land. Instead, it will give you a quick, straight cut without incurring damage to the machine. If you decide to use a brush cutter to cut an overgrown lot, there are several different types that you can choose from. Primarily, a gear-driven brush cutter or a hydraulic drive brush cutter are the two most popular options.

Gear-Driven Brush Cutter

When engaging in regular yard work or cutting a plot of land with weeds and overgrowth that has a consistent size, then a gear drive is a viable option. For example, if you require a piece of equipment to cut your own yard where you are familiar with the land and know what to expect, a gear-driven brush cutter will likely work well. In fact, a gear drive may be more efficient than a direct hydraulic drive brush cutter in consistent applications. However, there is a chance that the gear-driven brush cutter could become damaged if you accidentally hit an oversized object. In such an instance, the extra safety of a hydraulic drive will likely prove beneficial. That being said, a gear-driven brush cutter can effectively perform all of the functions of a direct hydraulic drive brush cutter—excluding the fact that there is a higher potential for damage if you encounter an unexpected tree or object that is larger than usual at a high speed. As such, if you are looking for a less-expensive brush cutter attachment option to trim your yard or clear a plot of land once a month or so, a gear-driven brush cutter will likely be the most financially advantageous choice.

Direct Hydraulic Drive Brush Cutter

In instances where the brush cutter requires more protection against oversized objects, a hydraulic drive will be more advantageous for land-clearing purposes. Because there is less impact, a hydraulic drive is ideal for applications where you need to cut through overgrowth quickly. In the case that you need to cut through a larger growth very quickly with four-inch saplings, you may end up damaging a gear-driven brush cutter. When using a direct hydraulic drive brush cutter, however, the motor on the machine will simply slow down while going over the large sapling, and then speed back up again after the growth has been cleared.

If you work in the commercial land-clearing industry and require a piece of equipment to cut a variety of different lot types where you don’t necessarily know what to expect, a hydraulic drive brush cutter will provide you with the capabilities you need to tackle the wide range of overgrowth that you may encounter. That being said, you should prepare yourself to pay a higher price for the added safety that a direct hydraulic drive brush cutter provides.

In the case that you decide that a direct hydraulic drive suits your application best, there are multiple different sizes to choose from. Essentially, you can choose between a medium-range and a commercial-range brush cutter. The distinction between these two options largely has to do with the robustness of their cutting heads and their shafts. A more powerful brush cutter for commercial applications will have a thicker shaft, as well as a drive head with more momentum.

The Right Machine for the Job

When determining the best way to clear your overgrown lot, you will also need to consider which type of machinery to equip your brush cutter attachment to. If you need to clear land in a dry area, you can use a tired skid steer. If the area is a little wet, then you can always install over-the-tire tracks to the skid steer to provide extra flotation. That being said, we highly suggest opting for a track loader or compact track loader to tackle the process of clearing overgrown lots. When using a tracked machine, your likelihood of getting stuck while traversing rugged, wet, or uneven terrain is greatly reduced.

In addition to choosing between a tired or tracked machine, will also have the option of a standard-flow hydraulic or a high-flow hydraulic machine. Keep in mind that the hydraulic flow of the machine that you use will determine what type of brush cutter you can get. If you have a high-flow machine, you will need a brush cutter that can handle the high-flow hydraulics without incurring damage.

McLaren’s Land Clearing Accessories

McLaren is a leading manufacturer of skid steer attachments, over-the-tire tracks, and solid skid steer tires, rubber tracks. Essentially, we provide you with all of the high-quality accessories you need to create a well-equipped land-clearing machine for your unique application. To learn more about how our products can help you maximize your machinery and optimize your land-clearing efforts, contact us today at (800) 836-0040 or click here to request a quote.