Three different jobs
When someone calls about an overgrown lot, they might say bush hogging, clearing or clean-up. Those words get mixed up a lot. They are really three different jobs with different machines, different time and different results.
Knowing which one you need saves you time and money. Here is how we break it down.
- Bush hogging: cutting tall grass, weeds, brush and small saplings down low.
- Land clean-up: clearing out brush piles, debris and junk so the land is usable again.
- Full land clearing: taking out trees, stumps and roots so the ground can be built on or farmed.
Bush hogging
Bush hogging is for ground that has gotten away from you. Think a field nobody has mowed in a couple of years, a fence line full of briars or a lot where the weeds are over your head.
A rotary cutter knocks it all down and chops it up. It handles tall grass, weeds, thick brush and small saplings. It does not take out trees, and it does not pull up roots. What is left is a rough cut that you can then mow, walk, survey or show to a buyer.
It makes sense when you want to see what you have, get a lot ready to list, keep a field from turning into woods, cut back fire and snake cover or open up a path for the next job.
Land clean-up
Land clean-up is about what is sitting on the ground, not just what is growing on it. It covers brush, debris and junk.
That can mean brush piles, fallen limbs, old fencing, scrap metal, tires, rotted lumber, an old shed that came down or whatever got left behind on a property you just bought. We clean it up so you can use your land again.
Clean-up and bush hogging often go together. We cut the growth down first so we can see what is hiding in it, then clean up what we find.
Full land clearing, and where we fit
Full land clearing means taking out trees, stumps and roots. That is what you need when a wooded lot has to become a house pad, a driveway or open pasture.
Tree removal and stump grinding are not on our list. For a lot with heavy timber, you need a tree service or a clearing outfit to take the trees and stumps out first.
Once they are done, we can come in after for the work that is ours: grade work, site prep, land clean-up and getting the ground ready for your builder. If you are not sure where your lot falls, call and we will tell you straight whether it is a job for us or for someone else first.
Time of year
Bush hogging can be done most of the year, but timing changes the result.
- Late fall and winter: growth has died back, so it is easier to see the ground, fences, junk and rough spots. A good time to cut and clean up a lot you want to use in spring.
- Spring: a cut before things leaf out and shoot up keeps a field from getting ahead of you.
- Summer: growth is at its thickest. It still gets done, but expect it to take longer than the same lot in winter.
- Any time of year: after a long wet stretch, soft ground can leave ruts. We may suggest waiting a few dry days.
What to expect
We walk the property with you first. We look at what is growing, how thick it is, how the ground lays and whether there is junk, old fence, stumps or holes hiding in the growth. We also ask about anything buried, like water lines, a septic system or a well.
Then you get a straight number for the job, in writing, before we start. Our own crew shows up with our own equipment to do it.
After a bush hog cut, the ground will look rough. That is normal. Small stubs and chopped brush stay on the ground and break down. If you want it smooth for seed or sod, that is a grade or Harley rake job we can talk about.
Call us at (865) 346-6688 or send the quote form. We work in Knox, Blount, Loudon, Sevier, Anderson and Roane counties.