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

LARGE CLEARING — Vegetation 20 cm (8 in) diameter or larger Small areas —

Bulldozer blade; forest machine road builder arrangement; Forest machine with directional felling head Shearing blade, angling (tilted), knockdown beam, rakes, tree stumper; forest machine road builder arrangement; forest machine with directional felling head

Bulldozer blade; forest machine road builder arrangement; forest machine with directional felling head Bulldozer blade; forest machine road builder arrangement; forest machine with directional felling head

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4 hectares (10 acres)

Medium areas 40 hectares (100 acres)

Shearing blade (angling or V-type), tree shear [up to 70 cm (26 in) softwood; 35 cm (14 in) hardwood], shearing blade — power saw combination; wheel/ track feller buncher with high speed saw head; forest machine with directional felling head Shearing blade (angling or V-type), shearing blade — power saw combination; wheel/track feller buncher with high speed saw head; forest machine with directional felling head

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Large areas 400 hectares (1000 acres)

Shearing blade, angling (tilted), tree pusher, rakes, tree stumper, anchor chain with ball drawn between two crawler tractors; forest machine with directional felling head

Anchor chain with ball drawn between two crawler tractors. [Use dozer blade for trees over 18 cm (7 in).]; forest machine road builder arrangement; forest machine with directional felling head

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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.

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