Modern land clearing equipment

The several types of modern equipment used for land clearing have varying degree of success in their performance. These are;

• Tractor – pulled root plough
• Tractor – mounted tree pusher
• Tractor – pulled chains
• Tractor – mounted rakes
• Tractor – mounted special blades
• Tractor – powered bulldozer
• Tractor – trailed ploughing harrows

Tractor – pulled root plough

This plough floats under the surface of the ground at a predetermined depth in other to slice the roots of the plants with the result that re-sprouting is prevented or is totally checked. The root plough apart from exposing the large roots to the surface also shatters the hard pan below the top soil, providing a soil – ameliorating action, which is suitable for crop production.

Tractor – mounted tree pusher

The tree pusher is usually attached to the bulldozer for enhanced leverage in pushing over trees during the felling process. With the improved leverage, the tree – uprooting/felling action is usually facilitated.

Tractor – pulled chains

The use of tractor pulled chains is effective in felling trees and partially eliminating bush when clearing semi – arid land. Chaining operation is performed usually by two crawler tractors that move simultaneously with a very big chain dragged behind them – one moving at the end of the uncleared area and the other through the uncleared area. This method is applicable to vegetation of relatively low density (d’’ 2500) and small trees (with sized’’ 45cm).

Tractor – mounted rakes

Tractor – mounted rakes are used to grub or pile trees, boulders, similar materials without transporting excess quantities of soil as applicable to a bulldozer. Rakes can be an effective tool when stacking the materials in piles for burning.

Tractor – mounted special blades

Tractor – mounted special blades are available in two types, a – single – angle blade with projecting stinger and v – shaped blade with a protruding stinger at its lead point. These blades perform more satisfactorily than the bulldozer blades.

Tractor – powered bulldozer

The term bulldozer may be used in a broad sense to include both a bulldozer and angle dozer. A bulldozer is a wheeled or crawler tractor with a front – mounted bulldozer blade. A modern bulldozer has a crawler tractor unit with tracks to improve or extend its trafficability limit in bad terrain. Bulldozer can also be classified, as follows, on the basis of;

• Control systems as cable – controlled or hydraulically controlled
• Mountings as crawler – tractor – mounted or wheel – tractor – mounted

Bulldozers are mounted with blade orthogonal to the direction of travel while angle dozers are set at an angle (usually acute) with the direction of travel. The formal push forward while the latter push the earth forward to one side. The blade of an angle dozer, unlike bulldozer, can be set at a maximum angle 90⁰ or to the direction of motion while the bulldozer is set permanently at right angles to the direction of motion of the tractor. Hence the angle dozer may be used as bulldozer but not so with the bulldozer as the angle dozer.

Although tractor – mounted special blades give more satisfactory performance, the bulldozer, are still used extensively for land clearing in developed and developing countries. The two main defect of the bulldozers are the holes created in the ground and considerable earth (soil) that is usually transported and piled along with stacked felled trees thereby making burning or flaming more difficult.

Tractor – trailed ploughing harrows

These are normally offset disc harrow with large /rugged discs and rugged / robust frame to withstand stumps. This implement is applied at the final stage of the land clearing to ensure a proper land clearing finish prior to the conventional primary tillage.