Taking possession of a new piece of land can be a tremendous boon for any farm or agricultural business, but not if that new land is choked with unwanted trees, tangled weeds and other organic obstacles. Agricultural land clearance can be a difficult and time-consuming process without the right equipment, so it's no surprise that many farms hire excavators and other heavy plant machinery to speed the process along.
An excavator hire can dramatically speed up almost any land clearance project, using their tremendous pulling strength and a vast array of interchangeable tools to clear away everything from small tree stumps to gigantic boulders. However, not all excavators are created equal, and choosing an excavator specifically suited to the demands of land clearance will make the job go even faster. Keep an eye out for the following desirable qualities when choosing an excavator for your next land clearance project:
Powerful engines
Generally speaking, a more powerful excavator will be more suitable for land clearance purposes. An excavator with a powerful, high-torque engine can dig up and carry much heavier loads, and is much more useful for hauling tree stumps out of the ground and bulldozing large thickets of greenery. A powerful engine will also improve the performance or certain hydraulically-powered boom attachments, such as chainsaws and hammer drills.
However, bigger doesn't always mean better, and you should try to strike a balance between engine power and fuel economy -- carting extra fuel cans out to the middle of an isolated piece of rural land can be hard work, to say the least.
Tracks over wheels
Tracked excavators can be a little more difficult to find and more expensive to hire, but the extra expense is generally well worth it for land clearance purposes. Tracked excavators will be able to navigate uneven virgin ground much more reliably, and are particularly well suited for navigating poorly-drained and waterlogged land which can lead to wheeled excavators sinking and becoming stuck.
Plentiful attachments
Most excavator hire services will provide a range of attachable tools for use with your excavator, and some of these attachments are ideally suited to agricultural land clearance. Boom rakes and ripper teeth will be particularly useful for breaking up hard, rocky ground and tearing up tough tree roots, while hedge cutter arrays will be ideal for cutting back large thickets of bush and tree foliage.
Some of the attachments on offer will also be useful for preparing the ground for agricultural uses once the clearance work is complete. Clay spades and compaction wheels are particularly handy for flattening disturbed earth, helping the soil retain nutrients and moisture until it is ready for the plow.
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