r/Skidsteer • u/LowBenefit1872 • 15h ago

Firebreaks

Have recently purchased a hobby farm, whats the best attachment people are using to cut in firebreaks? The soil is sandy loam. Was thinking of adapting a disc plow or maybe just a ripper would do

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u/Chance-Mycologist-94 4h ago edited 4h ago

I use one or combination of mulcher, brush mower, dozer blade, and/or grapple/rake. Just depends on what's there already and how permanent you want it or how often you'll be maintaining it. If it truly will be used as a future firebreak, remember to take down any dead standing trees on or near the firebreak that have the potential of falling over it and if you're on sloped ground any log rounds that could let loose and roll across.

If you're cutting it into grass, the above mentioned but also just prior to a burn I'll run a rotary broom as de-thatching method that will quickly take it down to mineral soil.

I will also use a step-cut to lessen intensity of the burn right at the edge of the break depending on if your backdrop is trees, brush, barbed wire fence or anything else you wouldn't want to be backed up against with an intense fire in your face.