Clearing brush, small trees, slash piles, stumps, and rocks with a skid steer is entirely doable — but the attachment choice and workflow sequence matter more than most people expect. The wrong order wastes days. The wrong machine burns up a mulcher. Here's how to do it right.
A skid steer with the right attachments handles most land clearing jobs up to a certain scale: brush and saplings, slash cleanup after chainsaw work, rocky areas, root mass removal, and most stumps up to 12–14 inches in diameter. Where it runs out of machine is on mature timber (8"+ standing hardwood), heavy rock with boulders over 18 inches, and very wet, unstable ground where a tracked compact track loader (CTL) would be a better choice anyway.
For most Canadian acreage projects — clearing a bush lot edge, reclaiming overgrown fields, shelterbelt removal, fire mitigation work around structures — a mid-size skid steer or CTL with the right attachments gets the job done. The key is not fighting the machine's limits.
The most capable and most misused attachment on this list. A forestry mulcher uses a spinning drum or disc with carbide teeth to grind brush, saplings, and small trees (up to 6–8 inches diameter for most skid steer-mounted units) into chips and mulch on the spot. No piling, no hauling, no burning — one machine, one pass.
The limitation is hydraulic demand. Mulchers require high-flow hydraulics — not the standard 15–22 GPM most skid steers deliver, but 30–45 GPM at 3,000–4,000 PSI. That means you need a machine specifically rated for high flow, and most of those are mid-size to full-size machines (75 HP and up). Running a mulcher on a standard-flow machine will either stall the drum constantly or destroy the attachment. Check your machine's hydraulic spec sheet before buying.
CAD pricing for skid steer forestry mulchers: $12,000–$22,000 new for disc-style units; drum mulchers for full-size machines run $18,000–$35,000+. Used units on Kijiji and Ritchie Bros. from $5,000–$12,000 — inspect the teeth and drum carefully, replacement teeth can be $50–$100 each and a full set goes fast.
A tined rake attachment that lets you push debris into piles while leaving topsoil behind. Tines are typically 4–8 inches apart — wide enough to let dirt pass through, close enough to catch brush, roots, and slash. This is the do-everything attachment for cleanup: pile slash after chainsaw cutting, windrow brush before burning, collect stumps and root balls after a mulcher or ripper pass.
Standard-flow attachment — any skid steer with aux hydraulics can run one. CAD pricing: $2,500–$6,500 new depending on width (60"–84"). Used units are common and hold up well; look for bent or missing tines and check the hinge pins on folding models.
Where the land clearing rake pushes, a root grapple grabs and lifts. The open-tine design lets soil fall through while holding root masses, slash, and debris. Essential for stump removal — grab the stump root ball, carry it to a pile, drop it. Far more efficient than trying to push stumps with a bucket.
Also useful for sorting: picking up cut logs to pile separately from brush, clearing rocks in combination with a standard grapple. CAD pricing: $3,500–$8,000 new for quality units (Paladin, Bobcat, HLA). Budget import units from $1,800 — check cylinder quality and tine thickness on anything under $3,000.
A rotary cutter is essentially a heavy-duty brush hog mounted on skid steer quick attach. Single- or dual-blade systems mow down standing brush, saplings up to 3–4 inches diameter, and tall grass. Less aggressive than a mulcher — doesn't grind material to fine chips, just cuts and knocks it down. The advantage is lower hydraulic demand (standard flow is fine for most models) and lower equipment cost.
Use a brush cutter to knock down the standing material first, then follow with a rake to pile it and a grapple to load for burning or hauling. CAD pricing: $4,500–$9,500 new. FAE, Fecon, and Bobcat all make quality units; TMG sells import models around $4,500–$6,000.
Dedicated stump grinders for skid steers work well for stumps too large for the mulcher to handle efficiently — anything 8 inches and up where you need the stump gone below grade. The attachment mounts on the quick attach and uses a spinning grinding wheel to chew down. Slower than a mulcher for volume work, but more precise for clearing stumps in established areas (near structures, fences).
CAD pricing: $7,000–$16,000 new. Rental is often a better option for one-time stump removal jobs — expect $400–$600/day from local rental yards.
Rock requires a different approach. A standard GP bucket or rock bucket works for picking and moving smaller rock. For large boulders, you'll need a breaker or to call in an excavator — a skid steer doesn't have the mass or breakout force for boulders over 18 inches. Use a root grapple for rock sorting where rocks are mixed with debris.
BC land clearing runs into two distinct problems: steep terrain and fire restrictions. Many BC Interior properties are on grades where a wheeled skid steer is impractical — a CTL with tracks is the standard tool. Fire restrictions in BC (usually in effect July–September in most regions) make open burning on cleared land complicated or illegal during peak season. Mulching is increasingly the preferred method in fire-sensitive zones like the Okanagan, Kamloops area, and Cariboo. The BC Wildfire Prevention regulations also have specific rules around slash pile burning — check before you stack and light.
Ontario's Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program (MFTIP) properties have clearing restrictions — if you're enrolled, large-scale clearing may require a forest management plan. For non-enrolled properties, burn permits through the local municipality are required (outside fire season restrictions). Ontario Shield properties often involve clearing over rocky terrain where a CTL performs better than wheeled. The soil frost in northern Ontario means spring work windows are tight — often only 6–8 weeks of workable ground between thaw and bug season.
Shelterbelt removal is a specific prairie task with specific challenges. Old shelterbelts are often mixed species — poplar, caragana, spruce, willow — in dense rows. The root systems are extensive. A mulcher handles the above-ground material; what it doesn't handle is the root mat left behind. Plan for a second pass with a ripper (on a large skid steer or dozer) to break up roots, followed by discing or ripping before the land can go back into crop production. Shelterbelt removal contractors on the prairies typically charge $1,500–$4,000 per 100-metre row depending on density and method.
Properties in designated WUI (Wildland Urban Interface) zones in BC and Alberta are increasingly being cleared of ladder fuels — lower branches, understory brush, and dead material that would carry a surface fire into the canopy. This is exactly where a skid steer forestry mulcher excels: it can create a defensible space around a structure by mulching understory brush while leaving the larger trees standing. The FireSmart Canada program provides guidelines on clearing distances and methods.
| Task | Minimum Machine | Recommended | Hydraulic Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brush cutter | 55 HP, standard flow | 65–75 HP skid steer | Standard (15–22 GPM) |
| Land clearing rake | Any skid steer with aux | Any mid-size | Standard (aux for tilt models) |
| Root grapple | Any skid steer with aux | Any mid-size, 2,500+ lb ROC | Standard aux |
| Forestry mulcher (disc) | 75 HP, high-flow required | 90+ HP, 35+ GPM | High flow (30–45 GPM, 3,000–4,000 PSI) |
| Stump grinder | 60 HP, standard flow OK | 75 HP | Standard to mid-flow |
If you own a mid-size high-flow skid steer or CTL, the equipment is already there. Add a mulcher or brush cutter and you're largely self-sufficient for most clearing jobs. Rental attachment options exist but are limited — most rental yards don't carry forestry mulchers. The math works for DIY if you have ongoing work across multiple seasons.
Land clearing contractors in Canada typically charge by the hour or by the acre. Hourly rates for a machine-and-operator package (CTL with forestry mulcher) run $200–$350/hour depending on region and machine size. Acre rates vary enormously by density: light brush clearing runs $500–$1,200/acre; dense bush with stumps runs $1,500–$3,500/acre. Get quotes from at least two contractors and specify exactly what "cleared" means to you — grade ready? Stumps ground? Or just above-ground material removed?
| Attachment | Low End | Mid Range | High End |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land clearing rake (72") | $2,500 | $3,500–$5,000 | $6,500+ |
| Root grapple (66") | $1,800 (import) | $4,000–$6,000 | $8,000+ |
| Brush cutter (60–72") | $4,500 | $6,000–$8,000 | $9,500+ |
| Forestry mulcher (disc, skid steer) | $12,000 | $16,000–$20,000 | $22,000+ |
| Stump grinder | $7,000 | $10,000–$13,000 | $16,000+ |
Looking for specific models available in Canada? Browse the skid steer grapple attachment catalog for verified product pages on real models sold through Canadian dealers.