What size trees can a skid steer forestry mulcher handle?

Skid steer drum mulchers do their best work on brush, saplings and trees up to about 6 inches across. Many heads in this class are rated for trees up to around 8 inches. Bigger trees can sometimes be worked down, but it is slow and hard on the machine, so they are usually handled another way.

How do I measure the diameter of a tree?

Wrap a tape measure around the trunk about 4.5 feet off the ground and divide by 3.14. A trunk that measures 25 inches around is about 8 inches across.

Does a forestry mulcher remove stumps?

A drum mulcher grinds stumps down to about ground level and leaves them covered in mulch. It does not pull out the roots, so the ground is not torn up.

What happens to trees that are too big to mulch?

Larger trees can be left standing, which is common on hunting land where mast trees like oaks are worth keeping, or cut by hand with the tops mulched. Ryan will go over the options on the walk through.

What Size Trees Can a Forestry Mulcher Handle?

Short answerA skid steer drum mulcher does its best work on brush, saplings and trees up to about 6 inches across. Many heads in this class, including the Baumalight drum style RYNO runs, are rated for trees up to around 8 inches. Anything bigger gets looked at case by case on the walk through.

Forestry mulcher pushing into a young pine tree — A young pine like this goes from standing tree to mulch in seconds.

How to measure your trees

Tree size is measured across the trunk, about chest high. The easy way:

Wrap a tape measure around the trunk about 4.5 feet off the ground.
Divide by 3.14. That is the diameter.
Quick reference: about 19 inches around is 6 inches across, and about 25 inches around is 8 inches across.

You do not need to measure every tree. A few of the biggest ones in the area you want cleared tells us most of what we need.

What mulches easily, and what takes more work

Trunk size	What it usually is	How mulching goes
Under 2 in.	Brush, buckthorn, honeysuckle, briars	Fastest. Ground fine in one pass.
2 to 6 in.	Saplings, young pine, aspen, box elder	Routine work for a drum mulcher.
6 to 8 in.	Small trees	Doable. Slower, especially hardwoods.
Over 8 in.	Mature trees	Case by case. Often kept, or cut first.

Size is not the only thing that matters

Wood type

Softwoods like pine and aspen grind quickly. Dense hardwoods like oak, ash and hickory take noticeably longer at the same size.

How thick it is

An acre of scattered saplings is very different from an acre of buckthorn so thick you cannot walk through it. Density often matters more than the size of any one tree.

Ground and access

Slopes, rocks, wet spots and how the machine gets onto the property all change how the job goes.

What about the big trees?

Most properties have a mix. Larger trees are usually handled one of a few ways:

Leave them standing. Mulching is selective, so you choose what stays. On hunting land, mature oaks and other mast trees are often worth more standing.
Cut them first. A bigger tree can be dropped with a saw and the tops and limbs mulched.
Work around them. Trails and shooting lanes can be routed between the trees you want to keep.

What about stumps?

A drum mulcher grinds stumps down to about ground level and covers them with mulch. It does not rip the roots out, so the soil stays in place and the ground is not torn up. The area greens back up with grass and low cover.

Not sure how your trees measure up? Send Ryan a few photos with your quote request and he will tell you straight. You can also read the difference between drum and disc mulchers or how forestry mulching works.

Not sure what your land needs?

Send Ryan your location, rough acres and what you want cleared. He walks the property and gives you a clear price.

Get a free quote

What size trees can a forestry mulcher handle?