The Best Way to Clear Brush: Essential Tools to Clear Overgrown Land

With the right tools cleaning overgrown brush is easy, here's how to do it

There are lots of reasons why you would want to clear saplings, branches and other tree debris from your land.

You could be: 

• • Cleaning up to make new trails or revitalize old ones

  • Preparing a site for a building project

  • Improving the general look of your land

Whether you've got small trees that need to be trimmed and chipped, large trees with overhanging branches, or annoying stumps, there is great equipment available to help you deal with it quickly and easily.

But what are they key tools you need to clear all the brush from your property, and what are the best ways to clear many fallen trees or clean up rough terrain? Read more to find out below:

Why should I clear brush from my property?

There are many reasons why you'd want to clean up tree debris from your land:

• • New property owners often clean up after taking over from previous owners, especially if the land has been neglected for some time

  • Routine seasonal cleanup, to take down overhanging tree branches or saplings that have grown in over the year

  • Improved clarity of property lines, since trees and foliage can often overgrow fence lines and make it hard to tell whose land is whose in rural areas

  • Push back wooded areas from overgrowing and taking over your land

  • Trimming branches creates a supply of wood chips you can use for burning, animal bedding, gardening and more

When should I start brush cleanup during the year?

Most landowners will start cleanup in the spring season, when they can get a tractor or skid steer out, to do basic cleanup. Depending on the size of your acreage this may be a series of ongoing projects you do year-round.

All of this is an important part in maintaining rural land, so it's a good idea you have the best equipment to get it done right.

What is some equipment I should have for brush clearing?

Clearing heavy brush requires tools. While every landowner will have their own set of equipment, not every landowner will have the same arsenal. Rural farm owners and woodlot caretakers will usually have larger tractors and bigger machinery than a hobby farm owner or homesteader.

Because of this, let's get into some great equipment you should own depending on your budget and size of your acreage, so everyone can best take care of their land:

• • PTO Compatible Tractor: There are many different sizes of tractors on the market, but even small ones with a PTO gives you compatibility with a broad range of attachments that makes land clearing easier.

  • Brush Cutters: Whether you're using a small handheld device or a brush mower tractor attachment, you want something that can make the process of cutting down branches and brush easier.

  • Chainsaw: A chainsaw is a significant investment for clearing and maintaining rural acreage. Ensure the teeth remain sharp so they retain their effectiveness. A chainsaw chain sharpener like the RCS28 PRO may also be a smart investment.

  • Wood Chipper: A PTO wood chipper is great for chipping tree waste, letting you reduce it to a manageable pile and then spread it or use it elsewhere on your property. Models like the Woodland Mills WC68 are routinely trusted for brush clearing jobs.

  • Stump Grinder: Stump grinders are the fastest and easiest way to remove tree stumps after clearing land. A PTO tractor attachment stump grinder can be helpful for removing tripping hazards and unsightly obstructions. A simple model like the Woodland Mills WG24 can help clean up your land quickly.

Hand clearing is a time-consuming and labor-intensive method, made easier by chainsaws and hand tools. Consider investing in heavier duty equipment that you can get use out of year after year.

What is the best PTO-compatible equipment used for clearing branches?

If you want a PTO tractor attachment to use with your tractor, here are some great recommendations for doing routine brush clearing:

PTO Wood Chippers

Woodland Mills TF810 PRO Wood Chipper

8" Diameter Capacity

The TF810 PRO was the first Woodland Mills PTO wood chipper to feature patented Twin Flywheel Technology, which delivers high-torque chipping with a dedicated primary flywheel to handle larger material with less HP, while the secondary flywheel spins at over twice the speed of the cutting flywheel to discharge material faster and farther.

Woodland Mills WC68 Wood Chipper

6" Diameter Capacity

The WC68 was designed to bring efficient, reliable chipping to compact tractor owners. After seeing the success of the WC88, we developed the WC68 in 2015 as a smaller alternative, giving landowners a mid-range chipper with the same trusted performance in a more compact package.

Woodland Mills TFG55 PTO Wood Chipper

5" Diameter Capacity

The TFG55 PTO is our first gravity-feed PTO wood chipper. It was released in the fall of 2024 after two years of research and development at our Canadian head office. Designed to be a value oriented entry-level wood chipper, the TFG55 PTO supports compact and sub-compact tractor owners with yard cleanup and mulch creation.

PTO Stump Grinders

Woodland Mills WG28 PRO Stump Grinder

28" Diameter Flywheel

The WG28 PRO was the first Woodland Mills PRO Series stump grinder. It introduced patent-pending shock absorption and dampening technology to the PTO-powered lineup, delivering smoother, more controlled stump grinding. Designed for tractors with 35 to 80 HP at the PTO, it applies even pressure, prevents kickback, and features a built-in draw speed indicator to help set the optimal working range for tractor speed.

Woodland Mills WG24 Stump Grinder

24" Diameter Flywheel

The Woodland Mills WG24 is a PTO-driven stump grinder that quickly attaches to the 3-point hitch system, making the most of your tractor’s available horsepower for efficient stump removal. Designed in 2018, the WG24 has become a mainstay of Woodland Mills' core product lineup, with thousands sold worldwide

Advice for brush clearing

There's a lot to remember when clearing small trees and brush, but many landowners go through the same routine every season. By having the best tools and practices they make the job easy so they can get back to other tasks. Here's some key advice they share:

• • Don't let your wood chips go to waste: Reducing brush piles with a wood chipper is a smart choice, but don't let those wood chips decay. Use them in your garden or as footing for trails. They can also be spread to help restore the nutrients in the soil and used in mulch.

  • Best stump grinding practices: If the stump sits a bit high you can trim it down with a chainsaw to make it easier to grind. Remember to grind down the roots below ground level to eliminate tripping hazards.

  • Consider Twin Flywheel Technology: Green, freshly pruned tree branches can sometimes cause problems for wood chippers. To reduce that it's recommended you mix in dry, heavy materials to assist air flow in the drum. Twin Flywheel wood chippers like the TF810 PRO have separate flywheels, one for chipping the material and the other spins at 2x the speed to throw materials out faster and farther. This helps carry difficult lightweight, wet, leafy, and coniferous material smoothly through the chip stream, reducing potential build-up.

  • Plan your brush clearing projects: Pull large branches out from the brush and pile them up to manage your work. Ensure your wood chippers and equipment have sharp blades and are ready for the job. For large properties, consider how much work you can do in a day and work to a steady schedule.

Summary: What are some of the best ways to clear brush from your land?

So what all do you need to take the first step to efficiently clear your land of loose, overhanging and overgrown brush?

• • Have a PTO wood chipper with tractor attachments like a wood chipper and stump grinder to remove tree waste

  • Plan out your projects and establish a reasonable pace to get the job done

  • Set up a budget for your brush clearing projects and purchase equipment you'll use consistently each year

  • Find ways to reuse waste, such as by using wood chips in your garden or as bedding for footpaths and trails