Bush Hogging vs. Brush Cutting: Which Does Your Land Need?

By Curtis Hale, Spartan Land Works · Hernando, MS · Updated October 2026

The quick test

Walk out into the area you want cut and look at the thickest stems. If most of it is grass, weeds and stems thinner than your finger, you need bush hogging. If you're seeing saplings as thick as your thumb or wrist, cedars, privet or a wall of briars, you need brush cutting first.

What is bush hogging?

"Bush hog" is the brand name that stuck for a rotary cutter pulled behind a tractor. It's essentially a big, tough mower. It's the cheapest, fastest way to cut open fields, pastures and lots that get regular maintenance. Bush hogs are made for grass, weeds and light brush, and most will handle the odd small sapling.

Where they struggle: thick woody growth, slopes, ditches and wood lines. A tractor is top-heavy on hills, and a pull-behind mower can't reach into tight spots.

What is skid steer brush cutting?

A skid steer brush cutter is a heavy-duty cutting head mounted on the front of a skid steer or compact track loader. It runs off the machine's high-flow hydraulics and is built to cut and shred woody material. Ours handles trees up to about 8 inches. Because the operator can see and steer the cutter directly, it can work along fence lines, into wood lines and on slopes where a tractor wouldn't be safe.

Side-by-side

The usual plan: cut it once, then keep it mowed

For land that's gotten away from you, the most economical plan is almost always:

1. One brush cutting pass to knock down the saplings, cedars and briars.
2. Regular bush hogging afterward, a few times a year, to keep the regrowth from ever getting thick again.

Privet, sweetgum and many other species will resprout from the roots after cutting. That's normal. Mowing the sprouts while they're soft is cheap. Waiting five years and calling for heavy clearing again is not.

What about forestry mulching?

Forestry mulchers grind standing trees into fine mulch and can handle larger material than a brush cutter. They're excellent for heavy timber but cost more to run. For most of the overgrown fields, wood lines and lots we see in DeSoto, Tate and Marshall Counties, a heavy brush cutter gets the job done for less.