# Ranch owners Q: Roller Chopper Implement



## Johnboat (Jun 7, 2004)

I was wondering if any you have experience with this in S. Texas brush? What brand, effectiveness, etc. I hear they use them on the King Ranch.


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## Reel Aggies (Nov 30, 2007)

They work well. Call Kevin Davis at HOLT CAT in Corpus with any questions. They used to rent them, and they had all sizes.


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## Pablo (May 21, 2004)

A Lawson aerator is a good chopper. It has big drums with teeth staggered around it. Has hydraulics so it can be moved easily by a tractor. You can put a seedbox on it to spread grass seed. I've seen some big ones that the ranchers just leave in the pasture because they can't be raised.


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## marksmu (Dec 4, 2008)

I have seen lots of em in lots of places....though, where I am we use them to roll down the wild millet prior to duck season and open up some water for them to land on. 

They are extremely simple though. They simply consist of a metal drum usually a steel culvert, that is welded closed on both ends, then alot of angle iron welded on. Most use a hydraulic cylinder for lifting, though smaller ones for 4 wheelers and the like also use just a trailer jack.

Ive got photos of a small one my buddy made. Cost about $150 to make. It goes behind the 4 wheeler. You can fill it with water to make it heavier.

A weld shop could make you one for a fraction of what you could buy one for if you have the ability to haul it. Just buy some surplus steel and make some crude drawings for them to follow. Its not rocket science for sure. Just be sure to balance it properly so you dont have to much tongue weight.


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

the old style brush choppers with a solid iron drum and full-lenght blades work well in SoTx, but usually best in red dirt or sandy areas. not so well on flint-rock country.
they do good in guajillo flats as they chop down bigger brush and spur regrowth. cattle readily eat young guajillo, which as a legume is fairly high in protien. this is 1940's technology. heavy-duty shredders are mostly used now. most choppers are 6ft wide and pulled in gangs of three behind a dozer.
the Lawson is a pasture aerator which breaks up improved pastures(coastal) for better water retention.
either shredding or chopping leaves behind a woody stubble not suitable to be driven over with rubber-tired vehicles.
chopping was usually done several years after a pasture had been chained.


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## wschorp (Jun 1, 2004)

This should answer all your questions:
http://reveg-catalog.tamu.edu/04-Mechanical.htm

WS


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## chad (Sep 7, 2006)

I am not sure of the exact size of our chopper, but it is a Lawson twin drum with offset drums. I think each drum is about 10' wide and about 3' in diameter. This thing is an incredible machine. We pull it behind an old Styger bear cat or cougar or something like that. It goes through the brush chopping every thing up and aerating the ground at the same time. Some times we put a seeder on it for planing native grasses for the quail. When you want fire wood just go look where ever you have been chopping and there is wood laying every where already cut up and ready to go. If there are areas of very large mesquite trees these will have to be chained the first time, but small to medium sized trees are no problem for the Lawson. Our place is pretty rocky as well, for a South Texas ranch anyway which doesn't seem to be a problem. The blades are very tough they last for years with out having to be replaced.


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## MissingSTexas (Oct 3, 2007)

chad said:


> I am not sure of the exact size of our chopper, but it is a Lawson twin drum with offset drums. I think each drum is about 10' wide and about 3' in diameter. This thing is an incredible machine. We pull it behind an old Styger bear cat or cougar or something like that. It goes through the brush chopping every thing up and aerating the ground at the same time. Some times we put a seeder on it for planing native grasses for the quail. When you want fire wood just go look where ever you have been chopping and there is wood laying every where already cut up and ready to go. If there are areas of very large mesquite trees these will have to be chained the first time, but small to medium sized trees are no problem for the Lawson. Our place is pretty rocky as well, for a South Texas ranch anyway which doesn't seem to be a problem. The blades are very tough they last for years with out having to be replaced.


I've seen the damage that Lawson does, he's not joking- it's amazing what it does to that thorny stuff....


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## Johnboat (Jun 7, 2004)

*thanks for the comments and reviews*

My friend with the S. Texas ranch has a single 12 foot Lawson coming that he just bought used (apparently in very good condition from the photos) from out of state. Looks like he did good. Thanks again


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

For the mesquite, if you're wanting to get rid of it you have to get the tap root. If you don't, it just grows back twice as fast.

Roto Tiller pulled with two D-9 Cat's welded together works best. 

TH


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## stxwaterfowler (Apr 30, 2006)

They also use these first. This picture was taken close to the King Ranch. THIN THE BRUSH first


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## TMan (Jul 10, 2008)

My father in law hunts in Mexico and they use an 8ft disk pulled behind a tractor and it works great.


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## bandada1 (Jan 4, 2007)

For South Texas try Rick with Kouserk Farms out of Sinton. I have used rolling chopping on alot of my real mature brush thats canopy was so thick there was no grass underneath. Works great and will take about 5 years with manipulation to regrow.


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