Forestry Mulcher Rental in Burnet, TX
Burnet County runs on ranching, and cedar is the enemy of grass. Pasture recovery projects here run from forty acres to four hundred.
What gets cleared around Burnet
- Pasture recovery from cedar encroachment
- Spring and creek recharge clearing
- Hunting ranch senderos and food plots
- Ranch road and fence line clearing
Burnet County is grazing country losing ground to juniper, and the arithmetic is why people finally clear. Mature cedar draws a great deal of water and shades out the grass beneath it, so a pasture that carried cattle two generations ago now carries brush instead. Stems here run larger than in the growth-corridor counties because the encroachment has gone unchecked for longer — 8 to 12 inches is common, and the breaks are dense enough that stem counts per acre routinely surprise people who priced the job off a satellite image. Booking early pays off, because Burnet fall and winter dates fill as soon as nesting restrictions lift on September 1. See cedar clearing season in Texas.
Solar builds are their own category of clearing. Cedar and regrowth come off the array footprint and the access corridors in a set order, on a construction calendar rather than a landowner timeline, and on monthly machine time. The solar site clearing page covers how those projects are scoped.
The right machine for Burnet projects
Multi-hundred-acre cedar eradication is the textbook Barko 930B project: the per-acre math beats everything else in the fleet. Smaller pasture jobs and senderos suit the CMI 175 on a weekly rate.
Not sure where your project lands? The machine finder applies the same logic in seven questions, or read the full decision guide.
Rent the machine, or hire it done
Central Texas has plenty of experienced dirt contractors, and for them rental is usually the better math. But most cedar-clearing calls we get here are from landowners without a forestry operator on staff. If that’s you, turnkey service is almost always cheaper than learning on a rented machine. The honest math on both paths is in our rent vs hire guide.
Start with the cost guide for real per-acre numbers, then run your acreage through the cost calculator before you call.
| Option | Rate | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| High HP dedicated rental | $14,000/wk · $34,000/mo | Most popular: 25+ acres, heavy stems, deadlines |
| Mid-size dedicated rental | $11,000/wk · $32,000/mo | Lighter brush, 10–25 acre projects |
| CAT 275 XE rental | $1,750/day · $8,000/wk | Under 15 acres, tight access |
| Turnkey, high-HP with operator | $4,000/day + transport | Big acreage, no operator |
| Turnkey, skid steer with operator | $3,000/day incl. transport | Small projects, hands-off |
Machines we send to Burnet
Ashe juniper over limestone is hard on teeth and hard on hydraulics. These are the machines we send to Burnet projects, and what each one is for.
- Barko 930B — high-horsepower dedicated mulcher
- Tigercat M726G — high-horsepower dedicated mulcher
- Weiler M860A — high-horsepower dedicated mulcher
- CAT 275 XE + FAE forestry mulcher — skid steer, tight access
- Primetech PT-175 — mid-size dedicated mulcher
- CMI 175 — mid-size dedicated mulcher
- Fecon 150 — mid-size dedicated mulcher
Insurance for Burnet rentals
Dedicated machines: $500,000 inland marine + $2,000,000 general liability. CAT 275 XE: $250,000 inland marine + $2,000,000 general liability. Turnkey service requires none of it. Full requirements →
Burnet forestry mulching questions
Rates are the same across Texas: high-HP dedicated mulchers at $14,000/week, mid-size dedicated at $11,000/week, and the CAT 275 XE at $1,750/day or $8,000/week. Transport to Burnet County is quoted separately by distance. See the full rate card.
Yes. Our operators run high-HP dedicated mulching at $4,000 per 8-hour day plus transport, or skid steer mulching at $3,000/day with transport included. Central Texas has plenty of experienced dirt contractors, and for them rental is usually the better math. But most cedar-clearing calls we get here are from landowners without a forestry operator on staff. If that’s you, turnkey service is almost always cheaper than learning on a rented machine.
Dedicated mulchers require $500,000 inland marine coverage and $2,000,000 general liability; the CAT 275 XE requires $250,000 inland marine and $2,000,000 general liability. Certificates must name Pierce Equipment Rentals as loss payee and additional insured before delivery. Our insurance guide walks through getting certificates issued fast.
Pasture recovery from cedar encroachment is the bulk of it, usually forty acres and up, alongside spring and creek recharge clearing, hunting ranch senderos and food plots, and ranch road and fence line work. These are production jobs, so cost per acre is what decides the machine.
Nearby service areas
Clearing land near Burnet? Let's talk.
Acreage, vegetation, dates. One call gets you a machine recommendation and a delivered quote.