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How to Use a Tractor to Clear & Excavate Land

Kimberlee Leonard

Tractors come in various sizes for different jobs. They are used excavate trees, clear land, level and grade areas for different outdoor construction projects. Most farms and ranches have a small tractor with various attachments that can be used for many projects on the property. Larger projects require heavier load tractors to efficiently excavate and move thousands of tons of earth. Knowing what attachments to use with your tractor makes the job easier.

Use a tractor for large excavation jobs.
  1. Attach the bulldozer blade to the front of the tractor to remove any trees, brush and debris on the land. Scrape the land and push the debris into a pile.

  2. Replace the bulldozer blade with the bucket (loader) to pick up and dump the debris into a dump truck or other disposal unit to haul away. Buckets come in various sizes to hold different capacities. Choose a bucket size that reduces the amount of loads you need to move.

  3. Dig any small pits or trenches needed with digging teeth on the front of the bucket. Major excavation requires a backhoe attachment digging deep holes from behind the tractor and loosening earth to be scooped with the bucket.

  4. Put the bulldozer blade back on the the front to grade and shape the land.