Brush Cutter Advice

[tootall44]

Hello
I have 1 acre of hillside brush that I want to maintain. Thick brush, tall grass, bush sized weeds and thorns and some small saplings (under 2"). I assume that I will only need to to clear it a few times a year so it won't get tons of usage. I'm assuming there is a product that I can do this and possibly also have string trimmer option if I want. I'm thinking gas powered, handheld. Suggestions....Brands, models, attachments?
Thank you very much, Mark

 

[ATH]

I have a Husqvarna 555FX. It is a beast for brush. The stock blad for brush. 3 prong blade for grasses.

You want bicycle handlebars for cutting brush.

 

[Boredrob]

I have a Husqvarna 555FX. It is a beast for brush. The stock blad for brush. 3 prong blade for grasses.

You want bicycle handlebars for cutting brush.

I have a 545 and a 555 husqy. Either is likely overkill "IF" the trees are really under 2 inches. 460 and 560 stihl are the stihl equivalents.

Definitely want the bike handles.

If the brush is honestly 2 inches and under then a blade on a mid range machine would be fine. Stihl 131 or Husqy 336 or anything similar will handle that work.

If you want a machine that doubles as a stupidly heavy weedeater the husqy 545 is better than the 555 due to the gear angle. Either will cut hardwood 5 inches or more through. The 545 comes with a bump feed trimmer attachment and grass guard as well as the scarlett blade and blade guard and a 3 tooth grass blade. The 555 has a higher pitched gearhead for directional felling and a shorter tube definitely more aimed at only tree cutting.

But if your cutting 2 inch stuff at most, the smaller machines will work fine. A cheapish 525 from lowes would be sufficient.

 

[James Sawyer]

You didn't say how steep your ground was or if equipment was usable. But regardless I'd spay if it was me! I would spray Garlin over Crossbow. Crossbow out gases and can kill trees when it evaporates off. Garlin won't kill the over head trees during evaporation and you don't have care about how hot weather wise its going be on the day you spray...but anything woody Garlin if its sprayed will kill it pretty much the 1st time. I wear raingear and respirator when I spray now that there is so much hip about sprays/health effects. But the Garlin and Crossbow will kill all the woody plants...Crossbow you might have too spray a few more times in spring and fall (is the best time because this when the plant pull in the sap before winter) to remove it totally from the property. Both sprays will leave the grass and most weeds without the woody stock. If you really want to clear it spray it with Round-up in the late summer ... mow it short a few weeks later. In the Fall just before the rain starts over seed it with grass seed. I don't know where you live but here in Western Oregon it doesn't get that cold...plus we are the grass seed capital of the world so grass grows easy here. I'd follow the grass seed planting required for your area... what every you do not till it you'll bring up all the doormat seed that been collecting over the years and you'll be dealing with the same problem again.

After all the brush is dead and dried-up... If it not that real steep I'd just rent a tractor with a brushhog and mulch it. Brush hogs are not all the same, some will only handle 1 inch material but some will handle up to 3". I have a Woods heavy duty model that will handle up to 3" material but you need at least a 40 to 45 hp tractor for 60" mower. 72" mower you'll need more hp to handle the 3" material. 4x4 drive tractor are lot more available now too these days. 1 acre isn't that much but depending on how high the brush is doing it by hand... that a lot work. They make weed eater blades that will cut thru that big stuff, but that still is some work and has some risks. Then again you still have to deal with the piles and burning.
I've cleared 10 acres with crossbow and 4x4 drive tractor with a brush hog, The brush and blackberries were 6 to 8 feet tall. I suggest spray it let it die and dry out... a few months later then mulch its. I just ran thru it with tractor... I had a big cat i could have used but less damage and no piles to burn. This spray and mulch method works well.

Another option if its not that steep is to hire someone with a skid-steer with a mulcher attachment made for clearing ground, those things are amazing. Spray it afterwards after it starts coming back. If it was me, I'd Round-up everything and plant grass seed, then you just have deal with the weed until the grass gets established. Anyway... this is how I'd do it and I'm sure there are other cheaper ways.

The Garlin is much better then Crossbow that what I use now its about 1/3 more in cost but worth the money not to have spray several times and no worries about overhead tree. If you use Crossbow and you have overhead trees, spray on a cool... cool day. Either sprays make sure there is at least no rain for a 24 hours to 36 hours.. works best for me. The Round-up spray when ever... just no Rain for 12 hours if you use the Round-up Pro... 24 hour on non-pro. They say the Pro is a 4 hours spray but on any sprays just read the direction and use the dilutions rate. Oh ... you'll get the better results using a sticker added to your sprays or at least add dish soap. Just don't spray anything plants/ trees you want to keep. This is my hands on experience I've used...not something someone told me or I've read.

Those track skid-steers guys with a mulcher or grapples work well depending on what your clearing whatever way you go you're going have to spray is my opinion. Word of caution ... using equipment on steep ground is risky unless you know what you're doing and have experience. What I call steep might be different then what you call steep! I grow-up working ground with equipment so my perspective I'm sure maybe different then you're.

 

[computeruser]

I'm going to offer a contrarian answer: You don't need a 45-55cc machine for this work. Echo PAS 2620 or Stihl Kombi system (131 would be best) will do the job, and leave you with a machine that can run other attachments that you might find useful.

I spent three hours this morning with an older Echo SRM 260 that I converted to PAS last year, running a brushcutter head and Stihl 8" 22t blade. Set this machine up this way so I can fit it in the trunk of the sports car; a regular shaft machine won't fit, and a bike handlebar machine would need to have the handlebars removed. I spent the morning cutting honeysuckle up to 3" diameter just fine if I metered the blade in, and buckthorn up to 2" fell with a swift pass through the trunk. Smaller stuff got sliced clean through with essentially no RPM loss. This machine is set up without bike handlebars, using a Stihl cross shoulder sling-type harness, not the serious backpack one that goes across both shoulders. The harness is run short, so it acts to limit the ability of the machine to move back toward me, which stands in for the primary safety benefit you would get from the bike handlebar setup. Put a ton of trees and shrubs on the ground today.

Now if you're going to be cutting 2-4" trees, yeah, get the bigger machine.

And unless you have a really good reason not to, get the bike handlebars.

 

[ShegSusie]

Are there any how videos on sharpening the brush saw/clearing saw blades. I cannot find one that actually shows where
to put the file. Any advice would be most appreciated.

 

[ATH]

Are there any how videos on sharpening the brush saw/clearing saw blades. I cannot find one that actually shows where
to put the file. Any advice would be most appreciated.

This also shows how to adjust tooth set which helps maintain cutting performance as well.

 

[Franny K]

I forgot about that type of blade. I have a few, A Stihl shop sold me one for $10 with the 20mm hole that no one would buy. I figured he meant the blades with the chainsaw cutters riveted on. There are carbide toothed round blades reasonably priced now. If you are supposed to use an anvil sort of stop on the machine is another matter. I have migrated to brush blender blade and pole saw in recent years for what I have. If I recall correctly the blade in the video has sort of pictorial on the packaging as what the video shows. Wonder what the lead time on ordering that file guide is lately.

 

[capetrees]

Screw the handheld brush cutters. For an acre, you need a machine the first time if not all the time. I would look into a skidsteer rental with a brush mower attachment.

If you don't want something that big, look into purchasing a Billy Goat brush mower or a DR Brush Mower.
Slide forward to 13:30
I have the DR and love it! Either one cut up to 2" thick brush. In your case though, I'd use a heavier mower first, the skid steer mower rental, and then maintain as often as you like with the other mowers.

An entire acre with a hand held brush blade? No way.

 

[rngrchad]

Spray it with Eraser(tm) the woody killer and come back to it 6 months later....it'll be dead and the woody stems and small trees will fall over by simply kicking them with your boot lol

 

[pdqdl]

You want bicycle handlebars for cutting brush.

I disagree. I hate the bicycle handlebars for several reasons:

1. You cannot use them without strapping yourself in with a harness. Without that third contact point, you have no decent control over the height of the cutting head.
2. When strapped in, you lose all of the swinging options except twisting at the waist and swinging. Sometimes you want to reach forward and backward more; this just doesn't work when you are running the bicycle bars.
3. Should you happen to fall while strapped into one of those things, you cannot get away from it, and you cannot toss it away.

I've always had both versions around my facility, and I always advised the guys that they would prefer the loop-handle machines for the reasons I listed above. I've also been running them both for about 40 years. The guys that want to work fast always prefer the loop handle machines. The guys that don't like toting a machine around with tired arms like the bicycle bars, because they are putting most of the swinging effort in nice controlled arcs, with their back doing most of the work. Their arms get an easy ride because the harness is carrying most of the weight.

I also watched a man tumble down a steep hill we were clearing while strapped in to it. How he didn't get all cut up, I don't know, but he tumbled head over heels at least twice, with that damned bicycle bar & trimmer banging into him all the way down. They make "quick release" anchor points, but they don't work if you are rolling down a hill.

 

[pdqdl]

Spray it with Eraser(tm) the woody killer and come back to it 6 months later....it'll be dead and the woody stems and small trees will fall over by simply kicking them with your boot lol

Do NOT use Eraser herbicide unless you want a barren desert. This is nothing but Roundup under a different label. Mixed and applied according to the label, it won't have the desired effect on woody plants, and it will be much more visible on all the dead grass and weeds.

https://www.controlsolutionsinc.com/martins/consumer-products/lawn-garden/eraser-ap

 

[pdqdl]

Hello
I have 1 acre of hillside brush that I want to maintain. Thick brush, tall grass, bush sized weeds and thorns and some small saplings (under 2"). I assume that I will only need to to clear it a few times a year so it won't get tons of usage. I'm assuming there is a product that I can do this and possibly also have string trimmer option if I want. I'm thinking gas powered, handheld. Suggestions....Brands, models, attachments?
Thank you very much, Mark

What do you want it to look like when you are done? No tall broadleaf weeds nor underbrush?

If you want to kill all the broadleaf plants (weeds and woody vegetation), hose it down with any herbicide containing Triclopyr. Garlon and Crossbow have been previously mentioned. They will all kill most all your broadleaf weeds, and are also an excellent brush killer. You can even spray it underneath shade trees on an annual basis, providing you follow the instructions for turf applications. You won't kill bigger trees unless you put down more than the annual rated dosage or try to kill them by spraying the foliage.

Grasses will be unaffected. Spray in late spring after the annual broadleaf weeds have germinated, but well before the daytime temperatures go higher than 85°.

Ester formulations are generally a bit more effective on brush and difficult weeds, but are best if not used during the summer heat.

 

[Bill G]

Killing brush is simple science but some bookworms want to make it complicated................

 

[ATH]

I disagree. I hate the bicycle handlebars for two reasons:

1. You cannot use them without strapping yourself in with a harness. Without that third contact point, you have no decent control over the height of the cutting head.
2. When strapped in, you lose all of the swinging options except twisting at the waist and swinging. Sometimes you want to reach forward and backward more; this just doesn't work when you are running the bicycle bars.
3. Should you happen to fall while strapped into one of those things, you cannot get away from it, and you cannot toss it away.

I've always had both versions around my facility, and I always advised the guys that they would prefer the loop-handle machines for the reasons I listed above. I've also been running them both for about 40 years. The guys that want to work fast always prefer the loop handle machines. The guys that don't like toting a machine around with tired arms like the bicycle bars, because they are putting most of the swinging effort in nice controlled arcs, with their back doing most of the work. Their arms get an easy ride because the harness is carrying most of the weight.

I also watched a man tumble down a steep hill we were clearing while strapped in to it. How he didn't get all cut up, I don't know, but he tumbled head over heels at least twice, with that damned bicycle bar & trimmer banging into him all the way down. They make "quick release" anchor points, but they don't work if you are rolling down a hill.

1) Yes, the I wouldn't want to use the bicycle handles without a harness.
2) I've had no problem getting the machine where needed - forward, back, up, down, etc...
3) When strapped in, unless you bend the shaft in half, I'm pretty sure there is no way to contact the blade. If you loose control of the machine, that third point of contact will keep it from going haywire. I think that is probably described in the situation you witnessed. He didn't get cut up because the saw blade couldn't get to him. On the other hand, with the loop handles, if you loose control of the machine, its destination is much less predictable. If you slip and fall and your top hand comes off, but bottom hand holds on, it would be very easy to contact the blade with your lower leg. Granted, the blade would be slowing because the top hand is off of the throttle.

Everybody will have their own preferences, and that is just fine. But I don't think any of those 3 hold true. I've never run a 50cc+ brush cutter without the bicycle handles & harness, but I've hit a couple things just right that tried to send it flying to know I really don't want to - I appreciate the extra control. I also cannot imagine holding it all day without the harness taking the weight. Tired arms for sure.

 

[pdqdl]

ahh... nope. The operator pushes against the harness, holding it away from himself, which also keeps the machine from reaching out further. What keeps the machine (presumably) from getting to your feet is the bicycle bars, which run into your torso first.

To the extent that you are more likely to chop your own feet off with a loop handle machine, that is probably true.

The loop handle gives better control of the machine, although it wasn't engineered to prevent the user from chopping his own feet off. In the 40+ years that I have been hiring guys to use brush cutters, we've never had any feet injuries. One guy did a nasty cut on his butt from another guy whacking him from behind, and then there is the tumble that I described of the guy going down the hill.

Most folks have no real idea how much brush you can cut in a day with a properly set up loop handle brush cutter. For example, we never use any "saw" blades, and we cut down pretty big saplings with the cross blades. All day long, week after week, and we never need to sharpen them. They'll take a 3" sapling in 3-or 4 hard whacks, knocking off big chips of wood with every whack. The saw blades get dull on first rock you hit, and then you are done with cutting quick. PLUS: "saw" blades get pinched in the cut and burn up the clutch or need help escaping the pinch. The cross-blades just hack everything down. 1" saplings just make a nice PING when you lop 'em off with an easy swing. Of course, they are vastly better than any saw in thick grass or horseweeds, too.

12" diameter blades are vastly better than smaller diameter, too, but getting very hard to find. They build up more momentum for vicious blows against the vegetative enemy.

Cuts far more brush in a day than any "saw" blade.



These are ok too: https://igoprolawnsupply.com/products/brush-cutter-blade-10x1-with-8-teeth
Not as good in thin grass, however. They are hell on wheels if you are cutting cattails!

 

[capetrees]

Machine.
Brushcutter by hand is torturous

 

[Lorne DeLong]

This also shows how to adjust tooth set which helps maintain cutting performance as well.

Go on utube and ask how to sharpen a brush saw and many suggestions will roll up

 

[ATH]

Thanks @pdqdl ....I'll try a cross blade. Normally not working in really rocky soil - but we get somewhere between a half and full day with the stock blade on the Husqvarna.

 

[pdqdl]

Try to avoid hitting bottles. They don't hurt the cross-blades, but you cannot count on it being reciprocal.