What tool for best reliability and function for my Acreage

[Asker123]

Greetings from Canada,
I bought a house in last fall on 5 Acres and previous owners planted everything possible .
First I have a 20 feet wide 300 feet long ditch at the front near the highway. That currently has water in it and grass is knee length in the water. I mow on the slope using my riding lawn mower but when water dries , I need to clean the ditch to prepare for next year's possible Spring high waters.
On the two depth sides (approx 650 feet each) and the back side ( same length approx 350 feet) has double Tree lines and there is I dont know what in between those. This year's heavy rains have made things overgrow like crazy. These trees are huge and some places branches hanging on the nearby patch of grass. At some places the inner tree line is actually shrubs growing at very fast speed uncontrolled.
Just a 200 feet by 200 feet is an empty field (soil) everywhere else is grass. I bought a new Cub Cadet Z force SX 54 inch entry level pro grade mower to mow it which is doing great job but some places were under water till last 3 week so grass grew above my waist line. Where my mower can not go, the grass and weed are growing above waist line.

Long story short, I have tons to cut and I can not engage professionals as it will be not be cost effective because it is a large property and things will require cutting on a recurring basis. I want to handle it myself. It might be a slow work and not as efficient as pros but will help me in a long run
I initially thought to buy a dedicated string trimmer Stihl FS 240 and a blade ( three or four point or even the circular saw blade) but soon realised that that it will not be the only thing I will need so I started searching online and came across this forum. There is tons of good information here. I realised that I will need a Hedge trimmer and a pole pruner as well along with the string trimmer and that takes me to having only one system (perhaps Kombi) so here some specific questions to start with
1) Am I thinking in right direction with Kombi?
2) Which Kombi engine? KM 94 R (2 stroke) or 111 R or 131 R (both are 4 Mix) for the three main attachments (String trimmer, Hedge trimmer and Pole pruner)
3) Is Kickback from a circular blade ( full circular blade or 3 point or 4 point blade) is a real danger ? I am trying to avoid these attachments because - one I am new to all this and second I am not sure what hard objects will be there in between tree lines so high chances of hitting something hard. Can I just manage with String trimmer? Any other advise
4) Straight v/s adjustable hedge trimmer - which one to go for
Thanks in advance folks....

 

[ValleyForge]

My buddy runs them in his landscape business, he has good things to say about them. He only will run the 131 head.

 

[Mad Professor]

Greetings from Canada,
I bought a house in last fall on 5 Acres and previous owners planted everything possible .
First I have a 20 feet wide 300 feet long ditch at the front near the highway. That currently has water in it and grass is knee length in the water. I mow on the slope using my riding lawn mower but when water dries , I need to clean the ditch to prepare for next year's possible Spring high waters.
On the two depth sides (approx 650 feet each) and the back side ( same length approx 350 feet) has double Tree lines and there is I dont know what in between those. This year's heavy rains have made things overgrow like crazy. These trees are huge and some places branches hanging on the nearby patch of grass. At some places the inner tree line is actually shrubs growing at very fast speed uncontrolled.
Just a 200 feet by 200 feet is an empty field (soil) everywhere else is grass. I bought a new Cub Cadet Z force SX 54 inch entry level pro grade mower to mow it which is doing great job but some places were under water till last 3 week so grass grew above my waist line. Where my mower can not go, the grass and weed are growing above waist line.

Long story short, I have tons to cut and I can not engage professionals as it will be not be cost effective because it is a large property and things will require cutting on a recurring basis. I want to handle it myself. It might be a slow work and not as efficient as pros but will help me in a long run
I initially thought to buy a dedicated string trimmer Stihl FS 240 and a blade ( three or four point or even the circular saw blade) but soon realised that that it will not be the only thing I will need so I started searching online and came across this forum. There is tons of good information here. I realised that I will need a Hedge trimmer and a pole pruner as well along with the string trimmer and that takes me to having only one system (perhaps Kombi) so here some specific questions to start with
1) Am I thinking in right direction with Kombi?
2) Which Kombi engine? KM 94 R (2 stroke) or 111 R or 131 R (both are 4 Mix) for the three main attachments (String trimmer, Hedge trimmer and Pole pruner)
3) Is Kickback from a circular blade ( full circular blade or 3 point or 4 point blade) is a real danger ? I am trying to avoid these attachments because - one I am new to all this and second I am not sure what hard objects will be there in between tree lines so high chances of hitting something hard. Can I just manage with String trimmer? Any other advise
4) Straight v/s adjustable hedge trimmer - which one to go for
Thanks in advance folks....

Sounds like Kombi might be a good option.

Do you have a chainsaw yet?

Another is an old Gravely walk behind with sickle and rotary cutters. Might have to shop a while to find one in good condition at fair price. They made lots of attachments.

Good running Ford tractors can also be found with rotary cutters for $1-3 K. Both are very simple to work on. I'm not a fan of much new stuff that needs dealer support to work on.

 

[Asker123]

Thanks Mad Prof
No ,I dont own a chain saw yet but I didnot want to overwhelm the thread and wanted to keep focus on Kombi etc
I guess chain saw needs to be dedicated tool .. right? it wont combine with Kombi etc?
I will look into some used rotary cutter. By the way, I had to clear a narrow path way so I just pushed my self propelled Husqaverna mower into waist tall grass and got decent results that I can finish with my riding mower but the space between tree lines is too difficult to get to . all sorts of vegetation.

 

[cookies]

I would say a tractor with bush hog for the mowing and ditches and cleanup with the kombi, save the rider and push mowers for the area near the house where you want a manicured low cut. Get a decent saw and start removing half the double row and leave the stumps for 6 months so the main roots loose strength and then use the tractor to pull them out otherwise you may need to rent a scissor or boom lift to cut them back with your pole saw. If you want to stunt the grass and fertilize you can mow or harrow/till fire breaks for controllable sized sections and burn it back. This also kills back ticks and other pests.

 

[Asker123]

Thanks
Any advise on the Kombi engine models KM 94 R or 111 R or 131 R for the three main attachments - String trimmer, Hedge trimmer and Pole pruner ?

 

[cookies]

Pretty sure any version with a R at the end is the 4 mix version, im not a fan of those myself with the carbon build up issues and would suggest the 2 cycle models with initials RC-E if your not looking at the largest engine versions. If you choose a 4 mix version I would suggest heavily reading about the choices of oil outside of the stihl brand that do not result in heavy carbon build up in the exhaust port and muffler screen and the muffler modifications others have done to increase flow and reduce restriction.

 

[Asker123]

I am new to all this but what I read on this forum is that R stands for Loop handle.
On Stihl website (Canadian) 94 R is mentioned as "2-stroke engine with stratified charge"
All others are 4 mix
RC-E is KM 56 which is $160 cheaper than 94 R. What is it that RC-E provides?
then you have 111R and 131R those are $60 and $110 more than 94R .
I dont mind paying extra. Just trying to see what will fit best for the three main attachments that I plan to run on regular basis ( String trimmer, Hedge trimmer and Pole pruner )
if paying extra means I can do something else with them ( perhaps any attachment that I may need in future) I prefer buying bigger right away

 

[cookies]

https://www.stihl.com/STIHL-power-t...ltiSystem/KombiSystem/01493/KombiEngines.aspx

 

[sean donato]

My opinion on trimmers from stohl and the time I spent at the township with 3 very large parks. The 131r is a beast of a power head, and our ran great till it didn't. Which was about 3 months after we got it. If a standard 2 stroke would have been available we would have gone that route. We did end up switching over to echo because of the issues we had with the 4mix engines.(This was across the board, many dedicated trimmers, blowers, pole saws ect.) Now when it ran right it was an awesome power head.
I preferred the bicycle handles and a shoulder strap when using the brush head on trimmers. Give better control then the little round handle, but it gives up some maneuverability, when using a hedge cutter attachment. I did like the extended reach of the hedge cutter attachment over a std hedge cutter, also the "blade" could be pivoted at different angles. Really liked that feature.
The pole saw attachment was underwhelming compared to a real pole saw.
Now I do agree with was mentioned previously about a machine with a brush hog or some sort of walk behind rotary cutter. That will save you a lot of time compared to doing it all by hand. The gravely machines are amazing but not easy to find. There is a company called bcs that makes similar machines, pretty pricey though and I don't know about availability up north.
Best of luck, hopefully you find a combination that works for you and saves you some time and money.

 

[Asker123]

HI again,
I read some reviews of 94R v/s 111R or 131R on this forum. 94R is said a light weight. Checking the website, I found that it is 8.8 lbs whereas both 111R and 131R is 9.7 lbs. That is just below 1 pound difference. Is that really a benefit for 94R? Also the 111R and 131R have different engines. How can the weight be the same.
I am not a pro but have lots of thick grass in the ditch to clear.
Also I definitely want the hedge trimmer and pole pruner. Will a little weight saved by 94R play a role when operating these attachments

Sorry for so many questions. Unfortunately, I only have one shot at it. I am buying new and the more research I can do before buying the better for me.

 

[Colonel428]

Not to derail your stihl only train of thought but I've got an Echo PAS 265 power head with the trimmer, edger, articulating hedge clippers and pole saw attachments. I've had the setup for 15 yrs+ and everything still operates well. I personally think Echo has an advantage over Stihl in lawn care equipment.

 

[hacskaroly]

Sorry for so many questions. Unfortunately, I only have one shot at it. I am buying new and the more research I can do before buying the better for me.

I have just over an acre of property and some of it is grass and brambles on a slope that I can't get to with a mower (push or driving). I have the FS 91 R and after running out the .095 string reloaded it with .105. Takes care of all I have including cattails which can get up to 1.5 inches thick. I typically use the string head, but also have a scratcher head a buddy gave me and that works really well too especially on stuff that is a little more woody (weeds and brambles). I only wish now that I had spent a few more dollars for the bike version for the stability, but may opt to get the backpack harness for about $75 USD. The FS 131 Bike unit in my opinion is the best bang for the buck as it already includes a backpack harness and the rider plate, washer and nut needed to mount the metal blades, where as all other trimmers come with a single shoulder strap. If I had more acreage, I would have gone with the FS 131.

You can always start using string line, the .095 it comes with and see how it goes. If it seems a bit brittle with what you are up against, step it up to the .105 line and see how that works. If you find that this takes care of 90% of your work, then for the other 10% you can throw on a metal blade and take care of that.

The FS 94 is kind of a weird trimmer in my opinion, don't really care for the thumb-wheel throttle, if you want to slow down the trimmer speed, better to just get a FSA 57 for that kind of stuff. I like the 4-matic units, if you want to go with a Kombi setup, it sounds like the 131 motor will probably work the best for you and what you are wanting to do with it. If you go with a smaller unit, you may be wishing later on that you had a little bit more power...

Is Kickback from a circular blade ( full circular blade or 3 point or 4 point blade) is a real danger ?

There is potential, especially if you catch it on something, however with the straight shaft units, it is keeping the blade away from you and if you are properly wearing the shoulder/backpack strap, it will help keep the unit from being jerked from your hands (better control in that situation). Like always you have to be aware of your surrounds and be ready for a rock, stump or any other object you might not be able to see which is buried in the grass that you might hit.

Straight v/s adjustable hedge trimmer - which one to go for

Depends on what you are doing, the straight one might be easier on a hedge, but if you are skimming the ground, then having the adjustable one will prevent you from working at some funny angles.

 

[ATpro]

am new to all this but what I read on this forum is that R stands for Loop handle.

You can spend lots of money and never have the right tool. Sounds like you need a DR Field and Brush Mower.

 

[fields_mj]

As far as the string trimmer and brush blade goes, I can highly recommend the Forester 9" brush blade. It's the one with chainsaw teeth on it. You'll want a large (over 30cc) trimmer to run it on, and I prefer something with bicycle handles. I think those are safer if you hit something hard with it.

As far as the rest of it, I'd need to see an overhead picture to make recommendations. I can clear some really knarly stuff with a bush hog, but first you need to be able to get the brushog in there with out getting stuck. If the sky is the limit on your budget, then I would recommend a tracked skid steer with a brush cutter attachment. Not everybody has $50K to spend on something like that though.

 

[ATpro]