Swisher trimmer....your thoughts?

[bcp]

Good to maintain an edge on flat, cleared land with grass and light vegetation. Not good for rough, hilly land or hard, tough stems over about 3/16 inch. The string will catch on wire (field fence) and pull the mower into it before the string breaks.

Not good for "clearing" or first cut of wild areas. For that, a regular push mower is better (if you are going to push something).

 

[flusher]

Swisher Products : Products: Trimmers

I need something to trim around the pond. The terrain is too rough for the lawn mower. Anyone have one of these?

I have one of these. Works fine on level ground. Not very useful on slopes or for mowing ditches along the road. I hardly use it any more. Instead, I use my Tanaka string mower--commercial model, about $400, now on the 6th season, paid $35 to get the carb cleaned and adjusted this Spring.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

If you are wanting the keep the bank cut to the water's edge you could pick up a small Ford/Ferguson type tractor and sickle type mower and a small bushhog.

It is not possible to keep up a place without spending some money just like it is not possible to drive a vehicle without spending some money for some tires.

You can do that for $2-3K depending on what you get. Down the road today is a little Fergerson up and running for $1700. Keep in mind this old stuff if kept running will bring what you give for it 10 years from now.

People who spend $15-$30K to do the same do it because that is what they wanted to do and not because that is "what" they had to do.

 

[keegs]

If you are wanting the keep the bank cut to the water's edge you could pick up a small Ford/Ferguson type tractor and sickle type mower and a small bushhog.

It is not possible to keep up a place without spending some money just like it is not possible to drive a vehicle without spending some money for some tires.

You can do that for $2-3K depending on what you get. Down the road today is a little Fergerson up and running for $1700. Keep in mind this old stuff if kept running will bring what you give for it 10 years from now.

People who spend $15-$30K to do the same do it because that is what they wanted to do and not because that is "what" they had to do.

I've got some ideas along these lines Gale about a used tractor and such but this is a summer place and I'm about 10 years out from making more permanent residence there. Between now and then I should be able to put up an outbuilding for storage/security and get me something to sit on ..with a jerry rigged cup holder ...if you know what I mean...:thumbsup:

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Thanks for the info. Clearly your best bet will be to get someone in the area to do the bush hogging stuff since you only need to be carrying out hand tools.

Do consider the advice about a high end line/blade trimmer. It will last about 20 years. Be careful around the pond so you do not give it a 'drink'.

It is a very beautiful place.:thumbsup:

 

[2manyrocks]

That is a beautiful pond. Good news is it looks to be mostly grass, and the slope doesn't look terrible.

If you keep looking, you'll probably come across a used walk behind trimmer for $75-$150. Buy it, use it, resell it and you're probably not out much if you don't like it. If it has just been used as a trimmer and not as a substitute bush hog, it probably will have less hours than a regular mower.

This is the brushcutter I bought. ECHO SRM-265U Emission-Compliant Powerful Brushcutter - ECHO USA (5 year consumer warranty)

I used it with a metal saw tooth cutting head to clear out a patch of kudzu and briars. If you put a metal grass blade on it, it would slice right through your tall grass. It won't grind it up like the walk behind string trimmer, but it will cut it down. That's all you need to clear a path.

They also make a metal blade conversion kit that HD carries for about $39 that you can use to adapt their other trimmers to a metal head. It includes a blade. So you could buy one of their $220 Echo trimmers and convert it if you wanted. It just so happened that the closest Echo dealer had the larger unit that he had ordered for a customer who didn't like it, and I was able to get it for a bit more.

I suspect that say 30 years ago, companies could build self propelled mowers with exposed blades that would really chop through grass without clogging up, and then products liability concerns forced them to start using enclosed decks. The enclosed decks require more HP, and the machines have gotten to be expensive.

The walk behind string trimmers have the exposed cutting head, but I suppose the use of trimmer line means they don't throw objects quite as far as an exposed steel blade.

I think either a walk behind or a shoulder trimmer will cut a path for you with some work on your part.

 

[2manyrocks]

Homebrew brushcutter from the days before shoulder mounted trimmers.

Note the rope wind starter. When you choked it on brush, you had to rewind the rope to start it again and again, and again. It was a relatively low HP engine which meant it got choked pretty often if you didn't watch it.

Small wheels that didn't like rough terrain.

Wood deck. Welded galvanized handlebars.

Sickle mower teeth riveted to a flat bar for a blade. (Think of what happens if one of those teeth flew off....)

 

[keegs]

Homebrew brushcutter from the days before shoulder mounted trimmers.

Note the rope wind starter. When you choked it on brush, you had to rewind the rope to start it again and again, and again. It was a relatively low HP engine which meant it got choked pretty often if you didn't watch it.

Small wheels that didn't like rough terrain.

Wood deck. Welded galvanized handlebars.

Sickle mower teeth riveted to a flat bar for a blade. (Think of what happens if one of those teeth flew off....)

Now that's what I'm talkin about !!! :thumbsup:

 

[Scooby074]

Almost looks like the perfect setting for a DR type mower.

All grass? with no large woody stuff to cause you grief. You'd make pretty quick work of it with one. Id pass on the wheeled string trimmer.

 

[niemeyjt]

We have some steep banks on our ponds, and I went for a backpack strimmer - the Stihl FR350. I find it keeps me better balanced and is more controllable than a conventional strimmer - so much so I use it most of the time now.

Downside on this model is you have to take it off to start - the new ones have an electric starter.

J