trail clearing technique and tools

[ArlyA]

XC trail clearing today. Any questions?

Done for the day!

 

[DieselBound]

Nice looking trails. Envious of the lack of blackberries. Did a tank of gas in mine this afternoon. Anyone that deals with blackberries and the like, this is the best blade ever. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RZH0V4G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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I use Husqvarna Titanium line on my FS130. I rarely brag about the performance of something, but hands-down this line is the best there is- buy and you won't be disappointed. Some blackberries require a bit of effort, but for the bulk of them this setup will rip through them, and do so without the vibrations that one can get with blades (especially if you hit really hard stuff).

All said, however, as far as hand tools go I'll take a good machete over anything else. I've rung up MANY hours swinging my machete. For exploratory cutting (before attempting to put in any more refined effort, before thinking of sending in a brush hog) a machete is hard to beat.

 

[ArlyA]

I use Husqvarna Titanium line on my FS130. I rarely brag about the performance of something, but hands-down this line is the best there is- buy and you won't be disappointed. Some blackberries require a bit of effort, but for the bulk of them this setup will rip through them, and do so without the vibrations that one can get with blades (especially if you hit really hard stuff).

All said, however, as far as hand tools go I'll take a good machete over anything else. I've rung up MANY hours swinging my machete. For exploratory cutting (before attempting to put in any more refined effort, before thinking of sending in a brush hog) a machete is hard to beat.

Seems they don't make Titanium line in .155 size. We are actually tying to bump up to .170 size but Sthil havn't yet built the heads to hold it.

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[DieselBound]

Seems they don't make Titanium line in .155 size. We are actually tying to bump up to .170 size but Sthil havn't yet built the heads to hold it.

​

I was mentioning in response to folks dealing with blackberries: I have a few years of experience with these

As to size, I believe it's .105, spool line. Strength is a big factor. I need length and strength for cutting larger swaths of grass, so spooled line is a requirement for me.

 

[tomplum]

This blade isn't like any line or any conventional blade that you've ever used. You should try one. It doesn't cut the blackberries, it shreds them down to the ground. Just drop it on the top and the blackberries are in bits. You can just cut too if you want. Even grass. I got one for my BIL who has your same trimmer. He too was just blown away.

I use Husqvarna Titanium line on my FS130. I rarely brag about the performance of something, but hands-down this line is the best there is- buy and you won't be disappointed. Some blackberries require a bit of effort, but for the bulk of them this setup will rip through them, and do so without the vibrations that one can get with blades (especially if you hit really hard stuff).

All said, however, as far as hand tools go I'll take a good machete over anything else. I've rung up MANY hours swinging my machete. For exploratory cutting (before attempting to put in any more refined effort, before thinking of sending in a brush hog) a machete is hard to beat.

 

[ArlyA]

I was mentioning in response to folks dealing with blackberries: I have a few years of experience with these

As to size, I believe it's .105, spool line. Strength is a big factor. I need length and strength for cutting larger swaths of grass, so spooled line is a requirement for me.

If your line keeps breaking off, you need stronger line. Years ago we tried 095. then 130 and ended up with .155. Now we are trying to switch to a larger size. Do you see the pattern here? For those who haven't tried a cam lock string head before, it takes less than 60 seconds to change strings. They do cut swamp grass, weeds, tree shoots and berries. And since they are strings, they don't care if you hit a fence or rocks. We rarly use steel blades any more.

 

[DieselBound]

If your line keeps breaking off, you need stronger line. Years ago we tried 095. then 130 and ended up with .155. Now we are trying to switch to a larger size. Do you see the pattern here? For those who haven't tried a cam lock string head before, it takes less than 60 seconds to change strings. They do cut swamp grass, weeds, tree shoots and berries. And since they are strings, they don't care if you hit a fence or rocks. We rarly use steel blades any more.

That's one possibility. MATERIALS, however, matter.

I have to cut large swaths of grass (between fence and ditch): if not for the ditch I'd be running a tractor. Thicker and stronger material is going to beat the snot out of my fence: the .105 line is more than a match (at speed) for the metal fencing! (while it's not going to break the stays it DOES bend them- which is why I pulse trigger when running right up along the fence; also swing the trimmer so that it's rotating in the same direction I'm want to cut as this reduces the overall, apparent, speed to soften the inevitable blow to the fence's vertical stays).

And, yes, I understand how to use a string trimmer. Thick stuff you drop down on: but if it's really hard/thick, you're going to have to saw- one could hardly think to drop a chainsaw on top of a tree! )

Everyone's situations and solutions can differ. I suppose my techniques aren't applicable to trail maintenance. I'll leave it at that.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I used to enjoy trail maintenance work. It was good exercise and a way to connect with the outdoors. Unfortunately, I've reached the age where I can no longer maintain the trails on my back property with hand held power tools. Up until last year, they became so overgrown, they were all but unusable.

Rather than lose them completely to mother nature, I invested in an articulating offset flail mower for my compact tractor:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1437332773468098560

Yeah, I guess it's cheating but at least my wife and I can enjoy our woods walks again.

 

[ArlyA]

I used to enjoy trail maintenance work. It was good exercise and a way to connect with the outdoors. Unfortunately, I've reached the age where I can no longer maintain the trails on my back property with hand held power tools. Up until last year, they became so overgrown, they were all but unusable.
Rather than lose them completely to mother nature, I invested in an articulating offset flail mower for my compact tractor:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1437332773468098560

Yeah, I guess it's cheating but at least my wife and I can enjoy our woods walks again.

No not really cheating, but you have more $$$ than we do! You also can't use that on single track trails which we do miles of each summer.. If you go back a few posts you'll note, we are trying to get a tow-behind flail mower for logging roads we do.

 

[DieselBound]

I used to enjoy trail maintenance work. It was good exercise and a way to connect with the outdoors. Unfortunately, I've reached the age where I can no longer maintain the trails on my back property with hand held power tools. Up until last year, they became so overgrown, they were all but unusable.

Rather than lose them completely to mother nature, I invested in an articulating offset flail mower for my compact tractor:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1437332773468098560

Yeah, I guess it's cheating but at least my wife and I can enjoy our woods walks again.

I bought a 7' hydraulic shift flail. I'm old enough as well! BUT, I still will do work BY HAND: and without ANY tools! I'd run the flail through here not long ago. I go for walks with my dog and stop here and there and rip away blackberries from/off of saplings (have all sorts of tricks to do this- suffice it to say I'm pretty limber!). My "passion," if you can call it that, is to SAVE trees (they later come down on their own and provide me with firewood). This path here is utilized by wildlife (lots of deer pass through here): it's the far end of my property and I've only recently started to focus on it (after working on a lot other areas). Picture doesn't show the saplings, but they're there, off to the sides. The debris/liter will break down over time, as well as succumb to the flail later on. After a while the saplings will be strong enough to fend off the blackberries on their own. So... Tools used: My bare hands, and my feet- I always have these on me (sometimes my dog will help by chewing, though I don't encourage her to chew on blackberries- she just feels like she needs to help).