Hand held Brush Cutter

[mapper]

This is Amazon’s choice! Don’t be lured in by the low price and thoughts of saving time and money by not needing to go to the gym. My dad had me cut 1 acre of wild wheat with this awful tool when I was a kid. After I moved away from home I didn’t talk to him for a year.
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My folks had one, they didn't buy it to use themselves. It was fun the first 6 swings or so. They also had a machete that they didn't use, I have no idea of how many hours I spent between age 10 to 18 cutting Salmon berry and Himalaya BlackBerry brush with those tools. I own neither now, I do have a Stihl FS 150 with various types of cutters now and a 5 foot brush hog.

 

[mapper]

I use a stihl FS240 with harness. The one problem with brush cutters is that moving the cut brush is difficult. You have to unclip the cutter from your harness. If you have thick brush where you often need to pull the stuff you just cut out of the way to get to the stuff behind it, the cutter and harness is a lot less useful than a chainsaw that you can put down and pick up more easily.

It's also not good for woody stuff that's got much of a diameter to it. Anything over about 3/4-1" and I'd rather use a chainsaw.

The Garlon 4 in diesel works well but you have to apply it when the plants are growing (it works by disrupting growth).

Pole saw works well on the medium sized brushy stuff, lets you reach in without getting tangled up in it.

 

[MoKelly]

Here you go, low maintenance. Safe. May be a little work...



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I’d like to see someone clear 2 acres of brush with that tool!

 

[RancherGuy]

... I am curious about those saying to treat with something mixed with diesel. Where do you find any sort of a sprayer that is rated to handle diesel or any solvent? We have Buckthorn around here and the DNR suggests something mixed with diesel sprayed on it in the fall but every hand sprayer i see says no diesel, gas or anything like it.

That's a good point. I have a 2 gallon, all plastic 10+ year old super cheap sprayer dedicated for my mix full time, ready to "grab n go". I recall having a problem once when the longer I used it, the slower the spray until nothing came out. I think I had to replace a tiny o-ring in the trigger with a nitrile o-ring because the OEM would swell while spraying. I have a cheap box of assorted nitrile o-rings.

If I were to buy another sprayer, I think I'd ignore the warnings, but be prepared to replace an o-ring or store my mix in a separate jug, then add to the sprayer only when I needed to spray, then return the unused portion back to my storage jug.

 

[sherpa]

Thanks for all the great post, you folks always come through with the right answers because you have the experience! I am clearing for a view mostly. I already have the Fisker loppers with extended handles but that would be back breaking. The chainsaw clearing was bad enough. The hill is too steep to risk using my tractor. I intend to leave the area rough I don't need anything else yo mow...lol

 

[ponytug]

I have the Fiskars, and they get a lot of work. @Torvy's post on the grass whip (ugh! scythes work sooo much better.) brought back lots of memories, including a brush axe that I cleared acres with as a kid.

It has one big advantage, I think. If you use it right, you can cut the sapling below the soil line and it won't resprout.

All the best,

Peter

 

[TractorGuy]

Is the area too steep for a walk behind brush mower? I guess engine oiling would be a problem if it was too steep.

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[TractorGuy]

Jump to the 3:30 mark.

 

[TractorGuy]

For about 4 grand you can get one of these.

 

[MoKelly]

For about 4 grand you can get one of these.

That looks really cool. The video makes it look effortless.

MoKelly