Pond Edge Maintainence

[Treesanddust]

Check out the Husqvarna HVT52. While I haven't had a chance to try one out myself, they look interesting.

 

[bobframe]

Check out the Husqvarna HVT52. While I haven't had a chance to try one out myself, they look interesting.

I agree...maybe they have a bigger one? A riding version? What kid doesn't want a hover craft?

 

[PhysAssist]

My 1 acre pond edge has a steep slope so no way I'm going anywhere near it with a tractor. Learned my lesson the hard way! There just seems to be some unwritten law of nature that requires tractors to be sucked into a pond! :shocked: I use a weed whacker by hand twice a year. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"

We bought a Swisher walk-behimd 'mower-trimmer'- basically a weedeater on wheels, specifically to mow the steep banks of our 1/6th acre koi pond, and also for fence rows and other areas where out Kubtoa with finish mower and DR brush mower can't safely get to.

It's still a pretty big P-I-T-A, but so far it's the safest and most efficient method we've found, and less likely to cause a fall or equipment drop into the drink.... it can even reach out a little to/cut reeds in the nearest shallows.

For the pond edge willows- we mounted a hedgetrimmer on a hinge at the end of a 5 or 6' piece of 2'' PVC pipe, 'cause the tougher branches will shred even heaviest trimmer string.

 

[pacerron]

Are sickle bars made for compact tractors? They look incredibly dangerous to use and I'm guessing they can get jammed when cutting heavy/woody weeds...but I can imagine just running it along the edge and cutting the grass/weeds in one swoop.

Your imagination is running wild:laughing:
You can adjust the cable or leveling device on some sicklebars to have the outboard tip lower than the drive at the tractor and vice-versa but they are not normally made to operate on a steep angle such as the back of a dam or a drop angle along a lot of pond sides. They don't normally like to follow a contour and go from level to a 45 deg angle just by gliding along. Lift the outboard end of a 5-6' bar up and back to the transport position by hand and you will know why.
The gear box and parts that convert rotary motion to oscillating action of the blade are stressed enough in the horizontal and near horizontal position they are designed for in field cutting. Just raise one with your 3 pt on your tractor
a few inches off the ground and listen to your PTO and the cutter bar.
Not that they are not time proven vigorous workhorses. With proper adjustment and lots of practice you can lay down a field of hay so it looks like a lawn after the hay is removed but trimming around a pond and the back side of a dam from below and above is a big headache and not good for your equipment; at least in my opinion. I had your imagination and tried it once years ago. Good thing I had a spare bar

 

[Fixemall]

I use the 16" hedge trimmer head for the Stihl trimmer, it clips grass and weeds twice as fast as a weedwacker and requires no nylon line, kinda like a mini sickle bar mower.

 

[trook]

I have researching these options and have yet to make a decision because of lack of funding. I believe the best options are in the following order:

1. Boom mower
2. Batwing mower
3. Sickle mower
4. Backing rotary cutter toward the water
5. Push mower/string trimmer

Due to a lack of funding, I am currently using numbers 4 and 5.

 

[boggen]

if you are using a wead eater. get one that has a "STRAIGHT" shaft, and no bend in it. and you can use a metal blade brush cutter. the curved shaft weadeaters, you end up breaking the cable fairly quickly.

i have used a old push mower. (metal box) vs the cheap plastic things they have now a days.

then you have wead eater on wheels, or rather instead of a push lawn mower, with a blade, the front is open and you have a thick heavy string. this work on good amount of stuff, exception once you get into thicker weeds and larger diameter weeds. then you have problem on some of them. were if you tilt the stupid thing to one side or forward or backward, and all the oil in the engine goes to one side, and you start blowing out smoke and oil out of the exhaust. cheaper ones are better suited for around the house and shed. were you have long straight lines to work with. if you have lots of trees and things to trim around weed eater on wheels can take more time.

then you have rotatory cutter 3pt attachment for tractor. it is a requirement to have a FEL and bucket on. when doing steep bank sides, not to mention counter balance for rotatory cutter. the FEL can help pull yourself back up a hill. when backing down to pond edge.

then you have self propelled rotatory cutters. other words push lawn mower on steroids. the wheels are normally 1 to 1.5 feet in diameter. and you have the rotatory cutter out in front. this can make things easy, but boy are they a bear when it comes to try and turn them on a steep hill and your footing is not always the best. a good amount of time at least on hills around lake / pond here. you have to drive kinda up at an angle. to drive straight across the hill.

then you have self propelled sickle bar mowers. just like the rotatory cutter above. but instead of a blade spinning, it is a sickle bar mower. sadly the sickle bar does not stick out to one side, but is centered on the machine.

then you have side mounted mowers on booms that attach to center of tractor between the wheels, or perhaps placing a hdyrualic motor on a small size bush hog, and placing it on a backhoe (swapping out the backhoe bucket)

and you also have sickle mowers that attach either in center of tractor between wheels, or on 3pt hitch. as others said, they do move up and down some. but that angle you place them. can be a problem.

==============

overall....


a 3pt rotatory cutter, plus FEL on tractor. while slow and scary. works good to reach over edge of a bank. just get one small enough that your 3PT hitch lift can easily lift it. and having a TNT (top and tilt) just having the top link hydraulic link. can make things much much easier. you get into situations were tires sink, and 3pt hitch begins to bottom out on the dirt. and having ability to lift that rotatory cutter higher, so it does not catch on the bank as you try to drive back up the hill really helps out a good amount. 4WD or MFWD on tractor can also help get up and down them steep hills leading to shore edge.

using a straight shaft weed eater. with a metal blade vs string. can work fairly well when doing the edge of bank, right at the water level. granted you really have to watch your footing. and it takes a toll on the body, but it allows you to reach off the edge of bank a little bit. and work the uneven bank edge.

for steeper hills, a self propelled rotatory cutter or self propelled sickle bar. can be a descent option. they really do not reach over edge of the bank edge. but when dealing with nasty steep sloops. they do work better than weaving a hand held weedeater with metal blade back and forth over an acre plus of hills around a pond. were you have bushes / trees to go around were a 3pt hitch rototry cutter can not get to easily when i say work better. i mean you can actually move at end of day. vs hand held weed eater.

 

[Gordon Gould]

I use a 7' sickle bar with a hydraulic angle cylinder on my roadside banks. Been doing it for 12 years and it works quite well.

 

[ridger]

i use round up:

 

[bcp]

For some ponds with steep banks, use a boat or make a raft to ride on, then use your trimmer from the water side of the bank.

Bruce