trail clearing technique and tools

[two_bit_score]

The good thing about loppers is they can cut close to the ground and don't get dulled by dirt like trying to cut with a chainsaw. Plus there's no noise and no having to start a chainsaw not to mention being safer to operate.

Every tool has a place.

 

[ArlyA]

Worked at our elderly friends house over the weekend. This gal lost her husband about 2 years ago who had just purchased a Echo power head system (its actual name?). She can't use it and offered it to us so we'll brush back her driveway in trade. This is the gal with the Yanamar tractor.

The above photos are blackberries. I cut down the young ones with .155 string and revert to the steel blade for the thicker, older ones. I am using water infused string these days.

Below is the unit.

 

[ning]

I am using water infused string these days.

are you finding it more durable?

 

[ArlyA]

are you finding it more durable?

I'm not sure, but it might. Today I was going through string left and right but this semi dried weeds is as tough as cable. What is it this crap?

Here is my wet storage box.

 

[Grumpycat]

I'm not sure, but it might. Today I was going through string left and right but this semi dried weeds is as tough as cable. What is it this crap?

Put a wet one in one side and a dry one in the other. See what happens.

 

[ArlyA]

Put a wet one in one side and a dry one in the other. See what happens.

All ours are three and four string heads and the only way to tell the difference is to mark them via sharpie. Nonthless I ran out of dry ones but will continue to test more in the future. As of now the soaked ones are no better.

 

[ArlyA]

Was out clearing trails all weekend. Will post more later.

 

[2manyrocks]

Sad to see that Yanmar just sitting while the weeds around it have to be cut by hand.

 

[ArlyA]

Sad to see that Yanmar just sitting while the weeds around it have to be cut by hand.

Ya well its been 4 to 6 years since it was ran. Might take $2000 in parts to get it going. Tires were looking weather checked as well.

 

[ArlyA]

My 18volt aftermarket batteries do not have the amp hours they advertise. What should I get? If some has something better than LabTEC please let us know.

 

[ArlyA]

OK, I've tested a bunch of wet string against dry ones while in the same head and they don't hold up any better.. In fact, the wet ones are breaking off about twice as fast as the dry one. That means I'd replace the wet stored ones twice, while the dry one was still in use. By wet, they've been under water for days before use. Oh well.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

I tried using metal wire once... Just once... The entire wire broke off almost instantly at 9 million miles per hour. Seemed a little too dangerous.

I wonder if steel cable/ wire rope would work ....

 

[MossRoad]

OK, I've tested a bunch of wet string against dry ones while in the same head and they don't hold up any better.. In fact, the wet ones are breaking off about twice as fast as the dry one. That means I'd replace the wet stored ones twice, while the dry one was still in use. By wet, they've been under water for days before use. Oh well.

Thanks for doing the test.

 

[ArlyA]

I tried using metal wire once... Just once... The entire wire broke off almost instantly at 9 million miles per hour. Seemed a little too dangerous.

I wonder if steel cable/ wire rope would work ....

.155 string works pretty well and we've been using it for like 20 years now.. As stated earlier we had hoped to bump up to .170 but the heads never came out.

 

[Grumpycat]

I tried using metal wire once... Just once... The entire wire broke off almost instantly at 9 million miles per hour. Seemed a little too dangerous.

I wonder if steel cable/ wire rope would work ....

Husqvarna (used to?) offers a titanium core trimmer string. Last bought a pack in 2007.

 

[ArlyA]

Husqvarna (used to?) offers a titanium core trimmer string. Last bought a pack in 2007.

Seems we used them and the core was some other type of plastic. More like Titanium marketing and not any better. Since we use so much string each summer, we've tried most strings made and decided that the difference between them is not worth mentioning.. We buy whatever rolls amzoine has a good price on today.

 

[Val Padana]

I wonder if steel cable/ wire rope would work

Tried 2 mm steel cable. The ends unravelled and frayed after a few seconds and then the fine wire strands broke and were flung off. Waste of time.

 

[ArlyA]

As promised earlier, here is how to sharpen by-pass loppers via ******* file. We were at some conference years ago and was taught this. Open the lopper up far and lay them on a counter as seen in the below photo.

Take your file and file downwards matching the original bevel angle. I hold one handle down with my other hand.

ya, its that simple. We oil the pivots and make sure the blade bolts are snug. These will cut like new after that.

 

[ArlyA]

OK, I've tested a bunch of wet string against dry ones while in the same head and they don't hold up any better.. In fact, the wet ones are breaking off about twice as fast as the dry one. That means I'd replace the wet stored ones twice, while the dry one was still in use. By wet, they've been under water for days before use. Oh well.

Here is the brush/grass I was cutting for the string test. In the top photo is the string head by Echo we use which comes with adapters for different shaft sizes and should fit whatever machine you have. Yes there are tree shots coming up in it that .155 string will take out to a certain point anyway. This is what we are normally cutting here..

 

[dodge man]

The wet string test I did was subjective but I also came to the conclusion it didn’t help. It might have helped it feed though. My problem is I don weed eat often, maybe every month. It seems like when the string stays in the head that long wound up it doesn’t want to feed.