What to use where the tractor can't mow?

[suttles]

This is the first time we have been fortunate enought to own a tractor.
We recently bought 10 acres and got our first tractor last week.
There are a few places that we are not going to be able to use a bush hog. There is a small rock out cropping in the field and then around the outside where the fence will be.

We have tall weeds down the sides that are not on us so we will have the fence inside our property a few feet. This still will not be enought room for a tractor to mow around

I am not familar with those weed eaters that look like a mower or those large walk behind mowers that I see professionals use in town.

Is there anything that is easier than a heavy duty weed eater? We have a Stil and it is powerful but also heavy and if things start to get ahead it would be to hard to use for a large area. Also we have a bank near the road that we would like to try and keep looking good. It is way to steep to mow. May be use week killer on it.

Thanks,
travis

 

[California]

I used to use a high-wheel string trimmer similar to this one.

That style is convenient for getting into edges and corners where the tractor won't fit, and has plenty of power to knock down high weeds, berry bushes, etc.

I had a 6.5 hp model from Sears. I don't recommend the Sears version - I wore mine out the first year, about 30 hours of hard use. I replaced the front spindle, $50, and should have replaced the clutch control that was hard to keep engaged.

A commercial-quality unit similar to that linked example should do the job.

 

[bontai_Joe]

I kinda like the recommendation of a commercial duty wheeled string mower. The big commercial walk behind mowers you see lawn services use are meant for reasonably smooth lawns, not rough fields with stones, ruts, etc. Typically they max out at a 4" or 5" cutting height. There are a couple of companies that make a 30" or wider, single blade heavy duty mower much like a mini brush-hog. An old Gravely with the 30" deck on the front would probably work and cost you less than $750 to buy used. An another alternative is the walk behind sicklebar mowers made by a couple of companies. Each of these alternatives has it pluses and minuses, but a lot of that depends on the lay of the land, the strength of the operator and the amount of hours needed to do the job, so I can't really say "X" is the definite way to go. But I wanted you to know of some of the alternatives.

P.S. you could always get a couple of goats of sheep?

 

[HomeBrew2]

I've had a similar situation. I used my big Stihl weedeater, ONCE, to knock the old tall unsightly weeds down. I don't like weedeating so I did it phases. For ever after, I spray with glyphosate (generic Roundup). Some areas can tolerate a pre-emergent herbacide but most I let grow to 6"-12" so I have some soil stabilization in winter.
Cheers!

 

[GeneD14]

This past weekend we were traveling thru Southern IN and we noticed that alot of farms/rural homes used a weed killer aroud just about every thing: fences, trees, barns, rocks, mailboxes, etc...
After you get used to seeing it, it doesn't look so bad.

I may start doing that around some of our trees. After going around them every week with a string trimmer the bark is getting damaged.

 

[rox]

We use one of these brush cutters, http://www.stihl.us/trimmers/FS350.html
which is basically a skill saw blade at the end of a long pole, then chemical kill and if you an believe this we go back and hand pull the weeds that we chemical killed. Sometimes my husband will use the brush cutter but mainly we hand pull out the dead weeds. 12 acres worth.

I do not operate the brush cutter my husband does and he says it is very exhausting work. He can only do it for a couple hours at a time then he has to quit take a few hours off before he can go back and operate it again.

Yu might look at the Stihl Combi system. We ahve one so far we have jsut the chain saw for it but it is great! If I recall they make one that is basially easy start for women. Might not be the combi system though. I think if you went with the Stihl combi system you could get the various attachents to fit your different needs. You might try renting one first form your local Stihl Dealer to try it out. Make a deal that if you buy one he will refund you your rental costs. Stihl is top of the line professional products.

 

[JJT]

We had a similar problem around our pond. It's only 60' from the front porch and about 1 - 2 feet of material is too close to the edge to get with a $10K zero turn. I bought an electric hedge trimmer, works great. I'd love to have a sickle bar for the big tractor, but $50 vs $2000 for the 100' of pond edging makes more sense. I've used the gas powered weed eater, the hedge trimmer is quicker, quieter and gives a better cut, (and my wife will use the electric unit....).

 

[Birdhunter1]

I hae a Stihl FS 76 straight shaft weedeater with thebike grips that I either run a saw blade on it for brush and sapling or a dual string head and I can run that thing all day long. The bike handles make it much easier on your lower back and also if you can put a shoulder strap (I use a single strap but am looking for the both shoulder full harness rig) it really takes the weight off of your arms. When I first got it I thought it was the berries over the D-handle gripped straight shaft I had before but after using it a while I felt it in my arms, hence the strap, now I can run it all day clearing brush and fence lines.

My recommendation for what you need is a straight shaft trimmer with bike grips and a shoulder strap, or keep it mowed down all aroudn it year round and after the first frost just burn it off. (fire is cheaper than a weedeater)

 

[Egon]

One of these may just work. Kept sharp and used with proper form they handle surprisingly easy and are very terain versitile.

 

[rox]

my husband has the full harness and bicycle handles and it still wears him out. Say you wouldn't be near age 55 would you? I bet you are on < side of 55. The one he uses is made by Kubota but i don't know what difference that would make.

I like our Stihl Combi system, it has what I think is like sycle (how do you spell that?) blade that can attach to it. I also like it becsue I a able to start it. Gradually we will add implements onto the Stihl Combi system. Jsut he base unit and the chainsaw cost a pretty penney over here. In U.S. Dollars I think it was close to $900, jsut the base unit, the chainsaw and the extension pole. It has the D handle and so far I am fine with that but I dont' run it for very long doing chainsaw type work. We can add on the bicycle handles if we want to when we buy other attachemnts.

After we hand pull our weeds we throw them on a tarp and drag them to the burning area. We are only permited to burn here a few months of the year.