The machete is my favorite outside yard tool. There is a little nack to using it, but once you get the swing, even a cheepie can be effective. The biggest thing is to not hit the branch at 90 degrees. Like using an axe, or a samurai slicing bamboo, strike at around a 45 degree angle. Used correctly, and alternating the strike angle like an axe, you can fairly easilly cut thru 4"-6" trunks nearly as easy as with an axe. If I had to crash land in the bush, the machete is the one tool I would most want to have...
The biggest difference is metal gauge used for the blade. Metal type does play a factor, but since it is being employed against soft wood and brush, even poor metal is going to win. Because of this, you probably will want to buy one hands on, as HF or the other suppliers online don't typically advertise the blade thickness, and are usually selling the thiner ones. A proper blade will be around .125" thick measured along the back edge. If it is less than .100" thick, I would pass on it. Too thin a blade will flex when it strikes instead of dig/bite, and you might find the blade glancing off things it should be cutting into. The added mass of the blade will also deliver more energy to the cut. I prefer 18" as opposed to longer. If I was cutting a path thru tall grass and jungle vines, that might change, but for work limbing and downsizing material for the burn pile, 18" is a good length for all day use, and it is not difficult to store in pack or on tractor.
As for quality supplier, I have had a millspec 1-18 model made by the Ontario Knife Company for the past 20+ years. It has a .125" thick blade and you can see it here at their website, just scroll down to the bottom.
Welcome to Ontario Knife Company! It is good carbon steel, and has a 2 piece poly handle that is riveted in place. Over the years, I have had to occasionally tap the rivets back tight, till I drove over it with the tractor and cracked the handle one day. Not having the time right then to make some nice wood handles for it, I put a large piece of heat-shrink tube over the cracked handle and shrunk it in place. It has worked great like that for 5-6 years now, and it actually improved my grip on the handle. It usually sets on the tractor, but it is a rare walk around the property that I don't have it and the dog with me
If I was going to buy another, I would look at one of the new/improved .125" thick models, with the 18" blade that they make(model 8514 or 8516). Molded poly handle with guard, and no rivets... They make some Econo models shown farther down the page, but because of blade thickness I would pass on those.
Welcome to Ontario Knife Company!
Good hacking
