I want to cut a stand of weeds that have trunks of about 1/2 inch in diameter, some woody, some soft. I am sure this task would kill my lawn mower. What kind of SMALL mowing machine exists for this job? It can't be much wider than a normal lawn mower. Thx.
-B
You could borrow a lawnmower or weed eater from a neighbor you don't like. I was that neighbor and still carry the hate 26 years later.
I'd use a yo-yo and do it by hand, followed up with a lawnmower after you remove the big stuff. bj
Em wrote:
Joseph, you are getting senile.
Your solutions are much wider than a lawn mower.
bj
Joseph Meehan wrote:
Try
Any farm implement dealer should have this kind of product. Don't expect the local lawn and garden or DIY center to have them.
I know that I'm going to regret asking this, but heck, everybody needs a straight man to do the setup line, so, in the context of brush cutters:
What's a "yo-yo"?
(and yes, I do have a couple of old Duncan's around here some where in a box of the kids' old stuff)
How big an area? I simply swap the string head for a steel blade on my Stihl ST-85 weed whacker and it takes out 1/2" hardwood saplings like they were straws. This makes sense for small plots and takes little time. But if you are talking about acres of such work all bets are off.
If this is a one-time job, i.e. you aren't expecting to let the heavy stuff grow back, you might just consider having a commercial clearing service do it for you. Or if you just have to feel the sweat for yourself you might be able to rent a suitable mower for a weekend.
A yo-yo is one of those hand-held weed-cutters that you see in the hands of Georgia work-gang prisoners.
I believe it was already suggested before, but I would recommend one of those hand-held swathers. You could swing that thing back and forth (back and forth, back and forth...) all day and so long as you kept the blade sharp it would mow down the weeds. It would probably also mow down your back, and the cut would be pretty darn uneven but it would be a start and you could then tackle the left-overs with your lawn mower.
How about renting a brush hog? Cutting heavy stuff with a mower could bend/damage the mower shaft, and once that's done you have a junked mower or an expensive repair.
I've cleared a 20x20 foot area with a weedeater using a metal blade on it. My neighbor offered his metal cutter head to me after seeing me struggle with the nylon cord on the weedwacker. It took an afternoon to do the job. The area had well-established thorny wild roses and blackberry bushes.
Yo- thank yo!
Much wider than a lawnmower? No they're not.
Did you look at the DR website?
Their self-propelled, walk-behind brush mowers vary in width from 22" to 30".
I have the 17HP 30" model. It's absolutely amazing. It cuts and chops up everything from weeds to shrubs to small trees. It will knock down
2" diameter hardwood trees and chop them off at the base. It will mow chest-high weeds as fast as I can walk.
Use a brush axe.
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