I made the best brush cutter

Hi people,

Just thought I would pass this on. I have a lot of gnarly shrub-size weeds here called Russian Thistle or more commonly known as Tumbleweeds. Some up to 3' high with stems up to 1/2" diam. Once beyond about 3" tall, there is NO poison to touch them. Ask me how I know sometime.

The Ryobi weed whacker is therefore the only hand carried implement that can get to where I need to get a lot of the time. It has a total of 16" diameter sweep with the plastic string.

I tried using the .08" string it came with but after 3 refills the weeds were grinning.

OK, I tried some .095" and later some .105" after drilling out a few small holes for it to fit. The weeds were sort of worried.

After 2 refills and what a job that is with the .105" stuff, the weeds had begun to chuckle.

Off to Ace for a shit load of the whirly after market gadgets. I tried Gators, I tried an Ace type, I tried steel cables, I tried solid little strings with lumps on the end. That night when I went to bed, I could hear the weeds laughing.

Next day I got hold of an old 24T carbide tipped 7-1/2" circular saw blade. I got a piece of 1/4" aluminum plate about 3-1/2" square. In the center, I drilled and reamed it 3/8" for the spindle. Using a bolt as an arbor, I turned it to 3" diameter to just fit neatly in the spool cover. Next I turned down about a 0.050" thickness to make a 5/8" diam boss for the saw blade to locate. Drilled for 2 x 1/4" x 3/4" long button head screws and nylocs on the centerline and at 2"BCD.

After dropping it over the spindle, I finished it off with a shake proof washer and stainless M8 nut.

Wow is all needs be said.

The trick was, I think, that I mounted the blade so it is running backwards. I did this as I figured it would stop gouging into bigger stuff and consequently kick the Ryobi around in my hands.

I have hit quite a few large rocks, pieces of steel and railroad ties and it has not so much as nicked a tooth. It just gives out a slither sound and carries on.

Well, you should see the pile of weeds I have on just one tankful of gas. Nary a smirk or a peep from those bastard weeds now!!

Dave

Reply to
Dave, I'm afraid I can't do th
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We just let the Llamas at it. They make quick work of it and we don't have to buy gas or pick up a wrench.

Reply to
Srgnt Billko

Hi Srgnt,

Hmmm, a friend suggested goats too. Only problem I don't want them eating the Juniper, native grasses, shrubs and other stuff. I have seen some fields with Alpacas and it was bare. I suspect they eat everything to the ground.

I have found that the Tumbleweed does not like competition where it starts to grow. Where the native plants are growing, it does not do well. I am therefore trying to let the native stuff take hold then let it all fend for itself.

Dave

Reply to
Dave, I'm afraid I can't do th

You are correct.

Reply to
Srgnt Billko

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That line is a classic. I will think of it tonight when I go to bed and smile for sure.

Reply to
jtees4

My dad made one of those years ago out of an actual Weedeater brand trimmer. I was there for a visit and he needed me to help him retrieve a plastic culvert that a storm had washed back into the brushy part of his woods. He fired it up and handed it to me, and as you say, WOW. I was knocking down 3" saplings without so much as breaking a sweat. We cleared a 3' wide 100' long trail in maybe 10 minutes. I'd imagine it is dangerous as hell, but effective is an understatement!!

Reply to
Eric in North Texas

Hi Eric,

You are right, it works very well. I really don't think there is that great danger to this thing. As questioned by someone, the Ryobi design has the nut naturally tightening against rotation.

Considering the Physics I doubt it would do much damage if it did fall off. The blade is well balanced, operating well within in it's stated design speed. If by some miracle it did break free, there is still a full 360 circle for it to to choose an angle for it's escape path.

The risk to my ankles is very low, but then there have always been Henny Pennys out there. Lotsa noise, but no substance. As to the scar from ear to ear that some HP mentioned, Physics must be working differently in his part of the planet.

Given also that fact that these things are available over the counter in this scumbag litigious-ant world, that comforts me enough to know it is as safe as it can be.

Dave.

Eric > My dad made one of those years ago out of an actual Weedeater brand ...snip...

Reply to
Dave, I'm afraid I can't do th

Reply to
Dave, I'm afraid I can't do th

I agree with that, I've had a lawnmower blade come off at full throttle and it just spun into the dirt. If it hadn't been needed as a flywheel, it might have gone unnoticed until the unsatisfactory cut started an investigation. I was more concerned with the safety of bystanders. In the hands of a relatively careful operator, I doubt anyone would be hurt, but there are some pretty serious idiots out there.

Reply to
Eric in North Texas

I am the only bystander and operator Eric. I can't get friends to come near this place when II an tending my nemesis. They think I am nuts.

Really though, I would like to see the area covered fully with the native growth. The previous owner had a lawn fetish which he used to seed twice a year. Collectively about 2 acres of the damn stuff. I am slowly winning the battle and getting more and more native coverage. Suffice to say the previous owner put in a second well, no guesses for what.

Probably another 2 or 3 more seasons and the Tumbleweeds will just keep on rolling through.

Reply to
Dave, I'm afraid I can't do th

if you have a straight shaft trimmer with the brush blade ,the blade acts like a flywheel and can overrev engine so a detuning is needed.

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Reply to
ds549

Or, you could just not hold the trigger against the WFO stop.

Reply to
Eric in North Texas

A flywheel cannot increase the rpms. Under no load conditions it might run a few rpms faster than with a line head simply because there is a little less air resistance but there is no need to "detune" it. Most strait shaft trimmers are built to take a blade.

Why is it that there never seems to be any decent advice from webtv people?

Reply to
Art

!delete Message-ID webtv

Reply to
Eggs Zachtly

detuning a trimmer with a brushcutter is noted in the stihl and echo factory service info. i was also told this at echo and stihl factory school. the brushcutter blade has no resistance to air so overreving is a problem if you hold it wide open with no load. so opening the high speed screw will slow it down to safe rpm. ...... now when tuning a carb with the string trimmer head,be sure the string is out to max cutting length.(no comment on computer users) lucas

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Reply to
ds549

Thanks guys,

I am already ahead of you on that one. Haivng a full machne shop at home, I had already made an adjustable trigger stop. I am using little more than half throttle.

Dave

snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net wrote:

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Dave, I'm afraid I can't do th

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