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Flying Wrench
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2015 12:31am - Edited by: Flying Wrench
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A few weeks ago I visited my property with a few friends, and I was surprised by how overgrown it had gotten. For some reason, mowing the area never crossed my mind. I decided to take my regular walk behind lawn mower with, just to see if it would make a dent. When I showed up today, the grass was even taller and thicker than before. I thought for sure my mower would choke, but I gave it a shot anyway. 
To my surprise, my mower chewed through it like it was a brush hog. Unfortunately, there are places where the ground is covered in short, sharp little stumps, as well as high spots and pot holes. Stuff that will no doubt destroy a lawn mower blade.
I am considering buying a weed trimmer, and using it like a 2-stroke powered scythe to trim the rough spots, but I'm worried that it will not be tough enough to cut through that much foliage. Has anyone here cut roughly half an acre of rough ground without investing in serious equipment?
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2015 06:13am - Edited by: turkeyhunter
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you made that push mower "earned it's money" dang!!!lot of work!!!
I don't know how that big the field is looks like a "tractor job to me"...maybe pay someone close by to mow it a couple times a year with a bush hog....in my area it's about 40 bucks a hours for mowing with a tractor...
I have a Massey Ferguson 135 diesel I cut my fields and food plots and mow my trails and lanes with.
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FishHog
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2015 07:41am
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A heavy duty weedwhipper will work fine. Not the cheap ones you trim around your grass lawn with. Mine even takes sawblade attachments. I can take up to 3" trees down with it.
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Steve_S
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2015 08:15am
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Stihl makes a Weed Whacker that can handle brush cutting with a circular saw blade attachment which works a treat. Rented one last year after I killed an Outback Brush hog when I was clearing the open spaces on our property.
Here is a link to one just like I used: Professional brushcutter/clearing saw
I'd imagine to purchase one would be somewhat stiff. I did see a similar one that allowed for different head attachments on sale but I remember being shocked at the price (don't remember how much it was though).
Got an old Lawn Tractor ? Might be worth looking for a cheap used one with enough Gumption to handle the growth.
PS: My clearings look about as full as yours does right now so it's something I'll have to attack at some point again... Hammer Swingin First though...
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2619
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2015 09:58am
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I rented a Stihl weedwacker for brush cutting purposes this spring, it was awesome!
Upon close inspection the unit model that my local rental place uses is the S-90, which retails within the $300.00 range. I ended up paying about half the price of buying a brand new unit.
I thought I was going to have to pay Close to $1000.00, but the S-90 worked flawlessly! I worked it really hard and it easily removed small trees up to 3 inches in diameter with the circular saw blade attached.
The key is to get the handle bar set up with the shoulder strap.
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Cowracer
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2015 10:19am
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If you can beg/borrow/steal/rent a walk behind sickle-bar mower, you will be amazed at how good it works.
Tim
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countrygirl
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2015 10:29am
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We have a Stihl weedwacker with a circular saw blade attachment. it will work hard for you, and its a great investment. most of the trails on our 160 acres were made with it.
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bigriver
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2015 01:04pm
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I invested in a DR walk behind brush hog. It works well. I am trying to get rid of European bush honeysuckle invading my woodlot.
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bigriver
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2015 01:09pm
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I invested in a DR walk behind brush hog. It works well. I am trying to get rid of European bush honeysuckle invading my woodlot.
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Flying Wrench
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2015 04:34pm
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Thanks everyone. I'll probably look into one of the circular saw weed whackers mentioned here.
There is about half an acre that could be mowed around the camper/ future cabin site, but I only mowed the driveway, around the camper, around the fire pit, and pathways to connect them. The last time I was there, I picked up a ton of ticks walking through the tall grass.
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VC_fan
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2015 08:16pm
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I picked up one of the old (around 1990) Bachtold DR Field and Brush mowers (not the ALL TERRAIN version shown above) for about $300 off craigslist. It won't do the damage the all terrain version will but it would be absolutely perfect for you if you could find one. It's still a beast and much easier to maneuver (I've used both). I have also had a series of John Deere 170s - they can also be purchased in decent shape for $300-$500 and are terrific at mowing my ~2-3 acres of knee high grass/weeds once or twice a season. I've done things with them you'd never think they'd do and they just keep runnin' like a Deere. I've also used one of the walk-behind heavy duty weed eaters (the one I have is a Craftsman but there are a lot of manufacturers); that wouldn't be a bad choice for you.
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toofewweekends
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# Posted: 26 Jun 2015 02:40am
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we've had no issues with our Stihl 130 in 4 years or so. Spendy for sure. Spins blades, cords and a wicked triangle death star. Blades take out 2" alders and such pretty easily.
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KinAlberta
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# Posted: 26 Jun 2015 03:29am - Edited by: KinAlberta
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Quoting: Cowracer If you can beg/borrow/steal/rent a walk behind sickle-bar mower, you will be amazed at how good it works. Tim
Quoting: Cowracer If you can beg/borrow/steal/rent a walk behind sickle-bar mower, you will be amazed at how good it works.
Yes, we have a Jari. It's cleared many trails and cut a lot of long grass over 30 years.
http://jarimowers.com
http://www.lawnmowerhosp.com/product/jari-sickle-mower-987
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old243
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# Posted: 26 Jun 2015 10:18am
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I don't know if you have an atv. We control the weeds, tall grass and small brush at our camp, with a drag that I made to tow behind my bike . It is steel angle iron frame , a piece of crusher screen on it. Then an old tire and rim , wired on top for weight.Just stuff we had laying around. Attach it with a chain to the ball of the bike.. Will flatten down long grass and weeds, destroy small brush, beats , chasing a lawn mower. Also use it to grade the road to camp and bush trails. A smaller version could be towed with a rider lawn mower. Let your imagination go wild. old 243
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creeky
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# Posted: 26 Jun 2015 10:43am
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I've wanted to get a sickle bar cutter for my tractor. Just love the sound.
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LoonWhisperer
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# Posted: 27 Jun 2015 08:45pm
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Oh my... those sickle bar mowers are sweet! Another toy to add to my ever expanding list 
Right now I get by with my Echo trimmer and brush kit.
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Littlecooner
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# Posted: 29 Jun 2015 08:34am
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15 years ago, the weed cheap weed trimmer died, so I go looking to "upgrade" above the $ 49 Wallyworld specials. I bought an Echo similar to the link posted below. For the past 15 years, if it does not start on the first pull of the starter then its just out of gas. Via word of mouth, several friends have bought Echo's. All are known to start on the first pull. I have the shoulder harness which is a must for even minor weed trimming in the yard IMHO. Also have the saw blade and the triangle "heavy weed blade". Many, many tanks of gas now in 15 years. Lot of Game plot clearing, ATV trail clearing, stuff just like you have that needs cutting. The Triangle blade cuts grass like you show really easy, never runs out of cord and will even cut a small 1.2 inch to 1 inch woody stem. I actually do minor mowing with my trimmer at times, as it just sits on my shoulder with the strap and as safety, the straight shaft will almost never get back to your legs or feet if you have a harness on the devices. For something in the $300-400 range, you can have a device that will literary last a lifetime of heavy duty, constant usage.
http://www.echo-usa.com/Products/Trimmers/SRM-266S
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hueyjazz
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# Posted: 29 Jun 2015 11:55am - Edited by: hueyjazz
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Three years ago I started out with a mess quite like yours only worse. There was a pond next to my cabin which you could barely see and couldn't walk through the weeds and briars to get to. I started with a high wheel mower that was surplus to my needs as I knew this would kill it. It worked somewhat.
As a few mention here a professional grade sting trimmer does work. Stihl, Husky and Echo all make these. they are a straight shaft rather than the cheaper curved shaft. I equipped mine with these Renegade saw blades I got out of Amazon made for brush cutting. Basically a carbide tip blade made for a weed whacker. Pretty dangerous attachment but any sapling or briar patch was gone. Wear the harness and don't allow pets or humans anywhere near you.
While it did work for weeds it was slow and would jam.
Next I bought a Husky HU625HWT high wheel string trimmer mower. Instead of a blade these use line like a string trimmer only much heavier duty. I buy the stuff by the reel and it's quite cheap. You cut two 18" segments that loop into to string blades that take seconds to attach. The beauty of these things is you can hit rocks, stumps, samplings and assorted other thing that would kill steel implements such as a sickle bar. trust me, there a lot of stuff hidden in those weeds.
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Littlecooner
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# Posted: 30 Jun 2015 07:54am - Edited by: Littlecooner
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hueyjazz is correct on the safety with a straight shaft "professional" string trimmer. I was very cautious when I started using my trimmer, but the harness is the key. It keeps the unit balanced. the vibrations to the hands are gone and with the straight shaft, its near difficult or almost impossible for the cutting end to get back to your legs and feet if the harness is kept on the shoulder. I think it is the best "bang for the buck" in all around vegetation removal where stumps and hidden rocks may be encountered. It is about the only thing you can use with your hands to cut thru a briar patch that is above 4 feet high. Once you get the heavy stuff down in the rocks and stumps, its easy to walk around with it and keep it mowed to an esthetic level. Check one out at a dealer if you are looking to "invest". Its a heck of a lot less tiring on the body that pushing that push mower. A little "secret" I picked up is to buy the .105" diameter higher grade of string for the trimmer. Stuff will never break or wear down unless you get around rocks or concrete, its like the energizer bunny, it just keeps going and going.
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machzman
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# Posted: 10 Jul 2015 04:10pm
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i bought a uses swisher pull behind mower works great
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Grandma Off Grid
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# Posted: 20 Jul 2015 01:36am
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got a horse drawn mower, can be pulled with rider mower. works on high stuff. its huge
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RichInTheUSA
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# Posted: 20 Jul 2015 12:23pm
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I went ahead and invested in a Kubota BX series tractor and a bush hog.... I know it's a lot of $, and not everyone has the extra cash.... But... it's like a pick up truck... once you have one, you will never want to be without it again.
I may look for augmenting with a walk behind cycle-bar mower for hills, as tractors are not very stable (center of gravity is high).
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