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grover
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# Posted: 30 Oct 2012 09:13pm
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Our land has a lot of small and medium size trees and we are keeping most all of them but It also has a lot of undergrowth, sticker bushes, I just call them briers. They just grab you and don't want to let go.
What is the best way to clean these up? I've never really had to clean up land like this so I'm not sure what to use. I'm thinking I may have to get one of those weed eater type things with the attachment that looks like a saw blade. I think they are actually called brush cutters. Is this the best thing for briers?
Don't want to get one unless I really need one. They are kind of expensive.
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 30 Oct 2012 09:29pm
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We just used a hand "lopper". Like a big scissors that cuts maybe about 3/4 inch diameter scrub trees before you pop a vein in your head! It's hard work-lots of bending to cut at the base-and therefore very slow going but it won't cost much $$.
Congrats on buying your piece of heaven on earth...I'm glad you found suitable land. Have fun making it yours!
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 30 Oct 2012 10:38pm
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Cut everything off as close to the surface as possible especially if there is any chance you'll drive any pneumatic tired vehicle over the spot. Even little ( 1/4" ) woody stems can puncture tires once they have dried if they stick up above the ground much.
How to do it? Depends on the amount, the budget, the back...
Pile up the slash, leaves, needles and cover for burning in the winter when there is snow cover. We use tarps and rosin paper. I like the paper as sometimes it is difficult to clear the snow and remove a tarp in mid winter. The paper is tough enough, water resistant and burns.
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TomChum
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2012 06:27am - Edited by: TomChum
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I have been using a weedeater with a carbide skillsaw blade on it. I use up my 'old' sawblades that aren't good enough for wood. You have to buy the weedeater "brush blade" kit and modify the fittings to accept the diamond knockout on the sawblade. It is more dangerous.
If you have to clean up your land, buy the tools, the work goes faster and you own the tool. The "straight shaft" weedeaters are generally stronger than a curved shaft, I'd get the straight.
It cuts brush fast. A 3/4" scrub tree just goes "PING" and it's cut thru in an instant. A 1 1/2" takes about 3 hits. Also you can section up a big fluffy bush into short 1-foot sticks and they fall to the ground. This works on brush piles too - your pile just "goes away". It's much easier than bending over with a chainsaw. The sawblade spins so fast it cuts pencil sized sticks before they even know what hit them. Not like a chainsaw which don't work well on small sticks (unless you HOLD them). If you don't hit rocks, the blade lasts a long time, and if you feel like buying a NEW blades for it, it works all the better.
For burn piles I cover them with anything I can find. Cardboard, plywood, visqueen, anything to keep the core dry. You can pile more brush ontop if your waterproofing is "unsightly", also more brush keeps it from blowing away.
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Cooks Dock
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2012 08:52am
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TomChum is correct. And remember the one word "hit" Weedeater with bushblade, literally tap or hit the tree, don't try and cut it slowly, just wack it...works for me!
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grover
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2012 10:45am
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So your regular saw blades fit on your weedeater? What brand? Will they work on all weedeaters?
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bobbotron
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2012 10:56am
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Holy cow that sounds like sketchy fun! 
I've heard of brush clearers before, but I didn't know you could turn a weed wacker into one.
You should be able to rent a proper brush clearer from a rental shop, make short work of the brush in a day or so?
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TomChum
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2012 12:02pm - Edited by: TomChum
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A "brush hog" that you rent will mow down - ALL - the vegetation. If this is what you want then it's a good way to clear brush.
Clearcutting can be a problem because you might not have control of what grows back. Likely the strongest weed is the one that will come back 100%. In landscaping "natural" you should specifically remove unwanted bushes and leave other (wanted) vegetation in place.
Well I'm behind the times! Just Googled "Carbide Brush Cutter Blades" they're all over the internet now! I used a larger blade for awhile, I don't remember the size, but it took awhile to spin up and awhile to spin down. This was useful with bigger brush like over 1". Currently I'm using 7 1/4" skilsaw blades and it seems safer.
.....If I was you I'd start with the smallest size...... When you put that thing on make sure it's centered and straight, it spins 10,000 RPM. You will be amazed at the mountain of brush that can be reduced to mulch.
Here's a good pic from www.carbidebrushcutterblades.com
This pic shows clearcutting, there is no other choice. Be careful around the edges, leave the plants that you WANT, don't mow them down too. I don't know about this woman she looks like the take-no-prisoners type!
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trollbridge
Member
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2012 12:32pm
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Someone needs to buy her a bra!!!!
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MJW
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2012 02:12pm
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Quoting: trollbridge Someone needs to buy her a bra!!!!
Nahhhhh....She looks fine without one. 
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trollbridge
Member
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2012 04:32pm - Edited by: trollbridge
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But brush cutting like that could be awfully dangerous! Think of her safety...
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TomChum
Member
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2012 07:35pm - Edited by: TomChum
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It's an image to sell sawblades. Like those ads in car magazines where they put a pic of a hot babe holding a rifle, selling tire cleaner.
........Woman up against against stickerbushes with all she's got........ & winning.
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Kudzu
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2012 08:37pm - Edited by: Kudzu
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Quoting: trollbridge Someone needs to buy her a bra!!!!
Why, she has that healthy happy look, buy your own bra.
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trollbridge
Member
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2012 10:55pm - Edited by: trollbridge
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 Well...I guess at least she is wearing that other all important safety equipment- ear protection, helmet, good footwear...
Oh, and not to worry TomChum...I "get" the ad.............Lol...I'm just teasing!
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TheWildMan
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2012 08:10am
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it really depends on what the briars are, different plants have different methods of control. those brush cutters are a 1 size fits all souloution for mechanical removal of the parts above ground. some invasive and dangerous plants will benefit from this because you will be clearing their competition as well and they are aggressive growing back in.
the term briar and sticker bush i have heard before referring to blackberry plants. they are small thick vines with hard thorns, when they get long enough to touch the ground again they grow more roots on that spot (they are distinguished from raspberry plants in that raspberries have tiny hairs and not big thorns).
if its blackberries you should have no trouble clearing them, a $20 1 hand brush sickle should be enough (the blade is kept horizontal and you sweep it back and forth it cuts softer vegetation but is useless on wood stems)
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Bevis
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2012 11:28pm
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Quoting: trollbridge Someone needs to buy her a bra!!!!
she could cut the brush with those...or glass 
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TomChum
Member
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# Posted: 2 Nov 2012 10:46pm
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Quoting: TheWildMan if its blackberries you should have no trouble clearing them, a $20 1 hand brush sickle should be enough (the blade is kept horizontal and you sweep it back and forth it cuts softer vegetation but is useless on wood stems)
I would NEVER take on a blackberry thicket with a sickle. You would have knuckles full of thorns in a few minutes. The canes are way tougher than a sickle, mostly 3/4 inch in diameter and fibrous. Even with long handled loppers you will have lots of thorns in your fingers. I've done it without power tools enough to know now that power tools are the only way to go. Where you are back a ways from the stickers.
Like the woman in the pic, she's just chopping the blackberries up high and low, and the sticks fall to the ground, as mulch. If you cut them off at the base you still have a big nasty tangle you have to cut up your pile as you go in.
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Scott_T
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2012 11:28pm
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Video: Husqvarna 343 FR Brushcutter
Grover I have one of these for the kind of work you do. You might check to see if you can rent something like it. They are not your typical weed eater like used around the house. You cannot put those big blades on a home weed eater. These are bad a$s machines with power!
Stihl also makes similar machines.
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grover
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# Posted: 6 Nov 2012 07:34am
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That Husqvarna sounds like a great tool. Also looks like one I would need to rent vs buy$$$ I will check on the rental of one of those or one of the walk behind bush hog type of machines.
I already have a chain saw picked out. The Sthil dealer is on my way to the property so I think I'll use them to buy the Farm Boss.
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BoatMan
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# Posted: 21 Nov 2012 08:32pm
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I can say a little on the subject of brush clearing, as for about (2) years now I have been re-clearing just over (7) acres that was initially cleared by bulldozer about 9 or 10 years ago and then left to grow-up into a thicket of saplings, locust thorns, Ozarks cedars and everything else. This land is about 200 miles from home and I made 13 weekend-long trips out to it this year (so far). I use chain saws (I bring 3), branch loppers (again 3), a walk-behind field & brush mower, and a 1978 11 hp Sears garden tractor. The biggest stuff I have had to clear is about 4 inch trunk diameter, EVERYTHING is dragged (by hand) to one spot and burned and re-burned until only ashes remain.
I attack a brush wall by chain-sawing everything over 1.5 inches, and drag it to the burn pile. I then go in with the branch loppers and cut everything between about 1 inch and 1.5 inches, and drag it to the burn pile. Finally I go over the area with the walk-behind brush mower, trying to avoid the rocks (lots of rocks).
The cleared areas rapidly grow-up in native grasses and weeds, while all the stumps (except the Ozark cedars) will sprout multiple new stems, and I keep all of this mowed with the little Sears tractor. I try to re-mow all of the previously cleared areas about 3 times a year- if I let the stuff grow too long the tractor has trouble cutting it.
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BoatMan
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# Posted: 21 Nov 2012 09:25pm
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What I am dealing with. Over to the left has been cleared. In the center trees/brush has been cut but not yet hauled off. To the right is area remaining to be cleared. The stuff is 6 or 7 feet tall, with a few trees of 8 or 9 feet.
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BoatMan
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# Posted: 21 Nov 2012 09:32pm
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The walk-behind field & brush mower. This is a Swisher. It will set you back about $1350.00 plus sales tax and/or shipping. DR makes several, all of which cost more. So does Billy Goat. I have used & abused this machine for 2 summers now, and have no complaints about it. Currently have it torn-down to replace belts.
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BoatMan
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# Posted: 21 Nov 2012 09:43pm
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The 4 essential tools of brush clearing: branch loppers (capacity 1.5 inches), 18 inch 42 CC chain saw (fitted with 14 inch bar & chain in this photo), and the walk-behind field & brush mower.
4th "essential" is vacuum bottle of coffee.
Trailer is modified boat trailer with 4 ft by 8 ft plywood bed added.
Note safety glasses.
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CAPTAIN WINEHEAD
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# Posted: 3 Dec 2012 06:16pm
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Watch your shins with the saw blades. The buzz saw has a way of bouncing off hidden rocks and logs when you're clearing, and right back at you. I wear cutting chaps and boots, not that it would totally stop the blade. Fun, but tiring work.
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