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  • From: Mark <mpludwig@facstaff.wisc.edu>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Cc: igg@igg.com
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Allan needs advice on selecting a brush cutter.
  • Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2002 12:40:12 -0600

At 10:08 AM 10/30/02 -0800, you wrote:
At 12:59 PM 10/30/02 -0800, Lawrence F. London, Jr. wrote:

Subject: Do you mind forwarding this one for me?
Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2002 10:15:41 -0500
From: Allan Balliett <igg@igg.com>

There is a machine called a brush wrench, basically a long lever and fulcrum with a gripping jaw that lets one tear out brush by the roots rather than just cut it off. Works great. I tend to agree with the notion that for serious work having the bigger machine is probably worth it. I'm a big fan of steel blades for these cutters as well, really improves the cutting power over plastic or string, esp if kept sharp. I have a large Huskavarna with the low vibration feature and like it. heavy tractor mounted rototillers may be able to knock out young brush as well, might be able to hire it done for a fraction of the cost of a new cutter.
M

I have to clear a lot of land a lot more often than I really would
like to. This year I'm looking at redeeming a 1acre biodynamic garden
that's been neglected and fallow for 3 years. (Viva le fertility!
Viva le Gobo!!) and spruce up a neglected 3 acre rock outcropping
pasture.

I'm looking at getting a new brush cutter. After the recommendations
in the recent whole earth, I'm looking at the Shindaiwa B450
(45ccs/18lb unit), I'm wondering if I should save money and get the
cheaper 35cc unit. More than that, I'm wondering what the rest of you
are using.

I'm using a DR 8 HP brush mower. It's self-propelled, has large wheels, and is good for anything up to about 1" in diameter. It's made by Country Home Products. I don't have the URL handy, but I'm sure Google has them. I've been using it for about a half-dozen years and really enjoy it. If I had it to do over again, I'd get a bigger one rather than a smaller one. The DR mowers are built to be easily serviceable, but don't need much servicing - they're built out of heavy-gauge steel, etc. The newer ones have balloon tires with some serious tread rather than the roughly 24" hard rubber tires of mine.

The main disadvantage I've found is with brush that overhangs toward me - it's challenging to get the brush mower in to where the trunks meet the ground. Other than that, it's a highly-useful, time-saving tool. I think it's worth the petrochemicals I need to keep it running.

In my adventures with power tools, I have seldom found any advantage in buying something smaller rather than larger. When I do, I always end up needing the larger one for something, and sometimes find that having multiple sizes is really the best solution. For example, I moved from an 18" to a 20" chainsaw, with about 50% more power, and am much happier with it. For small stuff I have a 14" electric chainsaw that works well.

I have 40 acres, 1-2 of which I'm actually doing something with. On that 1-2 acres I have various kinds of brush, scrub oak, poison oak, and blackberry, as well as grasses of various sorts. Two passes a year at the right times keep the star thistle manageable and allow other things to succeed it.

Hope this helps,

Loren

Loren Davidson Earth steward, healer, singer/songwriter
loren@farwalker.com http://www.earthspring.org/loren/
AIM: loren334 ICQ: 65291610
Loren's music pages: http://www.lorendavidson.com
"I'm getting this image in my head of a little soybean running around screaming, 'People! Tofu is made out of people!'" - Torg
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Mark P. Ludwig
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University of Wisconsin -Madison
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