trail clearing technique and tools

[2manyrocks]

I haven't tried the chainsaw style cutter with tall grass enough to have a an opinion.

For cutting briars and small saplings, I prefer the chainsaw style. The chainsaw style seems more effective than any other cutter I've tried when it comes to cutting briars (except possibly a hedge trimmer). I think the combination of having multiple teeth along with the hook profile seems to snag and cut briars better than the other steel blades for trimmer heads.

Imperative to not contact rocks with any metal blade. So I don't cut close to the ground with any of these.

I have an Oregon mulch blade to test out, but haven't gotten to it yet. I suspect may be too heavy for my Echo brush cutter, but will see. https://www.amazon.com/Oregon-29550...4245&sprefix=oregon+brush+blad,aps,701&sr=8-4

Recently tried out a hedge trimmer attachment to cut briars. It worked pretty well because it captures the briar between the teeth and the length makes it easier to cut a bunch of briars at once. If dealing with briars that aren't tall, then the steel blade for trimmers is easier to handle, but for tall briars, the hedge trimmer attachment seems easier overall to whack them down.

 

[ArlyA]

Fore stuff that is to heavy for string, but which wraps up around the saw blade styles, I use one of the 3 pointed metal blades. It works pretty well from grass up to seedlings and small saplings.
View attachment 799004

We used those for a few years but swicedh to less aggressive toothed ones.

 

[kenmbz]

I haven't tried the chainsaw style cutter with tall grass enough to have a an opinion.

For cutting briars and small saplings, I prefer the chainsaw style. The chainsaw style seems more effective than any other cutter I've tried when it comes to cutting briars (except possibly a hedge trimmer). I think the combination of having multiple teeth along with the hook profile seems to snag and cut briars better than the other steel blades for trimmer heads.

Imperative to not contact rocks with any metal blade. So I don't cut close to the ground with any of these.

I have an Oregon mulch blade to test out, but haven't gotten to it yet. I suspect may be too heavy for my Echo brush cutter, but will see. https://www.amazon.com/Oregon-295504-0-Universal-Brushcutter-Husqvarna/dp/B00RZH0V4G/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2FVIA9MZKBSTK&keywords=oregon+brush+blade&qid=1683294245&sprefix=oregon+brush+blad,aps,701&sr=8-4

Recently tried out a hedge trimmer attachment to cut briars. It worked pretty well because it captures the briar between the teeth and the length makes it easier to cut a bunch of briars at once. If dealing with briars that aren't tall, then the steel blade for trimmers is easier to handle, but for tall briars, the hedge trimmer attachment seems easier overall to whack them down.

Let us know how that mulcher blade works out. Think my BC would not be able to drive that.
I started my project with a larger, older, brushcutter and would love to revive it, but I think too many unavailable parts and the ones I have jury rigged might make it too unsafe long term.
Once it dries out and I get more time, I will get back to the trail cutting, lots of trunks to cut up to even get it started.

 

[John_Mc]

I tried one of those, after about 15 min I threw it out.
The blackberry vines and autumn olive saplings would slow that down too much to be useful. I have a pretty tight mix of tall grass and saplings, and have seen these work great for others, but not here.

Interesting that we've had such different results. What model of trimmer/brushcutter are you putting it on? On our larger machine, I never run the string head. It's always either the 3 pointed blade for lighter stuff or the saw blade for saplings/thinning or buckthorn work. You do need enough power to get good results with the 3 pointed blade.

Our smaller machine has the string head on it full time.

 

[kenmbz]

Interesting that we've had such different results. What model of trimmer/brushcutter are you putting it on? On our larger machine, I never run the string head. It's always either the 3 pointed blade for lighter stuff or the saw blade for saplings/thinning or buckthorn work. You do need enough power to get good results with the 3 pointed blade.

Our smaller machine has the string head on it full time.

I have a stihl FS110 handlebar.
I think it is more that stiltgrass will grow right though brambles and other invasives and likes to choke up most blades.
The Renegade seems to spit the grass out faster and it still takes down 1-2" saplings quickly, so for me win win.
I can even use it to cut through thicker stuff if I am patient and take multiple tries.
I even used it to cut through a lock cable on an illegal tree chair. Didn't slow the blade down a bit.

I have an M18 string trimmer for the easy stuff around the gardens.

 

[ArlyA]

I have a stihl FS110 handlebar.
I think it is more that stiltgrass will grow right though brambles and other invasives and likes to choke up most blades.
The Renegade seems to spit the grass out faster and it still takes down 1-2" saplings quickly, so for me win win.
I can even use it to cut through thicker stuff if I am patient and take multiple tries.
I even used it to cut through a lock cable on an illegal tree chair. Didn't slow the blade down a bit.

I have an M18 string trimmer for the easy stuff around the gardens.

On and that reminds me. We have all kinds of illegal tree stands on this property we care trails for and this summer we will be taken them out. Makia cordless grinder to the rescue! A few have locks.

 

[ArlyA]

Yesterday I blew off our trails. Before and after pics or forwards and backwards view.

 

[ArlyA]

For anyone who looses tools, we ID ours and install blue hockey stick tape on help them stand out. Blue is not a natural color in nature and this tape makes them easier to hold onto. Gee I love this stuff! You can't see these very well but we have a little ID stickers with our name and number on it. People have returned tool to us so we put these on everything.

 

[jjeff]

Most of my stuff has a spritz of Kubota orange rattle can on them to i.d. a lot of spritzing is unintentional lol. Works great when I get a gang of wood butchers together helping me or them do something with similar or exact equipment and tools especially during cleanup.

 

[ArlyA]

Most of my stuff has a spritz of Kubota orange rattle can on them to i.d. a lot of spritzing is unintentional lol. Works great when I get a gang of wood butchers together helping me or them do something with similar or exact equipment and tools especially during cleanup.

The reason we don't use orange is the color of fall.

 

[MossRoad]

I've often thought of reflective tape so I could find them at night with a flashlight. Some trespassing hunters put up reflective thumbtacks on our trees so they could find their way to their tree stands before dawn. Great idea (the reflecting, not the trespassing. )

 

[kenmbz]

I've often thought of reflective tape so I could find them at night with a flashlight. Some trespassing hunters put up reflective thumbtacks on our trees so they could find their way to their tree stands before dawn. Great idea (the reflecting, not the trespassing. )

I hope you now have a collection of thumb tacks for when you need them.

 

[MossRoad]

I hope you now have a collection of thumb tacks for when you need them.

Ha! That was 1989-90. I took them down along with the tree stands and dropped them off at the county police station. I left a note on the trees where the stands could be found.

Looking back at it, I should have re-routed them through the multi flora roses.

Haven't had any major problems since. I let my neighbor hunt our property and he keeps an eye on it for us. The DNR makes a pass through every so often as well.

 

[ArlyA]

The very last snow seen yesterday in our single track trails.

 

[ArlyA]

I picked up a new tool end for my kombi stihl and will report on it when it goes into use. This is not it, but basically the idea. The blade was kinda like a wood saw and is sharped with a round file, same one our chain saw uses so it should be readily sharpened in the field... Hopefully.

 

[John_Mc]

I picked up a new tool end for my kombi stihl and will report on it when it goes into use. This is not it, but basically the idea. The blade was kinda like a wood saw and is sharped with a round file, same one our chain saw uses so it should be readily sharpened in the field... Hopefully.View attachment 799622

Was your blade like one of the ones in post 839 in this thread?

The Stihl Chisel Tooth blade is reportedly pretty good for saplings. I own one, but haven't tried it yet. (After a friend straight-gassed my Johnsered 2036 brush cutter, I replaced it with a Stihl FS240. I've used the string head and the 3-pointed blade, but have not yet had the opportunity to use the saw blade - which was the real reason I bought it.)

 

[kenmbz]

Was your blade like one of the ones in post 839 in this thread?

The Stihl Chisel Tooth blade is reportedly pretty good for saplings. I own one, but haven't tried it yet. (After a friend straight-gassed my Johnsered 2036 brush cutter, I replaced it with a Stihl FS240. I've used the string head and the 3-pointed blade, but have not yet had the opportunity to use the saw blade - which was the real reason I bought it.)

I have this one and used it quite a bit on larger saplings. It worked well and was easy to sharpen. Mediocre on anything that had grass around it or vines.

The one I liked the least was the scratch blade, That one likes to big down in the soft wood.

 

[ArlyA]

I have this one and used it quite a bit on larger saplings. It worked well and was easy to sharpen. Mediocre on anything that had grass around it or vines.

The one I liked the least was the scratch blade, That one likes to big down in the soft wood.

I looked at the post and did not see a blade in it. I'll get you a picture of it soon.

 

[ArlyA]

New accessorie or working attachments for the Stihl KM 131R kombi. Please note, I've not yet got to use this steel saw like end. As stated earlier, this will be sharpened with the same round files as our 3/8 chains.

 

[kenmbz]

New accessorie or working attachments for the Stihl KM 131R kombi. Please note, I've not yet got to use this steel saw like end. As stated earlier, this will be sharpened with the same round files as our 3/8 chains.View attachment 799815View attachment 799816

Same as the one I have, let us know what you think. Looks like you have the guard you have is the string trimmer one. Do you have the brushcutter one? It is quite a bit smaller and metallic so it does not get damaged as easily