Better than Echo 225 for brush cutting?

[Tompet]

Rereading your post, maybe hire someone with brush hog to go over it then use your mower. If you have the time, you could do the thicker areas with a trimmer and blade, chop out with ax, etc., then run mower on highest height setting over some areas and whittle away at it to not stress your mower.

Sometimes it's surprising what steady manual labor will accomplish...of course takes the fun out using the power of machinery!

Posting a photo would help to see what you are up against.

 

[tillers]

I had an very old straight shaft Echo that was not made for a blade set up. So I wound up with a 266, forgot which sub model, but with the blade kit works great clearing brush in odd places. Then got rid of the old trimmer and replaced it with 225 for strictly string use.

You could try the three blade plastic head on the 225, or the metal blade kit if it will accept it. If it lacks the power then upgrade. When I was doing this a few years ago, as I recall, the 225 wasn't really recommended for the steel blade cutter head.

I just leave blade on 266.

Tompet, been looking at the 266 at Home Depot and used online. that is kinda why i started a thread.

a lot of us have these low powered weed eaters, perhaps a bit more power is the ticket to Real Production. i bought the brush kit but have not installed it yet from Depot.

we do a lot of manual work here, but a lot of the cheap equipment or used just fails. the forums are challenging me to rethink a bit. much of the work we do is kinda like the pioneers, clearing, tilling and planting.

been reading a lot about Garden tractors, sub compact tractors and Compact tractors, trying to figure out the best move.

in general, anything would be an improvement, so i tend not to worry about getting the wrong stuff. my real job is hog farming currently, so have plenty of exposure to equipment.

 

[tillers]

Look at Dr. Trimmer/Mowers with a Beaver Blade. You can use string line OR the Beaver Blade for brush type vegetation.

those things seem interesting, perhaps time to watch a few videos. my local dealer has a used Billy Goat for 1300, but that may be over kill.

How much are you planning to let that acreage go between mowing? Depending on how 'thick' that brush is, and how often you plan on mowing it, if you go w/ a new tractor and mower, consider a flail mower. You may not be able to get into the thicker stuff like a brush hog would, but it could do double duty as a finish mower. Depends on what you want to do with that area, but if you're planning on maintaining it, I don't think you need to own a brush hog. Just rent one once to knock it all down, then maintain it with a flail or finish mower (including the one on your current lawn tractor).

getting a good tractor is good advice. they just seem to hold their value; been thinking lately that it would be my preference to own a new tractor instead of a new car.

after 10 years the car is worth little, but the 10 year old tractor will probably have the same dollar price paid or near that.

the bush hog and finisher would make this all a non issue. i use to run these when working maintenance.

the hard part is deciding new or used, brand x or brand z, and how much power.