Hatchet or Axe

[goodoleboy]

I have about 15acres of neglected fence rows with some small growth to big for the trimmer to cut.
I have a brush cutter capable trimmer but no U handle bars for safe operation(purchased used).
Im wanting to use an Axe or hatchet to cut it down.
Whats better for the task a long handled axe or a hatchet.
Im 6ft tall if that helps.

 

[Gatorboy]

How about some long-handled pruners?

Nip the stem off near the ground and drag them out into a pile.

From your description, it's hard for me to tell exactly what type of brush you are looking to remove. Do you have a picture?

 

[Birdhunter1]

Trimmer and machete. You can nock out a lot of stuff much quicker with a good machete than either an axe or hatchet. But I guess it depends on how much of it and how little of stuff you are talking about.

 

[Youare]

There is a tool called a brush hook that I think would work well for this task and your height.

http://www.iowaamerican.com/forestry_brush_tools/brush_hooks.pdf

Randy

 

[PhilNH5]

I would recomend a bow saw. If the growth is to skinny the whole tree will shake and displace the energy of the axe blade. Almost like whacking a rubberband.

If you feed you brush cutter blade into the growth correctly you don't get to much kickback. Plus the blade is at the end of a 5 foot pole. So as long as there is no one standing around a kickbaqck sends the blade head end of the unit out in a wide arc. Unlike a chain saw there is not much chance of the blade coming in contact with your body.

Phil

 

[Egon]

Hatchets are real good for hurting yourself with.

Like others have stated there are many other tools that can be used. Work on your knees and use the axe for big stuff and some of the other tools for the small stuff.

Make sure all the tools are sharp.

Have you considered renting a powered saw made for this type of work. They have long handles and allow you to stand upright. Might be the easiest way to go.

Egon

 

[Bird]

Like Birdhunter1, I'd use a machete, but I can tell you it won't work well unless you know how to use it. Unlike hitting a straight blow as you would with an axe or hatchet, you need to use a slight slicing motion as you strike a blow.

 

[bczoom]

A pic and/or diameter range of the stalks would help.
Personally, I do like and prefer what Gatorboy is recommending.
There are 2 types of "loppers". Bypass and Anvil.
Anvil has a blade hitting a stop (like what Gatorboy posted).
The anvil are better if you have a lot of bigger stuff. I've cut through branches on hardwood trees up to almost 2".
The bypass have 2 blades pass each other. Good for smaller or lighter stuff and make a cleaner cut. Good for weeds, grape vines...
If you go with the loppers, it's worth the extra bucks to get a good one.

Brian

 

[kensfarm]

"Hatchets are real good for hurting yourself with."

When we we're young.. my older brother almost cut his big toe off using a hatchet clearing small saplings.

 

[PhilNH5]

I would offer one caveat about the loppers. People tend to bend over at the waste and cut off the tree or growth. Because of the angle you wind up leaving a perfect little sharp spike in the ground pointing up at you. Do enough small saplings and you leave a field of "pungee sticks".

Phil

 

[bczoom]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I would offer one caveat about the loppers. People tend to bend over at the waste and cut off the tree or growth. Because of the angle you wind up leaving a perfect little sharp spike in the ground pointing up at you. Do enough small saplings and you leave a field of "pungee sticks".

Phil )</font>

Phil,

I wholeheartedly agree. Your point should be taken for whatever means/tool is used to remove this brush.

 

[slydog]

I bought a black and decker brush hog about 4 years ago and it has been a big blister saver around my home here. Of course it does require electricity, but they may make a gas powered model, I'm not sure. Mine has a large hedge trimmer type blade that will cut a 3/4 inch sappling very quickly. For the larger ones, there is an additional pruning saw blade you can attach. It works great, but as I said before, you are limited by the availability of electricity. If you have a generator, and a 100' extension cord, you could do a lot of cleanup very quickly. Watch out for the fence wire though. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif I have had to straighten a few cutter teeth after contacting my chainlink fence with the trimmer bar.

Ken

P.S. Here are several models, they have a cordless but I imagine with what you are cutting the battery wouldnt hold up long. Hedge Hog

 

[goodoleboy]

Thnak you for the replies and all the ideas which are good. I figure ill probaly use a the bow saw since it is the cheapest option or anvil pruners.

 

[Bird]

I've had a fair amount of experience with this type of project and the machete is cheaper, faster, and easier. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Besides what I did on my place, a neighbor hired me a few years ago to drive my tractor, pulling a trailer, for 3 days while 2 other hired hands cut little mesquites in his pasture, and a variety of saplings in the fence rows, and loaded them on the trailer for me to haul to a central location for disposal. And it was all done with machetes.

 

[goodoleboy]

Bird, I priced a few machetes @ $6 and they were within my spending limit of $10 I could probaly do $12 but ill need approval from the wife.. kidding

Ill have to go to the hardware store see how those anvils work though.

thanks

 

[1bush2hog]

I use my trimmer with a brush blade(not the saw type) WITHOUT using the bicycle handles. It works fine. Takes a few whacks and the brush is cut. Good up to about 1.5-2 inches.

Saves the ol' back too.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

If some sort of a power saw is out of the question, I agree with Gatorboy based on the information I've seen.

ANVIL loppers are better used for hard wood, dead wood or dry wood. (1 blade and one flat surface that come together) Anvil loppers snap the wood as the blade crushes through it. Using anvil loppers on green wood will work if that is all you have.

BYPASS loppers are designed for green wood. (2 blades that slice together and pass each other) Bypass loppers slice the wood which is why they are a much better choice for green wood.

They cut much faster than an axe with much less human effort, especially the better quality units with ratchet assist gearing for added force.