Stihl FH135 scythe for bougainvillea?

[crystallattice]

Hi,

I need to remove a few bougainvillea bushes, note remove, not just a trim! The one is very big and well established with some thick woody sections. The others are not as old but also have some thick sections, probably about 3/4" or so but with most thinner than that.

I'm thinking of getting the FH135 scythe from Stihl but can't seem to find any info on its suitability other than the local dealer recommending it. I've dealt with them before and they do not strike me as just wanting to sell the unit to make a quick buck. I can rent the hedge trimmer version (HL135) of this but after about 20 sessions I might as well have bought the unit. The rental company is not very confident that the HL135 would work for what I intended. I could rent it for a day and try it, or break it and possibly have to pay to fix it. So input from someone with experience with either or better, both the hedge trimmer and scythe would be appreciated.

The property I need to clear/maintain also has various other forms of creeper and vine overgrowth so I'm seeing the purchase of this as in investment, albeit a big initial outlay. I like owning things instead of going out and renting it as it gives you the freedom to use it at anytime and whenever you need it. I'm not sure how long it would take to clear everything but from past experience it usually takes longer than planned!

What say you?

 

[Ford850]

That looks like a grass and weed trimmer according to Stihl. Depending on the amount of bushes to remove and how much property you intend to clear of vines, I would prefer one of the Stihl brush cutters. STIHL Brushcutters & Clearing Saws | STIHL USA

 

[nybirdman]

For sure go with the brush cutter,with saw blade.Works very well and little bending over.

 

[crystallattice]

I have to also mention that this "bush" is about 20 feet square and probably about 10 feet tall. Getting to the base of it with a brush cutter will have to be a secondary operation. I have made a make shift saw blade attachment to a FS450 trimmer but this does not work well for the shoots way up high as they just bounce around when trying to cut them. I can probably use some other means of pruning it down first but the stuff is a real pain to work with so the more distance I can keep between it and myself the better!

Again, most of the vines and other overgrowth are of a hanging variety so everything is "loose". I'm sure the FH135 will work for that it is more the woody nature of the bougainvillea that concerns me. In my part of the world it is marketed as a "scrub cutter" but they don't say what it can and can't do, at least not on paper.