JimCan
Bronze Member
Like most of you, I have used a string trimmer since maybe the 1980s. At the time (date?) little red ones from Japan were the nuts. But, I have always really hated string trimmers as being too fiddly ..but useful in certain situations, like around my wife's flower beds, stones, and other hard surfaces. I recently found two situations where they were totally out of their league, offering only marginal performance - no matter the 'latest sensational Youtube string revue'. I have ~800' of deep side drainage ditch and 400' of shallow frontage ditch.
The side has been unaddressed for maybe 15yrs. Much was shoulder-high and dense. Everything: Poison Ivy, cedars, pines, a variety of berries - some with very fine fishhooks, water reeds ...basically all sorts of c'hit. I would back my flail mower as close as I dared and then got out a machete, chainsaw, pole saw, and weedwhacker to get over the edge.
I saw a cheap adaptor on Amazon to switch out string for a skill saw blade. That was 100s times better than string! The pole saw got the big and deep stuff, but the skill saw blade got down deep and dirty. I only got ~400' before it got too hot, but my life only got easier. Given it worked so well along the side, I put on my boots and walked in the center of the frontage ditch. It also gets overgrown pretty quickly with water-type reeds with a thick base like celery, grasses, and other knarly stuff the string only marginally dealt with.
This is where the saw/pitchfork comes in. I can sweep the bottom from right to left and flick a glob of c'hit up onto the bank. The carbide blade has been used a ton (feels like..) of hours with only a couple of chipped teeth. It easily cuts into the loamy damp soil and allows me to get a deep cut, rather than superficial 'trim'. God, I wish I would have known this for the last 35yrs here!
Anyway, I hope someone finds this useful. At 78, I don't know how many 'ditchyears' there are left. Cheers.
Jim
The side has been unaddressed for maybe 15yrs. Much was shoulder-high and dense. Everything: Poison Ivy, cedars, pines, a variety of berries - some with very fine fishhooks, water reeds ...basically all sorts of c'hit. I would back my flail mower as close as I dared and then got out a machete, chainsaw, pole saw, and weedwhacker to get over the edge.
I saw a cheap adaptor on Amazon to switch out string for a skill saw blade. That was 100s times better than string! The pole saw got the big and deep stuff, but the skill saw blade got down deep and dirty. I only got ~400' before it got too hot, but my life only got easier. Given it worked so well along the side, I put on my boots and walked in the center of the frontage ditch. It also gets overgrown pretty quickly with water-type reeds with a thick base like celery, grasses, and other knarly stuff the string only marginally dealt with.
This is where the saw/pitchfork comes in. I can sweep the bottom from right to left and flick a glob of c'hit up onto the bank. The carbide blade has been used a ton (feels like..) of hours with only a couple of chipped teeth. It easily cuts into the loamy damp soil and allows me to get a deep cut, rather than superficial 'trim'. God, I wish I would have known this for the last 35yrs here!
Anyway, I hope someone finds this useful. At 78, I don't know how many 'ditchyears' there are left. Cheers.
Jim
