All Stihl brush cutter ………….FS 350…………$749.00……anybody got any better ideas , values or choices? Gotta a steep river bank 125 ft up 1000 yds long, heavy brush (central Illinois) vines saplings 2 1/2 in across. Just in case my good neighbor already suggested a female goat and velcro gloves…………:)
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NAPALM
The goats might git 'er done. When I lived in the SF Bay Area there were traveling herds of goats that cleared the hillsides: too steep for machinery. They eat everything but the biggest trunks. You could sit in the shade and watch.
Kudzu will kill all that.
Stihl's good machinery; you won't go far wrong that way. The four-pointed brush blade won't touch those saplings; you're gonna need the sawblade for that. Conversely, the sawblade won't like the loose, small stuff. You might have to make separate passes with each blade. PITA.
Might wanna re-think those goats....
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not brought
low by this? For thine evil pales before that which
foolish men call Justice....
I have one and it will do what you need done. My kit includes the saw with fittings, plus the grass blade, and the string trimmer head.
A very versatile tool.
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"A stripe is just as real as a dadgummed flower."
Gene Davis 1920-1985
I've used my Stihl Pro Series weed eater to cut brush for many years. I have bought the blade Stihl sells but also have adapted 7 1/4" carbide saw blades by hitting the arbor hole with a rat tail file. I've cut 8" diameter trees with it just to see if it could. I use it to trim bushes, cut cat tails, etc. Never had a problem.
I do similar to florida. Rarely use other than a blade. I only use the one that came with it, hand sharpen frequently (makes it sharper than new). Mine's slightly under-powered, thin kerf's better.
Stihl wouldn't approve, but I always climb cut my hardwood saplings. Incredibly fast, if dangerous.PAHS works. Bury it.
Actually, that's the way you're supposed to do it. I've never seen anybody try to hold the other side of the blade against the tree.
(Not more than once, anyway....)
When you 'climb-cut' the tree properly, the blade pulls itself away from you into the tree. If you do it the other way, you have to pull the blade towards yourself through the tree. Very dangerous. Very scary when it chatters and bounces and comes skipping past the tree back at you.
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
Cutting the way the Stihl manual tells you to is not more dangerous. Just immensely slower, more controlled.
Only a novice would stand where the blade was headed, independent of cutting direction. And then, with luck, a close call would illuminate the situation.
My dealer was careful to show me how the guard rotates. They didn't like selling blades. Had a few legal problems. You don't see them drop-start a chainsaw either. Always follow Stihl's directions.PAHS works. Bury it.
You don't see them drop-start a chainsaw either.
Let 'em try to static-pull my 72cc Jonsered. No compression release on those old monsters, LOL. Like trying to kickstart a Sportster while keeping yer butt on the saddle....
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
I did something similar with an FS250. I went through with a 3 blade brush cutter first and took out everything I could. Up to 1" goes pretty easy, and bigger stuff will go down with a few whacks. I then went through with a blade and took out all the stuff up to 2" that was left. Finally, I took down the remaining saplings with a chainsaw. Knocking everything down is way quicker than cleaning up the mess. I recommend not getting too much brush on the ground at once or the pile can be more difficult to move. Working the brush size in stages can help with that. The machine you suggest is certainly big enough. You'll be surprised how fast you can mow a 6 foot swath on foot.
Short of very expensive specialized four wheel equipment, I think a brushcutter/clearing saw is the best way to go. No experience with the FS350 - I had a Husqvarna clearing saw (RS232?) and it worked well (until someone borrowed it and grabbed the wrong gas can). Spend some time getting your harness set up right or you'll be in for a lot of misery, especially if you're working banks/sloped ground. Set up right you can cover a surprising amount of area fairly quickly. And as a previous post noted, changing blades/knives is part of the game. The saw blades make short work of saplings and woody brush but are't very effective on tall grass/weeds.
P.J. O'Rourke
Oh, yeh--just thought of this: If you don't have a pair of these already, now's the time to get 'em. Make sure you get the spiked model, too. Nothing quite as hair-raising as slipping on a steep bank and falling on yer butt while waving around a nekkid sawblade spinning at 8,000 rpm....
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Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not brought
low by this? For thine evil pales before that which
foolish men call Justice....
Nice to hear from ya again Frank.
I tend to try to do brush clearing and such with the least amount of work possible.
I'd want to wait until winter to go in there. That would allow you to wear long sleeved jacket so your arms didn't get scraped up. It would also mean that most of the weeds and briars would be dead, so the work would be easier. And it wouldn't be so danged hot.
I'd suggest a very small chain saw to cut the trees with. Something lightweight and easy to carry around the slopes.
After cutting the trees down and letting them dry up a bit, you might be able to set fire to the slope and clean up a lot of the brush that way. (If you're in an area where you can burn)
Unfortunately, cutting brush doesn't always mean it's gone for good. you'll get sprouts from roots, stumps, and seeds that are already there. It will take several years to get it all knocked back.
Planting some grass on the slopes will help hold the soil and choke out weeds. But that's on heck of an area to seed....
Gravely 2-wheel with power reverse and a 30" brush blade
it will cut anything it can get on top of
You'll be fine with that machine. I've got a little FS85 that I've cleared many acres with. I think the important issues are:
1) Safety on a hillside, as others have stated.
2) Blade sharpening skills. It takes a while to get the technique and right angles. Rocking out your blade is a drag.
3) Operator judgment. There are always factors of wind, gravity, tree orientation, obstacles, terrain, etc.
Have fun,
Scott.
Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.â€