Brush cutter recommendations?

[MoJ]

I have a Stihl FS130 with a Chisel Tooth Blade. It makes short work of brush. I've pushed it on the larger than recommended trees and it quickly rips through without a problem. I haven't tried the FS 550 but can't imagine needing it.

Which blade do you guys like for cutting through thick grass, weeds, etc? The dual string head does pretty well but seems like I burn through string pretty fast.

 

[D'Animal]

If the line cuts it, you will get along great with the PolyCut head.

 

[Rhinoliner]

You might consider one of these blades:

Beaver Blades for Brush Cutters

They are excellent on saplings and I have even used mine to cut off small tree limbs that were out of reach for my chainsaw.

 

[D'Animal]

They work great but the original manufacturer got tied up in a class action suit because of the teeth coming off.

You might consider one of these blades:

Beaver Blades for Brush Cutters

They are excellent on saplings and I have even used mine to cut off small tree limbs that were out of reach for my chainsaw.

 

[wfd175]

We used to have a Bachtold when we had our xmas tree farm, jesus that thing was a mean SOB, dangerous as hell, , simply constructed, easy to fix,and man would it cut. Makes all that DR stuff look like dolled up junk. I've never seen a suitable replacement.

The Heavy Duty DR's are great!

Bachtold Weed Mower or a Roof Weed Mower are great machines as well.



(Oh Crap, I'm showing my age)

 

[bigndn]

Sorry for the delay, I just got back from elk camp (should be called deer camp this year ).

 

[bigndn]

One more.

 

[D'Animal]

I should have a guard and nut/washer and blade setup for that.

I'll have to do some digging when I get home.

 

[bigndn]

I should have a guard and nut/washer and blade setup for that.

I'll have to do some digging when I get home.

Awesome, thanks a bunch, Dan! Let me know what I owe you.

 

[bigndn]

and now there's this FS350 on my local CL. Damn....

Stihl FS 350 Brush Cutter Trimmer with shoulder harness

 

[D'Animal]

I cannot access CL at the office.

How much they asking for it?

 

[bigndn]

I cannot access CL at the office.

How much they asking for it?

$145 for a FS350

"Have had for years and used very little. We own a landscape maintainence company and it's usually more muscle than we need on a given job. Everything works well. Like new condition. Cash only."

 

[D'Animal]

WOW that is cheap.

They are close to $600 new.

 

[D'Animal]

I should have a guard and nut/washer and blade setup for that.

I'll have to do some digging when I get home.

Here is THE setup for your needs.

I wrote Bottom (Dirt Side) on the blade since 90% of the people get it wrong the first time.

The bottom picture shows the Anti Scalp dish. It protects the nut more than anything but it is designed to glide along the ground.

 

[D'Animal]

Here is the assembly sequence.

You already have the washer. It is located between the 25-2 bump head you have on the unit now and the gearbox.

A pin slides through the hole on the side of the gear box and lock into one of the two detents in the washer. You head will unscrew to the right (backwards thread).

You will replace the deflector that you have now with the aluminum Limit stop. You will remove the four screws holding your guard on and re-use three of the screws. The limit stop prevents sapling from getting lodged between the blade and the deflector.

 

[D'Animal]

The Anti-Scalp dish does not limit cutting diameter.

It has the same O.D. as the wash and gearbox.


The bottom picture is the bolt pattern in your gear box in the area of the deflector.

 

[bigndn]

Can you shoot me a tracking number when it goes out, D? Cashola or swap you that 020 I've been meaning to send down?

Oh yeah..............do you think it'd be a better move to pick up the FS350 for brushing and keep the FS90 for lighter duty?

 

[nspctr1]

Not to hijack the thread but, I've got tons of mesquite on our property, some I just run over with the 6' brush hog but some of it is either so thick you cant get in to it or too close to a tree or fence. Will one of these work? Or are they for a lighter tree/ brush?

 

[D'Animal]

nspctr1

These blades are designed for doing just what you described, cutting saplings and small trees.

The chisel bit blade shown can be sharpened with a round file and flat file. Once the blade gets dull people tend to force it through and that will eventually bend the shaft.

The FS 160, FS 180, FS 280K, FS 350, FS 450 and FS 550 are designed to do it all day long. Units listed in RED are discontinues in the USA but come up for sale occasionally. They are still in production, just not sold in the USA.

 

[MoJ]

These blades are designed for doing just what you described, cutting saplings and small trees.

The chisel bit blade shown can be sharpened with a round file and flat file. .

I've been really happy with the chisel blade. It's fast and easy to sharpen with the stihl round file....7/32nd's iirc. If you're just cutting sapplings it goes a long way between sharpenings.