Second Brushcutter

[Morch]

 

Been using one of them brushcutter-on-trolley contraptions - engine is a 4-stroke Honda, the rest (shaft/blade/trolley) locally (or Chinese) made. Works out fine as most of the plot is flat, and more importantly, no strain on back/neck. This leaves slopes and other less accessible areas untended.

 

What I'm looking for are recommendations for the lightest, but still reliable, variants of the regular brushcutter. Looked into electric/battery powered ones - a corded machine is unsuitable (distance too long), the battery version more interesting but concerned about power and getting replacement batteries down the line -- any first hand experience appreciated.

 

 

[Tagged]

I got one like this, and it is useless against the weed we have here, but the idea was to get closer to the drip system without doing any damage. Used it 3 times, and thats it

 

Look the video, hardly good enough for soft grass like that. 

 

https://s.lazada.co.th/s.2JKEl

[Morch]

6 minutes ago, Tagged said:

I got one like this, and it is useless against the weed we have here, but the idea was to get closer to the drip system without doing any damage. Used it 3 times, and thats it

 

Look the video, hardly good enough for soft grass like that. 

 

https://s.lazada.co.th/s.2JKEl

 

Thanks. We're in cattle country, surrounded on three sides by cow grass which refuses to recognize the fence as as a border. As you said, can't see it holding up against that.

[CLW]

Unless you go for a brand name product like Stihl or Makita I think any purchase is a waste of money.

And even for Stihl products they just recommend it for cutting small lawn areas or the borders

[Morch]

2 minutes ago, CLW said:

Unless you go for a brand name product like Stihl or Makita I think any purchase is a waste of money.

And even for Stihl products they just recommend it for cutting small lawn areas or the borders

 

If I understand correctly, you're referring to battery-powered machines? Most of what I've seen around are dodgy Chinese(?) ones. Cheap, and I wouldn't mind spending the money and checking it out - just know that once it's labeled a dud, the Mrs. would still hang on to it for a decade or so to gather dust and catch space in storage.

[Tagged]

Greenworks I bought with string. Think I will try to buy a blade and see if it works better, but afraid it will burn up the motor. Will be to much for it, but better to try than never use it again

[CLW]

8 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

If I understand correctly, you're referring to battery-powered machines? Most of what I've seen around are dodgy Chinese(?) ones. Cheap, and I wouldn't mind spending the money and checking it out - just know that once it's labeled a dud, the Mrs. would still hang on to it for a decade or so to gather dust and catch space in storage.

Yes, battery powered ones from Stihl or Makita. I don't know if they are available in Thailand

[billd766]

I use a Honda UMK435T 4 stroke with a 16 n blade for most stuff, but for edges, the base of trees and shrubs etc, I change the steel blade to a steel disc with 2 mm/sq nylon cord. 2 pieces 60cm long at 90 degrees to each other, and for me that works very well. I control the disc speed to slow and slowly edge up to the edge of what I am cutting and that includes water pipe etc. When you get to the drip feed itself just back off though the pipe should be safe enough.

[kickstart]

As has been said more than once on other threads about grass strimmers ,get a Honda 4 stroke ,if it is for light work ,anything heavy get a 2 stroke ,not a 2500 baht Chines jib they will just <deleted> out .

Something of quality like a Mitsubishi ,will last you well ,and use a cord on it a 3 mm round  cord will cut though most stuff ,anything a bit thick it will cut it ok ,but use a lot of cord in the process, cord makes a better job to .

As for any form of electric  strimmer as  CLW said just for small back gardens ,to go around the flower bed 15 minutes before Sunday lunch ,just not heavy enough for anything else. 

[billd766]

11 minutes ago, kickstart said:

As has been said more than once on other threads about grass strimmers ,get a Honda 4 stroke ,if it is for light work ,anything heavy get a 2 stroke ,not a 2500 baht Chines jib they will just <deleted> out .

Something of quality like a Mitsubishi ,will last you well ,and use a cord on it a 3 mm round  cord will cut though most stuff ,anything a bit thick it will cut it ok ,but use a lot of cord in the process, cord makes a better job to .

As for any form of electric  strimmer as  CLW said just for small back gardens ,to go around the flower bed 15 minutes before Sunday lunch ,just not heavy enough for anything else. 

I normally use a 16 inch steel blade on my 4 stroke Honda for most work including Napier grass up to 2 or 3 metres tall and on small branches or trees. I have a saw blade if I need to cut anything 1 to 2 inches thick and I use the 2 mm/sq nylon on a disc for close up work. The advantage a 2 stroke has is that it revs faster than a 4 stroke but doesn't really have the strength of a 4 stroke.

 

As you say don't touch any of the cheap Chinese 2 strokes as they never last that long. I do have a 2 stroke on wheels which is good if I can get the barsteward to start and run, but it is temperamental.

 

I have had a couple of 2 strokes with a flexible shaft rather than the rigid ones but the wire drive inside the shaft was never much good and in the end I managed to dump them off to somebody at peanut prices.

Edited February 2, 2021 by billd766
Added extra text

[kickstart]

A lot of problems with a lot of  2-stroke engines is gashol ,2 strokes do not like it ,probable one reason it will not start and run ,my ex Chinese job used it for 1/2 hour take it a part for another 1/2 hour ,the jets in the carb used to bung up not allowing fuel though ,and it rotted some rubber work, ie seals in the carb. 

If you can find some proper fuel 91 octane  use that ,wife brother visited us ,brought his Chines chainsaw  with him ,he runs that on 91 octane fuel ,goes well ,we cleaned the carb out on it then it  went even better.

[Morch]

Thanks everyone. Guess the bottom line is just get a decent regular machine (brand, 4-stroke, no flex shaft), and let the back bite the bullet. Maybe change the work schedule to shorter bits when using the new toy. The one I have uses a Honda GX-35 engine, see if I can get something similar.

 

Another semi-related question - does anyone have experience with the cultivator/weedeater  attachments that fit these machines? Are they any good for anything more than the occasional flower bed? Garden is about 2 rai, so a bit small to get a proper dedicated machine? Also, guess these attachments would require revving the engine quite a bit in order to work, probably not great in the long run.

[kickstart]

11 hours ago, Morch said:

 

 

Another semi-related question - does anyone have experience with the cultivator/weedeater  attachments that fit these machines? 

They are not a lot of good ,I have seen them in shops ,just to light ,you could only use them for a few months in the rainy season ,when the soil is soft ,the rest of the year ground just to hard .and you would have to go over one piece of ground a few times to get a seed-bed ,might be ok for some weeding ,but the wife and her hoe would make a better job.

Two rie  is a fair bit for a garden ,I would say it would justify a small rotavator ,but again depending on your soi type ithat might only be usable again in the rainy season ,now my black land ,is full of cracks where it is drying out ,I would say a tractor and rotavator would struggle to make a good job ,can not do anything with it until the  rains come.

 

 

[Morch]

On 2/3/2021 at 8:52 PM, kickstart said:

They are not a lot of good ,I have seen them in shops ,just to light ,you could only use them for a few months in the rainy season ,when the soil is soft ,the rest of the year ground just to hard .and you would have to go over one piece of ground a few times to get a seed-bed ,might be ok for some weeding ,but the wife and her hoe would make a better job.

Two rie  is a fair bit for a garden ,I would say it would justify a small rotavator ,but again depending on your soi type ithat might only be usable again in the rainy season ,now my black land ,is full of cracks where it is drying out ,I would say a tractor and rotavator would struggle to make a good job ,can not do anything with it until the  rains come.

 

 

 

Thanks again.

Most of the "soil" in question  is basically landfill stuff. Pretty hard to dig in. The wife and her hoe is more willing than able, so slow going (and a bit Sisyphean side).

 

Bringing in a tractor is doable but we're fresh out of building the house and have little appetite for dealing with workmen, laborers etc. Some things are planted already, so probably some damage to think about.

 

The rotavator, now... was thinking about it a while back. Just wasn't sure if it's an overkill for a garden. BiL got one, will have to check if he got over us unwilling to host his hyperactive rottweiler for a week on short notice, and up for us trying the toy first. 

 

Reason I want to deal with it now is that once the rains start, easy to lose control of the grass situation.