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Cutting grass in wooded area of garden

Started by CageyH, June 16, 2020, 07:08:27 PM

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CageyH

Hello all, my first post and I am looking for advice on how I can make my life easier by investing in suitable garden machinery. I have about 2 acres in total, with the majority of it just being grass.

I have about 1/2 acre of land with a lot of oak trees on it. I need to cut the grass and weeds on a regular basis, say about every two to three weeks. At the moment I am using an old 40cc Ryobi "professional" brush cutter (but I am getting fed up with the amount of maintenance it requires. I think the engine has always been out of balance, as the bolts work loose over time). It takes me about 3 to 4 hours to cut the grass using a 300mm blade.

I am wondering if something like a petrol hover mower would be a good tool for the wooded area? There are a lot of leaves that compost on the ground,  eating my ride on mower gets stuck, and it takes a lot of effort to get it out.

I would be happy if I could get the grass cut in a couple of hours.
I intend to replace my brush cutter with a Husqvarna 535RXT, so the new machine would compliment this.

Mick

Hi CageyH, and welcome to TGMF.  :welcome:

Brushcutter wise I'd go for something from ECHO.  These are great value for money and come with a 2yr Pro warranty, and five year domestic.   

As for cutting in wooded areas I'm not sure a hover mower would be up to the job, especially if there's any woody bits lying on the ground I doubt it would last very long.  Plus 2acres is a fair sized area, you really need to go for something bigger and more robust than a hover mower or you'll be spending so much time getting the job done. 

I'm assuming your ride-on mower gets stuck only in the woodland area where it's boggy?  The rest of the grass is quite stable?
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Jrich

You could always add some ceveron tyres to the rear wheels of your ride on get good grip then. If you like walking behind a mower as much as you like stimming maybe something along the lines of a toro timemaster or cub cadets equivalent could do the job.

CageyH

Thanks for the response. An Echo you say? I shall have a look....
The total garden is 2 acres. The woodland bit is only half an acre.
The ground is uneven, and relatively soft in places as there are a lot of leaves on the ground which are in the process of composting. The ride on gets stuck as I can't lock the diff, so the wheel off the ground (in places) just spins. It weighs 250Kg, so moving it is a challenge.

If a hover mower is no good, then I guess the other option is a big mower, or a wheeled brush cutter? I am assuming the wheeled brush cutter would be better, but it would need a blade not directly fixed to the crankshaft, to avoid shocks from small bits of wood on the ground?

Jrich

Echo is great gear definitely check it out. Have you considered a 4wd mower westwood/countax that would meet your needs 42" xrd deck and sweeper.

CageyH

No, not considered a 4wd ride on mower. The ride on I currently have has plenty of life left in it.

The Echo SRM3610 looks to be a good choice, but I noticed the shaft has reduced to 7mm from the 8mm in the SRM350. Is this cause for concern?

It won't get used intensely every day, but when I do use it, I can go the whole day without stopping much.

Mick

Quote from: CageyH on June 17, 2020, 01:38:15 PM

The Echo SRM3610 looks to be a good choice, but I noticed the shaft has reduced to 7mm from the 8mm in the SRM350. Is this cause for concern?


The SRM3610 has a High Torque gearbox on the end so requires less power to turn the head, hence the reduction in shaft size.  That really shouldn't give you any cause for concern.  ;)

The gear reduction ratio on the SRM3610 is Gear reduction ratio 1.62  Whilst on the SRM350 is I believe 1.33  ;)
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CageyH

Thanks. What are the differences, if any, between the Echo model and the Shindaiwa version apart from colour? Are they exactly the same, or is one a Toyota, and the other a Lexus? I am assuming that the handles may be different, but not much else will be different?

So many questions.....

I have a Shindaiwa chainsaw, and it has been faultless. I did not realise until today that Echo was part of the same group.

Thanks for your time, and responses.

Mick

Quote from: CageyH on June 17, 2020, 07:23:28 PM
Thanks. What are the differences, if any, between the Echo model and the Shindaiwa version apart from colour? Are they exactly the same, or is one a Toyota, and the other a Lexus? I am assuming that the handles may be different, but not much else will be different?

So many questions.....

I have a Shindaiwa chainsaw, and it has been faultless. I did not realise until today that Echo was part of the same group.

Thanks for your time, and responses.

The Shindaiwa come out of the same factory.  They are both equally as good as each other from what I've seen.  Think the Shindaiwa had better anti vibration levels, but looking at the later Echo's the rubber grips / controls etc look very much the same now.  I wouldn't think there's much in it to be honest.  Either would be good.  ;)
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CageyH

Thanks for the feedback.
I am tempted to get a wheeled brush cutter as well - something like the Grillo HWT 600 Does anybody have experience of these?

Mick

I've only had experience with the DR branded Wheel Trimmers to be honest, but only from a repair point of view, I've not actually used one.   ;)
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CageyH

As the new season of garden maintenance is starting, I thought I would drag this back up, as due to CV19 and potential unemployment loomed, I put a new purchase on hold.

Now that the employment seems to be ok, I am dusting off this subject.

I think I am still undecided about a wheeled string trimmer, vs a good, solid brush cutter.

Several options exist on the WST front, the MTD WST 5522 and the Texas Pro Trim 600TR. For a brush cutter, I have narrowed the choice down to the Echo SRM3610TU.

I realise that the WSTs are "low end" machines, so is the better option just the Echo?

Does anybody have any experience with wheeled string trimmers that can provide feedback?

CageyH

Ok, not much feedback.
I am unwilling to take a gamble on a machine that may work, so I have ordered an Echo SRM 3610 TU.

Mick

Quote from: CageyH on March 02, 2021, 07:25:00 PMOk, not much feedback.
I am unwilling to take a gamble on a machine that may work, so I have ordered an Evho SRM 3610 TU.

Sorry CageyH, the site has very few members is the problem at the moment, that's something I'm trying to remedy. 

Regarding your dilemma, I can't really give you much in the way of assistance, as I repair the stuff more than use it, so although I have worked on both types of machine you mentioned I've never used a wheeled trimmer for more than about five minutes.

The Echo Brush cutters and Strimmer's I have used and they are great machines.  I'll be honest and say the hand held method you're going for you should be able to cover more ground in less time because you'll be able to cut in a bigger sweep (ark) as you slowly swing the machine ffrom side to side. 

Personally I think you've made the right choice.  ;) 
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CageyH

I appreciate the help you have given me Mick.
In my initial search I had not considered Echo. I don't know why, as I have a Shindaiwa chainsaw, so I am aware of the brand. Anyway, I will be giving the Echo a blast at the weekend, so fingers crossed, it will do a great job.

I usually use an Airecut blade, but with a 20" cutting width, I think I will be sticking to the line.

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