A good brush cutter is invaluable to any homeowner with a property that includes overgrown areas with shrubs, tall grass or seedlings. There are many types of brush cutters, so when shopping for a new brush cutter to add to your garden tools collection, it is important to compare options to ensure you get the right brush cutter for your needs.
How thick can a brush cutter cut?
Brush cutters use metal blades. They are designed to cut through dense vegetation, even tree trunks of up to four inches in diameter. Unlike line trimmers, brush cutters offer a lot of power and versatility.
Are brush cutters easy to use?
Brush cutters, just like any other gardening tool, require some level of expertise. Users must learn the proper cutting techniques. The right techniques will help you avoid injury or damage to the brush cutter.
Even the direction of the cut matters when it comes to operating a brush cutter. Since the blades rotate counterclockwise, you must move from right to left when cutting. It is best to feed the blade into the brush slowly to avoid the machine kick back at you.
To protect your brush cutter, avoid making a chopping motion. Pushing your brush cutter too hard may cause it to overheat.
Are brush cutters safe to use?
Every power tool carries a certain amount of risk. Brush cutters are powerful tools with safety procedures. It is critical to use the necessary equipment to avoid injury. Only operate your brush cutter with a harness and a handlebar. This equipment is critical for controlling your brush cutter.
Eye protection is a must when operating brush cutters. Its blade can throw sharp debris at your eyes.
Are electric brush cutters any good?
Electric brush cutters are generally less powerful than gas-powered brush cutters. One of the advantages of electric brush cutters is that they are not as noisy as gas-powered ones. An electric brush cutter might work well if you have only a few small brushes in your yard.
Types of brush cutters
Two basic types of brush cutters include the following:
- Handheld brush cutter/trimmer combos
- Walk-behind brush cutters and Field mowers
Hand-held combos typically have interchangeable heads for using string for grass trimming and blades for brush cutting. Some larger handheld brush cutters have blades similar to saw blades, where others have replaceable plastic blades that are more durable than trimmer string but replaced as they wear.
The following are examples of some popular models to illustrate some of the features and key differences of these different types of brush cutters.
Tanaka commercial-grade handheld brush cutter/trimmer combo
Tanaka’s commercial-grade 47 CC 2.4 hp to stroke gas-powered dual-handle brush cutter/grass trimmer is a powerful handheld brush cutter/trimmer combo. It weighs 19.9 pounds. It has a solid steel shaft drive and comes with a BRAIN head and saw blade. For commercial use, it has a two-year warranty and homeowners receive a three-year warranty. For a handheld machine, this unit will get the job done and more. It sells for $689.99.
Nikita gas-powered handheld brush cutter
The Makita 24.5 cc gasoline-powered brush cutter offers a lot for $399.99. It features a mini four-stroke brush cutter for delivering maximum power in a lightweight model. This results in increased owner comfort with less fatigue. Its 1 hp 24.5 cc motor operates quieter and with less environmental impact, and it provides speeds of 3000 and 7000 rpm. It has a fast-starting ignition. The driveshaft is solid steel to deliver more torque with smoother operation and a heavy-duty gear case for heavy loads. Makita offers a one-year manufacturer’s warranty. Customer reviews rate this unit high, citing material and manufacturing to be first-rate, good performance in starting right away and cutting very well. It is durable and lightweight. You can fill it up with regular unleaded gas for convenience. Users say this machine has plenty of power, and even for tough cutting jobs, this equipment won’t let you down.
Swisher self-propelled walk behind brush cutter
The Swisher predator 24-inch 11.5 hp gas self-propelled brush cutter is a powerful machine representing the walk behind brush cutters or Field mowers. This machine is a real powerhouse. It is ideal for cutting trails in the woods, clearing large fields, or mowing ditches with tall grass. The 24-inch predator brush cutter clears dense undergrowth and saplings that measure up to 1.5 inches in diameter. It clears up to two-thirds of an acre per hour at the self-propelled walk-behind speed. This heavy-duty brush cutting machine has handlebar-mounted controls that are ergonomically designed for comfort. It has large pneumatic tires to roll across all-terrain types and a four-speed transmission to give power for climbing, smooth cruising, and reverse mode for backing up from trouble spots. Homeowners or professionals with large areas to clear will find this machine fit for the job. It retails at $1389.99 and is currently on sale for $1299.99.
Choosing your brush cutter type
Now let’s consider what type of brush cutting jobs you will be doing because the various types of brush cutters have attributes that are better suited for certain types of cutting. If you have a large property with fields full of tall grass, such as ditches that grow tall leaves that require mowing alongside roads, the walk-behind brush cutter is much better suited for your needs. On the other hand, you have occasional brush cutting needs with small areas, and your interest is more oriented toward trimming corners, trimming around trees, trimming around fence posts, etc. A handheld machine will be more suited for your needs. Certainly, a good brush cutter is an important item for any good collection of gardening tools.
