Heavy duty brush cutter/saw recommendation

After ruthlessly beating up my Husqvarna 128 straight shaft trimmer the past few seasons, I’ve decided I’d better upgrade to a real brushcutter. I broke the quick-detach coupling on my Husqvarna from the torque caused by the head twisting as it saws through brush and I’ve determined that this is really not designed for the merciless pounding I’m dishing out.

Also, the ergonomics just aren’t there, even though I added the J handle. I want the full bicycle handles with the handle-end throttle.

My primary need is to cut and maintain miles and miles of trails and shooting lanes on various hunting properties. Mainly I’m cutting popple and buck/adler bursh up to 3 inches thick. Once the brush is cut, coarse grass and brambles grow up and need to be cut down yearly, so this too is a job for the brushcutter. Using a chainsaw is just too hard on the back and too slow on the small stuff.

I’m considering the following and wonder if any members own or use these and can advise:

– Stihl FS460 – 46 CC and 18.7 pounds
– Echo SRM410 – 43 CC and 18.3 pounds
– Husky – I’ve looked at husky, but I’m not sure I want to deal with the weight of their dedicated brush saw.

I am lukewarm on Stihl products having had bad experiences with my two most recent Stihl purchases, both of which turned out to be bad out of the box. Not surprisingly, I don’t bond very well with my local Stihl dealer. They seem to have a blame the customer mentality for everything and I think they kind of resented it when I rubbed their nose in it a little bit after 2 bad products in a row. Is it setting myself up for problems if I buy Stihl from another dealer that’s farther away from me?

I’ve never tried Echo, but all the Echo guys I know of absolutely love them and if you look at what the lawn pros use for trimmers, it’s Echo or Stihl.

Any advice from the folks out there?

Grouse

If your doing miles and miles of cutting I’d rent a walk behind brush cutter like a DR or a Billy Goat. Using a weed wacker is WAY too much work. Use a trail cutter to maintain them in the future.

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If your doing miles and miles of cutting I’d rent a walk behind brush cutter like a DR or a Billy Goat. Using a weed wacker is WAY too much work. Use a trail cutter to maintain them in the future.

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Not an option right now. First of all, you can’t clear a trail with a brush mower, you can only maintain them once they are clear. Walk behind brush mowers won’t mow down 3 inch popples. Possibly in the future, but way too many stumps and rocks right now on existing trails and some trails are not wide enough.

I need the tool that will get me to the point where a brush hog is an option.

Grouse

I am using a Stihl FS80 for the exact purpose you want to use it for. I have had great luck! I take this thing out once a year just to cut lanes and break a few new trails. The only trouble I have had was a recoil this year and slightly bent shaft. The shaft was bent due to a dull blade and swinging it to hard to cut the brush. I think it comes with a star or square looking blade which will work but if you update get the one that looks like a skill saw blade. It is easy to sharpen in the field with a flat file and will last.

I bought the Stihl FS90 with bike the handles. The thing is a beast! It is a 4-stroke that you mix the gas for. Sounds weird, but it has great torque. I put the skil saw type blade on it and can take out 2-3 inch saplings.

Good Luck!

Nut

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I need the tool that will get me to the point where a brush hog is an option.

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Sounds like a bobcat is the way to go to me?

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I need the tool that will get me to the point where a brush hog is an option.

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Sounds like a bobcat is the way to go to me?

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Believe me, I love your Think Big philosophy. Others have suggested a dozer. I may go this route on the big projects like putting in property lines, but big money equipment rentals are just not in the budget cards right now. I’ve got to do what I can do for hundreds of dollars, not thousands.

As it turned out, Stihl made the decision easy. My local Stihl dealer wants $1100 + tax for the brushcutter mentioned above. Echo’s top of the line model is $550 and it comes with a solid steel drive shaft vs Stihl’s flex cable drive, more HP, and a 5 year warranty standard. I ordered the Echo this AM.

Grouse

Grouse

I have a Stihl FS460 with the ape hanger handlebars and the brush blade. The engine is a 4-stroke, but you need to mix gas. Wierd, but runs AWESOME and with a new blade it is a brush cutting machine!

I won it at a golf tournament in Edmonton, AB. I had to go to a local Canadian Tire (Canada’s Fleet Farm alternative) and buy tools in order to break it down into small enough pieces to fit inside my golf travel tote. Best and strangest item I ever took with me on a plane.

Grouse,

You should be able to rent a bobcat for at least 3 days for what you are going to pay for that brush cutter. I know I’ve seen a few signs around $150-$160 a day. I sure would think you could get done in one day with the bobcat what would take you 3 or 4 days with the brush cutter. Plus it is way easier on the body.

Good luck with whatever you do.