The land maintenance, non-chainsaw thread

[bodywhomper]

Surface fuels finally dried. Mid-morning break from the desk

[bodywhomper]

We’re thinking of upgrading our string trimmers.

We have a low end echo gas trimmer. As we improve our property (less than 2ac), we’re getting more grasses growing. Long periods of time using that string trimmer is rough on my back and makes my hands buzzing/numb for hours afterwards. We’re considering an upgrade: something with bicycle bars and harness, plus something powerful enough for a blade attachment that can be sharpened to deal with tree sprouts (instead of using a chainsaw and loppers).

Looking as used trimmers in a large area around me on various online sources, I don’t see any of the higher powered trimmers.

What’s up with the battery powered string trimmers that meet this need? Brand differences? Currently, I do not see us needing to replace/upgrade any of our other small engine hand tools except maybe a pole saw….

[Meadow Skipper]

I use a Milwaukee string trimmer, and have the 10” bar pole saw attachment. I like them but they aren’t cheap, especially for a kit like you’re looking for. I’m vested in the Milwaukee system, so I’ve been buying as needed. Got a number of M18 batteries for a number of tools.

But the string trimmer + motor is about $200 retail, the pole saw attachment is about $170, and the disc cutter attachment (they call it Reciprocator) is $400!!! I don’t know if the cheaper edger attachment would work for you on sprouted trees. Then there are the batteries…you’ll probably need one or maybe two 8ah (or 12ah) batteries for two acres. I’ll let you look up the price there.

I can’t tell you if they’ll work for your back, but they don’t give my mediocre back any trouble, and they’re quiet.

[timeo]

I just bought a Stihl FS131 bicycle handle with the upgraded deluxe dual harness. This thing is worth the $$$. It is replacing a standard handle Stihl FS90. I can cut for hours with the 131 and little to no fatigue. I am using it on 6 acres.

Also, if you are doing a bunch of trimming, swap out the head for one of these speed loading heads; super fast to reload line. Just buy one and thank me later. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[evdog]

I got to use this for a few hours last weekend doing trailwork and was pretty happy with it for grasses and weaker brush. Anything above 1/4" thickness and woody stems it started to have trouble with, which was a bit surprising. The harness held most of the weight but I did find some hand numbness after a couple hours steady use. Not sure bicycle handles would help with that. In this case with the steep upslope and dropoff below the trail bed I was having to lift the head up and down a lot manually which was also tiring. On flatter ground I could have relied more on the harness to support it.

It's a Stihl KM 131R with the triple metal blade. And its the combi model that you can swap out with a pole saw, and the main arm is detachable so it packs down to half length for transport.

[bodywhomper]

Thanks for to the inputs. I’m not invested in any of the battery systems yet. And I’m intrigued with the systems that can be used for pole saw and string trimmer. I didn’t know that was a thing. I think the back and fatigue issue for me is mainly after working after the firsts tank of fuel and because I’m working on uneven terrain. Knowing myself I’ll probably slow roll any purchase decision.

[BC13]

We’re thinking of upgrading our string trimmers.

We have a low end echo gas trimmer. As we improve our property (less than 2ac), we’re getting more grasses growing. Long periods of time using that string trimmer is rough on my back and makes my hands buzzing/numb for hours afterwards. We’re considering an upgrade: something with bicycle bars and harness, plus something powerful enough for a blade attachment that can be sharpened to deal with tree sprouts (instead of using a chainsaw and loppers).

Looking as used trimmers in a large area around me on various online sources, I don’t see any of the higher powered trimmers.

What’s up with the battery powered string trimmers that meet this need? Brand differences? Currently, I do not see us needing to replace/upgrade any of our other small engine hand tools except maybe a pole saw….

Ryobi now has an 18V One+ bicycle handle string trimmer/brush trimmer combo listed online. I bought their purely residential trimmer edger combo and swear by the trimmer. I've not used my gas trimmer once since I got the Ryobi.

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[bodywhomper]

I wasn’t aware that ryobi had trimmers using their 18v batteries. I only thought it was using their 40v series. I have several 18v ryobi small hand tools. I’d need more batteries for our current need, which is growing (heh!) every year, but at the same time, changing batteries does give a nice quick break from work. I usually use refueling of my power tools as the chance for a break. Things to think about.

Here’s some nonchainsaw land maintenance stoke from 2 weekends ago.

[BC13]

I give you credit for having the desire, dedication and energy to take care of a multi acre property. Maybe when retirement arrives, but at the moment I have little interest in spending more than the absolute minimum time on yard work.

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[bodywhomper]

I have mixed feelings. I try to make it fun and make sure we do not dedicate too much time to it and not enough time to funner things. Burning my land is pretty cool. I’m glad we do not own more than we have. It came with heavy deferred maintenance and a Xmas crop that was planted 40 yrs before we bought the property but never harvested. I look forward to the time when we are mainly in maintenance mode.

[neufox47]

I need to buy a snow blower for Tahoe. Is Honda worth twice the price of Arien’s? Looking at a 24” model.


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[liv2ski]

I give you credit for having the desire, dedication and energy to take care of a multi acre property. Maybe when retirement arrives, but at the moment I have little interest in spending more than the absolute minimum time on yard work.

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The thing is once you're retired you're not going to want to do that much work take it from me

[Hopeless Sinner]

I need to buy a snow blower for Tahoe. Is Honda worth twice the price of Arien’s? Looking at a 24” model.


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I find the biggest difference is in the superior maneuverability of the Honda. The Honda is worth the extra $ especially if you have many turns to make each snowfall. Honda's biggest downfall (other than price) is sheer bolts break readily, but are very simple to replace w 1 wrench.

If you have a 200' driveway thats 10' wide ariens is fine, if you're continually making turns get the Honda. I make LOTS of turns so my 24" Honda is great for that. I'd go larger than 24" if storage space wasn't an issue or your area is wide, if possible. It's a purchase that could easily last 20 years. Battery start is a must.

My buddy is telling me Honda blowers are in short supply in Boise and the WRV so prices are over MSRP right now in places.

This is a track of my snowblowing that I made because my fitness trainer would laugh at me when I told her that snowblowing was exercise.

The extreme left is the long, narrow patio, the clump in the middle is the driveway, and the path on the right is me clearing the street(so the next pass by the city doesn't bury my driveway) and the fire hydrant access.

[XXX-er]

i ran a Honda at treeline on the womens olympic DH course so that was a lot of snow, I was wearing crampons and the extra traction was nice, Honda reliability would probably be good for doing a lot of snow blowing but IME if you have a lot of driveway something with a blade is faster , the house on acreage with a big circular driveway I was caretaking took 2 hrs with a 24"er but only 20 min when buddy got a quad with blade and it was more fun

for most city sized lots 24" is enough, my house with a double driveway only takes 15min the 24" fits easier between cars and gates,

also I usually don't have to blow more than 1 foot of snow, if you are regularly dealing with 2 ft of snow maybe you need a bigger unit and/or honda or a blade ?

my craftsman is now 15 yrs old and its fine, I proactively changed the belts a few years in the summer as oposed to trying to do it at -15 which was smart cuz sourcing belts took a bit so I would have been screwed if I waited till it broke

[bodywhomper]

I need to buy a snow blower for Tahoe. Is Honda worth twice the price of Arien’s? Looking at a 24” model.


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You get a place up the hill? Congrats!!

Not specific to snowblowers, but my Honda generator continues to not disappoint. It’s at least 15 yrs old. In the past 9 yrs, I’ve put almost 700hrs on it. Over 600 of those hrs have been burned using av fuel because of ethanol. I feel like i put it away wet after every use. It’s running now and fired up w/o a problem. First use since last winter.

The thing is once you're retired you're not going to want to do that much work take it from me

What’s interesting, is that many of my neighbors are retired. They use small engine tools and/or day laborers for a lot of the work they do. Most were public servants so they retired “early.”

For stuff related to broadcast burning, my community has a prescribed burn association and an associated active gov agency (Resource Conservation District) that helps pool resources to help peeps with the labor involved and appropriate education. Last week, the RCD hosted a local high school club to put in control lines and burn units on an elderly (recently) widow’s property. Helps her out a lot(!) educates the kids in many ways, and reduces hazard in her neighborhood. The PBA/RCD will burn her units before next summer.

I bought a new non-chainsaw tool for land maintenance. JR tools is local. Our cheap mcleod is wearing out and it’ll take me a bit of work to make it better. This thing is built to last, much lighter than our McLeod, will have multiple uses on our little bit of land, and easy to replace broken/worn out parts.

[Meadow Skipper]

^ Those chingaderas are better than McLeods for moving duff and dirt, IMO anyway. Enjoy working your ass off.

[bodywhomper]

[neufox47]

Thanks. I basically need it to blow a path about 75’ long, but that path includes the shed from one side of the house. Which is often a 6-8’ berm after a good storm


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[XXX-er]

^ Those chingaderas are better than McLeods for moving duff and dirt, IMO anyway. Enjoy working your ass off.

My dad was a really good fabricator and he made those ^^ things out of the steady source of scrap SS he had acess to he could make you anything out of SS

[bodywhomper]

That’s a good skill.

JR has a small stash of 2nd’s/irregulars that are a little warp from the heat treatment process that he offers to walk-in’s.

[claymond]

I bought a new non-chainsaw tool for land maintenance. JR tools is local. Our cheap mcleod is wearing out and it’ll take me a bit of work to make it better. This thing is built to last, much lighter than our McLeod, will have multiple uses on our little bit of land, and easy to replace broken/worn out parts.

The hand tool of choice amongst Northern California wildland firefighters.

Does JR have a website, or phone number you could give me? We have been building ours, but it's time consuming, only one or two guys are good welders, and if we break one on an incident, it's hard to replace.

[Meadow Skipper]

The hand tool of choice amongst Northern California wildland firefighters.

Does JR have a website, or phone number you could give me? We have been building ours, but it's time consuming, only one or two guys are good welders, and if we break one on an incident, it's hard to replace.

Do you mean just to buy them?

https://lncurtis.com/jr-fire-tools-c...YaAtz2EALw_wcB

https://www.supplycache.com/products...waAoG9EALw_wcB

https://www.forestry-suppliers.com/p...qmCE1MfXaNGYPm

[claymond]

Ah ok thanks. Yeah I meant to buy them. Thought JR might be a tiny local shop our tool guy wasn't aware of. But looking at those links, we did buy one or two last year but people didn't like them as much as the homemade ones some reason.

[XXX-er]

I have never heard of a Chingadera and the word doesn't goggle very well ?

They use the Pulaski up here which googles to Ed Pulaski a US forest ranger who invented the tool in 1911 but the pulaski blades are narrower with axe head on one side

the tools my dad made from SS I am pretty sure he copied from what he seen farm works use in SE asia for centuries, he made his blades a little longer/ a little narrower with the ring shaped to fit a pick handle

[Meadow Skipper]

I have never heard of a Chingadera and the word doesn't goggle very well ?

It’s colloquial Spanish general use for fuckit or fucking thing. Google ‘chingar’ Spanish translation.

They use the Pulaski up here which googles to Ed Pulaski a US forest ranger who invented the tool in 1911 but the pulaski blades are narrower with axe head on one side

Pulaskis are a standard tool in the US for wildland. Normally, every crew has a few, and shovels, and McLeods or chingaderas, and chainsaws.