Brushcutters: Your Ultimate Gardening Tool 

brushcutters- man-changing-brushcutter-head-min

 

Brushcutters are powerful gardening tools used to trim weeds, small trees, bushes, and hedges. Their long shafts make them nifty tools to access hard-to-reach areas. They are convenient and easy to use. They are truly the ultimate gardening tool needed to spruce up your garden.

 

In this article, we provide some tips on how to use brushcutters to their full potential. We look at how to cut the perfect edges for lawns, share some tips on choosing the right kind of brushcutter and discuss various kinds of attachments that make the machine incredibly versatile.

 

brushcutters- lawn-mowing-with-brushcutter-min

 

Cutting Lawn Edges

 

A stunning garden needs a well-kept lawn. To get your lawn looking healthy and neat, you really need to pay attention to all your lawn’s needs. A detail that many landscapers pay extra attention to is the edge of the lawn. Grass often has a mind of its own and you need to help keep it in check by trimming when needed.

 

Lawnmowers are too bulky to reach delicate areas in your garden, but brushcutters are nimble enough to help reach those areas. After cutting your lawn with a mower, you may notice that the edges are not as neat as they could be. This is where a brushcutter can come into play.

 

Safety Tips

 

Remove Small Obstacles

 

Prepare to use your powered cutter by removing any little stones, small objects and litter. This is a safety precaution, because if these small obstacles come into contact with the machine, they can be kicked up and strike the operator or those in close proximity, which can cause bodily harm. You also want to ensure that there are no people or animals within 15 metres of your work area.

 

Confirm The Safety Guard Is In Place

 

You want to make sure that that safety guard mouth is well mounted and secure. For brushcutters that use nylon string, you need to ensure that it is the right length. If you are using a blade or disk attachment, you need to ensure it is in place. Wipe off any residue on the handles of the tool to make sure you have a solid grip. Once brushcutters are prepared, they are ready to use.

 

Steady Footing

 

Plant your feet firmly on the ground, keep the brushcutter in a stable position and turn the machine on. Remember, it’s the tip of the nylon string or blade attached to the head that does the trimming, so tilt the head towards the edge of the lawn without pushing up right against the soil. Make sure that the safety guard is between you and the nylon string.

 

Edge Cutting Tips

 

Cut At An Angle

 

Contacting the grass at a slight angle allows you to achieve a tapered effect on the lawn without creating height differences with the already cut lawn. This means your edges will appear even to the rest of your lawn. Make your way around the edge to make a neat line of perfectly trimmed grass.

 

When Cutting Against A Feature

 

If you want to trim your lawn growing against an obstacle such as a wall, fence, garden sculpture or tree, slowly approach the object with your brushcutter at a vertical angle and make your way along the edge. If the object is shaped, move in a clockwise direction, and carefully move the line head toward the object.

 

If you are trimming around a tree, avoid hitting the tree roots as much as possible. You can do this by keeping the nylon string as short as possible, at around ten to twelve centimetres. If you are trimming around a delicate flower bed you can cover the area with a piece of plastic if you are nervous about accidentally cutting your flowers.

 

Work At Your Own Pace

 

Remember not to rush when using brushcutters. Rushing the process can lead to mistakes and accidentally cutting something that you had no intention of trimming. Brushcutters do their job quickly, but that means that mistakes happen quickly if you are not careful. Work smart, not hard by working at a steady pace.

 

Brushcutters are the perfect tools to cut the edges of a lawn to prevent the grass from growing over pathways, flower beds and other plants. Preventing grass from overgrowing onto other plants allows them to flourish and look neat. Similarly, pathways without grass growing along the edges make your garden look clean and well looked after.

 

brushcutters-a-brush-cutter-in-use-min

 

Choosing The Right Machine For Your Garden

 

There is a wide array of brushcutters on the market today and it may be overwhelming to choose one that works for you. Generally, most cutters can cut through dense foliage easily, they pass through vegetation such as weeds, grass and small twigs. But how do you choose the right one? There are different kinds of brushcutters, so it is important for you to understand your gardening needs before jumping in to purchase one.

 

Handheld Models

 

Handheld brushcutters can clear out tall grass and foliage areas in tight spaces. You do get lighter machines which aren’t as powerful as the heavier ones with a harness. However, the heavier machines usually have bigger engines which means they are more powerful. However, these are heavier and are not as portable as handheld machines with their smaller engines that are designed to be handheld without extra straps.

 

Models With Multiple Heads

 

Some brushcutters have interchangeable heads. This means you can choose the kind of attachment suited for your project. This is useful if you have a large garden with different kinds of growth. For example, if you are trimming grass edges you would use a nylon string attachment to cut through the grass, but when trying to trim a small tree’s twigs you might opt for a sturdy disk head. A disk head is a circular blade which attaches to the head. If you need a more versatile machine, you should consider getting one with an interchangeable head.

 

Some brushcutters use a head with blades while others use nylon string to cut through grass. The head rotates fast enough to cut through foliage. You need to have a good understanding of your needs before choosing a brushcutter.

 

Different Power Sources

 

You get electric, battery powered and fuel powered brushcutters. The mode of power should also be determined by your needs.

 

Electrical Models

 

Electric brushcutters are connected to a power source with an electrical cord. They are usually lighter and quieter in comparison to the non-electrical brushcutters as they do not have a fitted motor . Even though they are light, they still have significant power to cut through foliage. Of course, the cord limits your movement, however, you can easily link an electrical lead to extend your movement. Electrically powered models are ideal for individuals with small gardens.

 

Battery Powered Models

 

Battery powered brushcutters are ideal as they are cordless and allow for maximum movement. The machine needs to be charged before use and can only be used for a small amount of time, approximately twenty to thirty minutes.

 

It is the perfect choice for those with small gardens that do not take too much time to maintain. Like electrically powered brushcutters, battery powered brushcutters are light and not too noisy. If you are living in close proximity to your neighbours, this would be ideal as to not get noise complaints when maintaining your garden.

 

Fuel Powered Models

 

These are the most durable and long-lasting models. Petrol-powered models are designed for larger areas and big landscaping and agricultural tasks. They are powerful enough to take on large projects such as clearing land for farming purposes and maintaining large gardens.

 

They have powerful engines which means they can be noisier and heavier; however, this is necessary for the kinds of tasks they can be used for. These machines might have a harness to help carry the load, however they are not excessively heavy as they are designed to be as light as possible.

 

brushcutters-fuel- powered-brushcutter-refilling-min

 

Attachments For Brushcutters

 

Brushcutters are versatile because they can handle different kinds of vegetation due to the fact that some models come with various attachments that make them more adept at handling certain tasks. You can attach nylon cutting lines, blades or disks. The kind of attachment you choose will depend on the kind of vegetation you are trying to tackle.

 

Following, we outline what different kinds of attachments can be used for.

 

Brushcutter Line

 

Brushcutter lines come in different thicknesses. The thickness of the line is instrumental to the performance of the head and determines the kind of work you can do with the machine. You can use lines to trim grass, eliminate weeds and cut reeds, shrubs and brambles. The tougher the vegetation, the stronger your line needs to be.

 

You also need to consider the kind of material the line is made of. The most popular choice on the market is the nylon line. It is ideal as it is durable and flexible. You also have different levels of thickness available.

 

Attachable Blades

 

Brushcutters can also have blades attached to the head. Blades are ideal to get through thick vegetation that nylon string may not be able to cut through efficiently. If you notice that your cutter is struggling to cut through vegetation with a line attachment, you may need to switch out to a blade. The blade attachments are usually made of metal and come in a range of different designs.

 

When choosing an attachment, it is useful to know that the greater the diameter of a blade, the faster it will cut. The fewer teeth a blade has, the stronger the engine should be. If you are using a large blade with few teeth, the engine of your cutter may take strain.

 

Four Tooth Knife Blade

 

If you want to cut through dense or tough grass, you can try a four tooth knife blade but remember your engine should be strong as the blade has few teeth. Knife blades cut through soft vegetation such as grass and weeds very well. They are lightweight and can last long if they are looked after well.

 

Chisel Blades

 

Chisel blades have sharp edges and are round with teeth around the edges. They are sharp and have high durability. Generally, they can cut through most dense vegetation and can be used to cut through branches and twigs up to sixty millimetres in diameter.

 

There is a wide variety of attachments for brushcutters which make them versatile pieces of equipment. It is important to understand your gardening needs and your machine before you start using it.

 

BS Power: Trusted Tools And Premium Quality

 

For reliable and trusted agricultural and gardening equipment, look no further than BS Power to find tools to shape your landscape. We pride ourselves on our skilled staff and extensive experience. We have a range of brushcutters to suit every kind of need.

 

If you are a gardening enthusiast looking for a brushcutter we will be able to help you. On the other hand, if you are a commercial landscaper looking for other powerful landscaping machinery we can help source the perfect device for you.

Â