Brushcutters are amazing power tools that can be used in a variety of environments. Whether you’re in your own backyard or maintaining a farm, brushcutters can be used to effectively trim and maintain lawns and vegetation. The many use cases associated with the brushcutter have seen a rise in popularity in recent years especially when considering how rapid improvement to the technology of these cutters has bolstered their accessibility.

 

As their popularity has improved so too has there been a rise in the number of powered cutters on the market. As these machines show positive growth, manufacturers want to take advantage of the growing market by introducing their own make and model of brushcutters into the industry. Although this is overall a benefit to the consumer, it does lead many confused about which cutter they should look to purchase for their own needs.

 

At BS Power we understand that the sheer number of options can be confusing to those looking to buy their own brushcutter for the first time, and we want to help you out. So, in this article we want to highlight a number of important considerations you may want to mull over before purchasing your very own machine. We will also look to provide you a few options from our own range that we believe are excellent value propositions.

 

So, if you are looking for a new brushcutter but don’t know where to start then keep reading to find out more.

 

Key Considerations

 

Before we begin looking at brushcutters directly, we at BS Power believe that it is important to first settle on what you want to do with them. By understanding your use case and what you actually need from brushcutters you will already be able to distinguish what sort of cutter you may need. You can consider the following broad based considerations, before looking at more specific specifications later in this article.

 

As brushcutters are powered tools used to maintain lawn and vegetation most key considerations should be focused on the environment you’re going to be working in. For this we want to highlight the following factors as the most essential to decide on before purchasing a machine:

 

Size Of The Area Worked

 

The primary thought you should have when first looking into buying brushcutters is where am I using this machine? Because if you need brushcutters for a large public venue like a park, roadside or botanical garden your use case will be wildly different to if you want to do some DIY gardening in your own backyard. Not only can this inform your decision on the type of engine you may want, but also the attachments and blades you may want to complete the job effectively.

 

For larger work areas like public parks, botanical gardens, historical gardens or road sizes you will want a cost-effective and durable machine that can run for a longer period of time. In these situations, you may want to exclude looking at electric brushcutters (whether wired or wireless), due their shorter range. Furthermore, you will want to consider industrial brands that are known to make more robust models designed for hard work.

 

Of course, if you are looking to use your machine in the backyard in the middle of suburbia, you will have very different specifications and needs from your brushcutter. For you it may be more important to consider the noise level of the machine and will want some that is a bit quieter. You may also not worry so much about durability as your carefully tended garden requires small specific cuts rather than overall trimming.

 

Type Of Vegetation

 

Another great way to narrow down your possible choices is to look outside and consider what sort of vegetation you may be tackling when using your brushcutters. There are so many types of plants and grasses out there. This is especially true in a country like South Africa that boasts a rather rich environmental diversity, which only increases the different types of vegetation you may need to deal with.

 

If you are dealing with thicker and hardier vegetation, you will want to look at a machine that has stronger cutting blades that cut through thick roots. Whereas if you are focused on cutting grasses or softer vegetation you may only need a nylon cutting string.

 

In some situations, you may even be forced to deal with vegetation that shifts within the same environment, with hardier bushes in some areas and soft and lush grasses in others. To handle these sorts of situations you may want to consider modern brushcutters that allow for different attachments, so that you can effectively shift from one area to another.

 

Usage Requirements

 

Finally, we believe it is important that you think about, and then estimate how often you believe you are to use your brushcutters. If you are buying it for business usage, you may be using it daily whereas for DIY usage at home, you may only think about using it every other weekend or once a month.

 

By understanding how often you may need to use the machine you can also begin to look at factors like durability features, what materials your machine is made from, ergonomic support and whether the brushcutter has a long term warranty. All these elements will have a direct influence on the price of the machine. So, by deciding on these considerations early on into the purchasing process you will be able to find a price range that suits all your needs.

 

 

Brushcutter Features

 

We now turn from external considerations to internal machine considerations. At this point in the article, you may already understand where you are going to be using your brushcutters, what you will be looking to cut with your machine and how often you may need to use the machine. These are all broad based considerations and will put you in the general direction you may want to go with your brushcutter.

 

But now let us investigate a few features of the machine itself. As you review the different components that make up a powered cutter you will begin to see that although there are different options at each step, they provide both advantages and disadvantages. Understanding these differences and picking a machine that has the best advantages for you, is the most efficient way to land on a specific machine that works for you.

 

Engine Types

 

The first component most people look at when deciding on future brushcutters purchase is what sort of engine it has. Generally, the market can be divided into two, namely: gas powered or electric powered machines. As we highlighted in the beginning and alluded to in the previous section both sorts of engines have their own unique advantages and disadvantages, so let’s look at both types in a little more detail here.

 

Firstly, is the electric powered engine. These sort of brushcutters are newer, in the sense that electric powered brushcutters were only introduced after gas powered cutters. When measuring the size of an electric engine we generally look at the voltage. Machines with more voltage generally have a greater capacity for power.

 

Electric motors are defined by their ability to be quieter meaning that you won’t disturb those around you. They are generally also lighter as an electric motor is lighter than a gas motor, making it more accessible to a wider consumer basis. However, on the downside these electric motors generally have a much shorter range than gas powered models and are generally less powerful. Electric brushcutters are perfect for small gardens and homework.

 

As is already suggested above, gas powered brushcutters are a lot more powerful than their electric counterparts. Engine size is generally measured in cubic centimetres (CC) with a larger engine size meaning more power. The gas powered models are more difficult to use, but have impressive range only limited by the fuel tank size. These machines are designed generally for heavy duty work and industrial usage.

 

Blade Types

 

Now that you have decided what type of engine you want to be using it’s time to decide on the type of head component you want. Again, in the market today, most brushcutters will have one of two heads. Either a metal blade head or a nylon string head. Like with gas or electric both are used in different situations with their own advantages and disadvantages.

 

The nylon string head brushcutter is the more common machine on the market today. This has been majorly influenced by the growing DIY gardening community. As you may already expect the nylon string used is meant for a lawn set up, that is generally a softer type of vegetation. Although nylon heads are generally a lot cheaper, they are also a lot less durable, and require a change of nylon string after several uses.

 

On the other hand, you have metal blade heads, as the name suggests these heads have metal blades made from steel generally. Although these are a lot stronger and definitely more durable than nylon heads making them the perfect option for heavy and woody vegetation, these heads are also more difficult to replace. Generally, you will have to take your machine in for a professional to replace the head.

 

In the past you may have had to choose between one sort of head or the other, but today some manufacturers have designed machines that are capable of switching heads. This is because these brushcutters have a detachable head component, meaning that you can switch between nylon and metal blades when needed. Although these machines are generally a little more expensive, the flexibility offered is definitely worth it.

 

 

The BS Power Range

 

So far in this article we have looked at multiple different considerations of both your environment and your machine that can help you decide on the best brushcutters for you. But even if you understand what you are looking for, where do you go to purchase a trusted machine? Luckily, there is an easy solution and that is to visit us at BS Power, we have a great selection of machines to choose from.

 

So below let’s show a few of our favourite models currently stocked:

 

STIHL FS161: This is a perfect medium gas powered brushcutter. With its moderate 37.6 CC powered engine, and its light weight of only 7.5 KG, you are looking at a machine that is the best of both worlds. It is designed to be light and easy to use but has the power to do more work than just the average lawn. Combined with the fact that it has a detachable head, you can tackle a number of different tasks with this impressive STIHL model.

 

HUSQVARNA 535IRX: On the other hand, you may be looking for a cleaner electric powered model. In this case we suggest our impressive 535IRX battery powered HUSQVARNA model. Being battery powered means you can take it anywhere without worrying about cables, but still have a decent powered motor that boasts a maximum RPM output of 8200 RPM. With its incredible sound suppression system and nylon string head equipped with all the best safety features, you can use this impressive cutter in thick brush as well as lawns.

 

So, if you are looking for the most trusted brushcutters on the South African market at a competitive price, look no further than BS Power. Be sure to visit our website to learn more about our incredible range of brushcutters that include brands like Honda, STIHL and HUSQVARNA.