WTT WA want a stand behind brush hog

[21tango]

Have a springfield 1911 MC operator and a FAL both are like new. Looking for a stand behind brush hog. Let me know what you got

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[The Heretic]

I don't want to sell/trade mine at this time, but I do recommend, if you can afford it, a BCS or Grillo two wheeled tractor if you have any land to work. They allow you to attach multiple different implements via a PTO drive. My most useful is a flail mower on a Grillo 107D but I also use the tiller on my BCS. The flail mower chops up vegetation.

I also have a BCS one way sickle bar cutter - it works as a brush cutter too, but not as maneuverable as a rotary or flail mower.

This is a good resource if you decide to look into this:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/2-wheeled-tractors/

 

[21tango]

Thank you!! I will check it out. Just bought a place in the sticks and need to get rid of some brush (ferns and blackberry bushes)

 

[The Heretic]

Thank you!! I will check it out. Just bought a place in the sticks and need to get rid of some brush (ferns and blackberry bushes)

I have those too. Ferns will succumb to a sickle bar - especially the tall ones, but brambles are not easy to mow with a sickle bar.

I recommend a flail mower in that case as the flail mower will chop up vegetation. Sickle bars will just cut stuff off and lay it down (brambles don't lay down very well). A rotary mower (like a conventional lawn mower) will cut vegetation up, but will not chop it up very well.

Unfortunately, a walk behind flail mower is hard to find used. I lucked across mine on Craigslist just before ordering a new one and I would have had to buy a new tractor too because my BCS was too small to run a flail mower. You will need at least 8 HP, preferably more.

I would recommend renting a rotary brush hog style mower for a day at Home Depot or a place like that, to see if it is going to work well for you before buying one. I had no luck finding a walk behind flail mower for rent.

Be prepared - even with the power mower, this is hard nasty work. I got a lot of scratches and sore muscles from mowing through the brambles and brush. But if you don't get it under control it will get out of control and take over your land. I mow it down and then spray what comes back up.

If you find the expense and work too much, then there are people who will bring their own larger equipment and do the work for $50 to $100 per hour. I considered that, but found that good deal on the flail mower first. It is still kind of a wash considering the cost of the mower, the time and effort I put into it.

 

[jbett98]

Any neighbors nearby with goats.

 

[21tango]

No neighbors with goats lol. I cleared the first acre with a Still hand held weed wacker ( it has a saw blade on it) took me 10 hours and kicked my butt!! The black berry bushes are the dominate problem and are 6 foot plus. Don't mind hard work but think I need a better arsenal. Renting a brush hog might be a good idea

 

[The Heretic]

Yes - I went the same route.

I got a Stihl Kombi and tried several different kinds of cutting heads - none worked very well.

With the flail mower I could cut the same amount of brambles in 5 minutes as it took me all day to cut with the Stihl.

Note: The brambles will come back - I ran a dozer through one area and they still came back. But what comes back will be easier to manage - you can spray them early in the summer and kill them - which is the only way to really get rid of them.

You can also mow what comes back up early with a lawn mower as long as you get them when they are small, but as long as there are live roots they will keep coming back. The Himalayan Blackberry is a very tenacious and invasive bramble.

If you eventually decide to get a two wheel tractor, if you have uneven ground, I suggest getting the tallest tires/wheels you can for it. My next place, I will be getting a Grillo 110D with a diesel and tall wheels. I did consider getting a skid steer, but that was more money than I wanted to spend right now and I knew it wouldn't get into all the tight places I wanted to mow - that said, a skid steer with a flail mower would have got a lot more work done a lot faster and easier. Maybe I will get one for my next place - if it is required.

 

[21tango]

Thanks for your insight! very valuable information!