,...on string trimmers?

Stihl makes a tool called a "Yard Boss" with a 27cc 2 stroke motor. It comes with a small tiller head that I'm not interested in. But it can also be fitted with a string trimmer head that will accept a circular brush cutting blade. The rig has fairly wide set handlebars and can be outfitted with an optional pair of wheels. It seems to me that it would be a good tool for cutting down shrubs and various vegetation without having to crawl around on the ground with a chainsaw.

So has anyone had any experience with a string trimmer equipped with a circular brush cutting blade?,....if so, how well did it work and what size engine was on the string trimmer that you outfitted with the blade?

GD hippies are costing you a Fng fortune.
Just get a D6 and get it over with.

lolol,....yeah,..but it gives me something to do and new gadgets to play with.

Haven't tried one yet. I battle the autumn olive around here. It's every where. Now I got the honey suckle bush starting up too. Should be quite a struggle between the two.

in general a real brush cutter is for the big boys to play with. i'm serious, and the gadget needs max power.

but heh, playing around in the yard ain't a bad hobby, can be good exercise and leave one feeling effective.

and why not a tiller attachment for the wife's flower beds? i mean, let's go the distance or stay home.

I’ve got an older Stihl FS250, which is 40cc, that I picked up at a pawn shop for $80. It has handlebars and a harness.

For heavy weeds/stalks, I recommend one of those “tri-blades”. They will sling grass at least well enough to keep from getting constantly clogged. The key is to use a pretty dramatic side to side motion with the machine.

For small brush/trees, I bought one of the blades off eBay that looks like it has chainsaw links on its edge. It works well, but is useless on grass, as it gets bogged/tangled almost immediately.

I wouldn’t recommend the saw blade to folks unless they have the handlebars/harness. Too dangerous if all you have is the small D-handle. Use a smaller 8” blade rather than one of the larger ones, if your machine in underpowered.

I wouldn’t want to clear large areas with one, but for feeder pens and knocking down small trees that are too big for pruning shears, it’ll save you from getting down on your knees with a chainsaw.

Mine is an FS240 with the Stihl chisel tooth blade is great in weeds to trees. You can sharpen the blade with a chainsaw file.

Get a trimmer/cutter with handle bars and a harness.

Check them out on utube - they rip ass .

Oif you want to get rid of vines and briers.....get a Brush Blender.
Straight blade with the ends bent down.
You won’t believe it.

Google “Brush Blender Husqvarna” look at the video. It works that good.

Eats honeysuckle and briars......except for the bottom of the stem. 8’ hedge you can mow over afterwards.

Just bring it down and cuts everything on the way down.

Look at the video.

Back in the late '80s I bought a new Snapper (same company as Snapper mowers) brand string trimmer that came with a round, saw blade type brush cutter attachment.

That brush cutter blade was really something else. It would saw right through scrub saplings with trunks as big around as my wrist with ease and pretty quick too.

I'm not sure how well the Yard Boss is going to run a blade but this machine will run a blade all day long and not bitch for one second, it's a lot more money but it is a lot more machine.

it's hard not to see the straight shaft on that stihl.

i wish i had one.

That guy is gonna work his tail off in that first video. I could clear more in 10 seconds with my Billy Goat brush cutter than he did in 2 mins swinging that thing up and down. Anything under about 1-1/2”, I can run up on with the Billy Goat and it does the job.

I bought one 35 years ago. It had twin grips like a motorcycle. It was the biggest one they made. It worked great. It is not a boys toy! It can hurt you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had that set up on a Stihl,and it was a beast.
I could cut nice deer trails anywhere,only problem with it was you felt like you got hit by a truck if I used it for long periods of time.

In my experience they leave little stumps that look like they could poke a hole in a tire. I wouldn't use it where I planned to drive. I picked up a king kutter brush cutter for 250. I left the blades dull. The stumps look like the end of a straw broom.

I have one, it cuts hell out of small brush.

If you can get one in there.
I do maintenance on the Appilatian Trail.......Billy Goat isn’t going in a lot of places.
And do you wanna walk it in 5 miles and back.

And a hedge of MF rose briars and vines is so dense you can’t get that goat started ......and it’s 8’ High.

I can just carve the face back.

Right tool for the job. Sometimes Brush Blender.......sometimes Billy Goat.

And the OP asked about blades on a weedwacker

Good gosh, the Stihl is worth more than the tractor thats driving around in the background. A decent tractor & a damn $500 bushhog does all that.

A carbide tipped table saw blade is bad ass in a brush cutter

I've seen various videos that show brush blade equipped string trimmers cutting, I have no doubt that they will do the job. But I was wondering what size motors they had. Like I said, the Yard Boss has a 27cc motor. Picture a small roto tiller with a brush cutter blade poking out on the front of it. That's what it looks like when so equipped.

I'm mostly wondering if a Stihl 27cc 2 stroke motor has enough butt to run a brush cutter blade.

Here's a video of it with the string trimmer attachment. What I'm thinking about is one set up just like this, except with a circular brush cutting blade. I just don't know if it's got enough motor.

I have a Stihl FS250 (40,2cc engine). I have used the circular saw blade (the one that can be sharpened with a chainsaw file). I can easily cut down saplings as big around as my wrist. Most of my brush cutting has been with the 3 bladed brush knife. It not any handles heavy weeds, but also cuts saplings as big around as my thumb.

The FS 91 is a 28cc engine and they use a blade on that model.

Here's a link you can use to compare models and engine sizes.

Link.

Here's a link for the FS 91.

Link

Yeah,....the 27cc motor is about 1/10 hp down from the 28cc motor.

I think the Yard Boss would work as a brush cutting tool. But you'd probably have to let it eat instead of just zinging through a 2 inch limb like a 40cc machine would.

I'm pondering whether I was to spend the money for it. By the time I get it outfitted like I want I'm going to have about $550-$600 in it. I called the local dealer and asked if I could buy it without the tiller head. He said no,.....that's the way they come.

I'd feel better about dropping that much on it if it had a 35-40cc motor instead of the 27.

Try one of these with the beaver blade,
https://www.drpower.com/Power-Equipment/Trimmer-Mowers/Walk-Behind/DR-Trimmer-Mower/p/TR45187BEN

They will cut most any brush up to 4-5”.
Ronnie

Another vote for the tri-blade. It is an absolute monster in thick field grass and brush up to 3/4". I can sweep it up and down to face the brush encroaching on my driveway and
use it like a scythe in low brush and grass.
It doesn't cut thick brush as well as the circular blades but spools up a lot quicker.
I use it without the guard(I know, I know) so I need a full face shield. It slings stuff everywhere.

I thought about the Dr. Power trimmers. There's a lot of manufacturers that make a wheeled string trimmer that's very similar but much less costly. But none of them offer a circular cutting blade for them.

I've been reading up on all of them and the best I can figure is,..it's a liability issue. An exposed circular blade on a wheeled carriage must make the company lawyers nervous.

You know some idiot is going to run up and cut their kid's leg off with one of them eventually.

That thing better have an ignition lockout device. Be out there all hammered and chit and saw your foot off.

I want something that will cut through a 3" diameter honeysuckle stump. I know the big hand held brush cutters will do the job. But they'll work the hell out of ya. I want something that can be rolled along.

That Stihl Yard Boss outfitted with a brush cutter blade is as good as I've found. But they need more motor to go at what I need to tackle.

This outfit here would do the job if it had a spindle that would accept a 10" circular blade. But like I said, they won't sell it with that capability.

If I still had access to a machine shop I know I could rig one up.

But that's that old "iff'n game".

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...9j4bK5AIVkSCtBh1weAPcEAQYByABEgIsg_D_BwE

A tri-blade/brush knife will cut circles around the sawtooth blade. Have both and the sawtooth blade will sit and rust away. The tri-blade goes through stuff like butter.

They still make blades for the Echo Bearcat, which essentially are what you talking about possibly doing with that Cub Cadet.

https://sleequipment.com/echo-bearc...KbNJBblv5B1vHNYRoVqU2I3MZ9hoCRckQAvD_BwE

(!)

That's what I've been looking for!

Now I've got to find where to buy one.

That dr trimmer has a spring loaded bail that has to be held down to engage the cutter, let go and blade stops. Using the string on it makes weed eating easy. I have an old one that’s about 16 years or more older, the Briggs needs rebuilding or replacing. Good thing about them is you don’t have to carry them.
Ronnie

Tool meet job.


A tri-blade is the tool if the work is heavy grass.

It will beat your machine and you to death if you are cutting wood.

A circular saw type blade is the tool for wood. Grass doesn't offer enough
resistance to get cut by one. It just bends. Dad made one from a saw blade.
Saplings, berry vines, woody type brush, it just destroys.

No experience with the chainsaw tooth type. It would be easy to sharpen though.
Honestly I think it wouldn't be as good as a blade. Too thick, too much kerf.
Wasting energy making chips, all you need is to cut.


If you want to play with these type cutters, you need handlebars and the safety
shroud for a blade installed on your machine.

A metal blade is serious business. If it kicks off something or you just contact
your feet/legs, it's gonna get nasty, right quick.

The DR Trimmer might be a bit easier to find, and they have a blade kit for it, too. (A little pricy)...

https://www.drpower.com/power-equipment/trimmer-mowers/accessories/blades

the

Disagree! 2 inch saplings are what I was cutting through along with privet on the side of a mountain and the sawblade wouldn't do close to what the tri blade would do!

Its probably mine.

I had one of those walk off a few years ago and it still ticks me off. I think I left it under my carport overnight in what I thought was a good neighborhood....it was one of those deals where in my mind I thought I had put it away but didn't. Its a middle age thing. Didn't even realize it was gone until the next time I cut grass and was like "where's my dang weedeater". Come to find out later a few sophisticated urbanites were cruising the neighborhood nabbing nice stuff like that which idiots such as myself left available to them. They were probably magnetized to Stihl orange. A guy a few streets over who works nights saw one of them trying to walk off with his neighbor's lawn mower that he left in his front yard while taking a break and chased him away. I think the cops finally got them.

I bought it to keep up trails and clear areas for little food plots. Got a tractor and only used it for trimming afterwards......the world's most powerful one....or close to it.

But I agree with everything else in your post. I had a saw blade, three fingered cutter, and "polycut mowing head" which has string and plastic cutters for stuff a little heavier than grass. Actually I still have those but my smaller model Stihl is not strong enough for anything but the polycut. All work well and yes the handlebars are probably a good idea when using a saw blade.

I thought about buying a new 250 and leaving it out while hiding in the bushes with a 12 gauge.....but I reckon that would have been against the law.....baiting and whatnot.

This looks like da chit.

I'm going to have fun with this thing.

Are you still brainstorming how to murder the cane patch ?

I don't think I've got enough left for the cane patch. I'm going to hire a pro to do that. I've also got about an acre of miscellaneous scrub brush and overgrown ornamental plants that need to be attacked.

So far I've been crawling around with a chainsaw to take care of it,..but that's getting old.

The idea of standing up and shoving a circular saw blade into that mess appeals to me.

DR offers one too.

Thought the Bear Cat was badass, too.

Til it turned out the mixed-drink thermos on the crossbar was a "manual holder".

Bull dozier!!

Yep. A wrist tethered kill switch and the thing around yer’ neck that you can push a big red button and say ,” Ive fallen and I can’t get up”.

Don't have time to read all the responses, so please pardon me if this is repetitive. I've got several weedeaters laying around including a nice one that you don't have to mix gas for. Its been years since I used one of them. They were a huge improvement over trimming the weeds with sheep shears that Mom and Dad had me use. But I haven't used one for years. Probably twenty or more years ago, Mom and Dad (both deceased now) bought this lawnmower type string trimmer because they thought it would be better on their backs. They didn't think it was and quickly reverted to weedeater type trimmers. I was extremely skeptical of the thing but since they didn't want it, I ended up with it and actually think it was a huge improvement over the weedeaters. The biggest thing is not having to eff with the string feed all the time. The first one I had that last for years of hard use with like, no maintenance done on it was this:

https://www.swisherinc.com/categori...nda-deluxe-string-trimmer-std4422ho.html

Last I knew they were made in Missouri not far from here. This one is significantly higher than the ones I saw just a few years back, that could be had for around $400 before any sales.

When I bought the replacement for mine, I bought a Cub Cadet though and it is much better mainly because it doesn't sling shixt at you as bad. Sticks and rocks HURT and I don't think the Cub ever has hurt me. The Swisher was a fine machine and a cutting SOB but it was a rare occurrence that you took it out for long without coming in with blood on your legs from it throwing stuff, even with guards. The plexiglass guard on mine is only about half there from shixt hitting it and finally breaking it in two. The Cub is far superior. The only reason I bought the Cub was they were out of Swishers at Tractor Supply and I needed one since the Swisher finally wouldn't start.

These type of string trimmers WILL use some string. On both of the ones I've had, they utilized two pieces of much larger diameter plastic line than a normal weedeater type. No need for the specialty blades or whatnot, you can cut pretty big stuff with this line. Bigger stuff and fences, etc. will eat the line faster though. The line is just two pieces and they last quite a while in just normal weeds as opposed to horse weeds or other woody type plants that a person let get away and get big. It's a big improvement over fooling with any of the line feeder type trimmers though.

Maybe the new Swishers don't throw stuff as bad or are better at blocking it. They look to have a different setup with lines than mine did. I just got the Cub because it was available, the less pain part was a bonus.

If you need a tiller too, don't fool with the Cultivator types, get a full-size. Get an "Earthquake" Chinese knockoff for around $300 on sale. Just as good if not better than current Troy Bilt stuff. Get the one with the bigger wheels and for sure get the rear tines.

Btw, FWIW...the 400 was one of the worst tractors IH (old IH and not the current New Holland stuff) made. Weak rear end. The M's were the best tractors of their day, far superior to some Johnny Popper two-lunger. You ever see farmers back in ye olden time periods without fingers? It's because they "knew" how to hook up equipment by themselves from the back of the tractor using the hand clutch. Proper Farmall's didn't have such antiquated shixt. The 560's, etc. were good tractors too, but the 3010's and 3020's were just better. An 8N is a nice tractor but it's for truck gardening and such. Feel free to disagree but a lot of the "experience" you get on here is from guys with 5 acres who go to a lot of steam power shows and suchlike and look at some rig some old dude has restored. Riding a f u c k i n g M in a parade for fifteen minutes without a disc behind you threatening to kill you at a moment's notice if you fall asleep due to having worked on the same f u c k i n g M from daylight until it got too dark to see because the light's NEVER worked on them f u c k e r s, is a far cry from what I just described. The 400 is about the same. People FLOCKED to get 3010's and 4010's because they were hugely more comfortable and safer.

Ethan,

I'm guessing you have turned one of those old tractors too tight with an implement!

Make mine a WD-45 with a rake
and Farmall 300 with a disk.
Bent some stuff, never me, lucky.

More than one guy got hurt when those back tires pulled something up over them.

I have done a crap ton of brush clearing with a cheap 4 stroke power head and one of these.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-Tri-Arc-Brush-Cutter-Blade-and-Expand-It-Brands-AC04105/100665186?cm_mmc=Shopping%7CG%7CBase%7CD28I%7C28-32_PORTABLE%7CNA%7CLIA%7CFixed%7c71700000041074954%7c58700004788398043%7c92700040946149284&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2efrBRD3ARIsAEnt0eiFFeTcU_GK06pOgxfCuT6vIlFnqJshYTEPRCwUSLkQbAfq9CrAx9YaAnOqEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I use my FS90R all the time...

String head for grass

Tri blade for things like greenbriars etc etc

Quad/Square for larger items like willows.

Circular saw blade for 2” up stalks.

I dunno if the machine your looking at has the same CC’s or not, but if I recall the FS90R was the smaller of the machines stihl says should “safely” operate the blades... it sounds like a harley weed whacker lol, but its not near as strong as my buddys stihl that has the handle bars.... but I use it for grass around the house more often than not and didnt want a lincoln town car for a weed whacker.

Nope. They are easy to make a mistake with though and they are easy to fall off of if you're sleepy or not paying attention. I never ran one that had anything but tricycle front ends. Some had wide front ends and some of those were home-made. Supposedly they didn't turn for shixt. My family had both a 560 and a 460 with the smaller tractor having a tricycle front end and the 560 having a factory wide front end. I'd much rather run the wide front end but my cousin preferred the narrow front end because of the tight turn. The 560 was our first diesel. By then guys were figuring out you couldn't hardly pay for the gas if you got a gasser much bigger than that. Those tractors were a lot better than M's but much inferior to the new John Deere 10 series.

I went the cheap route, echo srm225 string trimmer and picked up the blade cutter kit for it, in it 275 total, does just fine around the house. We just bought a new house on 3 acres and the edges are overgrown with briars, weeds, some bamboo. Already found some rocks, cinder blocks and don't feel comfortable with a mulch head or bush hog and certainly don't want to brake any windows. Gonna take some time but so far it has been great....but its not commercial grade. This kit came with an 8 tooth blade, I am curious about better blades for it.

Just ordered that renegade hybrid from the video above, looks like it will certainly do a great job.

I'm not really looking for a string trimmer. I might put the string on it every now and then, but I'm buying it for the blade. From what I've seen, the Echo Bearcat is about the only company out there that has lawyers that will allow them to sell a rolling string cutter that will take a blade.

I bet it wouldn't take much more than a bushing to affix a blade to the Cub Cadet. But I don't want to spend $330 to find out.

In case you missed my post from a page or so back, DR DOES have a similar attachment for their trimmer:

https://www.drpower.com/power-equipment/trimmer-mowers/accessories/blades


Couldn’t say if it’s better or worse than the Echo...

That Beaver thing is wicked.

I'm not sold on the chainsaw type circular blade for my purposes. I'm sure they work fine,...but I'm planning on cutting close to the ground and the dirt I'm going to encounter would dull one up quick. For my purposes, I think the carbide tipped blades would work better.

Also, you have to buy and install a brake kit if you're going to run a blade on a Dr Power trimmer. From what I can tell from the Echo Bearcat video, you just remove the string trimmer attachment and affix the blade.

Dr Power wheeled trimmers were the first I looked into.

A rough old knot head, "I can make one of them myself", guys I used to work with 'engineered' his own redneck version brush whacker out of an old walk behind gas push mower by cutting a sizable chunk out of the front of the mower deck. I never saw it myself (sounded a bit too scary dangerous for me) but he said it did the job he wanted it to and made it easier to push and cut under overhanging briars, vines, brush, etc.

If a person was nervy enough they could probably fabricate a saw blade type attachment for an old push mower on the cheap as he did.

Good to know. I just assumed that DR had a built in brake. My Poulan Pro wheeled trimmer has a brake on it, so I can leave the engine running but the trimmer stops spinning.

I picked this up off Craigslist for $250, the guy wanted $300 but I talked him down.
He said he couldn’t get it running.
My son and I had it running within and hour when we got it home.
It flat tears the stuff to pieces without much effort on my part.

And cuts down trees too.

I wouldn’t waste my time with a string trimmer.

How do you get it up on top of a honeysuckle bush 7' tall with a 3" diameter stump?

Drive it up over it slowly.

and lift with your knees.

I purchased an Echo SRM-410U. It's wicked. It's great for cleaning out fence rows and if you're not careful, it'll saw a T-Post in half.

Rode my Burgman into Lexington to check the Echo Bear Cat out at two dealers.

Bike broke down halfway between the 2 different implement dealers. It's sitting on the sidewalk in west Lexington right now.

If it doesn't get stolen, I'll go haul it home tomorrow. I hope it gets stolen. I don't wanna fug with it.

Woot!

Located and bought an Echo Bear Cat wheeled string trimmer today. The brush cutter blade won't arrive for a couple of days, however. It seems like a fairly substantial machine.

That's the one.

lol

sonovabitch beeps when it backs up