Thread: Heavy duty brush cutter - It's a jungle out there

Recommend one of these Honda 4 strokes. Replace the standard blade with a larger one(there is a 15 inch one made by some German company). That set up will sort out small trees no problem, but with the 15 inch beast, make sure you keep checking the retaining nut on the blade underside because if it comes off someone could lose a limb.

Yep, those little Honda 4 strokes are the go, a lot quieter than the 2 smokes as well.

I also have a Honda MT-31 4 stroke, but would love to have this one:






Husqvarna 355Fxt is a very powerful clearing saw developed for tough conditions. The X-Torq® engine provide raw power, rapid acceleration and excellent fuel economy. Equipped with unique comfort heating of the handles for smooth work during cold and wet shifts. Short shaft and bevel gear angled 24 degrees simplifies directional felling in dense forests. Very low vibrations thanks to LowVib®. Delivered with Balance XT harness.

Husqvarna website: Husqvarna Outdoor Power Equipment - Products
The distributor in BKK: Husqvarna Outdoor Power Equipment - Husqvarna distributors

Originally Posted by Gipsy

Equipped with unique comfort heating of the handles for smooth work during cold and wet shifts

that will be useful

looks a beast though

Originally Posted by withnallstoke

Recommend one of these Honda 4 strokes. Replace the standard blade with a larger one(there is a 15 inch one made by some German company). That set up will sort out small trees no problem, but with the 15 inch beast, make sure you keep checking the retaining nut on the blade underside because if it comes off someone could lose a limb.

If you use what Withnallstoke advises you'll be fcuked. The blade guard is on upside down. Oops sorry I forgot this is Thailasnd, so forget what I say.

Yep, gotta be the Honda 4 stroke with the big ass blade..

Originally Posted by withnallstoke

make sure you keep checking the retaining nut on the blade

Indeed, do you mind of the time, that one went whizzing past my head and landed about 50 metres away? That was a brush with death and a half..my fault though..full revs and went straight into a hidden boulder..

Perota..before and after pics please, chap..

Originally Posted by somtamslap

do you mind of the time, that one went whizzing past my head and landed about 50 metres away?

Closest thing to a decapitation i have ever seen. Missed your head by inches.

^ It sounded like a swarm of hornets was whizzing by my bonce..soiled underwear was the flavour of the day.

Originally Posted by withnallstoke

make sure you keep checking the retaining nut on the blade underside because if it comes off someone could lose a limb.

Surely the retaining nuts are conta-rotating to the blade to ensure this nevers happens ? The nut self locks against the spin of the blade.

Originally Posted by DrAndy

Equipped with unique comfort heating of the handles for smooth work during cold shifts

Originally Posted by DrAndy

that will be useful

Useful indeed... I think you missed this because you already left for Europe, but Mae Rim and Mae Jo area were white (and cold, for a split second) last week... hail stones everywhere.



Photo taken from Chiang Mai X-Centre - Extreme Activities

Originally Posted by superman

Surely the retaining nuts are conta-rotating to the blade to ensure this nevers happens ? The nut self locks against the spin of the blade.

In theory that is correct, in practice, the nut does get loose and needs to be checked frequently.

Originally Posted by Bung

Get a Honda 4 stroke.

Yes I have one and it has not missed a beat in 2 years.

One other word of advice make sure you wear thick knee high rubber boots for the snakes and protective wear for your face and arms.

There are heaps of wasps and hornets around at the moment and they cause massive pain as my wife found out last week when she was trimming a hedge.

my weapon of choice is a stihl FS 85, just the right weight with enough grunt to keep working all day

For Husqvarna stuff you can get a wide range in Thailand, the guy in Chiang Rai is great, google Husky North (if you up north that is).

I was asked about buying a brush cutter to help the FiL with cutting/maintaining the grass for OUR cows on OUR land. I ended up choosing the Honda for one reason that it was a 4-stroke so 1 less thing that could be stuffed up while I was away and secondly, I have no faith in no-name chinese crap. I found out later after building the house and wanting to stick it in the shed that I had in fact bought it FOR the FiL. Had I known that at the time, I would have bought one of the cheaper chinese ones. There is a bright side to the story, I've been informed that I can borrow it any time I like...

Its funny, after a very short while they took off the honda blades (nothing wrong with them) and replaced them with triangle shaped teeth with a square back. Discovered later that these are the cutting teeth for harvesters. Why did they replace them?? Because the neighbour with the crappy chinese brush cutter said he used them and they were better I think they go for them because they are only about 30-40 baht each (I recall Kubota sells theirs for 90 baht) not sure if there is any difference in the two except that the ones I saw had less serrations than the Kubots ones.

If it was for my own personal use and nobody else allowed to use it, it makes sense to go for a 2-stroke if you don't mind mixing the fuel. After using the honda 4-stroke in LOS and my 2-stroke in Aus, I prefer the 2-stroke. As I walked out of the house looking for a 4-stroke, I don't know whats on offer for 2-strokes in LOS.

I've had a few Honda's but better to replace them when things start to go wrong.
A couple of the old boys prefer the two stroke Robin. If there's a lot of bamboo then your probably best getting someone to go at it first by hand. Why not get someone with a tractor with front blade to clear it.

Originally Posted by withnallstoke

In theory that is correct, in practice, the nut does get loose and needs to be checked frequently.

You have a problem there that can be fixed.

Originally Posted by jubby

Why not get someone with a tractor with front blade to clear it.

We did it for the flat lad, but there are some parts (pics will follow) where the tractor can't go

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Originally Posted by Bung

Get a Honda 4 stroke.

Yes I have one and it has not missed a beat in 2 years.

One other word of advice make sure you wear thick knee high rubber boots for the snakes and protective wear for your face and arms.

I wear army boots, best protection, nothing get inside like when you wear rubber boots, and very stable especially when you work on a slope.

_

That tractor looks like a new version of mine. You'll be surprised where it will go as long as you reverse uphill and lowest gear down. If you get into trouble drop both implements and its going nowhere. don't forget the diff lock pedal either ;-)

Some pics, a while ago, when we cleared the entrance







An "avenue" made with the brush cutter. One of the biggest problem we have is maintenance. We are still looking for a caretaker ...




_

Originally Posted by superman

Originally Posted by withnallstoke

Recommend one of these Honda 4 strokes. Replace the standard blade with a larger one(there is a 15 inch one made by some German company). That set up will sort out small trees no problem, but with the 15 inch beast, make sure you keep checking the retaining nut on the blade underside because if it comes off someone could lose a limb.

If you use what Withnallstoke advises you'll be fcuked. The blade guard is on upside down. Oops sorry I forgot this is Thailasnd, so forget what I say.

Even less surprising is that the picture came from an Australian site - just a thick as Thais but a bit whiter...

Very Fertile/Lush but seems to be banana's and grass mostly.
certainly not a problem for that tractor.