[japagow]

My house is in the woods and I have lots of chopping/pruning some of it  in tall growth about 2 feet high - shameful neglect - on a steep embankment.

Anyone advise me on what would be best a scythe or a strimmer?

If a strimmer ,is there a strimmer out there that would take on stalks as thick as bracken or fern without breaking ALL THE TIME. I seem to spend hours turning the strimmer upside down and fiddling about with the strimmer line and cursing ALOT.

If a scyther should it be a 36" handle or I'm looking at a hand scythe from Spear and Jackson that looks like it could do the job without too much aggravation.

Your advise please oh experienced ones.

[oldbean]

Strimmers are expensive and make a fair amount of noise. As you live in the woods you are more likely to have to jettison it and run if you hit a wasps nest. How do I know?

For scythes look at http://www.thescytheshop.co.uk/product%20list.html

A bush blade or a ditch blade would be probably the right one for you, but if you ask them you will get good advice. Cutting when the grass is wet is no problem either.

Have a look at http://www.scytheconnection.com/adp/video/index.html and look at "The old Quicktime mowing video". There is a bit of bank cutting there.

You could nip off to Somerset to see them before you buy and see them working.

[BrianK]

Some strimmers can have interchangeable heads. A "brush cutting head" would take quick care of the worst of the big stuff and these are usually metal blades or non extending nylon wire.

Heres one that you can hire

http://www.hss.com/g/62116/Brush-Cutter-4-Stroke.html

[Gwiz]

There are two types of "engine on a stick"
The first and cheapest type normally has a bent shaft and is designed only for use with a nylon grass trimmer line.
The second and more expensive type, has a straight shaft, can have "handle bars", and can be used with a steel blade to cut brambles, tall grass and bracken.
You can hire these if you are only going to use them for a day or so every year.
I'd go for the latter in your situation.

[Parsnip]

We've just bought one of these - it has a blade as well as the spool and you can interchange with other accessories, such as a cultivator


LINK

[Bombers]

We've just bought one of these - it has a blade as well as the spool and you can interchange with other accessories, such as a cultivator
Like this

[Walewein]

Someone has just ruined half our apple trees with a strimmer and chopped of grape vines etc. I have always done it with a scythe in half the time it took him and I did a better job as well. You do need to learn how to use a scythe though else you will just look stupid and ache all over and have no legs! Once you have learnt it is a lot easier than a strimmer and quicker. The scythe shop wil give you a lesson if you go down there or go to a scythe fair if you see one anywhere. I really don't like strimmers!

[Gwiz]

There is definitely a skill to using a strimmer and not causing a load of damage to plants.
A lot of people don't ever seem to acquire it, and ring the bark of trees and shrubs with the cord.
you see quite a lot of that on municipal areas where maintenance operatives are pushed to get things done in an unrealistic timeframe.

[Rangerkris]

I use a big strimmer/brushcutter loads at work, i cleared my plot in about an hour with a slasher it was bramble about 4 feet tall all over.  No noise apart from a few grunts from me and lots of exercise. 

[Kristen]

I've had good success clearing scrub with meta blade "Weed Eaters" as they were called when I was a boy!

I've had a lot more success with this type of blade:


than this type (which tends to wear down so that it has less cutting area)

[japagow]

Thanks to all for the advice. I am inclined to go for a scythe because of the expense and frustration with strimmer line but appreciate all the information on blades and different strimmer functions i.e. handle bars straight etc etc.

Once again many thanks.