# Cutting trails



## alderman (Aug 6, 2016)

Spent part of the afternoon cutting my 4-wheeler trail. 
I cleared most of my property over the years with a larger brush cutter and a blade. 
I graduated to .105 line after I got most of the woody stuff knocked down. 
Today I used a smaller Shindaiwa C27 and .095 line and with very little woody stuff the machine and line performed well. 
I also am surprised how much difference a slightly lighter machine makes. 
Even though I can't go as long and as fast as I used to, I still enjoy working in the wood lot and seeing the results of a couple hours work. 

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## birdcolonel (Aug 31, 2016)

alderman said:


> I also am surprised how much difference a slightly lighter machine makes.



Love my brushcutter! I've had it for almost 15 years - still going strong, but replacing the fuel lines/grommets now. The three point blade cuts all sizes of stuff. I can move fast down an overgrown fenceline or through an open area. Like you, after the woodies are gone, I can maintain with a trimmer. The last three couple of years I've used the 0.099" Oregon FlexiBlade line - it rarely breaks if you're careful. I would like a lighter trimmer though because of my old back!


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## CTYank (Sep 7, 2016)

Since it was new in the '70s I've put thousands of hours on a 21 cc Echo trimmer/brushcutter, most of that with 8-knife or 80-tooth 10" blades. The 8-knife cuts woody stems up to 3/4" depending on species and the 80-tooth up to 4" conifers. The machine has needed new clutch shoes and throttle cable, and a carb rebuild- big deal. About 14 lbs. ready to go, and it's still ready.
Recently it's gotten a lot of runtime at local Audubon preserve removing tangles of invasives up to 10' high, with their $600 FS-130 stihl brushcutter sitting idle because it's so heavy and unwieldy. We tried. That Echo with 3/8-knife, or 20/40-tooth carbide, or chainsaw-cutter blade works so well, there's no temptation to grab the stihl. Excess weight is an absolute killer- huge fatigue-factor.
Recently 27 cc Tanaka and 25 cc Husqvarna brushcutters have joined the "fleet", and are also a pleasure to run with current blades, they are so light, maneuverable, and powerful. (Any nylon line would be useless out there, since we're totally in a reclamation phase.)
Definitely another case of "less is more"- my back aint getting any younger either.


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## ironman_gq (Sep 14, 2016)

Just bought a Shidaiwa C3410 and with an 8" carbide 56 tooth blade and airecut blade it's been a game changer for opening up neglected trails for me! Used to do it all with a chainsaw and it was killer. Brushcutter makes things so much easier and that airecut makes raspberry cane disappear quick! Went with the 12" tri-wing, seems to do really well on anything up 1/2" diameter anything bigger and I go with the carbide.

Mostly use this for trail clearing to my deer stands, mostly cutting wrist poplar and tag alder with a TON of raspberry in between. By the time I'm done I can use a pushmower on my trails.


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