# What to wear when brushcutting in and around posions ivy, etc?



## ANewSawyer (Jun 16, 2015)

So I am starting to gather gear to wear while clearing my property. But I have run into a slight problem. In my limited experiments with an airecut on the Shindaiwa, I am having trouble with catching poison ivy on my chest and lower neck. When I use string, I can direct the debris away from me. Not sure that is possible with a Airecut. Lol! Now, I have been wearing a dust mask, long sleeve cotton shirt, gloves, jeans, boots and a Husky forest helmet. Btw, I have ordered a plexiglass visor for my helmet that should keep poison off my face, not that I have had a problem there. Anyway, either the poison I cut is soaking through the fabric of my shirt or it is coming in around my neck inside the shirt. Probably the later. So I need something to drape between my helmet and shirt. Or even better, if there is some kind of suit made for this type of work. Biohazard is what I am thinking! I know, ideally, I should avoid the poisonous plant but that ian't always possible. Suggestions?


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## Storm56 (Jun 16, 2015)

A prescription for prednisone is about the best thing I can think of....


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## ANewSawyer (Jun 16, 2015)

Well, I have some steroid cream left over from a couple of years ago. It is still in date. I also wash off in rubbing alcohol. Don't laugh, it works. An old pharmacist told me about alcohol. It keeps me from getting it really bad.


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## Storm56 (Jun 16, 2015)

Seriously I used to get poison ivy pretty bad, seems I have built up some resistance as I got older. I still get it but not to the degree I used to. If I was up against what you are, I would go see my doc for a prescription. If you are on pred you usually will not get poison ivy. Get er done asap and keep it sprayed with roundup where you cleared, or as Anrie says, "I'll be back".


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## catbuster (Jun 16, 2015)

Try something like this that can be tucked under your shirt. This is nomex, but a lighter and inexpensive material would probably be better. Have you considered wearing a rain jacket with the hood up under your helmet?


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## ANewSawyer (Jun 17, 2015)

Cat, that is a good idea.

I don't like prednisone. I would rather have a little bit of poison. Prednisone really makes me feel funny.


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## ANewSawyer (Jun 18, 2015)

I was thinking about this today and realized the solution is to use a blade that doesn't throw the cuttings on me.


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## moondoggie (Jun 18, 2015)

ANewSawyer said:


> So I am starting to gather gear to wear while clearing my property. But I have run into a slight problem. In my limited experiments with an airecut on the Shindaiwa, I am having trouble with catching poison ivy on my chest and lower neck. When I use string, I can direct the debris away from me. Not sure that is possible with a Airecut. Lol! Now, I have been wearing a dust mask, long sleeve cotton shirt, gloves, jeans, boots and a Husky forest helmet. Btw, I have ordered a plexiglass visor for my helmet that should keep poison off my face, not that I have had a problem there. Anyway, either the poison I cut is soaking through the fabric of my shirt or it is coming in around my neck inside the shirt. Probably the later. So I need something to drape between my helmet and shirt. Or even better, if there is some kind of suit made for this type of work. Biohazard is what I am thinking! I know, ideally, I should avoid the poisonous plant but that ian't always possible. Suggestions?


Need goats.


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## catbuster (Jun 18, 2015)

ANewSawyer said:


> I was thinking about this today and realized the solution is to use a blade that doesn't throw the cuttings on me.



What guard do you have on the Shindy? I know it seems like a dumb question but your choice of debris guard makes an unbelievable difference in what winds up on you. I also really think you won't find a brush knife type blade that doesn't throw things. An Airecut throws more than others, yes. But in terms of productivity and versatility they beat the pants off anything else. You can use it as a shredder blade or a brush knife. The most benign one you can find is probably the Stihl tri-blade brush knife. But even that throws stuff around. You just need to find a debris guard that keeps the stuff the Airecut's debris directed away from you.

I can't really give you any advice because poison ivy and oak do literally nothing to me, but I can tell you that some sort of hood is your best friend in this case.


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## ANewSawyer (Jun 18, 2015)

Hang on, I am going to have to go pull the part number off the web. It is an Echo guard that is OEM to work with the Shindaiwa. This one: http://www.ereplacementparts.com/guard-assy-p-823725.html. 

Actually, part of the problem is that I didn't have the guard in place during part of my work. It kept rotating into the blade path. Instead of stopping and tightening it, I slid it up the shaft out of the way. 20/20 hindsight says that was a big mistake. It is tight now. But it only covers a small foot print of the blade. Better than nothing though.


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## LegDeLimber (Jun 19, 2015)

You might find that the guard works a tiny bit better if:
It's clocked a little bit toward the side where the blade swings to you.
For battling the ivy, I'd darn sure be trying to find that sweet spot!

For just running a string trimmer through the edges of wooded places here,
I've found that waiting till I'm just flat out sweat soaked after th grass cutting and stuff.
Seems like wet skin and clothing doesn't quite let the oils settle in as well as while dry.

when I was a kid, I could wade through a patch of swinging an old sling blade.
Somehow when i hit my early 40's I began to react to it. 
Not really bad, But I'll get a few small itchy bubbles if I don't go strait to the shower when I'm done.
I'll put everything else away, except the trimmer and then all i have to do is put that away and go hit the shower.


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## jrider (Jun 19, 2015)

If you really get it like some of us, there is nothing you can wear. You will get it on you while removing the clothes.


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## ANewSawyer (Jun 19, 2015)

My right leg broke out today. Either that or it is chiggers. I am a big proponate of doing things myself but I don't really want to be half man, half poison ivy. I am going to have to rethink this. The worst brush is right under a power line and would be totally poison plants if the blackberries/brush didn't grow above it. I may have to hire this job out to a machine pulled bush hog.


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## moondoggie (Jun 19, 2015)

I am serious rent some goats they love poison ivy.


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## srb08 (Jun 19, 2015)

Disposable Tyvek coveralls would work but might be uncomfortable in warm weather.


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## ANewSawyer (Jun 21, 2015)

I found a place that rents goats near Knoxville (which is just down the road from me). I may give them a call.

Diposable coveralls. Bingo. Something like this: http://www.lowes.com/pd_631598-968-...?productId=50281813&Ns=p_product_price|0&pl=1. 
It may be uncofortable to wear but it can't be as bad as poison. But I would have to be careful about staying hydrated.


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## capetrees (Jun 21, 2015)

How big and open of an area are you clearing? The best way is with a mulching mower of some sort. Even a cheap beater lawn mower raised up will do. Preferably a brush hog on a mini skid or a full sized skid works awesome and then hit the crap out of the area with Roundup.


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## catbuster (Jun 21, 2015)

capetrees said:


> How big and open of an area are you clearing? The best way is with a mulching mower of some sort. Even a cheap beater lawn mower raised up will do. Preferably a brush hog on a mini skid or a full sized skid works awesome and then hit the crap out of the area with Roundup.



My Cat 287C XPS (High Hydraulic Flow) with a Fecon mulcher goes out at $125/hour at a 2 hour minimum. Most of the time homeowners can't swing that.


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## ANewSawyer (Jun 21, 2015)

I figure that by the time I rent a tractor or skid steer with a brush hog, I could almost pay for something to do it myself. Same with paying somebody else to do it. Don't have a quote on the goats yet. This is not a real big plot, about 1.5 acres. This was bushhoged two years ago but you can't tell. It would take a while but I want to be able to mow this ground with a regular lawn mower. But I am not willing to become Mr Poison Ivy though. I have been working to clean the edges of another part of my property and that is what led to my most recent case. Itchy. I want a pair of coveralls just for working in the yard or for plain weedeating. Sometimes I feel like I have to scrape grass off, just from weedeating.

This is just like anything else worth doing, you can't rush into it and expect great results. You have to weigh all your options and seek counsel. I really do appreciate all the good suggestions!


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## capetrees (Jun 22, 2015)

catbuster said:


> My Cat 287C XPS (High Hydraulic Flow) with a Fecon mulcher goes out at $125/hour at a 2 hour minimum. Most of the time homeowners can't swing that.




Says it's about an acre and a half. 3 hours with the Fecon, $375, very good money invested for the first cut.

Newsawyer, consider all you've spent so far to get maybe nowhere AND covered in ivy.


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## ANewSawyer (Jun 25, 2015)

I started a new thread up in big equipment about what to do after I get my place clear: 
http://www.arboristsite.com/communi...shhogged-and-cleared-what-to-do-after.282171/

Had the first quoter over. We looked over as much as we could get to. He said $60 an hour to brush hog it. I guesstimate 4-5 hours of work.

He had heard of a mulcher but doesn't own one because he doesn't do enough clearing. But he wants one to play with. I can't say I blame him...

I have an other guy's name and number. But he just does bush hogging as a side job. I may just grill him over the phone. I wonder if he is insured?

By googling I came up with a company called Ramsey's Excavation. What I can find on the web shows that they seem to be a company who specializes in many things including land clearing. Want to give them a call.

And I still need to call the goat people.


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