What tool for best reliability and function for my Acreage

[Seachaser]

I would say a tractor with bush hog for the mowing and ditches and cleanup with the kombi, save the rider and push mowers for the area near the house where you want a manicured low cut.

This. Anything else will be too labor intensive. Acreage costs money and equipment.

 

[fields_mj]

I’ve had their blades on my table saw and was impressed. But Forester for brush cutter did not work for me. But may have been hard green privet brush. Just bought stihl cutter tooth blade for my 240 R. I will report back. And I will try forester on more time (on saplings - maple red bud and ivy vines on Leylands) before I mount the stihl blade.

I'm not sure what blade you had on a table saw, but I'm pretty sure its not this. No idea how or why you'd put one of these on a table saw.

https://www.amazon.com/Forester-Cha...f9c2f34301a9e4f4a7ee72eb777&gad_source=1&th=1

I've also used the MTR brand and found that they do just as well at about half the cost if you buy the 2 blade kit.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C94RVFZ6?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

I've also tried blades that look like they belong on a table saw. Those do okay, but they don't really hold a candle to the ones with chainsaw teeth on them so long as you're using them on a big enough trimmer. My experience has been that these blades will rip through most saplings in a fraction of a second. They also do okay in tall grass and weeds, but they can get clogged easily in those conditions.

If you don't have a trimmer big enough to run these blades, I am currently using a Holzfforma-FF541R and like it. I've got a Stihl trimmer also, but I like the clone better because its only around $225 USD and comes with everything you need except a good blade. I beat the crap out of gas trimmers, and can't justify spending the money on another Stihl that I'm just going to tear up.

As others have said, these are not tools for covering lots of acreage. These are tools for dealing with the stuff you can't get to with the equipment you bought to use on acreage.

 

[SCMtnHaul]

My experience has been that these blades will rip through most saplings in a fraction of a second. They also do okay in tall grass and weeds, but they can get clogged easily in those conditions.

A chisel tooth blade will slice through 1"-2" saplings like a hot knife through butter and only slightly longer on larger material. I think that the power of the trimmer and sharpness of the blade makes all the difference. I rarely am just cutting saplings so it's good to know that the chainsaw tooth style blades can get clogged--I have yet to try one. The chisel style don't get clogged but they are a bit inefficient on grass and vines. Lately I've been using a 2 tooth shredder/mulcher blade and find it to be the best all-around attachment in terms of handling some woody material as well as vines and grass-like plants.

 

[fields_mj]

A chisel tooth blade will slice through 1"-2" saplings like a hot knife through butter and only slightly longer on larger material. I think that the power of the trimmer and sharpness of the blade makes all the difference. I rarely am just cutting saplings so it's good to know that the chainsaw tooth style blades can get clogged--I have yet to try one. The chisel style don't get clogged but they are a bit inefficient on grass and vines. Lately I've been using a 2 tooth shredder/mulcher blade and find it to be the best all-around attachment in terms of handling some woody material as well as vines and grass-like plants.

FWIW, I've had the 9" blades buried with no problems. Normally, this happens when I'm trying to remove large limbs from downed trees that I need to get past. One thing I will say is that if you're cutting bigger stuff (3" and up), it's good to have a blade with a wide kerf because it helps prevent the blade from getting pinched as bad if the tree shifts and tries to fall back on the blade. I've bent the 9" blades a few times when this happens. To straighten them out, I find a log on the ground that isn't rotten, burry the blade in the log, and then put the bent portion in the log and lever the trimmer to bend it back. It's worked well so far

When I say it gets clogged, its not the blade that gets clogged but the trimmer head itself. The blades that only have 2 or 3 cutting edges have plenty of room to allow the cut material to free itself from the trimmer where as ANY blade that has a solid center will not allow that to happen. The long grass ends up getting wrapped around the trimmer between the blade and the guard. Not a huge deal, just something to keep in mind.

 

[Howard Justice]

I'm not sure what blade you had on a table saw, but I'm pretty sure its not this. No idea how or why you'd put one of these on a table saw.

https://www.amazon.com/Forester-Cha...f9c2f34301a9e4f4a7ee72eb777&gad_source=1&th=1

I've also used the MTR brand and found that they do just as well at about half the cost if you buy the 2 blade kit.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C94RVFZ6?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

I've also tried blades that look like they belong on a table saw. Those do okay, but they don't really hold a candle to the ones with chainsaw teeth on them so long as you're using them on a big enough trimmer. My experience has been that these blades will rip through most saplings in a fraction of a second. They also do okay in tall grass and weeds, but they can get clogged easily in those conditions.

If you don't have a trimmer big enough to run these blades, I am currently using a Holzfforma-FF541R and like it. I've got a Stihl trimmer also, but I like the clone better because its only around $225 USD and comes with everything you need except a good blade. I beat the crap out of gas trimmers, and can't justify spending the money on another Stihl that I'm just going to tear up.

As others have said, these are not tools for covering lots of acreage. These are tools for dealing with the stuff you can't get to with the equipment you bought to use on acreage.

Thanks for your comments. I stand corrected. I mistakenly thought Forrest made the Forester Brush Blades. Forrest based in TX makes outstanding woodworking blades.

I sharpened it, the Forest Brushcutter, w my Stihl 2in1 and it performed better in maple saplings. But not as well as I expected. I will try the MTR brand. I’m eager to see how the Stihl Chisel will perform. I have a mix of English Ivey (from neighbors place) and small saplings. Ivey is matted w 1 to 2 inch leaders climbing Leyland cypress hedge. Running a Fs 240 2 stroke. I think it’s 2.7 hp. I’ll read up on the Holzfforma.



https://www.forrestblades.com/

https://forestershop.com/

 

[SCMtnHaul]

a wide kerf because it helps prevent the blade from getting pinched as bad if the tree shifts and tries to fall back on the blade

Yeah I've had that happen when cutting larger stuff, especially if it's something larger that requires 2 or 3 separate cuts to fell.

 

[fields_mj]

I will try the MTR brand.

FWIW, in my opinion the MTR are exactly the same as the Forster. The only thing you will get by trying the MTR is that they will be new.