Silly question time

[Taff855]

Ok I'm really tight and don't want to spend lots of money on a third ride on brush cutter but the 2 machines I have now can't keep up.

 

I have 17.5 acers of young woodland the planting plan was a Friday afternoon special and some of the trees are in rows the rest.... well they are random.

 

In spaces the rows are 1m appart but in others they go up to 1.2m appart (I didn't plant them it was the last owners employees)

 

I have a ride on flail mower and a ride on brush cutter and they are 1m wide and fit through all the gaps but due to woodland being a weekend and between shift type of job and each year I have only managed to cut the reeds between the trees back in about half the site it's becoming a loosing battle.

 

The site was left untouched since 2008 untill I purchased it in 2016. I need to cut the reeds back as they are killing the trees and in most parts higher than the young trees.

 

My plan:

 

I have a quad and was thinking of getting a 13hp briggs engine and mounting a 18" blade on a hanger to the bottom of the crank (obviously with a metal guard around the blade covering the front of the quad).

 

So it would be like a front mounted mower on the quad.

 

 

Do you think this would work?

 

I can't afford to get someone in to spend a month cutting between the trees so I have to do it myself. My brother and my wife run the other 2 machines. I have an old hayter condors which works well but is really slow.

 

Any suggestions.

 

 

[PeteB]

9n of those tow behind flails behind the quad?

[Taff855]

A mower on the front as a tow behind won't get around the random tree spacings

[tree_beard]

You should only really need to mow the rides.

 

If reeds are outcompeting the trees after 10+ years then perhaps the tree species are unsuitable for the area.

 

Your efforts may be better spent on drainage or replanting species that will outcompete the reeds. Failing that, thinning so you can fit a more productive flail around the site.

[Khriss]

How wet is the site ? On a slope or in a valley, sheltered or exposed? K