Electric brush cutter, any good?

[rodp]

Looking to get a brush cutter for brambles, is it worth even looking at a 240v mains electric one? I was quite surprised by how good the Titan electric chainsaw was, so wondered if an electric brush cutter would be as efficient?

 Anyone use one or recommend one? Pro's and cons of them?

Edited June 5, 2022 by rodp
Clarity

[Stere]

Battery run time is very low on the makita I have only 10 -15 mins for x2 5amp. The power is 1kw motor same as a 35cc petrol.

 

Will do brambles easy/very well with a oregon mulch blade but need 6 bats and double charger etc  if alot of brambles.

 

Makita DUR369APG2 Twin 18V LXT Brushless Brush Cutter Kit | Toolden

WWW.TOOLDEN.CO.UK

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[rodp]

I was thinking mains to be honest, there's a power supply near the brambles.

[david lawrence]

If it’s not a rocky uneven area a 

scythe with heavy blade might do the job

 

[Stere]

No idea about mains ones do they make any ones that aren't "fisher  price"?

 

Scythe with a ditch blade i found very easy to use and effective but the   sharpening/ peening required  is difficult though & abit of  a skill to master.

 

 

[RickandMorty]

I recently brought a battery one. It works well, buy you can't go wrong with a petrol one.  I stay away from electric as I can't stand cables!

 

I would go for a decent battery or petrol

[Steven P]

how many brambles by the way? A one off job and you'll keep on top of it afterwards or a lot of jobs all the time with constant use of the brush cutter?

 

The reason I ask is I am cutting a new path through the woods, 20m long or so, all brambles and nettles, a one off job that will get mown a couple of times a year, did it with the hedge trimmer but started with garden sheers (I had the hedge trimmers for other jobs in the woods that day) and will get the mower over it next weekend to finish it off. Anyway the reason I mention this is that the paths I have cut the same way, sheers and a mower, are all tame now with no brush cutter. Might be you don't need to buy new kit if the job is a small one or a one off - suspect it might be when you say that there's a power supply near the brambles. or might be hiring one rather than buying and storing one. Second comment comes down to time, for a small job it might be quicker just to get out and do it with what you have, rather than an hour here or there researching what to get, asking on forums (internets steal time as we all know), an hour to go to the shops and back, an hour fiddling with new toys and showing it off (we all do that too) and then an hour to do the job, half a days work so far and sheers + mower, no extra cost? done in half the time?

 

 

 

 

As it happens, my mower that eats up anything I have thrown at it is nothing special a £99 job from our favourite warehouse DIY store (now they are about £150, that's how old mine is now). A couple of bits of plastic are missing now but it will chimble up most of the sticks on the wood paths, brambles, nettles, weeds, bark, shred the autumn leaves for composting, and when I get time will even cut my lawns too. Tend to leave the grass collector off it in the woods just because of the volume of cutting.. but wear long trousers and tall boots, the mower also does a mean ankle height stone throw!

[Steven P]

1 hour ago, RickandMorty said:

I stay away from electric as I can't stand cables!

They colour garden machinery cables red or orange so you can target them so much easier with the mower.

[rodp]

41 minutes ago, Steven P said:

how many brambles by the way? A one off job and you'll keep on top of it afterwards or a lot of jobs all the time with constant use of the brush cutter?

 

The reason I ask is I am cutting a new path through the woods, 20m long or so, all brambles and nettles, a one off job that will get mown a couple of times a year, did it with the hedge trimmer but started with garden sheers (I had the hedge trimmers for other jobs in the woods that day) and will get the mower over it next weekend to finish it off. Anyway the reason I mention this is that the paths I have cut the same way, sheers and a mower, are all tame now with no brush cutter. Might be you don't need to buy new kit if the job is a small one or a one off - suspect it might be when you say that there's a power supply near the brambles. or might be hiring one rather than buying and storing one. Second comment comes down to time, for a small job it might be quicker just to get out and do it with what you have, rather than an hour here or there researching what to get, asking on forums (internets steal time as we all know), an hour to go to the shops and back, an hour fiddling with new toys and showing it off (we all do that too) and then an hour to do the job, half a days work so far and sheers + mower, no extra cost? done in half the time?

 

 

 

 

As it happens, my mower that eats up anything I have thrown at it is nothing special a £99 job from our favourite warehouse DIY store (now they are about £150, that's how old mine is now). A couple of bits of plastic are missing now but it will chimble up most of the sticks on the wood paths, brambles, nettles, weeds, bark, shred the autumn leaves for composting, and when I get time will even cut my lawns too. Tend to leave the grass collector off it in the woods just because of the volume of cutting.. but wear long trousers and tall boots, the mower also does a mean ankle height stone throw!

just a relatively small area, about 20' x 20', very dense though and interwoven now and getting on for 6' high. One of the reasons for thinking brush cutter is footing, there's bits or rubble, timber, sticks etc underfoot and with a brush cutter the nasty bit is further away from the soft bits.

[topchippyles]

34 minutes ago, rodp said:

just a relatively small area, about 20' x 20', very dense though and interwoven now and getting on for 6' high. One of the reasons for thinking brush cutter is footing, there's bits or rubble, timber, sticks etc underfoot and with a brush cutter the nasty bit is further away from the soft bits.

Plenty of guts in an electric one for a small area. No quibble exchange with Screwfix