Ryobi Brush Cutters - Any Advice?

[nileshpa]

Hi

A topic totally away from Actinic. I hate gardening & my back lawn is now more of a jungle. The lawnmovers' no good & Grass trimmer I had died few weeks ago - so I'm looking for a Brush cutter that will trim the grass as well as the wild weeds. Been told Ryobi's are pretty good so I'm looking at model# RBC30SET.

Has anyone got any experience of using these & perhaps where I can get it at a reasonable price? Any advice would be most appreciated.

Thanks
Nilesh

[OllyBug]

Hi there.

How large is the area to be cut? I don't know a huge amount about brush cutters but my advice would be to talk to a local dealer as they will be able show you the correct tool for the job. Points I would advise you on though are:


1. Anti Vibration devices. Cheaper strimmers vibrate so much that it makes in uncomfortable to use for long.
2. Handle - I prefer bike handles if cutting larger areas.
3. Strap - If you buy a bike handle, invest in a decent strap which clips around the waist as well as the shoulders. If buying a loop handle, you may prefer not to use a strap at all (I didn't with our old one)
3. Head - Try and get quick release heads. Our cutter is just tapped on the ground (whilst spinning) to extend the nylon.

We have a Stihl FS90 which is a great tool but we do 3-4 hours of cutting a week. The ryobi sounds fine but even though we are on a forum full of online sellers, it is something that I would like to hold and get a feel for before buying.

[nileshpa]

Many thanks for your reply & the sound advice which is noted.

The area isn't actualy that big i.e. 150ftX30ft but is getting full of weeds now. Want something better than the local B&Q flymos. I recently bought a BigBear Petrol Strimmer from Screwfix but that kept stalling & had to give it back. One of my local Garden Centre showed me a basic Ryobi Petrol version which seems OK to use but have been told that RBC30SET is expandable and has a battery pack for easy start. Hence my question on whether these are any good.

Are there any Online retailers who sell brush cutters and can shed some light?

Many Thanks
Nilesh

[acompton]

If its just a one-off job, why don't you try a local tool hire centre?

[Duncan Rounding]

Or get some local garden service in for the day. Once you get it back under control it should presumably be easier to maintain regularly.

[Mike Hughes]

Or just spray the whole thing with glyphosphate. Probably the cheapest and best solution. A lot of those weeds won't die just by cutting them back.

Mike

[Duncan Rounding]

Hire a rotavator and have some fun.

[Mike Hughes]

Just look out for things like japanese knotweed. If you chop up the roots or stems you just create more of the plant as it will regrow from 2cm pieces. We have this coming in from our neighbours so I know all about it.

Glyphosphate (almost all weedkillers are this now - the cheap ones are as good as the rest) works wonders.

Mike

Although maybe we're getting a bit excessive for what sounds like an overgrown lawn.

[Duncan Rounding]

Bulldozer?

Real men's toys.

[grantglendinnin]

Glyphosphate (almost all weedkillers are this now - the cheap ones are as good as the rest) works wonders.

They sure don't do SBK like they used to anyway.

If your garden is unmanageable the quickest and simplest solution is to burn it. Sounds pretty sinister, but works. A box of matches cost less than 20p too.

[fergusw]

They sure don't do SBK like they used to anyway.

If your garden is unmanageable the quickest and simplest solution is to burn it. Sounds pretty sinister, but works. A box of matches cost less than 20p too.

Not helping the OP, however, ask a local farmer for the loan of one of his herbivorous beasts for the afternoon. A strong stake and a suitable length of rope for a leash should do the trick.
Cheaper than a 20p box of matches! Manure thrown in free!

[fergusw]

To help the OP - an Actinic site selling strimmers and brush cutters
Perhaps if you aimed your query at them you'd get an informative response?
[from Google search: strimmer acatalog]

[leehack]

You could move house, checking that the homeowner has a regular mowing schedule in place before you take the keys. I mow 5 times a fortnight, it's a recipe for success for a good lawn. Strip it, relay it, care for it will be the best bet. If you can't do the care for it bit, then membrane and a few ton of gravel .

[Mark H]

If you decide to go for something like Roundup, go for the small bottle of concentrate which makes 70 litres (£13) as opposed to the big bottle with spray (£20) which is only 5 litres

[grantglendinnin]

You could move house, checking that the homeowner has a regular mowing schedule in place before you take the keys. I mow 5 times a fortnight, it's a recipe for success for a good lawn. Strip it, relay it, care for it will be the best bet. If you can't do the care for it bit, then membrane and a few ton of gravel .

5 times a fortnight? Harsh - why not go to a farmers warehouse/farm shop and ask for Maleic Hydrazide (spelling?), you'll be mowing the lawn once a month after applying it


And no, Maleic Hydrazide isn't a Western European looking for work