Weeds, nettles, thistles

[surveyor]

I come across the odd site on my travel that is very overgrown. Currently pondering how to fight 50 ft of head high weeds, nettles and thistles. Pushing through very quickly became painful. I usually need to open up a path rather than clear a patch of that makes sense...

One option seems to be a petrol strimmer, but I'm not keen on keeping it in the car, and I don't know in advance when these issues will pop up.

I'm not sure what else would work though? If a folding hand tool exists that would be of interest?

any suggestions?

[WinstonWolf]

A sharp scythe?

[lunarscope]

surveyor said:

I come across the odd site on my travel that is very overgrown. Currently pondering how to fight 50 ft of head high weeds, nettles and thistles. Pushing through very quickly became painful. I usually need to open up a path rather than clear a patch of that makes sense...

One option seems to be a petrol strimmer, but I'm not keen on keeping it in the car, and I don't know in advance when these issues will pop up.

I'm not sure what else would work though? If a folding hand tool exists that would be of interest?

any suggestions?

Get a lightweight petrol hedge trimmer - will chop through the weeds easily and won't get jammed-up, unlike a strimmer.

[battered]

Scythe

[lunarscope]

battered said:

Scythe

50ft with a hand Scythe ?
That's going to be hard, backbreaking work.
Much easier with a hedge trimmer.

[otolith]

[Magic919]

Battery strimmer might be worth having in the car.

[Issi]

buy a goat.

[biggiles]

Having recently looked at battery vs. petrol strimmers, a battery one probably won't have the poke. Keeping a petrol one in the car shouldn't be too much trouble.

Presumably you've tried a heavy stick? A heavy steel fencing pin makes short work of nettles and brambles I find.

[surveyor]

Issi said:

buy a goat.

Did you read my OP?

[paulw123]

used to use a 'Slasher' its basically a billhook on a shaft.
easy to clear a path for access through tall undergrowth

https://www.cromwell.co.uk/shop/hand-tools/bill-an...

Edited by paulw123 on Saturday 30th July 15:22

[jmorgan]

Roll of matting and some good gardening gloves? Stamp it down. Roll out, stamp it down.....

[C Lee Farquar]

"We were unable to inspect......... due to the density of the foliage"

[RedLeicester]

lunarscope said:

Get a lightweight petrol hedge trimmer - will chop through the weeds easily and won't get jammed-up, unlike a strimmer.

Anyone using a strimmer for nettles and thistles needs their head examining. It's a job for a brush cutter or clearing saw.

[battered]

lunarscope said:

battered said:

Scythe

50ft with a hand Scythe ?
That's going to be hard, backbreaking work.
Much easier with a hedge trimmer.

He's only clearing enough to walk through, not harvesting a field.

[lunarscope]

battered said:

He's only clearing enough to walk through, not harvesting a field.

Hedge trimmer will be easier and quicker, though, unless he wants to get to site all hot and sweaty ?
That's what I use for first-pass on garden clearances - works a treat. Any rotary tool will get jammed-up on long, tangled weeds/thistles/brambles, etc. as they wrap around the head.

[surveyor]

C Lee Farquar said:

"We were unable to inspect......... due to the density of the foliage"

Sadly not going to work for what I do....

[Murph7355]

RedLeicester said:

Anyone using a strimmer for nettles and thistles needs their head examining. It's a job for a brush cutter or clearing saw.

I do this reasonably regularly with the most vicious nettles known to man in terms of the pain they inflict.

My strimmer has the fattest line I can get on (2.7mm or 3.0mm, can't recall which) and it copes OK with most things up to well established brambles (the power of Stihl ).

But a brushcutter would be better to the point I'd also recommend one

OP - perhaps more robust clothing...boots, trousers and overcoat plus solid gloves. Enough to kick down the worst of it.

[dudleybloke]

Get a Python.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Python_Minefield_B...

[Welshbeef]

http://www.radmoretucker.co.uk/category/Silky_Shea...

One of the above and a machete will do the job - sure a work out but satisfying.



If not then you could get your petrol lawn mower on max height and push the handle down to your knees so it will in essence act like a big strimmer with a metal blade. Done it loads of times.


Personally I do enjoy using the strimmer