Now that's weird: I first saw this site when surfing with my Droid phone. It allowed me to post a reply WITHOUT making me join the forum. I'm the Lane Dexter above. Then I went back to this discussion thread from a PC at work. It wouldn't let me post until I joined. I would not let me use Lane Dexter (my name), so I tried Hamilton Felix and it refused. Then I tried HamiltonFelix (no space) at it accepted. So after considerable runaround (initial membership confirmation said I had to log in as Lane), I'm a member. Yay. I still want a heavy duty brushcutter/clearing saw. I want to use a 10" blade, with as few teeth as I can; one doesn't like filing any more than necessary. I sure wish I could still find a Homelite XL in good shape, but it's a bummer when your favorite tools are only listed under "vintage" or "collectors" sites. Sounds like I'm stuck with buying something that locks me into their proprietary blades. I suppose the biggest Stihl is my best bet.

I have an ORC on my tractor. I probably couldn't get it back off it I wanted to. I was thinking about building a cutter head and using piano wire or guitar strings for the cutters. But I am not sure how they would hold up to cutting. Something like 3/8 cable is made up of several smaller strands of wire. What keeps it from fraying after a few hour's use. Maybe take a welder and fuse the ends so it doesn't fray. And that's awfully thick. More like beating the grass to death than cutting it. I don't have to worry about hitting anything solid. And I'm not looking to get a clean manicured look. Just something to keep the vegetation at bay. Use RoundUp around the house and outbuildings and such. But that's too expensive to use on fence rows and ditches. Once a month around the house is all it takes. I go through about 2 gallons of generic RoundUp a year. Pooh Bear

aesanders, have you ever actually had Himalayan blackberries on your property? During peak growth season, they can grow six inches per day. You go on a two week vacation, and when you come back, you've got blackberries with 1/2 inch diameter trunks where you used to have bare dirt. Last year, we had one area cleaned out, and I ignored it. I thought it was free of blackberreies, but this spring I went in there and holy camole - a blackberry canopy arched over my head - they had completely encircled a hedge of rosebushes! A string cannot deal with them. Somehow or another, you must have a device that's capable of a blade. My neighbor has a string trimmer with brush cutter attachment and says it's about three minutes from string to blade or blade to string - doesn't sound too bad, really. I figure I'll set it up with string, and do everything that can use a string one weekend, then set up with blade the next weekend, and hopefully just do weekly touch-up during growing season with the blade. Maybe you're right that for initial clearing, I need something bigger - I'll find out soon enough. But I am very certain that a string will be inadequate for routine maintenance. I can't imagine keeping after these blackberries with just a string...a blade is going to be required. Himalayan blackberries are a non-indigenous invasive species that, so far, seems to be concentrating on the Pacific Northwest...have never heard of them on the eastern seaboard. I used to live in Georgia, and they are much more invasive than, for instance, Kudzu. Here is a link that might be useful: Description of Himalayan Blackberries

Metal wire is pretty dangerous I use the plastic brush blades in my yard and they have metal blades on the outside of them. Pro's don't have to change the string or blades as much and can cut small trees with them. They pivot back inside attachment head so don't break off. Con's a set of blade replacements cost about 10 bucks but they are pretty easy to replace just remove attachment and it comes apart surprisingly easy. I have a neighbor who got some solid metal blades made from industrial steel where he works but that is not something that every one can get easily. I think ten bucks on the blades is way worth it and there are light blades can get 12 packs of that wont cut the small tree's but for grass work real well and tall weeds. http://www.amazon.com/Weed-Warrior-Heavy-Cutter-16246/dp/B001P2MWIA/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1246134391&sr=8-16 http://www.amazon.com/Grass-Gator-Brush-Replacement-4660/dp/B00004R9XR/ref=pd_bxgy_hi_img_b http://www.amazon.com/CMD-3610-LD-Replacement-Blade/dp/B00004R9XU/ref=pd_bxgy_hi_img_b