best all round tool for woodland cutting back

[Samon]

Billhooks are fine and dandy but you'll be in a back brace when your done.. They are best suited for light axe work such as hedging (even then a fine bit axe is usually better).

Get a cheap and long machete dude, they can be had for very little and do the job better.

 

[maddave]

I think you answered your own question in your original post... How about a pair of loppers?

 

[ged]

I like a brushcutter for cutting back dense undergrowth. Then the wife can do it.

 

[WolfCub]

Not good at links, don't know if just typing addy in post works ? Here goes www.logmatic.co.uk

These people advertise a bit of kit sort of part between a slaser and scyhth. Never seen or handled one. Might be useful for ground clearing ? Certainly save the back if it works ok.

No connection etc... just curious.

 

[palace]

Not good at links, don't know if just typing addy in post works ? Here goes www.logmatic.co.uk

These people advertise a bit of kit sort of part between a slaser and scyhth. Never seen or handled one. Might be useful for ground clearing ? Certainly save the back if it works ok.

No connection etc... just curious.

The brush cutter looks interesting!

 

[Stew]

Why not just use a machete for everthing under 2"? That's what I do as I found billhooks too heavy and sickles/scythes that are affordable to be cheap and barely sharpenable.

I use a 3 footish matindale machete for all my nasty bramble beating!

Billhook is a very wide term when you think on the number of patterns. I just received one in the post today that's very heavy in comparison to my Morris.

There are longer thinner ones than the Morris too.

Not saying they're necessarily the best tool for it though.

i agree with Dave - loppers for branches and brambles too!

 

[Samon]

this is my billhook,

and the top 3 machetes have all been used for this sort of thing. The top one (biggest) is my martindale beast, it's perfect. the martindale golok is terrible, it's more like an axe. and the old manky one is a 9 year old cheapo from ebay and it does a grand job but is just a little short for the big bramble jobs.

I've used full size 'slashers' (big curved heavy blades on long thick sticks) to clear grave yards when I was doing community service and they weren't very good.

Machetes are designed for this sort of thing, which is why they are light weight, sharp and long. perfect for getting the job done without throwing your spine out of place and getting all scratched up. You can get an 18" tramontina latin style machete for £10, I'd say they are a pretty damn good all round machete (I cut modified mine into a sword) that will do the job better than our heavy traditional British tools.

 

[Smith28]

Spearhead Destroyer.

 

[Jared]

Just remembered this thread after seeing this site..

http://www.tooltime.co.uk/shoppingcart/categories/Tools-%26-DIY/Hand-Tools/Landscaping-Hand-Tools/?sort=featured&page=1

Machetes for £4... they look like Martindales.

And a slasher for £12.

 

[treadlightly]

In the end I went for the Tramontina machete. Used it at the weekend and was very impressed. My back wasn't quite so pleased :aargh4:

 

[dancan]

FS550 will take care of everything , from grass up 3" pretty efficiently but can still cut bigger