For the maintenance of a garden, the brushcutter is a very practical tool, because it allows mowing and pruning with greater efficiency than the work of a lawn mower. Versatile, the brushcutter is a good investment for maintaining your exteriors with speed, precision and comfort. Let’s take a look at its features and discover our tips for choosing the right model.
What is the brush cutter used for?
The brushcutter is a tool used to prune vegetation and to mow brushwood and brambles in order to maintain land. More powerful and versatile than the traditional lawnmower, it is very useful for eliminating brambles and plants and shrubs in places that are more difficult to access or when the vegetation is too dense.
There are several brush cutter models to meet all needs.
The edger
The trimmer is a brushcutter in its simplest form. This electric tool is used to make finishing cuts and clear the edges of driveways and fences. It is the most basic model, light and easy to handle, ideal for the maintenance of small gardens that require cutting soft grass that is difficult to access with the lawn mower. Its power varies between 250 and 1000 W depending on the model.
The portable brushcutter
This device is the most used by individuals and can be equipped with a 2-stroke or 4-stroke heat engine or an electric motor. These models are available as blade or wire cutting heads. The portable brushcutter is very useful for cutting brush and brambles, provided you opt for a blade model. With its power of 1,000 to 2,000 W, it is suitable for gardens measuring up to 2,000 m², including steep or uneven terrain.
The backpack brushcutter
This device is equipped with a combustion engine to be carried on the back and a cutting tool which is carried and handled by hand. Less known, it was previously recommended for working on large sloping surfaces, in undergrowth or uneven terrain with an area of up to 5,000 m². On the other hand, it is heavy and more complex to handle.
The towed brushcutter
This wheeled model is equipped with a 4-stroke combustion engine to work on land up to 10,000 m². Powerful, it very easily cuts through brambles, dense vegetation, tall grass and brushwood. On the other hand, it is a model that cannot be used on steep or uneven ground, nor in the undergrowth.
The ride-on brushcutter
The ride-on brushcutter is the most powerful machine that complements the action of the towed brushcutter. It has the same characteristics and identical functionalities, but it is capable of mowing areas greater than 10,000 m². If its cutting width is the largest, with an average of 90 cm, it is not suitable for rough terrain either.
How to choose your brushcutter?
To choose the right model of brushcutter, we recommend that you take into account the surface and the nature of your land to invest in the purchase of a device adapted to its size and whose cutting head is effective.
The area to be maintained
To make a first selection among the models of brushcutters, take into account the surface you need to maintain.
- For a plot of less than 1,000 m²: you can make do with a small, handy model like the edger.
- For land of 1,000 to 2,000 m²: to maintain this type of land with vegetation composed of tall grass, brambles and brushwood, a portable thermal or electric model is sufficient.
- For a plot of 2,000 to 5,000 m²: the portable thermal brushcutter is the most interesting for maintaining such an area. If, on the other hand, your terrain is steep, uneven or if it is undergrowth, prefer a backpack model, which is heavier but more secure.
- For a plot of 5,000 to 10,000 m²: to maintain such an area, you can use a towed brushcutter or a ride-on brushcutter. These are the most efficient models, which can be suitable for uneven terrain that includes brambles, brush and tall grass.
- For a plot of more than 10,000 m²: unquestionably, you will need to invest in a ride-on brushcutter for such an area. This is the model used for the maintenance of green spaces and public gardens. Indeed, it is the most practical and efficient on large surfaces, and it is capable of shredding all types of vegetation on flat ground.
The cutting head
There are several types of brushcutter cutting heads. However, each has its own characteristics and is suitable for certain cuts and not for others. So it all depends on your needs.
- The nylon line cutting head: this model is equipped with two or four round or square shaped nylon lines. With two threads, it is sufficient for small finishing cuts on soft grasses and turf. With four wires, it can cut taller and thicker grass as well as very small brambles.
- The knife cutting head: this model fitted with knives is suitable for cutting small brambles, brushwood and tall, thick grass.
- The blade cutting head: the blade cutting head equips the powerful thermal brushcutters. For simple upkeep of regrowth, trimming brambles and brush and for clearing land, blades with 3 to 7 teeth are sufficient. For intensive clearing, cutting thick brush or cutting large clumps of brambles, prefer a blade head with 30 to 80 teeth.