I need to clear a bit of very lightly used RoW due to the nettles and the thorny sharp bar stewards that draw blood. I love Stihl, Husky chainsaw never misses a beat but want a strong but cheap strimmer than can blitz it

If only going to be used rarely just hire one, you’ll get a good powerful one that’ll make the job a breeze

I need to clear a bit of very lightly used RoW

that you own?

Of you’re planning to use a strimmer on land owned by someone else that’s a public right of way?

My Local council have a RoW trimming team that you can report overgrown RoW to and they’ll clear it (usually in a couple of weeks).

Just the cheapest 26cc one from b&q. Upgrade the line to something a bit tougher though. Mines about years old and gets used monthly for the lawn edges and a couple of half days a year clearing back the wilder parts of the garden.

Yes, Stihl, Husky are excellent but are properly expensive.
Slightly cheaper: Robin = Fuji Heavy Industries = Isuzu = reliable.
50cc at least and a straight shaft to get the grunt to make light work of tough stuff; heavy bramble stems will destroy anything less than the toughest of nylon so you’re often better with a machine that has the option to run blades as well.

I recently got one of the Oregon mulching blades and I’m loving it for brambles etc.

Check out the battery ones

Pretty stealthy too 😉

+1 for battery. Very happy with our new Stihl. Easy to use, quiet and not as terrible for the environment

I bought a makita 4st petrol one a few years ago. Unlike every other petrol thing I own (Rhyobi hedge cutter discarded in disgust or Einhell rotavator that needs 95Ron straight into spark plug hole to start) the makita starts first time every time.

Battery ones are okay for light stuff but not much cop for thick heavy growth.

I’ve got a petrol one from Screwfix, not much used and no longer required. Free to anyone who can collect(E Midlands).

Are the screwfix ones or makita 2 stroke cheapies any use? I dont own the land but it is a core path r o w, takes the council to sweep the streets so they are a waste of time. Cant see how anyone other than a nearby farmer would object so it doesn’t totally become un uasable

Redmex, I have the cheapest one from Stihl and it’s been faultless. Used for the garden and clearing ROWs, past present and future. It’s been faultless. I use a solid metal blade and a top to bottom action and it’s absolutely The thorns in particular it destroys.

I bought a cheep hedge trimmer the other day which can take a strimmer attachment. It did what I wanted, and with low use I see no reason why it won’t last for years. That could be an option – pass with trimmer then with strimmer.

Something like this:

https://www.sgs-engineering.com/gpm501-52cc-five-in-one-multi-tool?gclid=EAIaIQobChMInvajmu2J5AIVwojVCh2cWgIwEAQYBCABEgLC-vD_BwE#

If it’s brambles a strimmer won’t touch them, as mentioned above a brush cutter is best. If you’re going to spend money get a multi-tool with strimmer, brush cutter and hedge cutter attachments.

Stihl here but get something you can get spares for locally as a few consumable parts. I d say with brambles a metal blade and up down action would be best. New blades should eat through brambles so best to keep replacing, you can turn them round too.

Wear protective clothing as things get flicked up, and look out for wildlife while working.

I recently got one of the Oregon mulching blades and I’m loving it for brambles etc.

What happens when you hit a hidden tree stump, which is inevitable our garden. Does it just stall the strimmer?

I get fed up of the twine keep getting snagged up and having to manually unwind the spool.

What happens when you hit a hidden tree stump

Depends on how you hit it, either it recoils/bounces off, or cuts into it if you just apply gentle pressure. I’ve borrowed a shtil one that happily munches through saplings 40mm thick.

Bush cutter attachments are better for anything more than gras/weeds as other say. Although a strimmer will happily eat brambles, just not with the cheap line that comes in the box.

Generally brush cutters are just more powerful strimmers with a blade attached..

I bought a brush cutter for clearing the road side of rough stuff.

Once cleared I then fitted a hd nylon line cutter and it’s actually much better for strimming what’s left than trying to use a brush cutter to do it.

Another top tip is -if you have a hedge cutter already is that it’ll do the initial clear as well and let you clean it up quicker with a line trimmer.

A pole cutter is even better as no bending down