Thick weed clearing on 3/4 acre

I have a spot on my farm that I got planted by some conservation group…300 saplings. What I didn’t factor in was how to keep all the weeds down. Thick stuff like golden rod all over. Since the trees are small and pretty close, I can’t run the tractor with the rotary cutter. So I was thinking getting something like a Stihl FS 131 with bicycle handles. Is that the right tool for the job? I don’t really want to get one of those push brush mower things…I can use the fs 131 (or something other equivalent) in other areas, and it takes up less storage space.
Anyways…suggestions or thoughts are welcome

 

A lawn mower would be your best bet in my opinion. Was you plot mowed off before the trees were planted ?

Unless your plot is tightly fenced off I would think that the wildlife in your area will be pretty rough on your trees over the winter.

 

Yea it was mowed. I am worried about damaging my riding mower…not exactly smooth terrain

I expect to lose some trees, but we did a plot in another area ten years ago and the trees did well. The most damage came from snowmobiles and atvs trespassing (out of sight area). We’ve got a mix of white pine, red/white oak, cherry and hackberrY. White pines should take off pretty fast

 

How big on the trees now? I cut down a brushy area behind my house in the fall and the weeds are so tall it is hard to see where the cutting head on my trimmer is. You may run the risk of cutting your own trees. A handlebar trimmer gives you good control.

 

They are tiny saplings. I was thinking of planting little flags in the spring when there are no weeds. And be careful around them. I’m not doing anything now

 

I clear weeds and brush with my fs110. I have unintentionally cut down saplings I really wanted to keep(Oak or Hickory). If you go very slow you might be ok but you might have collateral damage if you go that route. Mower might be better but i can't see what you are looking at either.

 

Yeah I figure there will be collateral damage. I do all the trimming around our flower beds, and sometimes a hosta is a victim. But I'm thinking a few saplings cut by me is a better survival rate than being suffocated by weeds. Plus it looks pretty unsightly this year, with all these weeds out of control.

How much land are you clearing with the FS 110? I actually have a Stihl kombi fs 91 already, but I need more power for this work + the bicycle handles and back strap to make it more comfortable.

 

Don’t overlook the FS111RX, the 131 is what I wanted, but they didn’t have one in stock, the 111 with brush saw blade is almost impossible to bog down. I was even lowering cedar stumps that were left kind of high on my shooting lane.

 

This blade…

 

Maybe altogether I keep down about 1/2 acre of deer paths and a couple areas. I only use it where the tractor won't go or where the ground/brush would tear up the mower or get stuck.



I use the tri blade. Keeping the blade sharp makes a world of difference. I keep one spare sharp one in the shed. If you keep the throttle hammered down the 4 mix will eat it. You'd have to do something really stupid to bog it down or wrap grass or string around the head.









I also was goofing off this summer and made some hay with it.


If you are set on the handlebar brushcutter see if they have this version of the harness for it. I broke part of the harness that hooks onto the cutter after 5 years of hard use. I went to buy a new harness and the one they had at the hardware store was a cheaper less supportive version and it was way over priced compared to the one I got with it. Rigged up an old serpentine belt and nut and bolt to fix it. Good as new.

 

That's awesome....the hay making I mean.
I just went to google earth, and I'm closer to a half acre too...will check the 111.

 

Do you have sumach bush in OK? Because if that blade is taking down some cedar, I could use it for clearing out a few other areas too!

 

The cedar is in WI on my hunting land.

 

Where is your hunting land in WI?

 

Thanks for the advice...I was thinking about buying a cheap riding mower. Definitely the easiest thing to do physically. Cutting a half acre or so a few times a year with a brushcutter (like FS111) is a bit daunting...I'll figure it out over the winter. I just hope the weeds die down enough so I can mark the saplings. There are 300 of them...probably lost a few, but I think a decent survival rate because we got a lot of rain this year.

 

That’s some solid advice. Another option would be a 36” walk behind. This time of year, you could probably get one for under $500.

 

I like this idea, something with a fabbed deck will be stronger than a riding mower...More control, tighter turning radius. $500.00 would be a score around here!