Appendix 3
SOME TIPS FOR BRUSHCUTTERS with nylon blades
from Vernon Bailey
These points may seem terribly obvious. But I have not really seen or
heard most of them taught, except point 1); they derive more from "trial
and error" learning. They may be useful to some new or old hands. These
notes should be read in conjunction with paragraphs on "Brushcutter" in
the section on HERBACEOUS WEEDS - Control methods - Manual methods, in
# IV of this website.
They don't attempt to give a complete instruction for beginners on how
to use a brushcutter- it is assumed the person reading these notes has
already been trained in the basic procedures.
1. Starting: Make sure the fuel pipe opening to fuel tank
is switched on, and the "Stop" switch not in operation. Check that the
fuel pipe (from reservoir to throttle) is correctly inserted into the
reservoir (it can get dislodged). Click the choke/throttle mechanism in
place so as to provide fuel-rich mixture when the first sparking takes
place.
2. Fuel type. Make sure also you have the correct fuel.
Some machines use a dilution (oil:petrol) of 1:25, others 1:40. The larger
and older machines usually use 1:25. With the wrong type of fuel, the
machine probably won't start at all.
3. Difficulty in starting: pull the cord rapidly several
times (up to 10) first. If not yet started - this will probably have been
enough to flood the carburettor. So then one must leave it alone for 1-2
minutes, even up to 5 minutes, to let the surplus fuel evaporate, before
trying again.
4. Fuel economy. The idling machine uses very little fuel.
Unless there is a lot of tall grass, or thistles are very dense, one can
usually let the machine idle while moving on from one individual thistle
or small clump, to the next. This allows a small brushcutter, for instance,
to run for up to 4 hours on a single tank-full.
Don't over-rev
the motor. Once the motor is running, and warm, it will "idle" without
any throttle.
One only needs to use the "accelerator" strongly when working in thick
grass (especially oats) or when tackling thick weeds of any sort.
5. On sloping ground, work up-hill, not downwards.
Working up-hill has at least the following advantages:
� easier on the back
� enables you to see the base of the stems being cut and thus ensure they
are cut low enough
� minimizes risk of slipping or falling
� enables you to spot nearby or underlying stones and rocks easier.
6. Blades flying off. Often, saffrons which are old and tough,
and 1 cm or more in diameter at the base, may be enough to make the blades
fly off. They may go in a radius of 10 m or even more - and in my experience,
half the time one can never find them again. With proper care blades can
be used for as much as 12 hours (remember too, they are reversible: when
worn on the front edge, turn them over and this reverses the action).
If one flies off, at least one has to put the machine down, find it and
re-load it, and once it starts coming off, it usually continues to do
so - so it all slows down the work.
7. Dealing with stems > 1 cm. A small pair of secateurs can be
carried in the pocket, and are very useful, to cut off these thicker stems.
If no secateurs available, another - but risky - strategy is to rev up
the motor and give a sharp swipe at the stem with the wrists. This will
usually succeed in cutting the stem - but not always!
Another possible dodge is to rev up the motor, just touch the side of
the stem to create a nick, then step on the stem or twist it so as to
bend it over and it may snap off, or be easier to slice again.
8. Near rocks: Be very careful. Hitting a rock is the commonest
cause of blades flying off. Of course the difficulty is mainly with rocks
hidden by grass - rocks that can be struck when trying to cut low down
as recommended in 9.
9. Slash as low as possible, i.e. below the lowest lateral leaves.
This applies to any kind of thistle. If the lowest leaves are left in
place, the stump will grow again. Actually saffrons usually don't have
any leaves low-down, but they are sometimes lying flat on the ground and
then we need to be sure to get near the base of the stem.
10. Other larger thistles - Variegated, Spear or Scotch - are often
too thick to be tackled with nylon blades - but may be tackled when small,
or by nicking as mentioned in 7 above. These thistles are usually better
cut with giant secateurs (loppers). Spear thistles and milk thistles are
however softer and often smaller; smaller ones can easily be slashed with
brushcutter.
11. Wildflowers. Occasionally we come across thistles in the midst
of a clump of wildflowers, or wildflowers in the midst of some thistles.
It is a pity to destroy the wildflowers for the sake of slashing the thistles!
With care, we can stoop and either slice off (with secateurs) the thistles,
or pluck them if small. Wildflowers are particularly often present but
hiding, around large stones/rocks.
12. Other fleshy weeds met "en passant". It may be useful to slash
them; but they often grow again after this. So it is better to pull them
out completely. Verbascum, unless very small, is usually too tough for
the nylon blades. Fleabane and Prickly Lettuce usually grow again. But
a farmer friend says that he managed to control Patterson's Curse and
St John's Wort by slashing them successively 3 times. This is unproven
but should be worth a controlled trial.
13. Fireban. If the weather forecast is for anything above or
near 30 degrees, it is mandatory to check, before going to work with a
brushcutter, whether there is an absolute or partial fire ban. Brushcutters
even with nylon blades can still generate sparks (very occasionally) -
when the rotating metallic head strikes a rock. Tel. 6207 8600 - available
24 hours daily. If there is a "total fireban", don't go!
14. Health protection in hot weather. If it is hot, one thing to
beware of is dehydration leading to cramps. To avoid cramps: Drink
a good quantity of Indian Tonic - it contains quinine, which is effective
against cramps. Preferably, take a large bottle (1.25 l.) to drink while
in the field - and pause for 5 minutes every hour or two to do so. At
least, drink some of this on return home. With the next meal, have a bowl
of soup with extra salt added.
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