Chain Saw Recommendations

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Stihl saws, but what are you going to do with it all when it's cut? A brushhog would do it, especially on a tracked skidsteer, and you wouldn't have two acres worth of branches to get rid of after you are done.

[Matt Meiser]

I have chainsaws of all sizes, as well as all sorts of other small equipment, up through tractor implements. I wouldn't tackle that with a chainsaw. I'd use a clearing saw, sometimes called a brushcutter. It's like a giant string trimmer with a sawblade. Mine is a Stihl FS450K. You won't want to invest that much in one for a couple of acres, but look at the largest size stringtrimmer Stihl sells now, and a brushcutting blade and guard for it. I think it's a model FS120, but that's just by memory.

This is what I was thinking. I run a 3-blade knife on my FS90 but rarely encounter anything over 1". Like a TS, the 10" blade isn't going to cut over 3" or so in a single pass and you are going to need power for that. I'd want a full brushcutter for more than occasional use, not a trimmer running a knife.

[Harry Hagan]

That looks a lot less like chainsaw work to me and more like renting a skid steer with a bush hog on the front. Thats a days worth of work with that machine, weeks worth of back breaking labor with a chainsaw.

Agree with the others, even a small well tuned saw, a good lesson in sharpening, and you'd be fine. Its not uncommon to re-sharpen several times a day.

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I agree. A track skid steer with a bush hog on the front. What's your plan for erosion control?

[David G Baker]

I cleared around 3/4 acre with a Shindawa brush whacker (weed whacker with a brush blade added). It took a while but I did it. Most of the brush was smaller than 2 inches across. I actually used it to cut a 6 inch across tree with out much of a problem. The blade was an Oregon 90 teeth per inch.

[Tom M King]

This is what I was thinking. I run a 3-blade knife on my FS90 but rarely encounter anything over 1". Like a TS, the 10" blade isn't going to cut over 3" or so in a single pass and you are going to need power for that. I'd want a full brushcutter for more than occasional use, not a trimmer running a knife.

The FS450K has a compression release on it. Without it, it's not possible to pull the cord with it at your side. It's a beast. It comes with a full back harness with a pad on the hip that it rests against. We mainly use if for thinning young pines, but it's good for brush cutting too, or knocking down young pine trees where you don't want them.

[Mark Bolton]

I agree. A track skid steer with a bush hog on the front. What's your plan for erosion control?

That ground doesnt look that steep to me other than the small cleared portion but of course tough to see in an image, and its dry. I'd not have a care in the world about going at that with a skid steer or track loader . Either would tackle that with zero issue. The track may be nice but they always steeper to rent around here at least.

Grading, wet, soft, I lean towards track loader for the reduced ground pressure but thats about it. When its hard and dry whichever is cheaper

[Jim Andrew]

Now that I've seen the pics, wondering if you have a way to get down there to the more level part where the brush is? If that were my mess to clean up, think I would use my tree shear and skid steer. I bought a tree shear, it is a Wichita Shear, small company from Wichita, and use it on my 60xt Case. Bought it to cut trees in my pastures, and it will cut a 10" tree. Have to treat the stumps or they grow back so fast you can't keep ahead of them. I use Remedy and diesel fuel to spray on the bark of what is left after the tree is cut off. Have to get a rate from your county agent. In a mess like that, you need a grapple to move the trees after you cut a few or you have no place to go next.

[Ole Anderson]

[Michael Mayo]

You can forget the chainsaw you are going to need some serious machinery to get this job done. I would go with the recommendations to rent a big machine that handles brush clearing and it should only take a day to clear it all up. Getting rid of all the cuttings is going to be another big job I hope you have a plan for that after you are done mowing everything in site down to ground level. That is going to leave you with a huge pile of debris to deal with. Also like someone else mentioned what are you going to do about keeping the dirt on the hillside after all of that ground cover is gone?

[Rich Riddle]

The slope of the hill is about forty degrees, more in some places. Not sure a big piece of machinery could handle that. Then there is the problem with getting it back to the location. I don't want to use a chain saw more than anyone else, but that's what seems to be practical for the job. It's a slow go for certain. After cutting, I am shredding/chipping all of it. The 10 HP chipper works like a champ. Can't wait ti haul that back up the hill. We have a botanist for erosion control. Some of those honeysuckle are 10" in diameter. Quite large.

[Rich Riddle]

Now that I've seen the pics, wondering if you have a way to get down there to the more level part where the brush is?

It levels out near the Ohio River bank but other than that it's nearly a cliff the entire way.

[Matt Day]

I didn't see if you answered the question or not - what diameter brush in general are you cutting?

I've used both the shaft driven weedwackers with a circular saw style blade, and with a hedge trimmer attachment for trail maintenance and they do the trick on most brush. For things less than say 1", the hedge trimmer attachment is great because it's so fast. And the bigger stuff can be done with the circ saw attachment. It would be much easier on your back.
Bending over or even Crawling on your hands and knees with a chainsaw for 2 acres sounds miserable.

[Kevin Bourque]

That scrubby stuff can be knocked down with a chainsaw( the slooooooowest way) or a Bush hog( much faster), but you'll still have zillions of stumps sticking out everywhere. You should really consider pulling those scrubs up by their roots.

[Mark Bolton]

The slope of the hill is about forty degrees, more in some places. Not sure a big piece of machinery could handle that. Then there is the problem with getting it back to the location. I don't want to use a chain saw more than anyone else, but that's what seems to be practical for the job. It's a slow go for certain. After cutting, I am shredding/chipping all of it. The 10 HP chipper works like a champ. Can't wait ti haul that back up the hill. We have a botanist for erosion control. Some of those honeysuckle are 10" in diameter. Quite large.

… 40 degree slope is basically unwalkable 80+% grade. Machine could still do it with runout but the 10" diameter is the deal breaker. Now sounds like excavator, and take the brush out by the root (best option anyway). Bad excuse for a new tool. Put the chainsaw money towards the excavator.

[Jim Matthews]

I use my chain saw for cutting log length trees into stove length firewood.

Cutting brush isn't the first thing I would use my saw for; the likelihood of going to ground is high.
Dirt and sharp blades don't go together.

This calls for a task-specific tool - the brush cutter.
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Bent over, with a chainsaw turned sideways to the ground for two acres is a daunting task.