Hedge trimmer

Rallo

Good day,

I have 1200 meters of hawthorn and other growth along my driveway into my house. It is a very old driveway and I want to ensure the hedges are maintained properly. I also have 50 acres with substantial hawthorn hedges which I would like to keep under some level of control. I want to cause minimal damage to the hedges and wildlife.

I suffer from a spinal issue and cannot manually trim all these hedges. I don't want to have some person come in with a flail mower and damage the hedges, I would prefer to do it myself. I have an 80hp tractor and was wonder what people's thoughts are with using a finger bar trimmer such as Rinieri BRM 200 or similar. Are they a good piece of kit or do you have any other brands that you would recommend?

minerleague

Not sure a finger bar trimmer will do heavy work, you'll have to gather up all cut bits off driveway also. Not a fan of flail hedgetrimmers either, maybe someone with a circular saw trimmer or excavator with shear attachment and the keep it tidy with a finger bar afterwards.

Fine Day

We have few whitethorns hedges here including are the site of the house. Also cut it ourselves with the flail hedge cutter. My dad is very handy with it and it turns out very well. Was cut lately.

wrangler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058268613/hedge-trimmer

Even a years growth is too much for the finger bar hedgecutter, you'd need to cut twice during the summer which you're not allowed do.

As you're against flail I'd advise a saw every two or three years, if you do a third every year you'll have the other two thirds with good crops of berries for wildlife

funkey_monkey

Is this 600m up each side of a long driveway? Are you going to top all the hedges or leave some untopped?

Do you have control of the field side of these hedges? Ideally your hedge should be thicker at the bottom than the top. Some of the hedges would be better untopped (or escaped) as a variation.

Will you be able to mount the brm200 on the front of your tractor? I ask as if you have spinal problems turning around to watch and control the trimmer might be painful for you - hoedown as you say your have 50 access to maintain too. Does your tractor have a front loader for a slanetrac hedge trimmer - or can the brm200 be put in front of your 80hp tractor. Finger cutters are not great at dealing with strong hedges. Would you be able to use a hedge cutter with a saw blade setup - not he if 80hp would be sufficient, depending on your land type obviously.

The laneway hedge you could cut at the start and end of the season. Interior hedges are best cut every 2 years for wildlife - which might be beyond a finger cutter.

https://youtu.be/IISj4PlSBhk

https://youtu.be/OV4EkIi37bA

wrangler

Even topping the hedges with the fingerbar the material drops on the blade and clogs it

Grueller

There is a good reason that the flail is the dominant type of hedgecutter. It works. The fingerboard is fine for a driveway being trimmed 4 times plus a year but not for a once a year trim.

roosterman71

I've a slanetrac the last few years. Think 2018 it arrived. Used it every year except this one. 100% flail now and the slanetrac will be introduced to Donedeal. We used it to cut sides of hedges, along by sheep wire. Firstly, someone mentioned that the stuff falling will clog it. Yes. 100%. You can get around that by having the motor at the top when working. If it's at the bottom then it will clog.

• It's hard to judge where wire and things are when working. You will snag them
• It isn't great for tops of hedges. It will clog up
• It will easily cut a years growth. I broke one section on the blade in all my time
• More hydraulic power in the tractor will mean it will cut stronger stuff without choking
• Having a bad back might mean ya'll struggle pulling it around to extend out the support arm or for turning the blade from one side to the other. There's plenty of metal in it to shift
• Evergreens are it's nemesis. Besides not really knowing how far to clip in (see the first point), the leaves kinda run along in front of the blade. Doesn't do a clean job.
• For clipping down the back of wire to keep briars and things back, it's ideal
• The clippings will need to be cleaned up afterwards. They aren't mulched

Rallo

Hi guys,

Thank you very much for your comments and opinions. I think the flail cutter is the winner.

Just to answer some of your questions.

800 meres on one side and 400 meter section on the other side.

I have the land each side of the hedges so no issue there.

I have a front loader on the tractor and would adapt it to carry the cutter, that's why I was hoping the finger type would be sufficient- it is easily adaptable to a front loader.

I would be topping off the hedge to keep the width at the bottom.

Thanks gain for you taking the time to reply.

Rallo