Hedge trimmer for under/behind electric fence

Siamsa Sessions · 01-07-2021 2:42pm #1

Hi all,

Could any recommend a hedge trimmer to cut back briars/nettles from electric fences?

I have wire running along ditches and the hedge grows out onto it at this time of year, and it kinda earths the fence.

I've looked at battery and petrol ones online and the costs seem to vary from €60-€200.

So, any particular brands, etc. to avoid?

Thanks.

amacca · 01-07-2021 4:31pm

you want one of the below ideally:D

https://www.mcconnel.com/vegetation-maintenance/power-arms/_product/1/swingtrim/

if its a lot of ditch/hedges......any chance you could get a friendly contractor with a flail in during the autumn and get it cut back to give you 2/3/4 years peace

thats my strategy, that coupled with a fencer with a good high joule rating capable of burning vegetation that can take earthing without losing so much that its ineffective

I thought about doing it by hand but its too time consuming so the above is the most cost effective labour reducing strategy for me anyway...but im lazy enough when it comes to going at things like that manually!

nqtfarmer · 01-07-2021 4:45pm

Have the same issue here, fence is v low at the moment. The heat has driven weeds and hedge rows mad. The contractor can do the worst of it but what do people find best for keeping them back?

[Deleted User] · 01-07-2021 5:41pm

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Hi all,

Could any recommend a hedge trimmer to cut back briars/nettles from electric fences?

I have wire running along ditches and the hedge grows out onto it at this time of year, and it kinda earths the fence.

I've looked at battery and petrol ones online and the costs seem to vary from €60-€200.

So, any particular brands, etc. to avoid?

Thanks.

Buy one with the bycycle handle bars other wise the vibration does your hands in.

https://promo.husqvarna.com/ie/exclusive-offers-ie/grass-trimmers-and-brush-cutters-ie/129r-bundle-ie/

Bought an rx545 from husqvarna but it was dearer.

If cutting a lot of fur bushes get a brush cutting disc with a lot of teeth in it

[Deleted User] · 01-07-2021 5:51pm

If buying a strimmer get a good harness and a face shield / ear protection and good gloves

ABitofsense · 02-07-2021 9:30pm

amacca wrote: »

you want one of the below ideally:D

https://www.mcconnel.com/vegetation-maintenance/power-arms/_product/1/swingtrim/[/URL

Anyone have one of these or the front loader version? Thinking of buying one for maintaining hedges & being the fence.

amacca · 03-07-2021 10:13am

ABitofsense wrote: »

Anyone have one of these or the front loader version? Thinking of buying one for maintaining hedges & being the fence.

I was mostly joking.....id be thinking a small light cable operated flail hedge cutter would be more useful if you were going to buy a machine.... the simple ones with little to go wrong in good nick.

That said I have no experience of the above they could be good but they remind me too much of a finger bar mower!

I'd say they might be useful if you had a lot of hedging like leilandi etc ....

wrangler · 03-07-2021 10:42am

https://www.farminglife.com/images-o.jpimedia.uk/imagefetch/http://www.farminglife.com/webimage/Prestige.Item.1.107593072!image/image.jpg?&width=640

This Slanetac is probably the best you'll get at reasonable money, life's too short for strimming ditches.
I think Roosterman has one.... he might review it for you

roosterman71 · 03-07-2021 5:41pm

Hello :-) It's me. The guy with the Slanetrac!
http://www.slanetrac.ie/home/products/swivel-trim-hedgecutters/#slanetrac-tabs|0

Take a look at the video of it working too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnUHIkCx7yY

He seems to be doing a grand job on that evergreen hedge. Look closer. Especially when he's doing the top. He is cutting diddly squat on top of that hedge.

They are a good machine when the blade is up vertical. It can push stuff along instead of cutting at times. Especially those evergreen trees can be a hoor. I found with our to have the loader up and the blade pointing down (the opposite way to the start of that video). Reason being that it won't block as much. Notice the way the cuttings gather around the bottom of the machine there. It won't cut if it gathers there so flick it upside down and works better.

Top of hedges is a waste of time. It will keep gathering stuff in front of the bar and ya'll have to clear it, reverse and go again. I do not recommend it if you plan lots of tops.

I use ours for going along trimming hedges that have grown out through sheep wire. And for under fences too but ya have some of the same issues as cutting tops of hedges in that it can block up in front of the cutter bar.

They are an ideal thing if the cutting is light enough and if can pop the bar behind the fence.

I think I drive around 2km/h or slower. Can be hard to see the cutting bar at times and would depend on your cab, loader, how far out you have it set, etc. I found going slower it does a better job and ya've less chance of cutting the wire

Fire questions at me for more info.

03-07-2021 6:09pm

Flail in the autumn and grazon 90 in the late spring. Every other year

Siamsa Sessions · 03-07-2021 7:42pm

Thanks for all the info folks.

I’m using a strimmer under the fence where there’s no sheep wire, but the problem is where I have sheep wire and electric fence above it. I can’t really get the strimmer in behind that so that’s what made me think the hedge trimmer might be an option to reach in over the sheep wire.

wrangler · 03-07-2021 9:21pm

roosterman71 wrote: »

Hello :-) It's me. The guy with the Slanetrac!
http://www.slanetrac.ie/home/products/swivel-trim-hedgecutters/#slanetrac-tabs|0

Take a look at the video of it working too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnUHIkCx7yY

He seems to be doing a grand job on that evergreen hedge. Look closer. Especially when he's doing the top. He is cutting diddly squat on top of that hedge.

They are a good machine when the blade is up vertical. It can push stuff along instead of cutting at times. Especially those evergreen trees can be a hoor. I found with our to have the loader up and the blade pointing down (the opposite way to the start of that video). Reason being that it won't block as much. Notice the way the cuttings gather around the bottom of the machine there. It won't cut if it gathers there so flick it upside down and works better.

Top of hedges is a waste of time. It will keep gathering stuff in front of the bar and ya'll have to clear it, reverse and go again. I do not recommend it if you plan lots of tops.

I use ours for going along trimming hedges that have grown out through sheep wire. And for under fences too but ya have some of the same issues as cutting tops of hedges in that it can block up in front of the cutter bar.

They are an ideal thing if the cutting is light enough and if can pop the bar behind the fence.

I think I drive around 2km/h or slower. Can be hard to see the cutting bar at times and would depend on your cab, loader, how far out you have it set, etc. I found going slower it does a better job and ya've less chance of cutting the wire

Fire questions at me for more info.

I guessed it was only fit for dairy farmer fencing, ie putting between the one strand electric fence and the ditch and, as you say, you'd have to work it upside down

ABitofsense · 05-07-2021 9:35am

roosterman71 wrote: »

Hello :-) It's me. The guy with the Slanetrac!
http://www.slanetrac.ie/home/products/swivel-trim-hedgecutters/#slanetrac-tabs|0

Take a look at the video of it working too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnUHIkCx7yY

He seems to be doing a grand job on that evergreen hedge. Look closer. Especially when he's doing the top. He is cutting diddly squat on top of that hedge.

They are a good machine when the blade is up vertical. It can push stuff along instead of cutting at times. Especially those evergreen trees can be a hoor. I found with our to have the loader up and the blade pointing down (the opposite way to the start of that video). Reason being that it won't block as much. Notice the way the cuttings gather around the bottom of the machine there. It won't cut if it gathers there so flick it upside down and works better.

Top of hedges is a waste of time. It will keep gathering stuff in front of the bar and ya'll have to clear it, reverse and go again. I do not recommend it if you plan lots of tops.

I use ours for going along trimming hedges that have grown out through sheep wire. And for under fences too but ya have some of the same issues as cutting tops of hedges in that it can block up in front of the cutter bar.

They are an ideal thing if the cutting is light enough and if can pop the bar behind the fence.

I think I drive around 2km/h or slower. Can be hard to see the cutting bar at times and would depend on your cab, loader, how far out you have it set, etc. I found going slower it does a better job and ya've less chance of cutting the wire

Fire questions at me for more info.

What size tractor do you have? Do you pipe it from the back?

I will be only using it for light stuff behind the fence & seasonally growth. No heavy abuse. Last year I did it by hand over a week but never again. Life's to short. Land was too wet to let a tractor in before March last few years.

roosterman71 · 05-07-2021 11:08am

ABitofsense wrote: »

What size tractor do you have? Do you pipe it from the back?

I will be only using it for light stuff behind the fence & seasonally growth. No heavy abuse. Last year I did it by hand over a week but never again. Life's to short. Land was too wet to let a tractor in before March last few years.

Tractor is 130HP, but ya don't need anything like that to operate it. It's piped to the back alright and worked then off the spools

Hedge trimmer for under/behind electric fence

Comments