Managing paths and rides

[SitkaSpruce]

I'm interested in finding out how everyone here manages paths etc. At this time of year the grass and bracken go mad and it becomes impossible to walk through our wood. I'm getting our strimmer back into commission but not sure it'll be up to tackling a wood's worth of overgrowth. I don't have access to vehicles like tractors and quads etc. Anything used at the wood has to fit in the back of a normal family car.

[Wendelspanswick]

Bracken succumbs very easily with rolling, if you can get a cheap roller and leave it at the wood or we have a roller that I made from 2 car wheel rims and some lengths of angle iron that I tow behind the Fergie tractor and is manoeuvrable enough to go round the trees in the wood, it kills off the bracken but saplings and flowering plants are unaffected.

[Dave and Verity]

Just a suggestion, but a brush cutter will be far better for bracken than a strimmer and will fly through grass, dock, thistles and nettles. I have bought one from Lidl before, Aldi do them as well, they come with both brushcutting and strimming heads. About a hundred quid. I have had mine for about three years now and it's still going strong, just be aware though if like me you don't read the instructions they use a 40:1 mix. Also make sure you are using appropriate footwear, I managed to pick up a small stone with mine, it shot through my welly and ended up in one of my big toe bones, not highly recommended. I now wear proper safety boots when using, protect your eyes, ears and hands as well.

Secondhand one here on the bay, 252016622788 just so you can see what it looks like (this one looks like it's been very little used as the BC blades are still bagged), they also go by the name of Parkside, and looking on ebay the qualcast version appears to have come from the same factory, item number 252018681419.


Dave

[The Barrowers]

How about a Sythe or a Dashel Basher Cheaper) I have a couple that I leave around the wood and when walking about I swing it. Like Woodland Golf