Shipping Worldwide

Brush Cutter Buyer's Guide

What Is a Brush Cutter?

A brush cutter (or brush mower) is a gardening tool that you can use to trim small trees, foliage, and weeds not accessible by a rotary or lawn mower. You can also clear high grass and brushwood using this gardening tool. In addition, you can attach various trimmers heads or blades to this gardening machine to use it for specific applications.

A brush cutter can be powered by a two- or four-stroke gas engine or an electric motor connected to a power source. It can also be powered by a cordless electric motor containing rechargeable batteries.

Brush cutters also have cutting blades that cut grass, small trees, and weeds. When you start the mower, the cutting blades rotate counterclockwise when in operation, so moving from right to left is most efficient for cutting grass with these types of mowers.

How to Use a Brush Cutter

For the blades to work effectively, be sure to do the following before starting the brush cutter:

  • Place your brush cutter in a well-ventilated area
  • Check if there are any combustible materials around the brush cutter and remove them
  • Prime your brush cutter’s engine by pressing the brush cutter’s primer bulb five times
  • Check whether the brush cutter’s engine is cold or not. If it is cold, open the choke valve

How you will start your brush cutter will depend on the type you are using, but most brush cutters use the pull-start mechanism. When using a brush cutter that uses this starting mechanism, you will need to pull the cord attached to its engine. After starting your brush cutter, you should feed its blades into the weed or grass that needs to be cut. When cutting the grass or weeds, do the following to avoid injuring yourself or others:

  • Wear eye protection to ensure that any debris that this tool throws back at you will not get into your eyes
  • Wear hearing protection to protect your ears from prolonged noise that your brush cutter might produce
  • Wear heavy-duty clothing that won’t catch on branches but allow free movement
  • Wear protective footwear or heavy boots to prevent slippage on newly cut grass
  • Wear a pair of gardening gloves to protect your hands
  • Ensure that there are no other people near you
  • Use a brush cutter that has a handlebar

Tips for mowing different types of vegetation:

  • When clearing vegetation in your lawn using a brush cutter, use a right-to-left motion. When you do this, the vegetation trimmings will fall on the area that you have already cleared.
  • When trimming long grass using a brush cutter, cut the top of the grass using a right-to-left motion. After this, cut the remaining part of the grass using a left-to-right motion.
  • If you want to clear the vegetation in a big flat area, divide the area into squares. After this, work along the outsides of the squares as you move towards the center.

What Are the Types of Brush Cutters?

Bicycle Handle Brush Cutters

Just as the name suggests, bicycle handle brush cutters have—you guessed it—handles that look like those you would find on a bicycle. These brush cutters come in a wide range of sizes, and you will need to use both hands to operate them.

A bicycle handle brush cutter is the perfect type to buy if you have to deal with a lot of low-level weeds and large areas covered by grass. When using it, you will need to keep pulling and pushing on the handlebars, which will enable you to perform sweeping arcs as you cut the grass. Just be sure your mowing area is clear of hidden rocks and debris that could jam your mower.

Most of the available bicycle handle brush cutters have vibration isolation systems that control unwanted vibrations produced by the mower.

Loop Handle Brush Cutters

A loop handle brush cutter makes for easy mowing in areas with high-level weeds, rocks, and other obstacles. Some of the benefits of using this type of brush cutter include:

  • Easy control with its three-point in-line mounting system
  • Trim trees without damaging them
  • Ability to hold it on its side, making it more versatile
  • Sometimes feature rubber isolators that absorb the vibration from the brush cutter’s shaft

Backpack Brush Cutters

Backpack brush cutters are durable, robust, and powerful. Most feature 2-stroke engines that make them more powerful, as well as comfortable loop handles, lightweight design, and an easy start mechanism. These brush mowers are best suited for use on large flat areas.

Tow-Behind Brush Cutters

Tow-behind brush mowers are best suited for large areas with thick bushes and weeds. You can attach a tow-behind brush cutter to an ATV or a garden tractor for better mobility and coverage.

Walk-Behind Brush Cutters

Walk-behind brush cutter mowers are great for quickly clearing out overgrown landscapes, weeds, saplings, and brush with minimal fatigue. The Bradley Brush Buster is a great walk-behind bush hog that offers more bang for your buck than other brands.

What Should You Look for in a Brush Cutter?

You might be tempted to buy the cheapest brush cutter on the market. However, you should not do this as you may end up owning a poor-quality brush cutter. Instead, you should look for the best quality brush cutter. Below are some of the considerations you need to make to choose a good quality brush cutter.

  • Size - Think about the length of time you will use the brush cutter. If you will be using the brush cutter for extended periods, buy a small brush cutter.
  • Type of work - Look for the type of brush cutter that will be perfect for the kind of work that you want to carry out. For instance, if you want to clear low-level weeds in a medium or small estate, buy a medium-range brush cutter.
  • Ease of use - You'll want one that you're comfortable using.
  • Power - The brush cutter you choose should be powerful enough to clear the vegetation you are planning to clear.
  • Lifespan - You should buy a brush cutter with a long service life if you need a brush cutter for professional use.
  • Durability - The brush cutter that you choose should have heavy-gauge steel push bars and skid shoes. The tires of this brush cutter should also be durable.
  • Equipment and accessories - You should buy a brush cutter that uses a wide range of cutting equipment and accessories. Such a brush cutter can be used in different applications.
  • Portability - If you need to often transport your brush cutter, you should buy a brush cutter whose handlebar can be folded down and angled for easier storage and transportation.
  • Budget - Determine how much you can afford to spend on a brush cutter and narrow down your options from there.
  • Connections - You should buy brush cutters that use solid rods to connect the blade clutch, parking brake, and transmission. If you buy the brush cutters that use cables, they might get destroyed by tree branches.
  • Protection - Ensure that the brush cutter that you choose has a wraparound handguard on its handlebars. The handguard will protect you whenever you are using the brush cutter.
  • Cutting deck - Consider the durability of the cutting deck. You should buy a brush cutter with a heavy-duty steel cutting deck.
  • Speed-limiting settings - This setting will help avoid overdrive.
  • Brakes - A parking brake will help avoid the risk of the brush cutter not staying in the same place when you abruptly stop using it.

Why Should You Consider Bradley Mowers for Your Next Brush Cutter

When you're in need of a heavy-duty commercial brush cutter under $10,000, order from Bradley Mowers. With a powerful engine, heavy duty cutting blades, and efficient walk-behind design, our brush mowers will get your property cleared of undergrowth and weeds in no time. Plus, you’ll get a 2-year warranty for commercial use and 3-year warranty for residential use. Get yours today!