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Whaaall -- young fella -- way back when I first got my place, I thought I needed a big weed eater too, but I only had enough money to buy either a chainsaw or a weedeater, and the cold winter won. So I made do with an old curved shaft 26rlc Husquavarny that the previous owners left behind for me. Later on I picked up a stronger straight shaft Weedeater (also a 26cc engine) at the dump for $2. Funny thing, I like the Husky better for use on steep inclines, the lighter weight and shorter shaft are real nice then. The other one swings more cord and I use it for knocking down Ripgut brome about a half-acre at a time. What you are talking about isn't weed-eating, it's brush cutting. Forget cord, your going to be using some type of blade. I think the stronger the better for your use. Husky and Stihl are the brands, take your pick and pay your price, you won't be sorry. But watch the total weight, and try out the handle/shoulder strap arrangement - a comfortable operating position is real important. If the dealer won't work with you in the store to get the Handle/strap set up before buying, I'd find a different dealer. Now, as one New Gentlemen Farmer to another (I've three years experience.) let me tell you that these machines are not a joy to use. The less you have to use them the better. I use my old city lawnmower to cut everything I can. I put 10" wheels on it and jacked it up as high as it would go. My major foes are poison oak, starthistle, and various succulent thistles. For these I've found Roundup in a backpack sprayer is more effective and covers a lot more acres faster than a gas whacker. When the thistles aren't too thick, a sharp hoe is my favorite tool. No noise, no fumes, lightweight and cheap(doubles as a walking stick). If you plunk your $400 down for the overkill, heavy, noisy, smelly, backbreaker, you are going to have to use it. After you use it, you will be scratched to hell from the brambles, covered in plant juice (don't use on poison oak), deaf (I recommend shooters headphones), and very, very tired. And the plants will grow back. I've seen goats eat their way through acres of blackberry bushes 15 feet high. When they are done, there is almost nothing left, except a whole lot of pelletized fertilizer. After the weed-whipping (you'll feel like they whipped you) you will have huge cumbersome stacks of ugly dry foliage to deal with. The easiest thing to do with this is pile it (a task in itself) and let it turn to compost over the course of a few years. However, your wife won't like the looks of that, and will nag you into burning it within a few months (mine did). When you burn it you kill everything in the soil under the burn, make a big ugly scar, and waste most of the energy and good stuff in the foliage. If you don't like goats, sheep will do a fairly good job, but leave a lot more stems. Barbados sheep eat a little more like goats and don't need shearing, but they act wild and run from people. Get the goat. Tether it in the thickest stuff. Check its water and tether twice a day. Move it when it has done its job. Cheap, quiet, easy, biodegradable, and affectionate. Just try petting the motor on your string trimmer. Use the money you didn't spend on the string trimmer to buy a good chainsaw. Now those are fun!
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