The brush cutter is a tool that is as effective as it is versatile, owing these qualities to its cutting components.
Practical for both trimming garden edges and clearing cultivated areas of brambles and shrubs, the cutting mechanism is undoubtedly the most important component.
However, there are various types of cutting attachments for brush cutters, and in this article we’ll explore some of the best products on the market for string heads, discs, blades, and innovative reciprocating blades.
THE BRUSH CUTTER
From garden edging to mowing, all the way to the most “extreme” clearing among crops or in the underbrush, the brush cutter is an indispensable tool for outdoor professionals.
In fact, it is unthinkable to perform wide-ranging cleanup along the edges of flower beds and gardens or near vegetable garden fences after mowing the lawn or removing weeds. It is even more unthinkable to do without a brush cutter for removing bushes, brambles, and those small shrubs with light branches that can spread uncontrollably in vegetable gardens, cultivated areas, and undergrowth.
Much more maneuverable than a lawn mower, the brush cutter is practical and easy to handle, allowing you to reach the tightest spots—between plants or right up against walls—and to work without difficulty on embankments or steep, sloping terrain.
The cutting principle is always the same: a rotating element driven by a motor, mounted at the end, cuts or shreds vegetation through impact and the characteristics of the material.
The thickness of the material that can be cut depends on both the motor’s power and the type of cutting head the brush cutter is equipped with. That is why, depending on the task at hand, there are three types of brush cutter heads: string trimmers, blades or discs, and reciprocating blades.
STRING TRIMMER HEADS
String trimmer heads are among the most common and widely used, for both home and professional use. Among the various types, this model is best suited for cutting short grass, brush, and brambles.
Essentially, it consists of a spool of plastic cord (usually nylon) wound onto a spool and housed in an openable plastic casing. The ends of the various cords used for cutting are fed through special holes—reinforced to prevent the casing from breaking.
In fact, there are specific multi-line heads that allow you to mount multiple spools and feed out multiple lines for cutting. The stronger and thicker the line, the larger the diameter of the shrub you can cut.
SEE ALSO: HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST CUTTING LINE FOR YOUR BRUSH CUTTER
Among the best lines on the market, the Oregon Terramax spiral line stands out. Thanks to its unique design and the high-quality copolymer blend used in its construction, it offers exceptional strength and rigidity, making it ideal for professionals working in challenging conditions and on dry, rocky terrain.
- It easily cuts through dense, tough vegetation in hard, dry, and rocky terrain, making it ideal for Mediterranean climates.
- Quick and easy loading for walk-behind trimmers and optimal efficiency.
- Made from high-quality copolymers to ensure strength and durability: it resists abrasion and fraying, absorbs impacts, and reduces breakage.
- The extended pitch design ensures exceptional stability for maximum efficiency and faster cutting.
THE TAP-AND-GO HEADS
Among line heads, the tap-and-go heads stand out for their convenience: a practical design that allows you to feed out new line when it runs out simply by tapping the spool on the ground while it spins.
This concept introduces the topic of the various methods for reloading string trimmer heads, which we have discussed at length in this article:
READ: HOW TO CHANGE THE STRING ON A BRUSH CUTTER
A further evolution of these heads is the Easy Work type with easy loading: to reload the line, in this case, there is no need to disassemble the upper part of the head; instead, the line is inserted directly into the line-feed holes and is rewound inside the head by turning a special knob until the desired cutting length is reached.
Among the best brushcutter heads in this particular range is the Easy Work Low Cut by Forestal, an exclusive to the Sabart catalog—available in 103-millimeter and 125-millimeter diameter versions—which allows you to cut grass at an extremely low height.
BLADE AND DISC BRUSH CUTTERS
When the work gets tough and the thickness and volume of material to be cut increase, we switch from plastic line to the more cutting-edge metal.
For extreme cutting tasks, in fact, blade and disc brush cutters are used, which are better suited for cutting very dense grass, shredding small shrubs, and cutting through reeds and small plants.
READ ALSO: EXTREME CUTTING HEADS FOR BRUSH CUTTERS REVIEWED BY MATT THE FARMER
We’re talking about tasks that are difficult to perform with nylon line, whereas the strength of metal allows you to work faster, with less effort, and achieve a cleaner cut.
We’ve covered all the advantages and details of blade brush cutters in this article: CLICK AND READ
Steel is primarily used to manufacture discs and blades, with specific wear-resistant variants such as Hardox or Widia: a material with a high degree of hardness, also known as cemented carbide or hard metal.
Widia is an alloy produced by adding tungsten carbide to cobalt—a highly cementing metal. The result is a metal with high hardness and density, particularly resistant to abrasion, pressure, deformation, corrosion, erosion, seizing, and high cutting temperatures.
The perfect material for a brush cutter that must handle the most extreme cuts and for so-called shredders. Among these, the 40D Widia Bomb TP blade stands out—a Widia-coated convex blade perfect for clearing and cutting brush, brambles, shrubs, reeds, and undergrowth. In addition to handling the most complex and demanding cutting conditions, this blade features a convex profile that allows it to get very close to the ground without the front edge of the head touching the soil.
THE RECIPROCATING CUTTING HEAD FOR BRUSH CUTTERS
The latest innovation in brush cutter heads is the reciprocating head: similar to the disc family in terms of material and design, it is universal and compatible with any type of brush cutter.
At first glance, it looks like a double rotating disc with tips very similar to the blades of a hedge trimmer, but it functions more like a pair of rotating shears because, by rotating in opposite directions, the two discs make a reciprocal cut. More precisely, it is a counter-rotating blade, and at the heart of its operation is a planetary gear that reduces the blade’s rotation while significantly increasing torque.
The reciprocating blade is therefore the ideal choice for working in areas where proximity to vehicles, roads, people, or buildings poses a risk. Unlike a traditional brushcutter blade, the reciprocating blade minimizes the uncontrolled ejection of stones, debris, soil, and other cutting residues, even when “sinking” below gravel and crushed stone.
In addition to increasing overall safety, this tool allows you to cut virtually flush with the ground and achieve excellent edge finishing, even when tilted vertically, without the risk of impact or breakage.
The mechanism that reduces the impact generated by collisions with obstacles, therefore, allows you to work faster without risking damage to plants, stakes, curbs, pipes, and cables. This advantage is also made possible by the sharpening present only on the inner perimeter of the blades.
Featuring a flat-bottom design, it is ideal for precise grass cutting, making it perfect for lawn care and maintenance, ensuring a clean and accurate cut in any situation, quickly and efficiently.
