Hi people,

Just thought I would pass this on. I have a lot of gnarly shrub-size
weeds here called Russian Thistle or more commonly known as
Tumbleweeds. Some up to 3' high with stems up to 1/2" diam. Once beyond
about 3" tall, there is NO poison to touch them. Ask me how I know
sometime. grin

The Ryobi weed whacker is therefore the only hand carried implement
that can get to where I need to get a lot of the time. It has a total
of 16" diameter sweep with the plastic string.

I tried using the .08" string it came with but after 3 refills the
weeds were grinning.

OK, I tried some .095" and later some .105" after drilling out a few
small holes for it to fit. The weeds were sort of worried.

After 2 refills and what a job that is with the .105" stuff, the weeds
had begun to chuckle.

Off to Ace for a shit load of the whirly after market gadgets. I tried
Gators, I tried an Ace type, I tried steel cables, I tried solid little
strings with lumps on the end. That night when I went to bed, I could
hear the weeds laughing.

Next day I got hold of an old 24T carbide tipped 7-1/2" circular saw
blade. I got a piece of 1/4" aluminum plate about 3-1/2" square. In the
center, I drilled and reamed it 3/8" for the spindle. Using a bolt as
an arbor, I turned it to 3" diameter to just fit neatly in the spool
cover. Next I turned down about a 0.050" thickness to make a 5/8" diam
boss for the saw blade to locate. Drilled for 2 x 1/4" x 3/4" long
button head screws and nylocs on the centerline and at 2"BCD.

After dropping it over the spindle, I finished it off with a shake
proof washer and stainless M8 nut.

Wow is all needs be said.

The trick was, I think, that I mounted the blade so it is running
backwards. I did this as I figured it would stop gouging into bigger
stuff and consequently kick the Ryobi around in my hands.

I have hit quite a few large rocks, pieces of steel and railroad ties
and it has not so much as nicked a tooth. It just gives out a slither
sound and carries on.

Well, you should see the pile of weeds I have on just one tankful of
gas. Nary a smirk or a peep from those ******* weeds now!!

Dave

We just let the Llamas at it. They make quick work of it and we don't have
to buy gas or pick up a wrench.

"Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi people,

Just thought I would pass this on. I have a lot of gnarly shrub-size
weeds here called Russian Thistle or more commonly known as
Tumbleweeds. Some up to 3' high with stems up to 1/2" diam. Once beyond
about 3" tall, there is NO poison to touch them. Ask me how I know
sometime. grin

The Ryobi weed whacker is therefore the only hand carried implement
that can get to where I need to get a lot of the time. It has a total
of 16" diameter sweep with the plastic string.

I tried using the .08" string it came with but after 3 refills the
weeds were grinning.

OK, I tried some .095" and later some .105" after drilling out a few
small holes for it to fit. The weeds were sort of worried.

After 2 refills and what a job that is with the .105" stuff, the weeds
had begun to chuckle.

Off to Ace for a shit load of the whirly after market gadgets. I tried
Gators, I tried an Ace type, I tried steel cables, I tried solid little
strings with lumps on the end. That night when I went to bed, I could
hear the weeds laughing.

Next day I got hold of an old 24T carbide tipped 7-1/2" circular saw
blade. I got a piece of 1/4" aluminum plate about 3-1/2" square. In the
center, I drilled and reamed it 3/8" for the spindle. Using a bolt as
an arbor, I turned it to 3" diameter to just fit neatly in the spool
cover. Next I turned down about a 0.050" thickness to make a 5/8" diam
boss for the saw blade to locate. Drilled for 2 x 1/4" x 3/4" long
button head screws and nylocs on the centerline and at 2"BCD.

After dropping it over the spindle, I finished it off with a shake
proof washer and stainless M8 nut.

Wow is all needs be said.

The trick was, I think, that I mounted the blade so it is running
backwards. I did this as I figured it would stop gouging into bigger
stuff and consequently kick the Ryobi around in my hands.

I have hit quite a few large rocks, pieces of steel and railroad ties
and it has not so much as nicked a tooth. It just gives out a slither
sound and carries on.

Well, you should see the pile of weeds I have on just one tankful of
gas. Nary a smirk or a peep from those ******* weeds now!!

Dave

Hi Srgnt,

We just let the Llamas at it. They make quick work of it and we don't have
to buy gas or pick up a wrench.

Hmmm, a friend suggested goats too. Only problem I don't want them
eating the Juniper, native grasses, shrubs and other stuff. I have seen
some fields with Alpacas and it was bare. I suspect they eat everything
to the ground.

I have found that the Tumbleweed does not like competition where it
starts to grow. Where the native plants are growing, it does not do
well. I am therefore trying to let the native stuff take hold then let
it all fend for itself.

Dave

"Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi Srgnt,

We just let the Llamas at it. They make quick work of it and we don't
have
to buy gas or pick up a wrench.

Hmmm, a friend suggested goats too. Only problem I don't want them
eating the Juniper, native grasses, shrubs and other stuff. I have seen
some fields with Alpacas and it was bare. I suspect they eat everything
to the ground.

I have found that the Tumbleweed does not like competition where it
starts to grow. Where the native plants are growing, it does not do
well. I am therefore trying to let the native stuff take hold then let
it all fend for itself.

Dave


You are correct.

snip
That night when I went to bed, I could
hear the weeds laughing.

snip
Dave

That line is a classic. I will think of it tonight when I go to bed
and smile for sure.

My dad made one of those years ago out of an actual Weedeater brand
trimmer. I was there for a visit and he needed me to help him retrieve
a plastic culvert that a storm had washed back into the brushy part of
his woods. He fired it up and handed it to me, and as you say, WOW. I
was knocking down 3" saplings without so much as breaking a sweat. We
cleared a 3' wide 100' long trail in maybe 10 minutes. I'd imagine it
is dangerous as hell, but effective is an understatement!!

Hi Eric,

You are right, it works very well. I really don't think there is that
great danger to this thing. As questioned by someone, the Ryobi design
has the nut naturally tightening against rotation.

Considering the Physics I doubt it would do much damage if it did fall
off. The blade is well balanced, operating well within in it's stated
design speed. If by some miracle it did break free, there is still a
full 360 circle for it to to choose an angle for it's escape path.

The risk to my ankles is very low, but then there have always been
Henny Pennys out there. Lotsa noise, but no substance. As to the scar
from ear to ear that some HP mentioned, Physics must be working
differently in his part of the planet.

Given also that fact that these things are available over the counter
in this scumbag litigious-ant world, that comforts me enough to know it
is as safe as it can be.

Dave.


Eric in North Texas wrote:
My dad made one of those years ago out of an actual Weedeater brand
....snip...
is dangerous as hell, but effective is an understatement!!

grin Glad you liked it JT.

jtees4 wrote:
That night when I went to bed, I could hear the weeds laughing.

That line is a classic. I will think of it tonight when I go to bed
and smile for sure.

Considering the Physics I doubt it would do much damage if it did fall
off. The blade is well balanced, operating well within in it's stated
design speed. If by some miracle it did break free, there is still a
full 360 circle for it to to choose an angle for it's escape path.

I agree with that, I've had a lawnmower blade come off at full throttle
and it just spun into the dirt. If it hadn't been needed as a flywheel,
it might have gone unnoticed until the unsatisfactory cut started an
investigation. I was more concerned with the safety of bystanders. In
the hands of a relatively careful operator, I doubt anyone would be
hurt, but there are some pretty serious idiots out there.

Eric in North Texas wrote:
I was more concerned with the safety of bystanders.

grin I am the only bystander and operator Eric. I can't get friends
to come near this place when II an tending my nemesis. They think I am
nuts.

Really though, I would like to see the area covered fully with the
native growth. The previous owner had a lawn fetish which he used to
seed twice a year. Collectively about 2 acres of the damn stuff. I am
slowly winning the battle and getting more and more native coverage.
Suffice to say the previous owner put in a second well, no guesses for
what.

Probably another 2 or 3 more seasons and the Tumbleweeds will just keep
on rolling through.

if you have a straight shaft trimmer with the brush blade ,the
blade acts like a flywheel and can overrev engine so a detuning is
needed.

http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm

wrote:
if you have a straight shaft trimmer with the brush blade ,the
blade acts like a flywheel and can overrev engine so a detuning is
needed.

Or, you could just not hold the trigger against the WFO stop.

wrote:
if you have a straight shaft trimmer with the brush blade ,the
blade acts like a flywheel and can overrev engine so a detuning is
needed.

http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm



A flywheel cannot increase the rpms. Under no load conditions it might
run a few rpms faster than with a line head simply because there is a
little less air resistance but there is no need to "detune" it. Most
strait shaft trimmers are built to take a blade.

Why is it that there never seems to be any decent advice from webtv people?


--
Art

Art said:


Why is it that there never seems to be any decent advice from webtv people?

!delete Message-ID webtv --- add to scorefile (or, whatever syntax your
reader requires)

(A similar line for G2 filters the rest of the crap, upscoring the few that
are worth reading.)

Also, adding the header:
X-WebTV-Stationary: Standard; BGColor=black; TextColor=black
is always good for a chuckle or two. =)

--
Eggs

-Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.

detuning a trimmer with a brushcutter is noted in the stihl and echo
factory service info. i was also told this at echo and stihl factory
school. the brushcutter blade has no resistance to air so overreving is
a problem if you hold it wide open with no load. so opening the high
speed screw will slow it down to safe rpm. ...... now when tuning a
carb with the string trimmer head,be sure the string is out to max
cutting length.(no comment on computer users) lucas

http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm