An Alternative Use for Hedge Trimmers – Brush Hogging
September 13, 2019
Hi guys, Wyatt here again, and today I want to show you an alternative use for your hedge trimmers - brush hogging.
Sure, bushes, hedges, and shrubs are all well and good - but trust me, you'll want to think about using your trimmer for brush hogging after seeing what I had to cut down!
As you saw in the video, these weeds were tall and thick, and needed to be cut down. I could have gone in with a regular string trimmer, but I would have been there all day, even if the string didn't keep breaking!
While I use a STIHL hedge trimmer in the video, I have a quick tip for those who think that might be too heavy - check out the video at 3:24. :)
Well, I hope that helps, guys, and I'd love to hear if this video helped, and what tips you'd give for thicker weeds and if you use a hedge trimmer like this.
Video Transcript
What's up, guys? Wyatt with Watch the Lawn Service here, back with another video.
Today, I just wanted to make a quick video to show you another use for your hedge trimmers. Of course, everyone knows hedge trimmers are great for trimming hedges and bushes — that’s their normal, intended use. But if you live in a more rural area especially, you might not know that they can also double as a great tool for brush hogging.
As you can see behind me, I’ve got a bunch of tall weeds that need to be cut down. My string trimmer just isn’t cutting it — literally. Here’s an example of one of the weeds I pulled. The base is about the size of my pinky, so it's pretty thick. The string on my weed whacker just keeps snapping when I try to cut through it.
In a situation like this, I have two options:
- Keep using the weed whacker and go through string like crazy — not ideal.
- Or, use a hedge trimmer to knock everything down — and honestly, it works great.
I use my hedge trimmer for stuff like this all the time — for thick weeds and even small trees with stems about the size of my thumb or smaller.
Today I’m using the STIHL HS 45 — this is my backup hedge trimmer, the one I don’t mind beating up a bit. And just to be clear, I’m not bashing STIHL — this trimmer is actually fantastic. It’s 17 years old, still runs well, and still cuts decently even though I’ve never sharpened the blades. So I’m pretty impressed.
Anyway, I just wanted to share this little tip — especially if you live in a rural area, this can be a good way to get some extra use out of your gear... maybe even make a little extra cash.
Alright, in case you’re wondering why I didn’t clear out this section here — it’s actually a pile of stacked tree branches, so I’m obviously not going to go at that with a hedge trimmer. I’ll just leave that part as-is and keep working on the rest.
So that’s about it for today’s video. I just wanted to give you a quick tip: hedge trimmers can be super handy for brush hogging.
Now, if you’re worried about the strain on your lower back from bending over — totally valid concern. Here’s a quick fix: if you’ve got an ECHO PAS system or a standard pole hedge trimmer attachment with an articulating head, just adjust the head angle so you can stand upright while trimming. It’s kind of like regular weed-whacking, just with a hedge trimmer.
Or, you can do it like I did — I bent over and knocked out one side of the driveway and along the bend over here. It took me about 15 minutes and cut through everything like butter — way better than my weed whacker, which couldn’t handle the thicker weeds at all.
Hope you guys found this tip helpful! If you did, drop a comment below, hit that like button, subscribe if you haven’t already — and I’ll catch you in the next one. Peace!