salt hay sickle ?
- Thread starter john a
- Start date
clinton andrus
Active member
Alltough not a sickle here is anouther idea.
We do it like this all the time down here but not sure if it would work on salt grass.
What we do is get a weedeater and put a skill saw style blade on it, (dont laugh they make these kind of blades for my skill weed eater).
Then get a rachet strap and run the strap around the grass and are brush you want to cut, tighten it down a good bit then start cutting as you cut some stop and tighten it down more until you cut the last that is in the strap and then you will have a nice big bundle of grass and are brush to take and use on your blind.
Works better when there is two guys but one man can do it as well, I do it often by myself.
I just dont know if it will work on salt hay, how tall does salt hay normal grow.
We do it like this all the time down here but not sure if it would work on salt grass.
What we do is get a weedeater and put a skill saw style blade on it, (dont laugh they make these kind of blades for my skill weed eater).
Then get a rachet strap and run the strap around the grass and are brush you want to cut, tighten it down a good bit then start cutting as you cut some stop and tighten it down more until you cut the last that is in the strap and then you will have a nice big bundle of grass and are brush to take and use on your blind.
Works better when there is two guys but one man can do it as well, I do it often by myself.
I just dont know if it will work on salt hay, how tall does salt hay normal grow.
Tom Scholberg
Well-known member
I don't live anywhere near salt hay but one of my favorite blind building tools is my gas powered hedge trimmer. It makes short work of cutting the grass. Not the thing to take every time but pre season work goes really fast allowing time to just boat ride. ;-))
clinton andrus
Active member
I never would have thought of the hedge trimmer I have a gas power one as well might have to try it this year should take up less room in the boat then the weedeater.
Tom Scholberg
Well-known member
Clint, make a long tail mud motor out of that weed eater and let the weeds grow
clinton andrus
Active member
Tom if I thought it would push my boat I sure would LMFAO.
I normally care he weedeater with me in the boat and cut more brush and grass evey morning but the hedge trimmer will fit in the boat so much more better.
I grew up useing what we down here call a cane knife, its got a blade bout two feet long, super thin blade but its bout 9 inches wide from the cutting side to the top side of the blade.
If you hold it by the handle and shake it the blade will flop its so thin, but let me tell you it will cut the heck out some brush and your fingers too lol. but the gas powered tools just more brush and grass faster so thats what I use.
I normally care he weedeater with me in the boat and cut more brush and grass evey morning but the hedge trimmer will fit in the boat so much more better.
I grew up useing what we down here call a cane knife, its got a blade bout two feet long, super thin blade but its bout 9 inches wide from the cutting side to the top side of the blade.
If you hold it by the handle and shake it the blade will flop its so thin, but let me tell you it will cut the heck out some brush and your fingers too lol. but the gas powered tools just more brush and grass faster so thats what I use.
Capt Rich Geminski
Well-known member
Have been using a Echo with the saw blade for years. Dulls quickly, but easily touched up. Problem is one aged 71 and one aged 75 cutting grass.
A few of my younger friends cut with gas hedge trimmer. Years ago we used a hand sythe.
A few of my younger friends cut with gas hedge trimmer. Years ago we used a hand sythe.
Love my Stihl Kombi. I'll need to check out the scythe attachment.... that unit gave my "accesoring dreaming" mind a whole new field of operation.... like wondering if I could power my canoe with the leaf blower attachment.....
The hand scythe, in my experience, is convenient for getting materials for patching, but if you're starting from scratch the one thing you'll notice is that it FEELS like you cut a bunch of material (I use cattail stems), but when you start bundling/weaving you quickly start to understand how much more scything you've got left.... and that gets a guy's dauber down.
The hand scythe, in my experience, is convenient for getting materials for patching, but if you're starting from scratch the one thing you'll notice is that it FEELS like you cut a bunch of material (I use cattail stems), but when you start bundling/weaving you quickly start to understand how much more scything you've got left.... and that gets a guy's dauber down.
roy brewington
Well-known member
my echo gas hedge trimer works great. I actuallt tie off my bundles with bailing twine before cutting sometimes. when it hits the ground its ready to go. Other times cut large amounts and bring home to the saw horses and lay on a couple laths to bundle. All depends on how much i,m getting. just done a large amount a week ago to augment an A frame for early goose.I was useing switch grass. Salt hay probably easiest to cut a large amount and bring home to bundle
I guess I'm a dinosaur as I use a hand sickle.
Problem with salt hay is it lays down in "cowlick'' fashion, you need to stand it up to cut it, I'm talking the spartina patens, not the rush type salt grass, (alterniforna) sp.
with the sickle, you can comb and lift it up, grab it with your free hand, and cut at near ground level, easy.
You work your way in a semi circle around you,right to left for right handed guys,dump the hay slightly behind you on a piece of rope with a loop on one end, move up a step and repeat. when your bundle is heavy enough, put the tag end of the rope through the loop, pull tight, and tie off,You can cut more then you can carry in 20 minutes if you have thick hay.
If you think ahead enough, fertilize a patch of salt hay in the spring, the grass will be thick and long.
Problem with salt hay is it lays down in "cowlick'' fashion, you need to stand it up to cut it, I'm talking the spartina patens, not the rush type salt grass, (alterniforna) sp.
with the sickle, you can comb and lift it up, grab it with your free hand, and cut at near ground level, easy.
You work your way in a semi circle around you,right to left for right handed guys,dump the hay slightly behind you on a piece of rope with a loop on one end, move up a step and repeat. when your bundle is heavy enough, put the tag end of the rope through the loop, pull tight, and tie off,You can cut more then you can carry in 20 minutes if you have thick hay.
If you think ahead enough, fertilize a patch of salt hay in the spring, the grass will be thick and long.
If you like cutting it, you already have some good ideas here. But if you just want some, you can get it for $6-8 a bale at Miller Berry in Port Norris(they make casket padding). There might be somebody closer to you, I know there is a farm/farm store around Dennisville that sells it also. We usually get 6-8 bales in October and do all of our boats, then have a couple of bales left over to spruce them up every couple of weeks. One bale is more than enough to do a boat.
Dave Church
Well-known member
Do you have any restrictions in Jersey of what you can and cant cut down? I've heard some grasses are protected in Maryland...but darn if I can find it now in the regs.
Dave
Dave