Bush Cutting Equipment

Hand Shears

• Hand shears are best for cutting individual branches from a bush, such as for thinning bushes or removing diseased branches. Pruning shears are a type of hand shears small enough to hold in one hand, leaving the other hand free to hold back branches to access the branch that is to be cut. Scissor-action pruning shears have two blades that slide past each other to make the cut. Anvil action shears have blades that clamp together to cut branches. Lopping shears work much like smaller, scissor-action pruning shears, but they have longer handles and a bigger blade for cutting branches larger than 1/2-inch in diameter. Lopping shears also work well for accessing branches that are higher up in the bush.

Hedge Shears

• Hedge shears are available in manual-operated and power-operated types. They are used for cutting bushes into formal shapes, such as for hedges or topiary. Unlike hand pruning shears, hedge shears are designed to cut through several branches with a single action. These work particularly well for cutting shorter bushes or for small jobs, such as maintenance pruning. Manual-operated hedge shears have two handles and two blades that close together with a scissor action. Power-driven hedge shears usually have a single serrated blade, sometimes with a blade on both sides for faster cutting. There are battery-operated and gas-operated hedge shears, as well as some with electrical cords.

Pruning Saws

• Pruning saws may be required for cutting branches that are too thick for hand shears to cut. Pruning saws typically have wider teeth than carpentry saws, which decrease the chances of sawdust blocking the blades. Types of pruning saws include everything from rigid saws, folding saws, bow saws and chain saws. The best type of saw for the job largely depends on preference, but also on the amount of clearance available between the branches to be cut. A folding saw, for example, requires less clearance than a bow saw, although the bow saw may be easier to operate because it has a wider handle. Very tall bushes may require a pole saw pruner, which combines sawing action with scissor-action pruners on a long extension pole.

Land Clearing Equipment

• Bushes and other brush can take over the landscape without regular maintenance, resulting in overgrown land that must be cleared. Machetes, sickles and scythes are helpful for clearing some areas, but are impractical for clearing very large areas of overgrown brush. Larger areas may require the rental of a large rotary cutter that you pull behind a tractor; perhaps the most popular brand of this equipment type is the Bush Hog. These rotary mowers, also known as brush cutters or brush hogs, work much the same as your regular lawn mower, but are designed for rough terrain and cutting through heavy brush. They mow large bushes, such as prickly briar bushes, completely to the ground so you don't have to spend the time cutting them by hand.