Did you know that a brush cutter can be a line trimmer but a line trimmer can't be a brush cutter? The difference is a brush cutter is more heavy duty.
A brush cutter is a awsome tool around the farm and home garden.
Here is a breakdown of which head to use for what plants in Australia.
Nylon line / bump-feed head (standard whipper snipper head)
Best for
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Light grass
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Edges, fences, around posts
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Anywhere you don’t want kickback
Common Australian plants
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Couch grass
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Kikuyu
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Buffalo grass runners
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Soft roadside grasses
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Lawn weeds (capeweed seedlings, clover)
Avoid
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Woody stems
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Thick weeds (you’ll melt line fast)
Plastic blade (2–3 tooth polymer)
Best for
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Heavy grass
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Soft weeds thicker than line can handle
Common Australian plants
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Tall guinea grass
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African lovegrass (young)
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Wild oats
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Rank paddock grass
Notes
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Good middle ground between line and metal
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Safer around rocks than steel
3-tooth metal blade (brush blade)
Best for
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Thick weeds
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Woody stems
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Light scrub
Common Australian plants
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Blackberry suckers (young)
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Gorse seedlings
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Lantana (light regrowth)
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Thistles
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Paterson’s curse (woody stage)
This is a farm favourite – strong, forgiving, versatile.
4-tooth / chisel blade
Best for
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Dense scrub
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Woody weeds
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Regrowth after slashing
Common Australian plants
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Blackberry (established canes)
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Gorse
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Broom
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Tea-tree regrowth
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Wattle saplings (small)
Notes
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More aggressive than 3-tooth
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Needs good technique (can bite)
Circular saw blade (steel, coarse teeth)
Best for
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Small trees
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Thick woody scrub
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Clearing fence lines
Common Australian plants
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Wattle saplings
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Young gums
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Tea-tree
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Sheoak regrowth
Use when
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Stem thickness = finger to wrist size
⚠️ High kickback risk – harness + guard essential.
Tungsten / carbide tooth blade (gold or silver tipped)
Best for
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Extremely tough weeds
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Dry, abrasive conditions
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Hitting dirt, rocks, roots
Common Australian plants
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Serrated tussock
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Mature African lovegrass
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Dry spear grass
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Tough pasture weeds in drought
Why farmers love it
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Doesn’t blunt easily
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Survives rocky SA paddocks
Brush knife / multi-tooth weed blade
Best for
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Mixed vegetation
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Clearing tracks
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“Unknown mess”
Common Australian plants
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Mixed pasture + weeds
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Blackberry + grass combos
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Roadside growth
Good choice if
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You don’t want to swap heads constantly
Chainsaw attachment (pole saw)
Best for
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Branches
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Limbing trees
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Overhead cutting
Common Australian uses
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Pruning gums
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Clearing fallen limbs
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Orchard trees
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Fence line overhang
⚠️ Not for ground scrub – kickback + dirt = bad day.
Hedge trimmer attachment
Best for
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Shaping
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Soft green growth
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Linear cuts
Common Australian plants
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Box hedge
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Lilly pilly
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Murraya
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Viburnum
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Privet (soft growth)
Avoid
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Thick woody stems
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Ground contact
Cultivator / edger style head (if shown)
Best for
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Light soil work
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Garden beds
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Edging
Common uses
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Veggie beds
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Around trees
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Soft loam or sand
Quick selection guide (farm logic)
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Grass only → Nylon line
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Tall grass / weeds → Plastic blade
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Woody weeds → 3-tooth or 4-tooth
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Scrub & saplings → Circular saw blade
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Rocky paddocks → Tungsten blade
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Branches → Chainsaw attachment
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Hedges → Hedge trimmer