Scythes V Strimmers

There is a lot of interest in 'Organic' / alternative circles in using scythes rather than power tools to cut grass and other vegetation.

I was wondering do any Railways/individuals use scythes to cut lineside vegetation and if so how does it compare with other methods..

Oh and of course has anyone tried turning the grass into hay?

 

Don't know what happens nowadays but, on the Talyllyn, the lineside was cut and trimmed using scythes well into the 70's. The cuttings were also loaded onto a wagon and taken up the line to a field and offloaded onto a haycart for a local farmer. I organised that for a couple of years and we always got a good turnout of volunteers. Perhaps it was the trip to the pub at Aber afterwards that was the catalyst, though!

 

There was a chap using a scythe to trim the banks at Dereham on the Mid Norfolk Railway on Saturday he was clearly well experienced in its use and making rapid progress. Having heard of car windows broken by stones sent flying by strimmers and seen the mess often left from the flying debris I can see some merit in traditional tools.

 

From some limited personal experience, a well set up scythe is not only quicker, but a darn site more therapeutic than a strimmer on LONG grass on not so undulatory terrain. I found it difficult on scrubby stuff and rapidly changing contours, divot time. But I'm sure with experience!!!

 

Use scythes at work regularly, we use what is referred to as an 'irish schythe' (no idea why) it's essentially a machete/gollok on a long handle. So long as you keep the edge keen I would say it's nearly as quick as a brush cutter if you have the energy to keep at it- you can also use it for cutting small trees down if you are determined.

Chris

 

Scythes work well if in skilled hands - expertise being a matter of good technique, rhythm, plus frequent sharpening. It's not so much about brute strength; an expert (not me!) can do quite a lot, very quickly, get a neat finish, and keep on going.

That however is in a "meadow" situation - reasonably flat ground, fairly even growth to be cut, and few obstructions. Not sure how well even an expert scyther would cope with steep slopes, very bumpy ground, or grass containing many rocks or tree stumps.

 

Plenty of scythe verses strimmer races on youtube. A well weilded scythe in the right conditions is often faster.

 

How well do scythes deal with invasives like Himalayan balsam?