Any one have a pic of a brush cutter they have built to attach to a sled for clearing willows on the side trail. Ours are getting thick and I am tired of getting wiped in the face. Line is 118 miles with miles and miles of over growth. Just thought I would see if any one had come up with a good way to cut them back with out spending weeks with a chainsaw cutting.

There were aa couple Trappers years ago that trapped in a willow forest and tried to attach saw blades on their tow behind sled. I don't think that it worked out too well because as I remember they scrapped it. I think all went well until they caught a hard object and that was it. They worked on it for a couple years as I remember. Maybe someone else can add to my recollection.

Loppers and patience has been the best solution I have found

Cutting for 10-15 minutes every trip adds up.

Full face helmet for brush busting.
There was a beaver trapper here a few years ago who had two 3 inch blades fixed to the inside of each pogo on his tundra.
\The machines bumper would bend the brush and the blade would cut it clean as he drove.
2 or 3 runs thru the brush into the beaver house and back and the trail was cut pretty good.

Joe Mattie drew me a picture of one he used to make, said it worked ok.He used an old tire and bolted angle iron to the tire in a V then attached three saw blades on each side. If I remember correctly there is a how-to in one of the old ATA mags from the 80's and I think I saw it in one of the other ATA publications. It was called the " road warrior ". Never tried it myself as alders were my nemesis not willows.

I just use a chainsaw and spend a little time at it every time I'm out. It's labor intensive and probably not the fastest way, but it's tried and true. And I'll even haul the brush I cut sometimes to make cubbies with instead of cutting it at the set locations

Thought I saw a post on here or on one of the Facebook trapping pages. Guy added cutting blades to one side of his groomer angled back that way if they hit a rock or tree they would bounce off instead of getting hung up.

I try and avoid using green willow sticks to build cubbies. It is like inviting the bunnies to eat your cubbies (and get caught!)

I don't have a lot of willow around here, it's mostly spruce I'm having to trim back. There's patches of willow here and there though