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

My cutter i have been using for past 10 some years, cuts 6’ wide in one pass, works really well to open up trails.
It’s about 200 lbs, and 1” flat bar on edge for runners so it takes abit before it slides over.

Here ya go. A powered brush cutter to pull behind the snowgo!

Brush cutter

That’s a snogo ??

What a great invention! Wonder if anyone rents those in Alaska?

Ha.. You guys are fast I just watched that video, and came to post.