Meaning of the Grass cutting Machine
Grass cutting machine refers to a mechanical device designed for slashing, trimming, weeding, harvesting, and mowing. The machine is also called different names in different places. It is known as a manual grass-cutting machine, bush cutter machine, mounted bush cutter, grass-trimming machine, and more.
The device could be an air-cooled, petrol or gas-driven machine with various capacities or horsepower, used on the farm or in the garden for weeding, harvesting, cutting grasses, and mowing lawns. The grass-cutting machine can be used to perform a lot of work with speed, and it allows the gardener or operator to work effectively at his leisure.
The device has gained prominent recognition and significant value both in developed and developing countries. It has drastically reduced the manual slashing and clearing of fields, surroundings, and public places mostly in the African continents. the back-side mounted devices have gradually replaced the tractor-mounted mower, manual grass-cutting, and hand-rolling mower due to its efficiency in clearing or mowed within a short time, cut grass at a uniform height, and ease of purchasing and maintenance.
Description of Grass Cutting Machine
The machine is a side-mounted mini-machine with a multifaceted function. It could be a cord or cordless machine. The devices include the engine, trimmer head or headboard, handle, cutter rope or blade, protective shield, throttle cable, clutch or throttle, adjustment telescopic Pole, bush cutter shaft, and bush cutter Belts.
The engine is made of metal which houses the internal machine components such as the starter coil, fuel tank, carburetor, air filter, and ignition System. The engine could be a 2-stroke, and 4-stroke single-cylinder gasoline or petrol-driven engine. The engine’s capacity could be 1.2 or 1.7 horse depending on the manufacturer and the engine types.
The bush cutter has two handles like that of the bicycle attached to the telescopic stainless pole with an adjustment ring used to adjust the handle to suit the height of the users. One of the handles is housing the clutch and the cable for the effective firing of the machine.
The trimming head is circular and is made of aluminum alloy. The head contains components such as the trimmer head, Allen key, blade, washer, and cutting rope. The cutting blades could be metal star-shaped, serrated circular, and nylon rope blades for cutting and slashing.
The telescopic stainless pole is strong and durable and has all the components of the machine mounted to it. The machine has an angular protecting shield that protects the cut grass and fume from staining the operator or the gardener. The weight of the machine could be 10 or 6.5kg depending on the product.
Types of Grass Cutting Machines
There are two types of grass-cutting machines, they are:
- Cord Grass Cutting Machine
- Cordless Grass Cutting Machine
- Cord Grass-Cutting Machine: The Cord grass-cutting machine is a normal mechanical grass-cutting machine with a petrol or gas engine.
- Cordless Grass Cutting Machine: The Cordless Grass cutting machine is designed differently from the normal grass cutting machine with an Engine. This machine does not contain the outer power cable and the engine like the normal cord machine, all cables are inbuilt. This machine has two D-shaped handles, the main handle, and the assistant handle. The main handle houses the battery fixing point, lock-off button, and switch triggered. The assistant handle is the adjustment handle used to adjust the machine to suit the height of the operators. The telescopic rod has an adjustment point for adjusting the machine to various heights. The machine has a head-rotating cord button that helps rotate the trimmer head. The cordless machine has serrated toothed blades for cutting, clearing, pruning, and trimming. The machine could be an electric or rechargeable battery.
Cutter Machine Diagram
Components of the Grass Cutting Machine and Their Functions
Some of the important parts of the grass cutting machine and their functions include:
- Trimmer head or headboard: the cutter head is made of aluminum alloy and houses the cutting components such as the trimmer head, Allen key, blade, washer, and cutting rope.
- Handle: the bush cutter machine has two handles made of aluminum. The handle is coated with ergonomic rubber fittings that house the clutch, and it is used for directing the cutter head and rate of bush cutting.
- Cutter Rope or Blade: the rope is made of nylon, and it is made of various colors while the blade is made of stainless. The rope and stainless blade are used for use for cutting and trimming grasses, fodder, and flower
- Protective shield: this is a flat angular metal shield attached immediately before the cutter head. It enables the gardener to maintain uniform cutting and work conveniently and safely.
- Engine: the bush cutter engine is made of metal with various horsepower, and it houses the starter coil, carburetor, fuel tank, air filter, and ignition System
- throttle cable: the cable is made of plastic material and helps to transmit power to the clutch or throttle for effective functioning.
- Clutch or throttle: the cable is made of plastic, and is connected to the throttle cable at one of the handles of the grass cutter machine. It is connected to the start and switch-off buttons of the machine. The clutch or throttle helps control the cutting and trimming tools attached to the trimmer head.
- Adjustment Telescopic Pole: the pole is a strong and durable stainless pole, and provides an avenue for the attachment of the engine, handle, protective shield, trimmer head, and other important components of the cutter machine.
- The bush cutter shaft: the shaft is made of a strong metal tube located in the trimmer head that helps to control the rotation of the grass clippings
- bush cutter Belts: the belt is made of strong nylon fabric made of various straps and adjustment straps for belting the machine to the leg, back, and waist
Uses of the Grass Cutting Machine
The grass cutter or bush cutter machine is a multifunction machine used for performing various operations on the farm, at home, and in the garden. These operations are made possible if the bush cutter is equipped with various cutting aids such as metal blades and nylon ropes.
- Suitable for Clearing/slashing: this small farm machinery is used for clearing fields, lawns, and the surroundings. The machines have nylon and blades of different qualities attached to the head for slashing of grasses in the field, and farm. Although the nylon blade is not good for clearing or slashing overgrown grass, the metal steel blade is used in cutting tall grasses and shrubs on the farm.
- Pruning/Trimming of Flower: succulent flowers can be effectively pruned or trimmed with the aid of the bush cutting machine. The device is equipped with a relevant metal blade to help cut bushes and trim flowers at a determined height.
- Appropriate for Weeding on the Farm: the bush cutter is used for weeding with the aid of a circular blade. The head of the bush cutter is designed in such a way that different blades can be fixed and used to carry out the weeding of grasses on the farm.
- Harvesting Crop: this machine is also used to harvest cereal crops such as Rice, Barley, and wheat, this is possible when harvesting devices or blades are added or fixed to the cutter’s head.
- Harvesting Forages and Herbs: Forage grass and folders such as Elephant grass, Guinea, grasses, Bamoda grasses, clovers, centrosema, and alfalfa can be harvested using these farm machines. With the help of the sharp blade, large quantities of forage crops can be harvested within a short time.
- Harvesting of Herb: Herbs such Prunella Vulgaris, Christina Loosestrife, etc can also be harvested using the bush cutter. Harvesting herbs with a bush cutter is faster and quicker compared to the use of a sickle and other farm tools.
- Cut Twig for Mulching: slender woody shrubs and herbaceous grass can be harvested with the help of the bush cutter machine for mulching and capping on the farm. Succulent shoots of trees can also be trimmed using the bush cutter for mulching.
How to Use the Grass Cutting Machine
The uses of the grass-cutting machine may not be difficult for old gardeners, but for new bee gardeners the case may be different, however, this article has carefully developed certain steps which when fully followed will help beginner gardeners or farmers to use the bush-cutting machine effectively. The steps are.
- Coupled or assemble all the essential components
- Fix the nylon cutter rope or steel cutter blade properly
- Adjust the handle properly to suit your height
- Ensure that there is enough fuel or gas, if not fill the tank with enough fuel, if the area to be cut is large have enough fuel on the gallon.
- Start the machine by pressing the primer bulb, moving the chock to the start button, and the start rope to ignite the starter coil.
- once the machine has started, belt the machine with the brush cutter strap on the back.
- Hold the handle firmly
- Move the working machine around while cutting the grass.
How to Start the Grass Cutting Machine
Starting the grass cutting machine is very simple, but certain steps need to be followed in a beginner garden. Therefore the following steps are necessary when planning to start the machine.
- Ensure that the machine is filled with fuel (petrol) or gas ( the gasoline types)
- Switch on the engine with the aid of the ON/OFF button.
- Activate the priming bulb by pressing it about 5-6 times
- Move the choke to the ON or START part.
- The plug wires should be firmly connected before starting the machine.
- Use your left hand to press the machine downward.
- Use your right hand to pull the start rope handle to ignite the starter coil
- Once the machine has started move the choke to the RUN or OPEN position.
- Once the engine has fully started allow for about two minutes for a proper warning of the engine
- Then throttle the engine before using it.
Advantages/ Merits of Using the Grass Cutting Machine
Some of the merits or advantages of the bush cutter machine are enumerated below:
- Large expanses or areas of land can be cleared or mowed within a short time
- It can be used to beautify or decorate lawns, and land landscapes by cutting or trimming grass and flowers at uniform height.
- It is very cheap to purchase
- It is very cheap to maintain
- It does not require high technical skills to operate and use
- It does not require specialized skills to assemble or disassemble
- It is eco-friendly mostly the solar power bush cutter machine.
Disadvantages/ Merits of Using the Grass Cutting Machine
The demerits of the bush cutter machine are highlighted below.
- It causes disturbance to the environment mostly the petrol or gas bush cutter machine
- The blade can carry the stone while working to damage car windscreens, glass windows, and other glass properties.
- The fumes from grasses can cause air pollution.
- It leads to hearing losses due to frequency exposure of the sound of the crass cutter machine
- The use of grass-cutting machines can lead to damage to economic crops on the farm if not well-controlled
Maintenance of the Grass Cutting Machine
The following maintenance practice should be observed when using the Brush Cutter Machine
- replace the trimmer cutter rope or nylon regularly
- check the fuel or gas level regularly before starting and during working
- gently pull the start rope when starting the machine to avoid cutting
- clean the grass cutter machine before storage
- remove and clean the fuel filter regularly
- Replace the damaged air and fuel filter.
- Check and clean the spark plug
- Replace weak power spark plug, and change spark plug once a year.
- Replace damaged parts of the cutter machines
- Do not use the cutter rope for strong shrubs and overgrown grasses except the mental blade cutter.
- Oil mental part of the grass cutter machine
- Adhere stickily to the manufacturers’ guild.