Adventure 15 - Swing Blade

In this adventure: The weeds next to the pond have grown up tall and need to be cut out. Instead of using a weed-eater I decided to use a swing blade. Surprisingly it worked very well.
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[@jefft8138]

For things heavier than grass, the end of the blade closest to you should be angled a good 20-30 degrees ahead of the opposite end as you swing into the cut, like an "open" club face in golf, just roll your driving hand's palm up a little. This gives the blade a sawing action through the swing for the thicker stalks of flowering weeds and thorny brush. Don't use this type of blade on any kind of wood, it may work at first but soon you have a bent, dull, ruined blade. For small saplings and branches, use a bush axe instead. Guess what to use on thicker wood?

[@TR-rm1eb]

The best technique is how you use your momentum. Requires little effort once you get the swing going. Thanks for the video

[@TheRustydog42]

Used these a lot when I was a kid; mainly in the grass ditch in front of the house with sides to steep for a power mover when the weeds were high. As far a technique, the main thing is to have enough velocity so the blade can cut effectively. One-hand, two-handed, front swing, back swing, all are effective. Just keep the blade level with the growth of the weeds. With practice, one can trim weeds to within 1/2 inch of desired height. Since the tool is shaped much like a golf club, anyone that has experience with it would have a pretty good swing to boot! Except for the driver, which is a very unbalanced club- too much weight at the head that needs the club to bend a bit. The "sling blade" wooden handle does not bend, so every swing is consistent.

[@SimplePleasuresMTB]

I just purchased one to start clearing trails for mountain biking. Thanks for the demo👍

[@thecriticalstatepodcast]

Perfect way to work on the old golf swing.

[@soulseer5]

Just finished goin' through long, thick grass in my front yard. Works good. Thanks for the video.

[@MrRocco_]

I found this in my mom's shed and picked it up and used it like I knew how to

[@LandtoHouse]

Nice! I hope it was sharper than mine.

[@christopherlynch1976]

"Swing Blade" and french fried taters...mmmmm...

[@d.y.h.w.]

That's what I was thinking 😂

[@tasha80mgr]

Awesome, I'm buying one today. Thanks for sharing

[@LandtoHouse]

+tasha80mgr just be sure to wear nice boots haha.

[@m88averick]

Found this after watching Wranglerstar's sling blade restoration video. Nice to see it was inspired by that.

[@LandtoHouse]

I watch a lot of Cody's videos. He has been an inspiration to keep on making youtube videos.

[@bt4350]

Found one of these in a house I just bought and the back yard recently turned into a weed forest up to my knees. Sure is effective. That said, and I hate to use a movie as an example of the real world, but watch Cool Hand Luke and try to get the motion and rhythm down they have when using these. WAY more effective than a two handed single whack approach.

[@LandtoHouse]

Nice find. When they are sharp they work very well! Unlike mine that has not been sharpened properly.

[@carlboulding5137]

They call it a yoyo in the joint.

[@malcolmt7883]

Those are real handy for anything bigger than grass.

[@LandtoHouse]

Yes especially when sharp.

[@laserbeam002]

You call it a "Swing Blade" but when I was a kid and living on the family farm we called it a "Sling Blade" and yes they are a great tool. But you really have to keep them sharp and always store them in the dry.

[@LandtoHouse]

+laserbeam 002 you are correct. I used the wrong term...as a kid my family used the wrong term ha ha. I need to sharpen this one. It's so dull.

[@ardalla535]

Bring it down using 2 hands to get a bit more force. Then turn loose with one hand and let the blade follow thru by itself. Sort of like swinging a bat. After you hit the ball, you don't need 2 hands any more. Don't try to stop the bat; let it follow thru so you don't waste energy. In other words, don't fight the blade ... you''ll last longer.

[@s3cr3ts3rv1c3]

Love wranglerstar too!!!!

[@LandtoHouse]

He and his family are so interesting. They almost demand that you watch every new video that comes out. I have learned so much from them. seems like they just live life and film it.

[@sophtacatttack9210]

Hi I've been commenting on a lot of your videos lately and I just wanted to ask if you'll one day do a video on how to rebuild and sharpen a swing blade back to prime condition. I have an on old model of the swing blade and it has the wavy edge to it and I can't think of how to sharpen it, or the dimensions of the handle. Plus the blade bends inward after repeated use and I figured it would cut better if it were straight. I don't know, just think about it and see what you can come up with. Your videos are always interesting.

[@LandtoHouse]

I had not thought about doing a restoration video. My blade has the wavy ridges on it as well. I sharpened mine after making this video (Wish I had taken the time before I used it because it was so painfully dull) I looked at the blade and noticed that even though it has the ridges on it I could file on the bottom side and it would sharpen all the ridges at once. I will be using the blade again in a bit when the leaves are off the trees. I can do a video on sharpening it. :) Thank you for taking the time to watch my videos!

[@knobbody]

As soon I see it in use it reminds me of shaving. I'm into it, have some odd slopes to clear and power mowers/trimmers are just awkward for it.

[@RakeshKumar-kg7no]

Nice man good job

[@patrickboyle6727]

Cool hand luke

[@my2cents852]

It will help your golf swing too!

[@rbk7876]

Needed: gloves, safety glasses , red bull, Vicodin ! 🙃

[@everquestfan]

tourniquet

[@i_am_ilj8455]

I have my own lawncare/landscape company and I do not have a weedeater, I use a sling blade

[@LandtoHouse]

There is a place for the weedeater. But the sling blade works if it is sharp.

[@sirmo667]

They're so good I love

[@YoMama63366]

This works well against briars.

[@O6i]

Never forget eye protection when doing this kind of work

[@qhazwel]

I am taller and I use my idiot stick (old slang name) one handed. It is very effective on thicker brush.When the weeds or grass is lower I use my Mascot push mower and my Silent Scott's mower (70 years old). I have them set at different heights. It requires a wrench in order to adjust the heights. You can find either on the used market online.

[@palabrajot505]

I call it a Kaiser blade.

[@Tawni.6269]

Agreed. 🗨️😎👍

[@deldevours]

How often do you need to sharpen this?

[@desmondehoppie4758]

Great

[@MySlyFly]

Buy a scythe dude.

[@frankyalvarez7160]

And ruin the blade or sharpen it every minute😂 every tool has a purpose, the sythe is for grass and the swing blade is for thick brush and weeds.

[@mike7590]

@@frankyalvarez7160 A Bush or ditch scyth blade is made for exactly this type of work. It would be faster, safer, more effecient and do a better job. Downside would be it is more expensive and requires some skill.

[@joelopez1770]

I used a scythe to cut and you can do it but you'll need to sharpen it pretty often.

[@therrienmichael08]

I was going to get a brush axe but I think the swing blade would be easier to swing and not get as close to the brush. Thanks.

[@LandtoHouse]

When these are sharp they work well. Mine was very dull.

[@therrienmichael08]

Land to House I went into my garage tonight, low and behold there was a brush axe on the table I had forgot about. It worked well. Your piece swing blade I could ise at my daughters on the edge of the field before mowing.

[@eddyvideostar]

At 2:14 minutes: Do you have any Latino or Spanish background in you? You, like they, love the hard work and feel sagacious and satisfied, even when the mind could make things easier and effective.

[@richarderion4611]

I call that a yoyo. Like in the movie Cool Hand Like.

[@davebean2886]

How often do you have to sharpen your swing blade? I just bought a new swing blade yesterday and also a couple of old scythes. Videos indicate scythes should be sharpened every few minutes, but doesn't take very long.

[@LandtoHouse]

This was my dad's blade. I am not sure about sharpening.

[@arkansastrash320]

Thats off the grid weedeating lol !!! Next video you should show how to start the swing blade to running haha .I know how it makes you feel like what you have done i don't know you appericate it more like it was not just handed to you like if you use power tools you really did it !!

[@LandtoHouse]

Absolutely.! The satisfaction you get from swinging an old tool is much better than using a power tool. ... Unless it's a chainsaw then it's better to use it over a traditional saw.

[@arkansastrash320]

I agree a regular saw would be too hard to cut al my fire wood with haha

[@shawnsumpter8633]

love em

[@elizabethvillalobos4504]

Can this tool be sharpened

[@carlboulding5137]

It's a Kaiser blade. Mmm hmmm.

[@chanceholland2917]

I got four of them they call them yoyos

[@brenthill5596]

a scythe would be even better.

[@LandtoHouse]

Brent Hill I do want to try one of those! They seem fun as long as its done right. (not losing a foot)

[@brenthill5596]

Yeah some steel toe boots would be a must have.. I'm thinking of ordering a scythe on Amazon's site just to have one. could come in handy one day. I already have a sling blade like yours. I use it for small brush clearing jobs.

[@LandtoHouse]

Brent Hill if sharpened these blades are not half bad. Now if you let them get as dull as mine you might be better off with scissors ha ha. Will you be using that for tall grass mostly?

[@brenthill5596]

mostly tall grass and some brush. the sling blade works faster than my gas powered trimmer and I'm thinking a scythe will be the most productive of all if I don't cut my leg off with it..

[@LandtoHouse]

Brent Hill gas trimmers really aren't that fast. They can get to some Hills better than swinging though.

[@RavenLynne2010]

When is the best time to start swinging this double edged tool? They weeds you were swinging at looked dried out. I'm wondering if it's best to wait for the weeds to get "Brown" or to do it while it's green?

[@LandtoHouse]

I am not skilled with this tool. I wanted to give it a try and the weeds were dry. I have used it with green weeds and it was just as affective.

[@RavenLynne2010]

I got the serrated "weed cutter" straight from Tractor Supply.... I'm guessing because it's serrated, I don't need to have it sharpened? I can understand if it needs to be sharpened up a bit somehow if you're hitting rocks all the time which is not the case with me as it's just a flat dirt lot. I know that the scythe blades need to be sharpened before using which is a "razor edge" and am not sure about the ones straight from the hardware store with the serrated blades.

[@LandtoHouse]

+RavenLynne2010 it is still possible to sharpen those. I don't know how sharp new ones are right out of the store.

[@stevethomas5209]

My father tought us boys the best time to use the blade to cut and clear weeds was no later than 5 minutes after he told us to "get to work" and we knew what the consequences were if we didn't . Lol ... hope this helps w your timing question.

[@justforthetv]

Omg to hell with that damn swing blade haha

[@LandtoHouse]

haha. They have their place. Often times in the back corner of the storage building.

[@SonicBoomC98]

A brush axe or scythe might be better on the thicker stuff

[@LandtoHouse]

Yes indeed. Years later my neighbor used his tractor to clear it. Now its manageable by mower.

[@quasi8180]

Hyping myself up for another weeding session well i was using the swing blade completwly wrong

[@HistoryLety]

Justo hoy me llegó está deshierbadora, pero me llevé la decepción de que no sirve. Estoy viendo el video para ver si aprendo a usarla, pero no lo logro. 😢

[@ed.t.hansen6499]

where to find a swing blade. Most hard anywhere. ! NOT even in Asia

[@sean8081a]

I love it...is that from Home Depot?

[@LandtoHouse]

+sean craig this one is so old I can't remember. But you can buy them there.

[@gijoyjoy]

I bought this to knock down som tall weeds behind my property. It was a real big…meh. Not worth the $30 I paid. I’ll be returning it tomorrow.

[@thesupermom1975]

It's a sling-blade. Not swing blade. Although in Texas, I grew up calling them "yo-yos." I prefer using hand tools to power tools and I've spent many many hours behind field tools. I don't think I ever went at it with such a girly swing though. Get a good edge on that thing and swing it like you mean it and yes it will go through small trees.

[@LandtoHouse]

+thesupermom1975 I grew up in NM calling it a swing blade. Its hard to stop calling things by what you have always known them as. Like referring to wasps as bees. My sling blade is so dull it is hardly worth swinging. I should get a good edge on it before going at it again.

[@scottykilmer8900]

Apparently the swing blade is not very affective on trees. I did not think you was going to try to cut down a grand for or something 😂😂 just a joke no offence

[@deborahparker5806]

Where can I purchase a sling blade, I live in Houston TX can I find it here

[@LandtoHouse]

My local hardware store and lowes has them. In the price range of $15-$40.

[@liquidbabydoll2]

Deborah Parker You can find everything in Houston -lol I live there too and like the poster wrote, i bought mine at Lowes online for $25. including shipping. It is listed under grass whip

[@liquidbabydoll2]

Land to House How do you sharpen this?

[@gelflingfay]

We got ours at Lowe's.

[@LandtoHouse]

+Suzanne Troub very good. Should come in handy. Be sure to wear shoes and pants. :-)

[@shawnsumpter8633]

I want a sy

[@moebees3060]

Why are you cutting the ground cover? Not very bright.

[@LandtoHouse]

You have found an old video here on the channel. This is my dads tool and I wanted to take it out for a go. Needs to be sharpened.

[@RonaldStricklin]

You would have been better off with a Kaiser Blade

[@LandtoHouse]

Ronald Stricklin My dad has one of those. Its a beast.

[@thesupermom1975]

+Ronald Stricklin In Texas, we call Kaiser Blades, Jo Blades. Weird huh? But now, the home stores are calling them brush axes...whuuut???

[@kristinlee9485]

Ugh. I just bought one of these for tall grass and does absolutely NOTHING for grass😡😡😡😡😡

[@LandtoHouse]

I think they need to be really sharp for grass.

[@kristinlee9485]

@@LandtoHouse well actually I think my problem was trying to cut dry grass. I live in the Southwest and I imagine green, wet grass cuts eaiser

[@LandtoHouse]

I see. I lived in NM for a while. That is some dry grass.

[@yacksonsuarez3679]

sale mejor comprar un machete ..

[@timgreen2426]

Not using it right. It's all about the swing...use one arm, better height=better swing, more torque cutting power. Could have cut a 2 inch diameter tree

[@LandtoHouse]

This blade needs sharpening very badly. It was so dull that It would hardly cut anything.

[@TheRustydog42]

torque has many meanings, but for our purposes, it is the force applied to the tool by the users arms. Like any other swing, baseball, tennis, golf etc., using your hips during the swing increases the force on the tool, which in turn increases the speed of the swing. It is the reason why baseball players use two hands on the bat swing and why the two-handed stroke is so popular in tennis. After the tool, bat, racket impacts the object, the primary hand can release, while the off-hand follows through for a reset. Of course, there is always a chance of not having a good grip on the tool, bat, racket and launching the thing into the air because of too much momentum. This happens in baseball from time to time.

[@avercher]

Another sling blade demo video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKmqiZSGe9Nnqsk

[@danasmith6036]

**5

[@packleader1215]

1:35 Remember the blind man with a sword on *Robin Hood: Men In Tights*? kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3OTZ4mQbreYa9E

[@packleader1215]

Blinkin

[@LandtoHouse]

It has been a long long time since I have watched that movie.

[@shnarklevonbarkle110]

A weed wacker would NOT have handled that with no problem at all. How do I know this? Because my weed wacker is spinning out line like it's free. Those stalks cut the line, rather than the line cutting the stalks. I've had it with these idiotic smelly noise makers. They're completely worthless. The best thing they can do is to cut grass, but even then the grass gets wound up in it and eventually it gets bound up in it and the engine starts to bog down. They're nothing but cheap junk. What you're using is also called a grass cutter. I'm thinking about getting one of those, but I'm also looking at the brush clearing blades as well which are much better at cutting stalks up to half an inch thick or more. I had one years ago, but I was caught up in the frenzy of the "new and improved" narrative which after all these years has finally worn off. I can see now that these technological gizmos are nothing but a bunch of hype and worthless junk. You can cut down a field of grass, weeds, and small trees in half the time it would take with a weed wacker. I take that back, you could probably do it in one fifth the amount of time and expend LESS energy in the process. Save a whole lot of money too.

[@keithsaylors3818]

Your pronouncing it wrong it's sling blade although both would would be a good name for the tool

[@LandtoHouse]

I see. Thank you. I guess I have just always called it that