Wood Whacker

Road crews in certain areas affected by recession have been forced to lengthen the time between trimmings alongside highways, allowing denser brush to invade. Grass-type weeds are easily handled but when woody trees enter, weed whackers have no chance. They may scar it, but they usually just save it for a chainsaw crew. When the chainsaw crews come around (which is even more intermittent), the tree has grown to be maybe 3 inches thick, depending on the type of tree. Wanting to eliminate the tree, they get as close to the base as possible. They either run their chains into the dirt and/or rocks, damaging their chains, or they go to high. Leaving even 3 inches of tree stubble can dramatically increase the liability to those responsible for maintaining such roads. The sides of roads are more generally used as walkways for pedestrians as well as paths for cyclists. If they run into one of these stubs and trip, they could sue for some bucks, and someone could die from vehicle related incidents.

Allowing road crews that are dedicated to grass trimming, the ability to also trim such stubble down to the ground level would be in the best interest of both the road crews and those who use the sides of roads. They would not have to track and work together with chainsaw crews.

This weed whacker attachment, the Wood Whacker, would allow road crews this ability, allowing them to efficiently clear roadside brush within their more intermittent schedules. It would have a guard-attachment, like you see for protecting against projectiles, but it would also act as a sled, allowing the wood whacker to get as close to the ground as possible, without touching any dirt or rocks. It would contain a heavy cutting disc, geared down, to take on small trees no larger than 2" in diameter.

Far be it from me to suggest that this isn't an ingenious, earth-shattering and life-affirming example of the brilliance of the human mind when faced with a seemingly intractable problem, but this isn't an ingenious, earth- shattering and life-affirming example of the brilliance of the human mind when faced with a seemingly intractable problem. It's just a solution to a problem that many road crews might appreciate, if implemented.