Conquer Thick Brush and Blackberries: The Best Equipment for the Pacific Northwest
Blackberries. Brambles. Thick brush. These and other common types of vegetation in the Pacific Northwest can be tough to manage, especially across varied terrain.
Whether you’re maintaining a large property, clearing overgrowth, or trimming tough spots around the yard, having the right gear makes the job faster and safer, and prevents unnecessary wear on your equipment.
In this blog, we’ll highlight a range of reliable equipment, from versatile systems to remote-controlled powerhouses, that help you take on brush, thick grass, blackberries, and more with confidence.
STIHL FS 91 R – Double-Duty Power
If your yard demands more than basic edging, the STIHL FS 91 R is a solid choice. This 12-pound tool packs 1.27 horsepower and features a solid steel drive shaft, giving you the power to cut through everything from dry grass to thick reeds and blackberry bushes.
It works as both a string trimmer and a brush cutter, with optional blade kits available—including a grass blade, brush knife, and even a circular saw blade for small saplings.
KMA 135 R – A Multi-Use Tool
If you’ve got a variety of landscape needs – say, navigating tough brush, dense grass, hedges, and garden beds, the battery-operated STIHL KMA 135 R is a great solution. It uses STIHL’s KombiSystem, with a single powerhead and more than a dozen optional attachments. Add the 4-tooth brushcutter for rough jobs or the adjustable power scythe for precision trimming. Attach the adjustable hedge trimmers for pruning, a bed redefiner and separate mini-cultivator for gardening, or the blower to clear away debris.
The KMA 135 R powerhead body weighs 7.5 pounds. The STIHL AP battery system offers multiple options to power both big and small jobs, with batteries that range from 2.9 pounds to a backpack-style battery that weighs more than 20 pounds.
A battery tool is a bit less powerful than its gas counterpart but is quieter, with zero-exhaust emissions. While the upfront cost of a battery-operated option is higher, maintenance is minimal. Just grease the drive shaft annually with STIHL Superlub and keep the air filter clean. You’ll never have to worry about priming, flooding, choking, or gas going bad, and changing spark plugs is a thing of the past.
FS 131 Bike Handle – A 4-Stroke Option for Commercial Use
If you’re cutting through thick, tall grass, reeds, gnarled bushes, thin tree trunks, or brush, the FS 131 Bike Handle weed wacker is a strong option. It’s the largest string trimmer in the STIHL line and is compatible with a wide range of cutting heads with metal blades to power through your projects. When used with a harness, the soft grip bike handle design provides greater control and reduces operator fatigue.
This tool weighs 12.8 pounds with a good power-to-weight ratio, and at 1.9 horsepower, it has a larger engine than previous models that improves its runtimes by 30 percent.
The FS 131 features STIHL’s 4-MIX® engine, a hybrid design that combines the benefits of 2-stroke simplicity with the torque and efficiency of a 4-stroke.
Thanks to the 4-MIX setup, the FS 131 is quieter, smoother, and easier to start. The only added maintenance consideration with the 4-MIX is the valves must be adjusted after the first 125-150 hours and again after every additional 500 hours.
Gravely Ovis – “New” Commercial Brush Mower
The remote-controlled Gravely Ovis is built for tough terrain—ideal for roadside and retention pond mowing, with cutting heights from 1 to 4 inches. It handles sloped embankments up to 55 degrees and its low-profile design makes it perfect for cutting under solar panels. The Ovis can tackle thick grasses and saplings up to 1 1⁄2 inches in diameter, and it can be operated via remote control from nearly 1,000 feet away.
Offering a 40-inch cut, this 930-pound brush mower features a 56-blade dual flail-style mowing deck, and the same Hydro-Gear ZT 3100 transaxle often found on much heavier machines, which helps it to power through thick bushes, shrub thickets, and tall grasses.
Gravely’s Ovis mower also features a simplified manual blade engagement that, in the long run, requires less maintenance than an electric power take off (PTO) clutch.
Conclusion
With the varied topography and vegetation of Western Washington, landscape maintenance often means facing everything from thick blackberry thickets to stubborn, overgrown grasses. Whether you’re a homeowner or a pro, the key to getting the job done efficiently is choosing the right tool with the right power for your needs.
At Carl’s Mower & Saw, we’re here to help you find equipment that fits your property, your projects, and your priorities—so you can power your outdoors with confidence. Stop by and let us help you get the job done right.
About
Established in 1990 by Carl and Beth Levien, Carl’s Mower & Saw remains a family-owned and locally operated business to this day. We’re committed to providing an exceptional customer experience to both contractors and homeowners. Whether you’re looking for sales, service or rentals, you’ll find quality outdoor power equipment brands known for their durability and dependability, including Exmark, Gravely, Honda, Husqvarna, STIHL, and BCS America. For inquiries, feel free to reach out by calling 360-384-0799 or emailing info@carlsmower.com.
