Jane Mulberry wrote:I am in Europe, so I don't think Milwaukee is easily available here, though Makita is. I have a bow saw but will need to be doing a lot of tree cutting. No big timber, I won't try to tackle anything bigger than 6" diameter, and will probably stick to far smaller branches and trees to start. I love hand tools, but realistically will have to buy a medium sized electric chainsaw, one with batteries that are interchangeable with the drill.
I spent much of the first year on our land working with bow saws and pruning saws. Whilst it is peaceful, it is hard on the body and I feel as though I damaged myself by not listening to my self (wrists and shoulder). We bought a Makita 18v electric chainsaw (DUC256Z) and, whilst it's not the most powerful thing, for branch wood and the occasional fell, it feels much faster and safer than using hand tools - being able to complete a felling cut quickly, rather than battling with a hand tool as you tire (and the tree becomes less supported). It does use battery fairly quickly though so it pays to have a few available (we have 4 5Ah ones).
We also have a 2x18v Makita strimmer/brushcutter (DUR369AZ) and that has been very useful for keeping down brambles around our boundaries. We dispensed with the nylon strimmer head and use the metal blade exclusively to avoid spreading plastics around.
In terms of power tool brands, much has been said on that already. Most people in the UK that I know have either Makita or DeWalt for their cordless tools. I picked Makita as it is what my close friends were using and it made it easy to share batteries/tools. For what it is worth, I think their tools tend to be of pretty high quality as long as you pick the higher-end models. Builders and contractors often have really high-end tools like Hilti and Festool but they are out of my budget and I've not found any good second-hand offers.
On batteries, we got 2x 5.0Ah batteries as part of a cheap drill promotion at Screwfix (a UK hardware store, for those elsewhere). I think it was £130. I then re-sold the drill and kept the batteries which are usually closer to £100 each.
Car boot sales and Facebook marketplace have been great sources of hand tools for us. I believe there are flea markets in Bulgaria that often sell old farming tools so that might be worth a look when you are over there. I imagine there are some bargains to be had.
My "desert island tools" list would be as follows:
- Long-handled loppers
- Secateurs
- Strong space for digging (I have a Faithfull all-steel trenching spade that is great and has a good warranty, which I have had to use once; I also have a few old Elwell spades for lighter work)
- Strong fork for digging out stones, roots and turning muck/soil (again, all-steel might be the way to go, although older forks/spades with decent ash handles are a joy to use)
- Shovel for moving woodchip/soil/mulch
- Long-handled trowel (like a regular trowel but more versatile)
- Spring-tine rake for grass/leaves (might not be necessary in Bulgaria?)
- Fixed-tine rake for stones, preparing seed bed and moving large piles of debris
- Pruning saw (we have a few Silky PocketBoy saws and they are excellent; the Stihl ones are also v. good)
- Hoe (I like a draw hoe but everyone seems to have a favourite)
- Barrows, buckets and trugs
From what I've seen online, there seem to be lots of billhooks, sickles, axes and similar tools that are traditional to Bulgaria. An assortment of those may be useful for clearing and for coppicing and processing wood.
You might also consider a few good lengths of rope and some shade cloth for creating shadier microclimates.