Does anyone use a scythe regularly?

[LaneC]

    I was wondering how efficient and light a scythe is. I cannot run a weed eater due to a very messed up back, but in what little research I have done, it seems like a different approach to clearing some weeds. As always, all comments are appreciated.

[thecfarm]

I don't know if you could use a scythe. I have used one just a little, but that swinging motion, I would think, would bother you. A scythe has some weight to it, and it's the wrong type of weight, away from your body.
How much weed wacking you got to do? Put a wheel onto the end of the shaft to run along on the ground?

[47sawdust]

I agree with Cfarm.I think you would find the motion needed to use a scythe would not be good for your back.I have tried to use one and it was not so pretty to watch. My language was not appropriate either.

[dgdrls]

I would not try a scythe with a soft back.
If its not a large area look for a grass whip, or a weed cutter at your local H&G center
very light and a single arm pendulum type swing work its.

D

[stanmillnc]

I regularly cut a 5 acre field with a scythe growing up, because we couldn't afford a mower. As a young man with a strong back, this was a good workout for me and it didn't bother my back too much. However, scythe swinging wreaks havoc on the lower back and the twisting motion would be impossible to do without injuring myself now. If you have trouble with a weed-whacker, scythe work would be out of the question in my opinion. I can't think of a harder way to cut a field! Ironically, one of the scythe's I used was branded "The Back-Saver!"

[Jeff]

I can remember as a kid watching my dad toil with a scythe. He spent a lot of time stooped over it with a file a stone and a steel too. Even as a kid I thought, man, there must be a better way!

[Sedgehammer]

I agree with Cfarm.I think you would find the motion needed to use a scythe would not be good for your back.I have tried to use one and it was not so pretty to watch. My language was not appropriate either.

I wasn't there, but by your description of the experience, I'd say you did in fact use proper language...... ;D

[Dave Shepard]

A properly maintained scythe will be a pleasure to use, however, if your back can't handle a weed eater, a scythe may not be any better. 

[WV Sawmiller]

   Never used one - never want to. Have you looked into one of the push trimmer such as shown below? Not endorsing a particular design just the basic concept. Good luck.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/dr-power-equipment-walk-behind-string-trimmer-carb-compliant

[Magicman]

I am trying to avoid a scythe, more especially the: Scythe of Time

[GAB]

If memory serves me correctly the last time I used one was in 1966, and once more in the next 54 years will be too often.
GAB

[LaneC]

 :D I appreciate the advice. After listening to the comments, it seems to me that there will be some very lucky weeds in the future that will enjoy a full life cycle without being cut . I appreciate all the input and thanks a bunch.

[moodnacreek]

I never learned as a boy. Thank God for weed wackers.

[Old Greenhorn]

I bought a nice scythe at a farmers market about 2 years ago and put an edge on it. It could use some more work, but I like it so far. I got it to do weeds around and in, the pond across the road. It is a workout, you have to take your time and to go crazy. Smooth even strokes and try to avoid bending too much. Where it excels is tall grass. Weed whackers choke on this stuff but the scythe does not. Avoid rocks too. :D No, I don not use it in place of the weed whacker, but when the stuff is tall, this really works for me. Your mileage may vary.

[sawguy21]

I tried one in my youth and decided it was not for me, an old timer put me to shame. :D

[thecfarm]

My Father showed me how to use one. Years ago that's all they used to mow the "fields". The fields around here had rocks all over the place. I asked my Dad how they could mow all that. I was use to a six foot cutter bar. Some places was not even 6 feet between the rocks. I say fields. This was up in the woods with trees at least 2 feet across. My father would say, I can remember when they mowed this. My father was born in 1923,had me when he was 42 years old. 

[gspren]

A scythe is more for open areas where a weed wacker can get up close to buildings, fences, etc. For tall grass, weeds and briars I like a hedge trimmer attachment on the weed eater. As far as the back goes you may need to look at harnesses to better distribute the weight, at least with the weed eater you can work slower without fast swinging motions. I've found the easiest on my back to be paying the neighbor kid to do it.

[Oliver05262]

 LaneC, if you were closer to me, I would say stop by and take your pick. I have maybe five hanging in the back of the shop. One is a pretty new brush scythe, and I quickly found out why it is still almost new. Wicked heavy. The others all grass scythes in various states of age and decrepity, kinda like me. I couldn't swing one for long, now.
 One each free for each eager member of the town road crew. Make a donation to the forum.

[moodnacreek]

Oliver, don't save one for me.

[Dave Shepard]

A properly tuned scythe is no harder to run than a brushcutter. If it's dull, then it's going to be a fight. 

[maple flats]

If used properly a scythe is easy to use, but form is the key. The swing is at a twisting of the lower back (50%) and the arms (50%). I don't think anyone with a lower back issue would be able to do it. By the way, I have at least 5 scythes, some are much lighter than the others, but none are light.
However, a good sharp scythe will trim far better and faster than any weed trimmer, in the right hands. Even at 73 I can still cut with a scythe for about 30 minutes at a time, but not on over grown weeds, timely cutting is the key. My Dad (born in 1912) and moved from a coal mining community to a poor farm at age 9 taught me how to use and sharpen a scythe. I don't use it for field cutting but I use it to clean around a pond, next to buildings and near fences.

[petefrom bearswamp]

Other than the "misery whip) AKA 6' or longer, crosscut saw the only thing that comes to mind is the scythe.
Used only sparingly in my youth, as I ran and tried to hidewhen my dad "suggested" I mow our lower 1/2 acre garden spot around the edges.
When I was a young man working in western Albany county NY in the early to mid 60s there was an older, probably in his late 60s or early 70s man named Adam Messer that was hired by the local town to mow the roadside of the road he lived on using this abominable tool. 
I would see him working along slowly and sometimes he was sharpening the awful tool.
Also when young, I remember seeing a good number of cradle scythes another tool of Satan that must have been absolute torture to use.
Imagine a 4 to 6 pound scythe with the "cradle" attached weighing another 4 or 5 pounds to harvest grain.
When the cradle was full it must have weighed plenty
Those folks were a lot ruggeder than me and I suspect most of us on the forum.

[sawguy21]

Misery whip, that is another tool I learned to avoid. You are right Pete, they were a tough lot but used what was available. No wonder the gas powered trimmer and combine were invented. ;D

[LaneC]

   Thanks for the offer Oliver, I appreciate it. I may have to wait til this winter and burn them. it will not be a big problem. thanks to everyone for the replies.

[Kindlinmaker]

Certainly not an option if a gas trimmer is problematic.  I never mastered the scythe but admired watching my father handle one.  It wasn't a pure back twisting motion but rather a reach, draw and turn motion all at once.  And it was not only cutting but also laying in clean row for drying and efficient raking when used for harvesting.  Like so many tools of that era, hard on their bodies but an absolute pleasure to observe; a working man's ballet.

[farmfromkansas]

My dad had a scythe hanging on the wall of his shed, but I never once saw him get it down and use it.  Lots of times remember him hooking up his #8 John Deere 7' sickle mower. He had a mounted model, had blocks that bolted to the tractor and round shafts that the mower hooked onto. One old antique he ran was a Jayhawk stacker.  He would use a dump rake to windrow the hay, then drive down the windrows till the stacker was full, then dump it on a pile.  My job was to take a pitchfork and move the hay around a little bit and stay on top of the pile, and pack it down with my feet.  Dirty job, and I probably was not the best stacker, but it made hay. Once the top was rounded off, he would tie wire between 2 hedge posts and throw them across the stack to hold the hay down.  

[maple flats]

My dad mowed the hay for a 25 cow farm, along with 2 brothers thru the 1920's and half way thru the 30's using a scythe. Then they got a 5' sickle bar horse drawn mower. I forget the model#. Then when I was 7 they sold their cows, when the NYS Thruway (Interstate 90) split their farm in half, making it far too long a trip to run the doodlebug tractor, pulling the now shortened pole 5' mower to go around to cut over half of their hay ground. After that dad continued to mow the fields on the north side of the thruway once a year, but the south side grew into brush and is now a woods, over 65 years later.
I now just practice using a scythe enough to re-acquaint myself with it and to trim around a pond once every 2-3 years. I used to trim some fence lines but I now use my weedbadger with a 25" hydraulically driven mower head, mounted on a small diesel tractor. On that there is a joy stick control that extends or retracts the mower head 12". It is mounted on the 3 pt hitch and the mower head extends up the right side so it is at the middle of the tractor, beside the driver. That tractor has 12 speed gearing and I can run it as slow as needed to maintain good control. Much easier and faster than a scythe.

[RAYAR]

I own a couple , both hay and brush scythes, and use them on occasion. Knowing how to use and sharpen them is an art unto itself. Also a great body workout.

[SwampDonkey]

I remember mother's uncle well into his senior years still using one of those old scythes out on the perimeter of his field knocking down aspen suckers and hawthorns. He was more stubborn and a tight wad than any man you'll ever come across. ;D Never wanted a wood splitter neither, but didn't mind using one when my uncle brought one along to split his firewood. :D He was a rail road man, and he can't blame it on the depression, he had steady weekly pay. Counting it on the weekend and crying over the interest. Happy tears, not depression.  :D He sure knew how to skin animal fur though, and how to repair it if it was tore up with floss so you'd never see it. He was better than a surgeon of the day, many folks would swear to that.

[K-Guy]

I sold mine when the hospital sent me a restraining order , stopping me from hanging around the doors wearing a black robe and holding it!  :D :

[Gere Flewelling]

I remember my grandfather used one often.  He was an old potato farmer from northern Maine.  He was retired when I was a young fella.  He used to live with us part of the summer.  He had an old scythe that he always brought with him.  He couldn't bend down very well to pull weeds in the garden, but if that weed was a couple of inches tall it got pruned back with the scythe with the precision of a fine surgeon. He had the hand sharpening thing down to a science.  Just a couple of whips with the stone singing over the blade and that thing would cut even the finest lawn grass with just a swipe.  I can make a scythe work (I still have his) but I can't sharpen it like he could to save my life.  Great memories though.  Thanks! 

[FairFrank]

I remember my grandfather used one often.  He was an old potato farmer from northern Maine.  He was retired when I was a young fella.  He used to live with us part of the summer.  He had an old scythe that he always brought with him.  He couldn't bend down very well to pull weeds in the garden, but if that weed was a couple of inches tall it got pruned back with the scythe with the precision of a fine surgeon. He had the hand sharpening thing down to a science.  Just a couple of whips with the stone singing over the blade and that thing would cut even the finest lawn grass with just a swipe.  I can make a scythe work (I still have his) but I can't sharpen it like he could to save my life.  Great memories though.  Thanks!

God, it's so touching! Same as me, I do scythe work sometimes, but nobody did it better like my Grandfather! 

[HemlockKing]

I might pick me up a scythe for bushes has anyone used them for that before? I imagine I'd wanna buy a old used one or is there new quality ones made?

[maple flats]

I doubt cutting bushes is very possible with a scythe, at least not with my operating it. Anything over about 1/2" is generally too much, especially if in a group, maybe singly if not hard stemmed.

[DonW]

To me my use keeping nettle cut is regular, plus mowing a small patch for hay. Were you to be a beginner, let's say, and you picked up an old scythe and went at it, how many times can we see the scenario above, you've got about zero chance of success and a high chance rejecting and discrediting the whole idea simply because that scythe is likely out of tune at least and not set up for use to suit you. You'd be better off in the absence of instruction, ( probably other than Internet ), beginning with new equipment so you have some standard of how it's meant to be since there's a big difference 'twixt one that'll do and one functions well. 

[RAYAR]

I might pick me up a scythe for bushes has anyone used them for that before?

There are blades for bushes, they are shorter and more stout than a hay blade.