A brush cutter is like a long-stemmed serrated buzz saw

Brush cutters, unlike ordinary trimmers, have a straight shaft and a special gear added to the mechanism to reverse the rotation of the blade. This allows for sharper and more accurate cutting. There are different kinds of blades available suited to weeds, grass, heavy vegetation and wood depending on the number of teeth the blade is fitted with. The more teeth on the blade, the more heavy duty job the brush cutter can handle. For example, brush cutters suited to use on wood have many teeth, up to 80 on some models, to shred the wood material quickly and effectively. A brush cutter with a circular steel saw blade is perfect for cutting small trees and shrubs. Those with plastic or smaller steel blades are best suited to grass and weeds. For taller vegetation, it is best to use multiple strokes in different directions to break up the material more quickly and with less strain on the machine.

Most models today come with a harness attached, to make lifting the cutter much easier and to take the strain out of operating the machine. To make them safer, all models today are fitted with some kind of protective guard to shield against flying fragments of wood and branches, but to ensure the maximum safety of a user it is recommended to wear goggles when operating the machine. The blades will need to be sharpened or replaced every now and then to refresh the cutting edge. Maintaining a brush cutter will ensure that the machine lasts for a long time.