User Panel
Posted: 7/21/2008 10:04:02 AM EDT
Brands to look at or avoid? Features to get or ignore? Size? Power?
Thanks much. |
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I think they all pretty much suck. I've had Sthil, Husquavarna, ect. and had problems with them all. I bought one of those four stroke Troy Builts this year, we'll see. |
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straight bar- what ever you get. I bought a cheaper one from Home Depot- under $100.00. It works good. I use it to edge the driveway and sidewalk as well as trim.
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Please excuse my stupidity, but what does that mean? Thanks. |
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It means the bar that everything is attached to is straight, rather than bent/ curved. |
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I have a Toro 2 stroke straight shaft trimmer that I bought at Home Depot 3 years ago.
I have not used it a ton but so far it has totally reliable. It was $170 and takes the generic Ryobi, Toro, etc. attachments. For the money it was a good buy. |
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I have a craftsman that I bought on sale for $85 and it will practically cut down a tree. Starts up everytime and it runs hard. Make sure you get one that accepts thicker line. There are many out there that use real thin line and that seems to be the main reason that people will say their trimmer sucks because they have too thin of line for their applications.
Add: Mine is a 32cc straight trimmer. |
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I just bought a brand new WeedEater brand from KMart/Sears for $69.95. I put a generic brush cutter head on it and tore up some vines and junk around the house.
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Whatever you buy, make a survey of small engine places in your area and make sure you can have it serviced.
The more that work on it the better. I have a dead Weedeater and no one will work on it because the parts are such a PIA to get. I took the POS string assembly off and put something on that looks like a chain saw chain. It would cut down scrubby trees. Gnaw them down's more like it. |
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My brother knows far more about this topic than I do but he says buy Stihl. 5sub |
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My advice is to buy a cordless electric. Starting gas motor is a pain in the ass.
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The reason you would be better off with a straight shaft is they have a SHAFT with a gear drive at the end. The curved ones use a cable, and they are subject to premature breakage.
I have a Stihl and love it. I paid about $250 several years ago. It has the "handlebars" so it is easy and comfortable to use. My wife can start it, and use it, so that should tell you something. As a matter of fact, she enjoys running it, and uses it much more than I do. Edit: Forgot to mention, my Stihl replaced one of those $70 cheapies (Ryobi?) that simply fell apart. It started and ran, but the trimmer head fell off the shaft and could not be put back on, as the screw holding it had hogged out the end, rendering it useless. |
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I think this is my model
Starts every time, two pulls on choke and then it starts on the next pull. Runs well. One downside is that in the spool, the two lines aren't separated like on higher-end models, and sometimes they tangle. |
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I have one already... heavy, cumbersome, and it runs out of juice before all the trimming is done. Time for an upgrade. |
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Yep. I bought the cheaper curved shaft, my neighbor had the straight shaft. His is much easier to use to edge. i just bought the edger to compensate, and it is much easier to use than the string to edge with. |
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What do you guys think of the "do it all" units? I'm looking at one where you can take off the trimmer unit and slap on a edger, blower, etc.
Worth it or crap? |
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My FS90 will take a Tiller head, blower head, pole saw, hedge trimmer, just about anything that the "quick change" models will take. The difference is that you actually have to turn 2 bolts to change the head, rather than whatever quick change system is on the other models. I looked at the Stihl quick change model, and for $300 you got an underpowered machine with a weed whip, no other attachments. For $300 I instead bought the FS90, which is a commercial grade machine, with bike handles, a weed whip and a grass blade. Then I bought the tiller attachment to weed my garden with. It's a spectacular machine. |
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I have an older Weedeater. That thing is at least 15 years old and still runs well. It's only issues are hard starting and a rough idle until it gets warmed up. That could probably be fixed with a tune up, but it always starts so I've never worried about it.
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A general rule to follow is the bigger the engine the easier it is to start. Those tiny 20cc ones are a bitch.
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I've got the $150 Poulan Pro from china-mart. It has three attachments, and a straight shaft. I've been impressed with it thus far working it hard for two cutting seasons. No maintenance other than one spark plug replacement after I accidentally mixed the fuel a little too oily.
I'm not seeing the $150 model with the included attachments, but here is the base model with no attachments for $114. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8342682 ETA: That is NOT the model that I purchased. Mine has the bicycle handlebars with harness, and a 40cc engine. Sorry about that. All Poulan Pros have 2yr warranty though. |
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Although, I've heard GREAT THINGS about this new 'off brand' of straight-bar trimmer at homedepot (I think I heard they're ~$85 or $90), I've not got personal experience with them. Of all the different brands/makes/models of gas powered trimmers, I'd have to say that ECHO brand straight-bar trimmers are the cats ass!!! They've been on the market in some form or another for god only knows how many years, and they're one of the most reliable-starting and nearly INDESTRUCTIBLE trimmers I've ever used!!! We've had three different brands of trimmers in the time I was there... Husqvarna, Stihl, and another (I forget). But they all had 'issues' with reliable starting, and (the Husq) would break pretty often - even under 'light' use... The Stihl was pretty nice (WAAAAY better than the Husqv.), but they're EXPENSIVE for the nice ones (like $330), and they're expensive to fix!!! New Carb assembly costs $140!?!?!? That's 42% the new cost! In Stihl's defense, we had some older ~2002 models and they didn't work too good - newer models are getting much better reviews. Each cemetery had 2-4 people that would run gas-powered weed trimmers LITERALLY 8 HOURS A DAY - 6 DAYS A WEEK! We had 65,000+ burials in that cemetery (main one I worked in) and a WHOLE LOT OF UPRIGHT MONUMENTS & TREES to trim around! The problems we've had at our cemeteries wasn't with the TRIMMERS - it was with the employees! Eventually, they'd get sick & tired of trimming (wanting to do a different task), or just want to go home for the day (we had a LOT of people who also loved unemployment & welfare working for us). SO, they'd abuse their equipment. Bump it, crack the plastic, etc... With the other brands, it'd render them useless, and replacement parts were EXPENSIVE AS HELL. With the Echo trimmers, the damn things just kept running!!! We knew the crews abused the trimmers on purpose, but we couldn't often prove it unless we witnessed it. SO, we'd get guys coming in all the time with broken trimmers, 'Can I drive the watering truck?' or 'Can I go home for the day?' or 'Am I fired?' Yeah, they LITERALLY asked if they could be fired - in which case they'd file for unemployment - usually stating on their unemployment application that they earned TWICE AS MUCH as they actually did on the job! We'd go through 'Trimmer' employees like water - nobody liked doing that all day, every day, for months... Anyway, we 'upgraded' to Echo trimmers, which are a little more expensive. Those employees were PISSED when they first started using them!!! First of all, any idiot could START them with ease! Hell, even some foreigners from Africa (without a lick of english reading skills) could figure out how to start it with just the 'picture' instructions on them... Then they found the other problems... They couldn't get them to BREAK very easily! Bang the rotary head off a tree... *CLACK* -- Nothing - it kept running. Bang the engine part off a tree... *CLACK* *SPUTTER SPUTTER* -- Nothing - it sputtered but kept running. They had to get more creative... I later saw one person turn theirs off, grab it by the far end of the shaft, and swing it as fast as he could to hit a utility pole with it - part of the housing cracked, it wouldn't start, he sits in the shade under a tree, lights up a cigarette, and relaxes... I drove back to the shop, walked inside, sure enough 5 minutes later he shows up to the shop, "My trimmer broke, can I drive the _____" The guys all LOVED driving equipment in circles around the cemetery thinking they could get away with not actually WORKING on something. Me and the regional manager ===> YOUR FIRED! I take the trimmer back into the shop, even with the housing cracked, it didn't come apart. I reattached a wire that came loose inside, it started right up. $0 fix. We saw another 'creative' worker set his down behind the back tire of a Kawasaki Mule utility vehicle, pop it into reverse, and drive over it, and take it into the shop acting like it's a mystery how/why it 'stopped'. ===> YOUR FIRED! Carb was broken, called up the parts dealer, $28 in parts later, it started right up. $28 fix!!! Then we saw another 'Frustrated' worker (the last guy's co-worker) set HIS on the ground behind the same utility vehicle the very next week, he drove over the metal shaft of the trimmer, it flexed (but sprung back straight - I was pretty amazed), and twisted the rotary head - but it still ran & worked! My boss (regional Mgr) laughed as he saw the guy throw his hat on the ground frustrated and swearing at the trimmer! He later comes in saying 'something's wrong' with it, I loosened the rotary head, straightened it, and tightened it up over the afternoon break. $0 and 10 minute fix and he's wispering (calling me names) under his breath every time he walks near me - so I can just barely hear it. I fell in love with the Echo straight-bar trimmers... Sure they're like $175, but they're some TOUGH little bastards, they start easy, they can run full-time for a 48 hour work week, and it's pretty cheap to fix 'em on the off hand they DO break! I also liked how you can quickly unbolt the 'pull string' assembly on the off-chance it's having a 'hard time' starting (maybe flooded, etc.), and you can hook up a power drill with a socket wrench head on it, and use it like a pseudo -electric start to get it running! Straight-shaft trimmers are the easiest to fix, and the least likely to break. I'll definitely recommend the ECHO brand ones! I've heard these new low-cost Home Depot off-brand ones are good too (though I've never tried them myself yet) so I can't HONESTLY give them a recommendation. From what I've heard though, they show a LOT of promise, and I may be picking one up for my own personal use at home soon! YMMV. |
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On my second Echo. The first was seven years old, gave it away to my FIL, and it still runs great two years later. My new one is two years old and starts and runs flawlessly. They are the only ones I will buy. Unlike my HONDA mower, biggest POS i have ever owned, and this is also the second one. I didn't learn from the first POS Honda mower I bought.
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I like my Stihl weed eater, model is fs55r i believe. It will accept blades as well and i have cut down trees in excess of 3" diameter.
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Yup, another vote for Echo. I don't winterize or really maintain it and it starts every time.
NN |
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Echo. Tune up parts are available at the Home Depot, unlike other brands where you can't get jack shit for them after you bought it.
I've had mine for 6 years or so, and its still working perfectly. No regrets. |
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Just bought a Troy Built 32cc straight shaft, so far so good.
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That's what I use, and I'm pretty happy with it. (Ryobi 31cc) Over about 6(?) years, I've had to replace the carb twice, the primer bulb and line once and the string head once. Both carbs developed a hole in the pump diaphragm. I don't think of that as a lot of maintenance because I use it so much. Having one engine that whacks, edges, blows and saws keeps fresh fuel moving through it so varnish is never a problem. The downside is if the engine is down, then your whacker, edger, blower and saw are all down at once. |
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I've had a Troy Built straight shaft since '04. Still going strong. I added the blower attachment and an edger blade attachment, so far. It's been a good piece of equipment. We do have one at the plant that just croaked, but with the asshats running it, I'm surprised it lasted 5 years.. I'll be buying another (Troy Built) for the plant, this week. Not mixing gas is really nice. |
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