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.

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.  

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: 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. Please excuse my stupidity, but what does that mean? Thanks. It means the bar that everything is attached to is straight, rather than bent/ curved.

+1...  I used to be assistant mgr at an association of 6 cemeteries.  Over the years, I was tasked with a LOT of equipment maintenance & repairs...

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.

Just bought a Troy Built 32cc straight shaft, so far so good.