The best gas weed trimmer?
 

Husband is in need of a new weed trimmer? Hoping you folks can recommend what one is best. Seems we always end up with a cheap one that doesn't last very long. Ugh. Time to step it up and get a good one.

Thanks.

Go to a Stihl dealer in your area... Talk to the people there and decide which one suits you best. The thing about Stihl is the warranty and if you buy the silver 2 cycle oil (synthetic) they double the factory warranty.

You have a local dealer, who can service his product and a warranty that is easy to use.

Built for a lifetime. The thing about buying a Lowes or Home Depot is the lack of service... Save a few dollars on something that looks big, but give up any and all service unless you feel like shipping your new weed eater across the country.

Agree about the Stihl string trimmer. I have a "straightneck" Stihl that I've had for some time, and I find it to be better in every way.

Stihl.

(Is there an echo in here?)

Yes there is..... Stihl!!!

Stihl...stihl...stihl...

more echoes. We went thru a series of cheaper ones, dh bit the bullet and bought a commercial grade Stihl model. We've been using it for 3 years now, still starts on the first pull and runs great.

I sure like my Husqvarna, after messing around with the cheapo MTD's.

unhappy poulan owner here. i knew better, but it was all i could afford at the time. i should have saved my money. the rubber "boot" that connects the carb to the intake must have been made of the same cheap rubber my cheap walmart muck boots were made of...both of them cracked within a year! the intake boot literally went to pieces after being stored in my shed for the winter. it looked like UV damage, but i never left it in the sun...and it was mostly covered as installed. i replaced the boot, but now the hunk of junk runs like a dog and i cannot get the carb set right.

i was thinking of upgrading to a husky, but i might consider a stihl. what about commercial brands? i remember using powerful trimmers years ago as a landscape worker, but i forget what they were.

where is swampman when you need him?

Get a 4 cycle and save yourself a ton of bother. We have one- it's started on the first pull for about six years now. rats...I forgot the brand.......

My husband is in the lawn and landscape business and absolutely LOVES Maruyama Line Trimmers.

http://maruyama-us.com/products/trimmers/

They are heavy duty and work great.

Husband prefers the Husqvarna and Stihl weed-eaters, and chain saws. Shindiawa is suppose to be a good brand also. I would go with Husqvarna or Stihl, and buy from a local dealer for the service. Easier to get parts too if you ever need them.

Stihl ..... The One !

My $100 Weed Eater finally won't start after 7 years. Cranked up every time with one pull until a couple weeks ago. I got a $10 electric Weed Eater to hold me over til spring, flea markets are great. I've seem to have pretty good luck with the "Weed Eater" brand, although others will cuss them.

Stihl or Echo
 

I have had great luck out of both. I am currently running one of each and I really can't say one is better than the other. Both are excellent products.

we have a pair of Echoes and like them a lot. We picked them up used at various auctions and they have proven to be bullet proof.
Had a pair of 4 stroke Ryobis that we do not care for. The first one we got used and the pull start mechanism broke the first summer we had it. The second we bought new and the same thing happened the second summer we had it.

I have a Stihl. Its the biggest the make. No complaints. If I ever have to replace it tho, based upon the performance of my Shindaiwa chainsaw, I think I would buy a Shindaiwa.

For all of them, run them dry on gas when you go to put it away. That keeps the little carburetor parts from sticking and gumming, which is why they usually don't start again in the spring.

Anything sold at Lowes and Walmart is a cheapie. Stihl, Shindiawa, etc are not sold there. You will pay a good bit more for these units, but they will last a lot longer and work far harder.

Sears has an interesting one. Especially for older people, or those who simply don't enjoy yanking a string starter repeatedly.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...93000P?prdNo=5
This one has a 110 volt electric starter motor that you hold against the back of the unit to spin it. That really is nice. The unit seems to hold up just fine. Friend has had one for several years now, and it has worked reliably for that time.

If you do a lot of weed whacking, I suggest a straight shaft Stihl. If you do heavy weed whacking you can't have too much power. I like the Stihl FS250 for the thick and high, over your head, stuff.

Yepper.

Never heard of these. Are they expensive? Where are they made??

I have had a Jonsered brush cutter for about 15 years now. During this time, it has cut more than a mile of hiking trails through dense saplings and hazel brush on our property. In addition, it has cleared and expanded our yard and garden area by cutting through dense brush, vines, cane, and thickets. It also used to cuts paths into the forest so I can retrieve fallen and dead oaks for firewood. By swapping the brush cutting head with a string trimmer head, I use the same Jonsered to trim around the house and yard after lawn mowing.

My Swedish-made Jonsered is 36cc, straight shaft, and has "bicycle-style" handlebars.

I have 2 stihls , one is a large one with the ability to also use the brush cutting blades & one is a small one for lighter work . I bought the larger one new about 1994 or 5 & the smaller one new in 2000 . I have had excellent service with both . The large one has never been in the shop & the smaller one had to have the rubber hose from the fuel tank to the carb replaced . I also have a stihl chain saw that I bought new in 2000 & it's never been in the shop so I like stihl's .

Hello this is Tirzah's DH,

I own a Professional lawn care company. I have used Shindaiwa, Stihl, Maruyama and other brand products over the years, the abuse that they take at the hands of my employees and the hours that are put on them are crazy.

The use they get is usually a cold start then straight into max throttle within five minutes then off again, repeat at least twelve times a day with an average time of running six to seven hours a day.


I personally love Shindaiwa and Maruyama products, I am not a fan of Stihl (and I have used Stihl and they are a reputable company) or Echo (although Echo now owns Shindaiwa). From my professional experience they don't hold up to our use over time. The other companies use Stihl and Echo and literally purchase new units every year, I am familiar with the owners and talk with them.

I just retired my first Shindaiwa line trimmer ("weed eater" is a name brand not the name of the tool, I am not being disrespectful, as I am aware that a weed eater is what most people call a line trimmer) the Shindaiwa line trimmer had just over 6000 (that is six thousand!) hours on it. That is seven years worth of use with approximately 30 hours a week. For me that a season is an average of 30 weeks a year. I gave it to a friends son to start his lawn mowing business.

The things I recommend for anyone interested in a good line trimmer are-

1. Use a local and reputable dealer for the product in your area, not a big box store. (this is crucial)
2. Determine the amount of work you are requiring from this tool and talk to the dealer about what you need to do with it.
3. Purchase a straight shaft line trimmer, 23cc or larger. (they weigh in about 9 pounds)
4. Purchase a specialized professional head that holds the line and have the dealer teach you how to use it. I highly recommend the Oregon Speed-Feed Head.
5. Expect to pay about $300+ dollars
6. Use the proper 2 stroke oil mixed according to the directions and nothing else. I use Opti brand 2 stroke synthetic oil. DO NOT USE Walmart, store brand oil or outboard motor 2 stroke oil, you will destroy your motor.
7. And the most important! ALWAYS use safety glasses while operating your tool! Also wear closed toe shoes and pants too.

If it is a property of half an acre or larger do purchase the professional model.


I use only premium gas and Opti 2 stroke oil, Alcohol in the fuel is bad on air-cooled engines the extra $1 in cost will pay off in the long run!

Our Maruyama's are well into 500 hours each and have had no issues as of yet. (they have a 5 year professional warranty, seven year homeowner warranty.)

The Shindaiwas, Maruyamas, and RedMax (I have not used RedMax yet) are made in America. I am not sure of other brands.

I hope this helps out in your selection of a line trimmer!

"edit for extra thought"

There really is not a "best", it is the best for me and my needs.

There are small parts that will need to be replaced, like primer pump and fuel lines on any unit so expect that for every year

I wanted to add that you can adjust the hand grip to you, this makes the unit more comfortable and easier to control.

If it is not going to be used for longer than a month, drain the fuel mix and run it until it is out of gas.

Husqvarna straight shaft...

-Dad has a nice Stihl 4 Mix with a straight shaft. VERY nice machine. I myself have a Poulan P1500. It's a lightweight basic 2 stroke gas trimmer. But I probably only have about 15-20 minutes of trimming after mowing. So far it's been a good trimmer. I does what I need it to do. If I had a lot of weeds to whack like Dad does, I'd get something like his.

L8R,
Matt

Due to DH health issues, I do a lot of the outside work. We had an old cheapy that I couldn't start. After doing a little research, a Stihl was recommended to us as being easy to start. It's been my friend for several years now.

I am glad that this thread came up, as I will soon be in the need of a good string trimmer.

I am of the opinion that 'bigger is better'. Determine exactly what you need, and then buy the next model up from that...you won't be kicking yourself in the rear end six months from now!

I originally wanted the biggest, baddest machine available...a hand held brush-hog. I still want a good HD unit, but one use I will have is 'walking' the electro-netting. I'm getting older, and think a second machine is warranted...for that use, a light weight unit would be ideal. So, I will probably settle for two.

On that note, do seriously look into the shoulder/belt harnesses. They carry the weight evenly...your forearms are not exhausted after a few hours of whacking.

I have spent a few decades maintaining 2-cycle outboard motors, and all of the recoil rope start models will have eventual failures. A simple trick to quadrupling the life expectancy of a recoil starter is simple. Don't just grab the handle and yank. Instead, grab it, and gently pull the slack out of it...you will feel when (one of) the pistons has reached "top-dead-center', then slowly pull it through 1 or 2 cycles...get a little gas in the chamber. Release the cord, and NOW give it a good pull. With clean fuel, and clean spark plugs, a well tuned engine should start on that first pull.

Depending on how tough your weeds are, you might want to switch to a different cutting head. I was breaking string every two or three minutes. Then I got these plastic blades...Much better!

Owned a lawn and landscape company for 15 years. Started out with Husqvarna for 3 years. Had 4 of them and kept 2 in the repair shop continuously. Moved over to Stihl have 6 of them for three crews. Son now has business and still runs the Stihls 4 stroke. Only time we have replaced them is due to abuse (running over with truck, etc. you know employee stuff.)

This is the one I have: http://www.mowersdirect.com/Husqvarn...-01/p4420.html

I wanted the wheeled trimmer because I mostly use it for cutting under the hot wire of the pasture fence, and that's a long walk with a hand-held. I've always had good experiences with Husqvarna products, trimmers, mowers, and blowers.

Best is a tall order... We just got a 323R Husqvarna brush cutter. Gasoline powered. Comes with a steel four point "grass/brush" blade and a string trimmer head. Works great. We also got a steel three point blade for heavier brush. Theoretically goes up to 2" but we have not pushed it that far. At 1.5" or so it chokes easily. For heavier stuff we use hand loppers and then the chainsaw (also Husqvarna).

We are using the 323R for clearing brush along paddocks and fence lines. We live on a mountain where a mechanical bush hog is not feasible due to slope. We also used it around one of the ponds to trim the grass and it did a nice job. Lots of rocks - too many to swing a scythe.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
Pastured Pigs, Sheep & Kids
in the mountains of Vermont
Read about our on-farm butcher shop project:
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/butchershop
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/csa

There's a lot of good info in your post. I second the idea of using a harness rather than a strap for weed whacking. I use one with my Stihl and fatigue over many hours is not a problem. I also swear by the handle bars.

Another point to consider is it looks like both Stihl and Husqvarna make two different lines. The cheaper models are for light duty use. At some point in the product line, there's a clear demarcation and you move to the units that are intended for professional use.

The last time I bought a weedwacker, I bought the model that lacked only the anti-vibration setup to be considered a forestry model. Forestry models are the ones designed to be used with saw blades to cut down small trees. The engine is over over 40 cc and puts out over 2hp.

I have never stalled it even when cutting thick weeds that are higher than my head. A group of us cut an overgrown lot behind one of the public buildings. All of the stuff was tangled and well over our heads,

I was able to do more than the other two with the less powerful trimmers.

After all that, consider a handle bar model, buy more power than you think you need, and use a harness not a strap.