String trimmers

[TractorGuy]

Yall spend all the money you want on high dollar trimmers but if you don't take care of them they won't last regardless. I have a 1988 Homelite ST175 that still serves me well. Replaced the string head once and the fuel lines a couple of times. Mix mostly ethanol free fuel (but not always) with any 40 to 1 2 cycle oil and run it.

Looks pretty much like the $99 straight shaft trimmer they sell at Home Depot but I don't know if there are many or any changes.

 

[Doofy]

Yall spend all the money you want on high dollar trimmers but if you don't take care of them they won't last regardless. I have a 1988 Homelite ST175 that still serves me well. Replaced the string head once and the fuel lines a couple of times. Mix mostly ethanol free fuel (but not always) with any 40 to 1 2 cycle oil and run it.

Looks pretty much like the $99 straight shaft trimmer they sell at Home Depot but I don't know if there are many or any changes.

Nice. Didn't know they were still making Homelite.

 

[Bird]

Bird, which EGO AH battery are you using in the trimmer?

I have 2 of the 2.5 AH batteries; one for the string trimmer and one for the leaf blower. And of courses I have the 7.5 AH battery for the mower. A 2.5 battery will do all the trimming and edging on my yard easily and Thursday it lasted to do all of my yard and the next door neighbor's yard. Sometimes I have to go to the second battery to do both yards. And while I could use the 7.5 battery in the string trimmer, I have never done so.

 

[newbury]

So a lot of stihl or echo recommendations. But is a stihl or echo from TSC, lowes, Home Depot, etc the same as a stihl or echo from the local Kubota farm equipment dealer? Is it like the riding mowers where a jd or husqvarna from big box is a pile where one from dealer is a sturdier model and great machine or is a stihl or echo trimmer good regardless of where it comes from?

No battery for me. My remote property has no utilities and dragging out generator just to run for 45 min or so and wait for battery to charge not good for me. Gas and go.....

Oh...and sorry for all the gibberish in first post....I forget on iPad not to use apostrophe or quotation marks sometimes...

Well a Stihl bought from TSC, Lowes or Home Depot would be unique, because they don't sell them. And as for as "remote" property goes - If you only have to run for "45 min or so" buy a second battery or third.

Everything is going battery now. Get two lithium 5ah batteries and a charger and you豎*e set. Will outlast you. My Husqvarna gas trimmer is still working well but when it dies I蛟､l be getting a 20V max DeWalt trimmer since I already have the batteries and chargers. I遏･ also getting a battery powered chainsaw for limbing around the property. I蛟､l still use my Stihl gas saw for felling.

I'd wish for a much longer life than that. Although I'm totally enamored with the DeWalt 20V max line I've had a battery die on me and won't take a charge.

But that's only 1 battery from about 10 and it was one of the first I bought back about 2013 and was heavily used for several years. But it has been well worth it NOT stretching extension cords or worrying about ethanol gas etc.

The main problem with battery tools has been not enough power. But that is being overcome.

 

[bmg88201]

I have had nothing but good luck with Echo, I have a SRM 230, it is ten years old and starts with two pulls every time even after being idle all winter long. What I would not buy is anything Husky makes, it's junk. My Echo trimmer came with a 5 year warranty but I never needed it. The small engine guy in town says that Echo is easy to work on, parts are east to get but he said he doesn't work on many of them cause they just last and last. By the way his shop was full of Husky trimmers and chainsaws that are broke down.

 

[chim]

Stihl has been a good brand for me for string trimmer, chain saw and blower. Two years ago I added a Stihl Power Scythe for doing the thicker heavier stuff. It is like a heavy duty hedge trimmer on a long stick. The bar locks into several different positions. The great thing is it cuts through anything as large as my thumb with ease, and just lays it over. That is really nice when the vegetation has poison ivy mixed in.

The one picture shows a cut that it made on a piece that is too large to fit between the teeth. It will saw through with a little pressure. This replaced a pole saw for trimming trees back for clearance with the tractor. Once a year usually does it.

Last year I added a DeWalt 20V string trimmer to the mix. It is the ticket for zipping around the house on normal weeks. It is not a replacement for the Stihl machines when doing big areas or thick material.

 

[DK35vince]

I have an Echo SRM 225i that I really like.
The speed feed head is super easy to load with trimmer line.

 

[joecoin]

I have a Stihl FS90 that's pushing 30 years. I only use non ethanol fuel in it. As I do in all my mixed gas/oil.

Keep the air filter clean, the head lubed and don't try to cut things it can't handle.

 

[Reb954]

I have a Core battery powered trimmer. Battery lasts right at an hour which fits my needs. It is long enough that I dont have to bend over to use it so fatigue is less and it is quiet. I致e had it about 5 years, very satisfied with it.

 

[ArlyA]

If I can high jack this thread? A question for Stihl operators. We mostly use the "power head" type adaptable type of units, by Echo. When I looked at the Stihl KombiSystem they looked like they might be on the weak side. If you have this system, how has it worked for you? And what attachments have you used with it.