Battery Powered Weed Eaters

[Chilly807]

If you're going to get a gas trimmer, the Stihl 4-stroke trimmers/brushcutters are excellent quality. Probably a lot more machine than you need though. We have the FS 130, runs everything from a trimmer head to a saw blade.

It still uses mixed gas, though. There's no lube oil sump, just the oil in the gas mix.

Great torque, and fairly quiet, different exhaust note altogether from a 2 stroke.

Friend of ours has the Black and Decker battery trimmer, she's pleased with it.

Sean

 

[2manyrocks]

A Sthil mechanic told me that Sthil is coming out with a battery powered trimmer maybe later this year, and it will be impressive.

There's a difference in battery powered tools. I have a 18v Ridgid I've used to bore floor joists for wiring, and it's pretty impressive for example. Could be that Sthil will offer a product that is better than you think.

If you don't have a huge amount of trimming, an electric trimmer could have several advantages--one being that you'll never have to worry about stale gas.

 

[klrobert]

We have a B&D 18v trimmer. It is for light duty work only. If you have a small yard with little trimming to do, it may be okay. As posted earlier, it goes through batteries very fast and will kill them quickly. I think the next one we buy will be a corded one.

 

[redberankubota]

I bought the Ryobi trimmer and blower for the wife...SHE LOVES them!:thumbsup:

Personally I would not have even considered them for anything other than a glorified toys

They do an OK job , I guess...for quick clean-up work , then every 3 weeks or so , I break out the gas powered stuff and do a serious job of edging !

I like the blower for blowing out the garages as it`s not too powerful as to blow the stuff up in the air , and thus , back in the garage.

I also have everything Ryobi makes for around the house , so I already have several batteries and chargers. The funny thing is it`s almost like getting the tool for free , if you considered the cost of buying a new battery , and charger alone.

 

[schmism]

My Stihl works great and cranks on the first pull.

+1

I finnally upgraded my 15 year old shindawa to a stihl. While the stihl is easyer to start, I still use the shindawa as a dedicated brush cutter and can still get it to start with minimum fuss.

 

[forgeblast]

Just saw this come across the ap website.
STIHL Toolless Cap Safety Recall Notice | STIHL USA
shows the models affected.

More than 2 million power tools for the yard

are being recalled because of a potential fire or burn danger.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says the recall involves

gas-powered Stihl (steel) trimmers, brush cutters, KombiMotors,

hedge trimmers, edgers, clearing saws, pole pruners and backpack

blowers.

In all, about 2.3 million of them are being recalled by

Virginia-based Stihl Inc. because of problems with the fuel caps.

The CPSC says the level of ethanol and other fuel additives in the

product can distort the cap, potentially causing gas to spill.

No injuries have been reported, but Stihl has received 81

reports of difficulty with the caps, either installing or removing

them, as well as fuel spillage problems.

More information can be found at STIHL The Number One Selling Brand of Chain Saws Outdoor Power Tools - Locate an Independent STIHL Dealer .

 

[kozak]

Troutsquezzer nailed it exactly for the dilema I am in. Battery powered is half the weight (Ryobi - 6Lbs, Echo - 10 Lbs.) Big difference for a woman.

I have an old 2 stroke FS 36 Stihl. Bought back in 1997. The thing is too stupid to die. I have done NOTHING with this thing except fuel it up & eat up weeds.

Battery powered is also less money.....but I hate to buy something if the reliability is not there especially given my experience with the 2-stroke I have.

The 6Lb Ryobi will be a featherweight to my at least 12 to 15 pounder. (But I love it !!) :licking:

I think I will try the battery operated & make sure wifey knows what to do about charging the batteries.

We'll see.

Vic

 

[grsthegreat]

DONT DO IT....

My wife bought one of those battery powered weed eaters. that thing never held more than 20-30 minutes usage. I don't remember if it was a riobi or a black & decker. I just remembered it was red and sucked.

She never got around to returning it....so i finally had to throw it out.
I bought a nice Husqvarna weed eater...not very heavy and it has worked flawlessly for 4 years now. Bought a contractor model not homeowner special. Very well balanced with a shoulder strap to balance weight.

 

[AMR]

OK, I will add a different take to this one.

I bought a Greenworks string trimmer with a 20V Lithium Ion 6 amp hour battery along with a blower from Amazon, delivered to the house for about $180. I couldn't be happier, it is perfect.

Now, like anything else you need to match the tool to the application. I mow my lawn every 4 to 6 days in the spring. When I mow I trim around my house which totals about 450 linear feet of foundation wall, I trim around the well and a few things like that, total trimming duration is about 20 minutes and it is just regular old yard grass. After I mow I put the same battery on a Greenworks blower and blow off the porch and part of the driveway, another 10 minutes or so. I can do this 2 to 3 times between charges.

For my application it couldn't be better. No fuel cans, no leaks, no smoke, no mixing gas/fuel, no starting, no smelling like gas, on and on and on. I love it.

For certain you wouldn't take this thing into a field and whack down 3 foot tall grass but for trimming around the house before you mow, there is no better tool. Same thing with the blower. You wouldn't do you fall clean up with it, but for blowing a dusting of snow off of the porch and cleaning up the top of the driveway after mowing, it is perfect.

 

[brucewj]

For my application it couldn't be better. No fuel cans, no leaks, no smoke, no mixing gas/fuel, no starting, no smelling like gas, on and on and on. I love it.

For certain you wouldn't take this thing into a field and whack down 3 foot tall grass but for trimming around the house before you mow, there is no better tool.

I have the B&D 18 volt trimmer and I agree with the statements above. I also have the B&D pole chainsaw and a B&D cordless drill. They all have the same battery, so I have plenty of spares if a battery gets low.

I always run out of power before the battery does, so I haven't had any problems. Plus, my wife will operate the battery trimmer, but will not mess with a gas one.