Bird
Rest in Peace
Yeah, Robert, I can understand that, although I've never used one with the big handle bars; only the loop and "J" handles.
looking for a new weed whacker
- Thread starter GaryS
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Bird
Rest in Peace
Yeah, Robert, I can understand that, although I've never used one with the big handle bars; only the loop and "J" handles.
flusher
Super Member
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2005
- Messages
- 7,555
- Location
- Sacramento
- Tractor
- Getting old. Sold the ranch. Sold the tractors. Moved back to the city.
You're one of the lucky ones. I bought the $159 Ryobi weed whacker at HD last summer. Lasted about 10 hours. Had a Homelite engine. The gasket between the cylinder and crankcase was defective. Burned up the rings. HD gave me store credit for full amount. Didn't expect the engine to fail like that. Thought the flex shaft was the weak point in the design.
Now I own a 23cc Tanaka, the type the landscape pros use witht he solid drive shaft. Runs real smooth. After using the Ryobi for a few hours, my hands tingled for a half-day due to the vibration. Doesn't happen with the Tanaka.
Now I own a 23cc Tanaka, the type the landscape pros use witht he solid drive shaft. Runs real smooth. After using the Ryobi for a few hours, my hands tingled for a half-day due to the vibration. Doesn't happen with the Tanaka.
flusher
Super Member
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2005
- Messages
- 7,555
- Location
- Sacramento
- Tractor
- Getting old. Sold the ranch. Sold the tractors. Moved back to the city.
You're one of the lucky ones. I bought the $159 Ryobi weed whacker at HD last summer. Lasted about 10 hours. Had a Homelite engine. The gasket between the cylinder and crankcase was defective. Burned up the rings. HD gave me store credit for full amount. Didn't expect the engine to fail like that. Thought the flex shaft was the weak point in the design.
Now I own a 23cc Tanaka, the type the landscape pros use witht he solid drive shaft. Runs real smooth. After using the Ryobi for a few hours, my hands tingled for a half-day due to the vibration. Doesn't happen with the Tanaka.
Now I own a 23cc Tanaka, the type the landscape pros use witht he solid drive shaft. Runs real smooth. After using the Ryobi for a few hours, my hands tingled for a half-day due to the vibration. Doesn't happen with the Tanaka.
Michael_E_Tx
Silver Member
Hi Forge. I have a Stihl FS 250. It is the handlebar model with shoulder harness. I use it mostly with a brush blade, we have overgrown undergrowth all over. Does very well with saplings and brush. I have just begun to use the trimmer head this year and am very satisfied with it also. The trimmer head uses .105 dia. line and it is quite tough.
The FS 250 starts easy and runs great. No complaints. It has a 40cc engine and weighs 13.7 lbs. No lightweight, but I find it well balanced and manageable.
Mike
The FS 250 starts easy and runs great. No complaints. It has a 40cc engine and weighs 13.7 lbs. No lightweight, but I find it well balanced and manageable.
Mike
Michael_E_Tx
Silver Member
Hi Forge. I have a Stihl FS 250. It is the handlebar model with shoulder harness. I use it mostly with a brush blade, we have overgrown undergrowth all over. Does very well with saplings and brush. I have just begun to use the trimmer head this year and am very satisfied with it also. The trimmer head uses .105 dia. line and it is quite tough.
The FS 250 starts easy and runs great. No complaints. It has a 40cc engine and weighs 13.7 lbs. No lightweight, but I find it well balanced and manageable.
Mike
The FS 250 starts easy and runs great. No complaints. It has a 40cc engine and weighs 13.7 lbs. No lightweight, but I find it well balanced and manageable.
Mike
BarryinMN
Platinum Member
I had Homelite bump & feed weed wacker for years & only complaint was the string would get wrapped around the axle & not feed out.
Replaced it with a Sears straight shaft type & string is precut pulls thru hub for replacement. Throttle handle is very poor ergonomic design. Don't use it much so not a big issue.
On farm I have the bicycle type handlebar Stihl 8" brush cutter. Traded an ancient McCullough 12" brushcutter that would never start. The Stihl weighs about 25 lbs less & starts easy, cuts saplings easily.
Now for the weed wacker I have a Craftsman 6.75 HP that has been thoroughly abused. some slopes around the house are near vertical & the thing has tumbled & rolled over & over down the hill almost everytime I cut there & it does not even stall, just smokes until I put it back on it's wheels!!
Replaced it with a Sears straight shaft type & string is precut pulls thru hub for replacement. Throttle handle is very poor ergonomic design. Don't use it much so not a big issue.
On farm I have the bicycle type handlebar Stihl 8" brush cutter. Traded an ancient McCullough 12" brushcutter that would never start. The Stihl weighs about 25 lbs less & starts easy, cuts saplings easily.
Now for the weed wacker I have a Craftsman 6.75 HP that has been thoroughly abused. some slopes around the house are near vertical & the thing has tumbled & rolled over & over down the hill almost everytime I cut there & it does not even stall, just smokes until I put it back on it's wheels!!
BarryinMN
Platinum Member
I had Homelite bump & feed weed wacker for years & only complaint was the string would get wrapped around the axle & not feed out.
Replaced it with a Sears straight shaft type & string is precut pulls thru hub for replacement. Throttle handle is very poor ergonomic design. Don't use it much so not a big issue.
On farm I have the bicycle type handlebar Stihl 8" brush cutter. Traded an ancient McCullough 12" brushcutter that would never start. The Stihl weighs about 25 lbs less & starts easy, cuts saplings easily.
Now for the weed wacker I have a Craftsman 6.75 HP that has been thoroughly abused. some slopes around the house are near vertical & the thing has tumbled & rolled over & over down the hill almost everytime I cut there & it does not even stall, just smokes until I put it back on it's wheels!!
Replaced it with a Sears straight shaft type & string is precut pulls thru hub for replacement. Throttle handle is very poor ergonomic design. Don't use it much so not a big issue.
On farm I have the bicycle type handlebar Stihl 8" brush cutter. Traded an ancient McCullough 12" brushcutter that would never start. The Stihl weighs about 25 lbs less & starts easy, cuts saplings easily.
Now for the weed wacker I have a Craftsman 6.75 HP that has been thoroughly abused. some slopes around the house are near vertical & the thing has tumbled & rolled over & over down the hill almost everytime I cut there & it does not even stall, just smokes until I put it back on it's wheels!!
dknarnd
Gold Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Now for the weed wacker I have a Craftsman 6.75 HP that has been thoroughly abused. )</font>
Along with my cache of Stihl equipment which I keep at the farm I also have a $99 Sears model here at my house in metroplis, which is small so the trimmer only sees 10 minutes of use at a time. Little story about it, I had it a year and it just wouldn't start easily or run well. One of those 95 degree humid days when it wouldn't start I tossed it across the yard about 20 feet /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif and it cart wheeled end over end bending in the muffler and bending the shaft....well that was about 7 years ago now and it has worked fine ever since. Have never even done any type of maintenance to it.
Allot of units are good and generally you get what you pay for. I would buy from a shop that has been in business awhile, whatever brand they sell will be good and they will be able to get you parts if required. That is what it pretty much comes down to.
Along with my cache of Stihl equipment which I keep at the farm I also have a $99 Sears model here at my house in metroplis, which is small so the trimmer only sees 10 minutes of use at a time. Little story about it, I had it a year and it just wouldn't start easily or run well. One of those 95 degree humid days when it wouldn't start I tossed it across the yard about 20 feet /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif and it cart wheeled end over end bending in the muffler and bending the shaft....well that was about 7 years ago now and it has worked fine ever since. Have never even done any type of maintenance to it.
Allot of units are good and generally you get what you pay for. I would buy from a shop that has been in business awhile, whatever brand they sell will be good and they will be able to get you parts if required. That is what it pretty much comes down to.
dknarnd
Gold Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Now for the weed wacker I have a Craftsman 6.75 HP that has been thoroughly abused. )</font>
Along with my cache of Stihl equipment which I keep at the farm I also have a $99 Sears model here at my house in metroplis, which is small so the trimmer only sees 10 minutes of use at a time. Little story about it, I had it a year and it just wouldn't start easily or run well. One of those 95 degree humid days when it wouldn't start I tossed it across the yard about 20 feet /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif and it cart wheeled end over end bending in the muffler and bending the shaft....well that was about 7 years ago now and it has worked fine ever since. Have never even done any type of maintenance to it.
Allot of units are good and generally you get what you pay for. I would buy from a shop that has been in business awhile, whatever brand they sell will be good and they will be able to get you parts if required. That is what it pretty much comes down to.
Along with my cache of Stihl equipment which I keep at the farm I also have a $99 Sears model here at my house in metroplis, which is small so the trimmer only sees 10 minutes of use at a time. Little story about it, I had it a year and it just wouldn't start easily or run well. One of those 95 degree humid days when it wouldn't start I tossed it across the yard about 20 feet /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif and it cart wheeled end over end bending in the muffler and bending the shaft....well that was about 7 years ago now and it has worked fine ever since. Have never even done any type of maintenance to it.
Allot of units are good and generally you get what you pay for. I would buy from a shop that has been in business awhile, whatever brand they sell will be good and they will be able to get you parts if required. That is what it pretty much comes down to.
