String trimmer recommendations?

[chrisjbell]

<font color="blue"> I remember reading that the JD string trimmers were contracted out to MTD as well - at least the ones designed for consumer use vs. commerical.. That wouldn't surprise me one bit. I also wouldn't be surprised if these all had the exact same motor with different color plastics. </font>

I'm pretty sure you're right about the JD trimmers being contracted out. In fact, I'm sure they aren't made by JD, come to think of it.

I would like to find out what other motors are similar to the one I have. The difference between my former 4 stroke and current 2 stroke is pretty dramatic.

 

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Can't dispute that Stihl, Echo and Husqvarna are great brands, but if you want to explore the other end of the spectrum you might check out
*Homelite. I've had a $60 Homelite gas trimmer for about 6 years and it finally died, so I bought another one (it was $60 at Home Depot). I don't know if I'll get another six years out of it but I'm willing to try. The only thing that I did to mine was replace the plug a couple of times and I did replace the curved shaft with a straight shaft that I bought off of eBay for $15 - I like the straight shaft better. I think the straight shaft will work on my new one, with a little modification to the handle. I also have two Homelite chainsaws that start and run great (one for seven years, the other for two) and have had only normal maintenance work done on them - I'm not a professional woodcutter, but do a fair amount of chainsawing in the winter. Again, I don't think that Homelite is quite on par with the big name brands, but for the money, they have been good cheap tools for me. )</font>

*Worst one I ever owned.Bad Really really bad!

 

[LBrown59]

I have about 650' of front roadside ditch that I have to weed as well as a drainage ditch that run diagonally through the property that is about 500' as well.
jwstewar
*******************
Have you ever considered lining the drainage ditch to make trimming along it easier?
I'm thinking of lining mine with plastic barrels.

 

[zipp669]

Stihl-best ever
I have a lawn care business and they are number 1.
I have 12 of them.
Get a good one such as the fs-80 or 85, even a 75, but do not go into the light homeowner models such as the 30's or 40's.
Years ago I an fs-76, loved it and I was the only one 2 use it. we trimmed alot of tombstones in cemetary. lasted 5 years.
good luck
jim

 

[LBrown59]

1*but if you want to explore the other end of the spectrum you might check out Homelite.
2*I also have two Homelite chainsaws that start and run great (one for seven years, the other for two) and have had only normal maintenance work done on them -
rtimgray Silver Member
**********************************
1*No Homelite trimmers for me. Wouldn't start or wouldn't run if it did start.
It was also the heaviest clumsiest most awaked hard to handle trimmer I ever tried to use.
Fought that thing for 2 years before I wised up and junked it.
2*Bought a new Homelite chainsaw about 20 or so years ago and it's been and still is a good one.
Have never even had to adjust the carb jets. They are still set where they were when I got it.
Since The chain saw was such a good one I thought their trimmer probably would be good also.
Boy o Boy was I ever wrong on that one.!

 

[hobbyfarm]

Hey IMCA38 Dude,
Just one word ECHO! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Forget these guys that use theirs a month or two a year. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Here in the sub-tropics with BIG weeds and WIREY grass, and about a 12 month growing season, my first Echo SRM-3000 is almost 16 years old and other than the simple maintenance of air cleaner and lubing the head occasionally it is still going strong. Consistant one or two pulls gets it going. Never even been ANY downtime what-so-ever! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif Money well spent! BTW, this is not a model that you find at Home Depot /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif, got mine at my John Deere /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif dealer. And I use both the auto-feed with .105 line and the HD manual 4-line with the .155 (and .180 when I can find it) stuff for the DR type mowers. I just use the plain round line /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif, as the gimicky /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif star/cross crap splits bad and then breaks when pushed /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif. It will chew up any vines, weeds, banana leaves or palm fronds you get close to without choking. The only thing that chokes this thing are those annoying /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif plastic /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif grocery /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif bags /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif that end up in the worst places! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
I know those Stihls and Huskys are excellent tools too, but I've just had experience with the Echo. Some day, maybe I'll buy one of the others to try /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif! That is if we ever get a dealer other than Home Depot or Lowe's! I tend to lean toward more professional /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif type equipment than these stores carry! They don't even carry string larger than .095 /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif. That's just toy stuff for my fence rows.
phil

 

[tomnky]

For My Money it would have to be a Stihl, I have an FS-86 that I have used extensively for around 17 years now and the only problem I had was I wore the worm and pinion gears out in the head about 10 years ago.

Two plugs ,gas filters and air filters is all the money I have spent on it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[soarkrebel]

I have a Stihl FS 85 and i will tell you it's well worth the extra money. shindiawa or echo i would consider. I am not sure but husvarna's may be just a souped up poulan. i know small husky saws are built by poulan . now i do own two OLD poulans saws and they have been great but i won't another in the near future. The stihl has impressed me so much i have been looking the stihl ms 250 and i also like the ms 180c for trimming.

WELL worth the money!!!!!!!

 

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I have a Stihl FS 85 and i will tell you it's well worth the extra money. shindiawa or echo i would consider. I am not sure but husvarna's may be just a souped up poulan. i know small husky saws are built by poulan . now i do own two OLD poulans saws and they have been great but i won't another in the near future. The stihl has impressed me so much i have been looking the stihl ms 250 and i also like the ms 180c for trimming.

WELL worth the money!!!!!!! )</font>

The stihl I have is the first trimmer I have seen that is almost impossible to get the weeds wrapped around the head.
Even if does happen I can usually pull it away from the cutting area out into the open reve it up a little and let off on it a few times and it will throw the tangled weeds clear out away from the trimmer.
Seldom do I ever have to shut it off and cleans out tangled weeds by hand.

This is the best feature you could have on any trimmer bar none.

 

[Dargo]

I have "older" Stihl models FS106 and an FS86. At one point when I was starting out being self employed, I had a small mowing and trimming business to help make ends meet. As a "new comer" in that business, all I generally got were the jobs that required tons of trimming. Both trimmers have been very good to me. The only issues I really ever have is that about twice a year the little screen in the exhaust port becomes clogged and I have to clean it. I think it is the "spark arrester". If it becomes plugged again, I think I'll lose it. I don't know how good other brands are because I've never need to replace either Stihl. Also, I bought both Stihl trimmers at a pawn shop, so you know that they were well used when I got them! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif