String trimmers

[CMV]

I need a new trimmer. So tired of these things only working a few years then they豎*e junk. Engines fine, but shafts, heads, whatever they豎*e just junky. Are ALL this way and just nature of the beast?

I really want to buy my LAST one which is what I thought I did last time but although it cost more than others and seemed nice, turned out to be yet another disposable piece of big box junk. And I遏･ not excessively hard on these things....general homeowner trimming. Use pure gas, change oil each spring (current is 4 stroke), don遞 store over winter with fuel, etc.

Is a commercial model vastly superior to whatever the big box sell even if same brand name like still or echo? What do I need to look for to get one that will *just work* and not be a pain to refill with string, get the string to come out, head won遞 wobble making the whole thing act like an unbalanced washing machine, be hard to start, or just in general have issues after 1 year? Seems like echo, stihl, and shindaiwa are the brands I see at tractor dealers. Stihl and echo both at big box and tractor dealers but never saw shindaiwa at someplace like Lowe逞ｴ.

I want just a regular gas, straight shaft, bump head string trimmer. Don遞 care if 2 or 4 stroke. Don遞 care if I can convert it into a pole saw, edger, or use any kind of attachment. Just want it to last and work with no fuss. Also want it to be tool-less for rewinding the string if possible. I don遞 care how heavy it is since I don遞 use for long periods or daily. So what should I get and where should I get it?

 

[tcreeley]

Husky is a brand I like. But lately I'd go with a 40v cordless Ryobi if I needed a trimmer. Goes long enough to wear you out. - No fussing with gas/oil mix or adding stabil to keep the engine running without chewing itself up.

 

[/pine]

Moving parts wear...no getting around it they don't make weed whackers to aircraft standards...

some options are...buy cheap and replace "disposable" models..., buy one that is easy to get reasonably priced parts and is easy to work on...

industrial models just cost more to fix...

Good luck...

 

[YLee Kioti]

Recommend Echo or Sthil bought from a local dealer.
Get a pro model for that long term heavy use.
Your dealer will set up (well last two dealers I bought from did) engine, idle and check for full power adjustment prior to handing it over to you.
You won;t et that from a big box store. is it worth saving a few bucks, well up to each buyer to determine right. heh...

May be others out there that may be quality, not meant to slam any other brand.

However, in our neck of the woods those two are the only color and brand I've seen used by landscapers and in passing, while in traffic as those trailers pass next to me.
learned from a TSC store in another town that many of their lawn equipment have the carbs adjusted according to zone and have a generic setting. So it may or may not work very well.

After a poulan and cub cadet back to back returns I got a refund went to a echo dealer. 12 years ago.
Still beating the snot out of it to this day. One carb rebuild, it Gets so hot you can smell the fluids, paint whatever it is but keeps on running. Oh and use quality oil. I use sthil or echo synthetic. On occasion when in a bind the wally wurl synthetic.

Get one with flexibility to add attachments. tree pruner and carbide tipped brush cutter comes in handy as well. Life has a way of bringing up those unforeseen opportunities. Don't ask how I know.
Both makers now have improved string loading heads.

on edit: buy a tube of their grease. There are a few areas that need grease to keep shaft lubed and also the small gear assembly at the head. little maintenance goes a long way to reliability .

 

[nikdfish]

Best luck so far for us has been with a Stihl FS 90 straight shaft, the gear box at the head has a screw you remove to add grease as needed. They sell grease in a "toothpaste" like tube that screws into the opening - then squeeze the tube to add grease. It is a "4-mix" engine, 4 stroke but using a 50:1 2 cycle oil mix. Good power & torque. We have used it with both the string head & a circular saw brush blade. No complaints to date. The string head is easy to open for adding string without needing any tools. (had to use water pump pliers on our previous one to unscrew the bump head)

 

[Gem99ultra]

I tried a Sthil but for some unfortunate reason, it locked up. Repair shop claimed that it had been run without oil mix, but I (of course) denied that. Changed over to Husqvarna straight shaft. Last one lasted about 14 years. Gave it away after winning a brand new identical one from the dealer for Customer Appreciation Day. So, in my biased opinion I'd recommend Husqvarna.

Disclosing my biased though, all of my lawn equipment is now Husqvarna, i.e. 2 mowers, wheel string trimmer, string trimmer, chain saw, and yes... spouse even has a couple of high dollar Husqvarna sewing machines.

I do run all of my lawn 2-stoke equipment completely out of fuel before long storage periods, completely eliminating gummed up carburetor problems.

 

[mercdv]

Well, I'm in the Stihl camp on this one. My dad and I both own one and they are still going strong. Mine was purchased in 1988 and is still running like a champ. I've even dropped it on concrete several times over the years. My dad's was purchased in the mid 90's and his is still running. Both of them are straight shaft models. I'd recommend getting a professional straight shaft model if you go with Stihl. It should last a long time if you do the maintenance. At least their older models do...not sure if they are still the same way now.

I'm planning on getting a new one soon and it will be Stihl as well. The parts are getting too hard to find for me now and I just dropped it again onto the garage floor when I accidentally knocked it off the hook. The motor side feel about 8ft to the floor and only cracked the plastic air filter housing. I'm thinking it is time to retire it because chasing 30 year old parts takes time. I'll run it through this summer and pickup a new one next spring.

 

[rbtjr]

We have owned multiple Stihl items of various sizes--string trimmers, chain saws, blowers, hedge trimmer, etc. All in all, we have had excellent results with the Stihls. And the Stihl prices seem to be coming down.

 

[flusher]

If you want a string trimmer to last, get a commercial grade trimmer. I've had Tanaka and Redmax trimmers for use around my 10 acre ranch. The Tanaka lasted 9 years of hard trimming (half mile of ditch and fenceline). Replaced it with the Redmax.

Good luck

 

[newbury]

<snip>
I want just a regular gas, straight shaft, bump head string trimmer. Don� care if 2 or 4 stroke. Don� care if I can convert it into a pole saw, edger, or use any kind of attachment. Just want it to last and work with no fuss. Also want it to be tool-less for rewinding the string if possible. I don� care how heavy it is since I don� use for long periods or daily. So what should I get and where should I get it?

I've two Stihls, one in Mississippi, one in Virginia both excellent and with about 5 years of use.
BUT if you are not going to use one for long periods I'd highly recommend a battery operated solution. Probably half the problems posted on here are due to poor gas and maintenance.