String trimmers

[big bubba]

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. ArlyA


been doing landscaping maintenance on my own & commercially for more years than i want to admit. thankfully, @ this stage in life feel grateful i still can do a good day's work thanks to being injury free & more importantly, with dependable pro grade tools (finally!) easier now to take care of my 127 acres because of that than when i was a young man. agree with many posters on this thread that pro quality is the only way to go to get the job done (beyond occasional homeowner use)

my thoughts on multi tool power heads & battery operated equipment:
i would recommend to anyone interested in going into landscaping maintenance commercially or on a good sized place:
* steer clear of multi tool power heads & battery operated machines. i have tried various attachments on multi tool such as the pole pruner, trimmer, & hedge trimmer. their use is limited, sometimes heavier, and too much time to hook up. go with dedicated pro equip designed to do each specific task. multi tool power heads seem like a good compromise, but i'd never consider for my work.

as far as battery operated, yes, batteries & voltages have improved. & yes i use cordless drills, etc, all the time. but a waste of time for extensive landscape work. both multi & battery can be useful for hobnobbing around the house, but not for long work for the long run.

a place for everything, thankfully. know i'll probably step on some toes on this, only imho. glad to have the forum for a diverse exchange of ideas

 

[Doofy]

I am partial to all things Makita, cordless as well as corded. I would gladly try a cordless string trimmer but no one will mail or ship me one. The lithium battery BS is turning off a lot of people from buying cordless. Not everyone has access to the Big cities where these things are available.

I can get "Tool Only" shipped up but to then buy batteries on top of that is ridiculous. Only batteries I have at the moment are 2.0 Ah. Would love some 5.0 Ah. I know for a fact that Alaska does get Ground Shipping from the States but no one wants to be bothered to ship that way.

 

[ArlyA]

We'll for the most part, need to disagree with you. We work from a UTV or hike into the woods so tool size is at a premium for our needs and the tool attachment system Echo uses has worked reasonably well us. Not perfect granted, but still good enough. The ability to change out the power head or tool, adds much redundancy when some component fails. Utilizing a UTV we'll head out with 2 or three power units, 2 pole saw heads, 2 strings heads, etc, etc. We have failed pole-saws heads and power units stopped for whatever the reason but its gereally not a problem, since we can trade some failed part out and keep on working. We don't want to come back in when some tool stops! I'll add a couple of photos of a UTV loaded for work. Its normally more organized than you see here! Let me add, we usually don't became a regular chainsaw with us. Pole-saws have done well for us.

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. ArlyA


been doing landscaping maintenance on my own & commercially for more years than i want to admit. thankfully, @ this stage in life feel grateful i still can do a good day's work thanks to being injury free & more importantly, with dependable pro grade tools (finally!) easier now to take care of my 127 acres because of that than when i was a young man. agree with many posters on this thread that pro quality is the only way to go to get the job done (beyond occasional homeowner use)

my thoughts on multi tool power heads & battery operated equipment:
i would recommend to anyone interested in going into landscaping maintenance commercially or on a good sized place:
* steer clear of multi tool power heads & battery operated machines. i have tried various attachments on multi tool such as the pole pruner, trimmer, & hedge trimmer. their use is limited, sometimes heavier, and too much time to hook up. go with dedicated pro equip designed to do each specfic job. multi tool power heads seem like a good compromise, but i'd never consider for my work.

as far as battery operated, yes, batteries & voltages have improved. & yes i use cordless drills, etc, all the time. but a waste of time for extensive landscape work. both multi & battery can be useful for hobnobbing around the house, but not for long work for the long run.

a place for everything, thankfully. know i'll probably step on some toes on this, only imho. glad to have the forum for a diverse exchange of ideas

 

[big bubba]

actually in your case, makes sense. glad there are lots of options for every situation. i work fairly close to vehicles, so equip not a problem for me. to answer your original question, can't really compare stihl vs echo on multi tool. that system does not fit my needs. thanks for reply

 

[ArlyA]

That is correct, we use whatever attachment necessary for the jobs we find along the way. I should add, it takes less than 60 seconds to trade an attachment out. Still wondering if anyone here has tried the Stihl KombiSystem!

actually in your case, makes sense. glad there are lots of options for every situation. i work fairly close to vehicles, so equip not a problem for me. to answer your original question, can't really compare stihl vs echo on multi tool. that system does not fit my needs. thanks for reply

 

[big bubba]

That is correct, we use whatever attachment necessary for the jobs we find along the way. I should add, it takes less than 60 seconds to trade an attachment out. Still wondering if anyone here has tried the Stihl KombiSystem!

have you checked on line as to how each of the specs compare such as power to weight ratio, & more importantly, customer reviews for both?

 

[Will_C]

I have the Stihl Kombi system. A KM 130 power head with the rubber paddles, pole saw, and a trimmer. I have had for 3 years. I haven't had any trouble with the attachment points. The paddle unit gets used 4-5 hours in the spring, the pole pole saw as needed, and I got the trimmer so the motor got more use-I do a lot of trimming.
I think they are a great idea for a serious homeowner- I have use for the paddle and the saw, but not enough for dedicated units. I would imagine a precessional may be better served with stand alone machines.

Will

 

[ultrarunner]

Own a Stihl Battery Chainsaw used commercially at the Christmas Tree Farm with hundred of cuts each day and zero issues

 

[Bird]

Different opinions and different preferences, for different reasons. I now live in town, have my own yard and one neighbor's yard to tend to, and for my use my EGO equipment can't be beat (assuming it lasts long enough). But when we lived on 10 acres, out in the country, and I also did some work for a couple of neighbors, I've forgotten the model number but I had a Stihl string trimmer and also had the metal saw blade for it. And for my use then, I don't think that Stihl could have been beat. Even here in town, in recent years, my little Stihl FS55 served quite well and was still good when I gave it to my grandson after I bought the EGO. But I'm sure there are other brands and models that would perform very well, too.

 

[ArlyA]

We at times use a gallon a fuel per day. Battery powered units won't cut it, for us. We also don't use steel cutting blades very much and have just one machine setup with one. Its cutting radius is just to small, so its delegated to trees or shoots that the .155 string can't cut. The string units WILL cut pencil Size shoots and smaller, plus its cutting radius is quite large, like 16". So these heads are the "go to" units that are used most often.

Different opinions and different preferences, for different reasons. I now live in town, have my own yard and one neighbor's yard to tend to, and for my use my EGO equipment can't be beat (assuming it lasts long enough). But when we lived on 10 acres, out in the country, and I also did some work for a couple of neighbors, I've forgotten the model number but I had a Stihl string trimmer and also had the metal saw blade for it. And for my use then, I don't think that Stihl could have been beat. Even here in town, in recent years, my little Stihl FS55 served quite well and was still good when I gave it to my grandson after I bought the EGO. But I'm sure there are other brands and models that would perform very well, too.

 

[MESSMAKER]

I have a Stihl.Husky and Shindiawa. They are all great. The Husky is my favorite by a little. My neighbor has an Echo and it seems just as good.

 

[ultrarunner]

When I'm out doing weed abatement at the folks place... About 2.5 gallons of fuel and it is time for me to stop for the day...

The Stihl batter chain saw is good for hundreds of cuts but Christmas trees are most small diameter and the duration time is very short per cut...

Sure beats the old way of pulling the rope every few minutes... plus... always needed at least two saws going out if one stopped... so far the Stihl battery saw has been flawless... plus the neighbors on one side like that it is quiet... new subdivision right up against the farm.

 

[TractorGuy]

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?

Some stuff is bound to wear with use and age.

Try putting your machine up and leave the fuel in it. I will probably get some flack on this approach but my 30 YO Homelite ST175 has NEVER had the gas run out or drained at the end of the season. The fuel lines will rot no matter what you do but I think putting them up dry will cause the rubber diaphragms to dry out and crack. Fuel lines and primer bulbs just give up after a while and have to be replaced. I don't remember how often I have had to replace my primer bulb and fuel lines but at least twice and maybe 4 times in 30 years. Same with string heads. I have had to replace my string head once. The bump feed dosen't work right if it's wound wrong or full of weeds so you have to keep them clean and wound correctly. Google and You Tube is your friend for this. My unit is direct drive so the string never stops while the engine is running but that eliminates a clutch that will wear out.

 

[ArlyA]

JD855guy, We don't drain fuel from any of our machines either. The oil we use states that its a stabilizer and good for a year which seems to work fine.

Try putting your machine up and leave the fuel in it. I will probably get some flack on this approach but my 30 YO Homelite ST175 has NEVER had the gas run out or drained at the end of the season. The fuel lines will rot no matter what you do but I think putting them up dry will cause the rubber diaphragms to dry out and crack. Fuel lines and primer bulbs just give up after a while and have to be replaced. I don't remember how often I have had to replace my primer bulb and fuel lines but at least twice and maybe 4 times in 30 years. Same with string heads. I have had to replace my string head once. The bump feed dosen't work right if it's wound wrong or full of weeds so you have to keep them clean and wound correctly. Google and You Tube is your friend for this. My unit is direct drive so the string never stops while the engine is running but that eliminates a clutch that will wear out.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I had several Stihl trimmers, years ago before Ethanol. Nothing but grief. The Olympics should have had a trimmer throwing competition. I could have got a GOLD medal.

I got a Homelite (home Owner level) trimmer at Habitat (Home Depot Return) for peanuts when I volunteered there. I had to buy a reel for it, and it has served me for maybe a dozen or more years without fail! Not that it starts first pull, but it continues to run, when started. And once warm, starts first pull. With the Stihls, you never knew when they would feel like running.

I also like my new Oregon cordless system. Chainsaw, pole trimmer and weed wacker. Good for light stuff and you don't need hearing protection.

 

[Site]

I have owned one of these Amazon.com : Tanaka TBC-255PF Commercial Grade Gas-Powered Straight-Shaft Grass Trimmer/Brush Cutter 25cc 1.3 HP 2-Stroke (CARB Compliant) : String Trimmers : Garden & Outdoor Since spring of 2012, to this day starts on second pull and will blow any Sthil or Echo away in power without a doubt the best weed eater i have ever owned in my 53 years

 

[two_bit_score]

I have owned one of these Amazon.com : Tanaka TBC-255PF Commercial Grade Gas-Powered Straight-Shaft Grass Trimmer/Brush Cutter 25cc 1.3 HP 2-Stroke (CARB Compliant) : String Trimmers : Garden & Outdoor Since spring of 2012, to this day starts on second pull and will blow any Sthil or Echo away in power without a doubt the best weed eater i have ever owned in my 53 years

Tanaka is great!

 

[ultrarunner]

Everything I have Tanaka has performed flawlessly...

Problem is Tanaka's corp structure under Hitachi has changed so the future remains to be seen.

 

[aczlan]

We at times use a gallon a fuel per day. Battery powered units won't cut it, for us. We also don't use steel cutting blades very much and have just one machine setup with one. Its cutting radius is just to small, so its delegated to trees or shoots that the .155 string can't cut. The string units WILL cut pencil Size shoots and smaller, plus its cutting radius is quite large, like 16". So these heads are the "go to" units that are used most often.

What make/model is that head?

Aaron Z

 

[aczlan]

What make/model is that head?

Found it, Echo 3 Line Rapid Loader Head PN: 99944200221 $33ish from Home Depot.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/ECHO-3-Line-Rapid-Loader-Head-99944200221/204159248

Aaron Z