jyoutz
Super Member
I still use the handheld where it’s more convenient, but the power of the wheeled trimmer motor and size of the cutting string is a weed eating machine. I recommend the Echo over the other brands because the string head is solid heavy steel. All the others I looked at had plastic heads. Considering that the machine rides on the cutting head, this is a significant improvement.
Wagtail
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I use a Stihl Tri-blade for my Stihl 'bicycle handled' weed-whacker... mine is utilised for dealing with bracken, which 'eats' a string due to its woody stem.
If you've got one, I'd use that. It works great.
ultrarunner
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I’ve wondered why no one had come out with a no wrap hub that prevents wrapping or chops grasses by the hub?
Most of the time I use the multi cut approach so nothing too long in one pass.
I have noticed when the grasses are wet or high moisture content the tendency to wrap is less.
Waist high this season is typical.
The Stihl 3 blade cuts fine until encountering something hard.
Most of the time I use the multi cut approach so nothing too long in one pass.
I have noticed when the grasses are wet or high moisture content the tendency to wrap is less.
Waist high this season is typical.
The Stihl 3 blade cuts fine until encountering something hard.
thx, the tri blade is great & easily sharpened for heavier stuff. i'll adjust brush guard on my machine per suggestions above on the trimmer.
other than that, it's great to have machines that can do the job. if i bought box store, i'd be waist high in weeds
JasperFrank
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When I do the weed eating, or concrete work, these pants are gone. No way I'm putting them in a wash cycle. They are five bucks at the local second hand.
dj1701
Veteran Member
I use a Stihl cordless weed wacker which is all I need. The problem I have is that dam chain link fence around the back of the house. Eats up string pretty quick. It doesn't matter how I approach it. I've tried straight on, at an angle, going forward, backing up. I have not tried the over the shoulder holding a mirror approach yet. Might be on to something.
Dave
Dave
chim
Elite Member
There's no one fits-all here. With the exception of along the creek, I do like chemical mowing..
ArlyA
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Some head designs are more prone to weed wrapping.
We gave up on handle bar weed whackers and will not return to using them.
Nor sure if larger string will help your wrapping grief but stihl was expected to come out with a .170 head. Bad thing about large string is they girdle any brush or trees you might like. We run 155 but hope to move up to 170 when we can. Large strings really do cut more, lots more. But ther require large cc power heads to spin them. We do have a thread here called "trail clearing tools and techniques".
We gave up on handle bar weed whackers and will not return to using them.
Nor sure if larger string will help your wrapping grief but stihl was expected to come out with a .170 head. Bad thing about large string is they girdle any brush or trees you might like. We run 155 but hope to move up to 170 when we can. Large strings really do cut more, lots more. But ther require large cc power heads to spin them. We do have a thread here called "trail clearing tools and techniques".
Runner
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First, I never have the guard on my weed eater except when using the saw blade. Second, I use the following technique for tall grass:
I start at the edge of the area I'm working, i.e., I'm standing in the tall grass and reaching OVER the grass so the back side of the trimmer head is doing the cutting. Then, I start working it backwards, towards me, and I sweep side to side as I walk backwards. If there's any short stuff left after the first pass, it is then easy to clean that up without anything wrapping around the head.
This throws the grass out the front of the trimmer head, away from the trimmer, so it doesn't wrap around the head and gets rid of most of the tall stuff. I work in sections like this, whatever I can reach from one spot, may be 6 feet square. Then, mover over and start the next section.
Once you are used to it, you can start from outside the tall grass, again, reaching over from the top and lowering the head down slowly to create a "hole" where you can start using this technique.
Removing the guard also makes it much easier to trim around things like trees and fence posts because you can reach around the post and trim with the back side of the head. You can also reach OVER things easier, like when trimming the opposite side of a ditch.
I start at the edge of the area I'm working, i.e., I'm standing in the tall grass and reaching OVER the grass so the back side of the trimmer head is doing the cutting. Then, I start working it backwards, towards me, and I sweep side to side as I walk backwards. If there's any short stuff left after the first pass, it is then easy to clean that up without anything wrapping around the head.
This throws the grass out the front of the trimmer head, away from the trimmer, so it doesn't wrap around the head and gets rid of most of the tall stuff. I work in sections like this, whatever I can reach from one spot, may be 6 feet square. Then, mover over and start the next section.
Once you are used to it, you can start from outside the tall grass, again, reaching over from the top and lowering the head down slowly to create a "hole" where you can start using this technique.
Removing the guard also makes it much easier to trim around things like trees and fence posts because you can reach around the post and trim with the back side of the head. You can also reach OVER things easier, like when trimming the opposite side of a ditch.