Best weed trimmer
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Ric
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Depends on what you are trimming and how much you have to do. Each Has its place but for me It's gas all the way. As far as brand there's only two I consider, Stihl is the best and is my first choice and if they were not available I would go with Echo.
lawn mower fanatic
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I agree with Ric. I would only buy gas trimmers, and my first choice would be Echo but Stihl is great, also. I have great experience with Echo so I personally would go with that first!
Jcg1112
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I'll give my non-professional, homeowner .02. Unless you're trimming very small areas, go gas. I probably over analyzed what to buy, but I generally do. I asked around and got good feedback from folks who owned both Stihl and Echo. Finally decided on Echo srm225. Last Sunday went back to local Rural King who is full line servicing dealer for both to hands on both the 225 and Stihl fs56. Had decided on the 225 when I noticed a couple of Shindaiwa t242's hanging between the other two. $50 more than the 225 and $20 more than the 56. But I knew Shindaiwa has a good rep. I liked that it also has a solid shaft. Sooo... I walked out with the Shindaiwa. Have only played with it. Still cold and crappy weather. Actually had light flurries when I walked out to the truck to leave!! It looks well built, starts easy and balances nicely. Can't wait to break it in.
exotion
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Always gas simple and if your just a homeowner who can take care of their equipment any brand is ok make sure the starter is behind the engine not by the shaft (that's usually a quality feature shows a better machine) otherwise if your a landscaper I am personally an echo fan was trained with them and have 6 years experience with them I have never used stihl but I see them a lot and people tell me good things about them
If you buy a Stihl buy one worth spending say $60 bucks on for a carb service. If you get the cheap Stihls then you are upset to spend near half the price of a new unit just to get the carb cleaned up or replaced. No one runs Echo around here so I know nothing about them. The Tanaka dealer near here sells quite a few of those units to retired folks as well as the schools. Most string trimmers in this town are bought at the local hardware store. Those cheap Poulans as well as the lower line MTD units under brand names like Yard machine or Remington. I like the cheap Poulans myself. You have to do the work on those yourself around here after 30 days as no one will do warranty work on them without a hefty deposit.
diehardmason
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Stihl, Shindaiwa, Echo, Husqvarna & Redmax are all great brands. I live in Louisiana so we cut grass 10 out of 12 months. I recently purchased an Echo (which owns Shindaiwa) a few months ago after years of the cheap $100-$150 units. By far the Echo outperforms the basic box brands and just feels like a better quality trimmer than what I had been buying. They come with a standard 5 year consumer warranty without the hassle of buying special items to complete the warranty. I worked with a family member that has a lawn business and he uses Echos. He loves them and always speaks of the durability. Redmax and Sthil are also very popular here. I've use the Redmax and it is a good unit. Several friends have them and have for years Never used a Stihl, but, the brand speaks for itself.
The Echos also come with the Speed Feed head as well as the Shindaiwa brand. The Speed Feed head had to be made by Baby Jesus or one of his disciples!!! It is effortless and you never have to hassle with trimmer string not wanting to come out of the head when bumped! NEVER!!! Even if you by another brand, get a speed feed head for $30. I just decided to keep my $30 and bought the trimmer with the head on it already!
Never used electric trimmers! Never even considered one before. I'll stick with gas.
Jcg1112
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:drink::drink::drink:
Know what you mean about cutting grass 10 months out of 12. We're originally from New Orleans area, born and raised. Nothing like cutting grass in the "winter". Don't do that now but have 2+ acres to mow and take care of, including wooded areas at the new place. That's why I just upgraded my chainsaw, blower and trimmer. Old stuff just wasn't up to the larger property. Glad I made the purchases. Big difference from what I was using. If we still lived in our previous house and smaller area to maintain, my older stuff would have been fine. What you buy depends on your real needs. But sometimes you just want the good stuff.
Know what you mean about cutting grass 10 months out of 12. We're originally from New Orleans area, born and raised. Nothing like cutting grass in the "winter". Don't do that now but have 2+ acres to mow and take care of, including wooded areas at the new place. That's why I just upgraded my chainsaw, blower and trimmer. Old stuff just wasn't up to the larger property. Glad I made the purchases. Big difference from what I was using. If we still lived in our previous house and smaller area to maintain, my older stuff would have been fine. What you buy depends on your real needs. But sometimes you just want the good stuff.
diehardmason
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I live in Lafayette. We can actually cut grass 12 months out of the year, but, we take a couple of months off to feel normal!! I like to cut at least once a week, but, prefer twice a week. I edge once a week. Our lawn equipment gets used pretty hard. I was going through cheap trimmers every 16 months. I know I am good for at least 5 years with the Echo warranty!! And again, speed feed head is definitely the best hands down!