Buy features, not brand. It will be pricey, but try and find something with steel wheels a gear transmission, and two-cycle. Don稚 know that I have seen many of them lately. Had one of those plastic wheel, belt driven one not so long ago. It lasted about 3 years for the belt and wheels needed replaced, which cost more than a 3rd of the purchase price. Toss a tune-up and oil change, and then it gets into real money. On a two cycle, you change the plug, clean the air-filter, make sure the muffler is not clogged with carbon, and sharpen the blade. Get the trimmer with the same fuel oil mixture, and its game time.