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What's your thought on weed trimmers? Electric or gas and what brand?

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.

aherndf said:

What's your thought on weed trimmers? Electric or gas and what brand?

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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!

This thread was moved to the General Mower Discussion forum.

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.

Jcg1112 said:

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.

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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.

possum said:

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.

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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.

:drink::drink::drink:

diehardmason said:

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.

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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.

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!

Went to school there - Ragin' Cajuns. Still have friends and family in the area. Always had St. Augustine grass when we were back home. That stuff grew like a weed. Since I mulched, I usually had to cut every 5 days or so. Can't wait to use the new Shindaiwa. The speed feed head looks great, don't think it could get much easier.

PS - can you send up some mud bugs?? LOL We really miss the fresh US of A seafood. It's sad that I can get frozen crawfish tails from China, but not Breaux Bridge. They taste like crap and we don't buy them. Sadly, I digress. :-(

diehardmason said:

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!

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I have the Echo SRM-225 with the Speed Feed head and I love it!! :thumbsup:

lawn mower fanatic said:

I have the Echo SRM-225 with the Speed Feed head and I love it!! :thumbsup:

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I 2nd that Echo.

wjjones said:

I 2nd that Echo.

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I third stupid thing won't break lol

My favorite 3 manufacturers (in no particular order) are:

• Stihl
• Stihl
• Stihl

exotion said:

I third stupid thing won't break lol

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echo? - stupid thing breaks all the time, doesn't last long ...
kawi - same cc - 1.5 times more power, much lighter, runs until clutch worn out, shaft rode worn out and replaced, but engine keep going ...
echos - engine runs out first, than whole trimmer - throw-away.
we still have couple of units (kinda stuck with them) - and it's not even close to kawi or husqvarna
echos not improving over the years - i simply don't see a reason to encourage such $hty manufacturer with my $$

demhustler said:

echo? - stupid thing breaks all the time, doesn't last long ...
kawi - same cc - 1.5 times more power, much lighter, runs until clutch worn out, shaft rode worn out and replaced, but engine keep going ...
echos - engine runs out first, than whole trimmer - throw-away.
we still have couple of units (kinda stuck with them) - and it's not even close to kawi or husqvarna
echos not improving over the years - i simply don't see a reason to encourage such $hty manufacturer with my $$

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This Echo trimmer of mine is still running strong after 26 years of ownership, so I will have to disagree with you on this one!

I will throw a different one here. Last Summer I started up on a shoe string budget. I needed something cheap that would do the job when it came to a trimmer. I bought a Cub Cadet 27cc 2 cycle trimmer. We have run it very hard now ever since the first of August and it has been pretty much flawless other than we had to adjust the carb to get it to perform. It came from Tractor Supply and they would have to send it out to have it worked on. That I don't like.

It is a split pole unit and in the winter time I ran the brush blade, a pole saw, and hedge trimmers on it a lot. I have also used the edger with it a good bit and even have run the little cultivator that looks like a little tiller. It has had gallons of gas run through it again with no problem. If it runs through this summer with no problems I will throw it away and buy another one if it breaks. I am going to buy a larger trimmer with handlebars on it because some times we have to run for long periods of time and I have problems with my back running the handhelds for long periods. That will most likely be a Dolmar 4 cycle.

I have used regular gas in it a good bit as well but try to get the no-ethenol when I can find it. Also have run only the Wal Mart oil in it.

I am also considering buying another one just like it to have on the trailer for a backup.

Many say that this type trimmer is cheap junk but I reccomend it to anybody. If you can get one of them from a dealer that will adjust the carb on it when you buy it that would even be better.

Stihl, Shindaiwa, Echo, Husqvarna or Redmax are all good brands plus they almost are copies of each other.
I went Stihl just because dealer is very close by and I just got a homeowner model the 56 RC.
If I would have spent more for a professional machine then I would have gotten more picky and done more research.Theres a few videos on YouTube and a professional uses many different brands and highly recommends Shindaiwa.The cutting head was the factor that made it the winner.Less string problems.
The Stihl starts easy hot or cold and has the long straight shaft I prefer.Once I start swinging the arc it balance is very good.
I think if you can find a great motor and shaft,then a good head and string feed makes it sweeter.

Tanaka, made by Hitachi has a 7 year consumer warranty.

diehardmason said:

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!

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We run Echo with Speed Feed heads. I have one right now that the head is worn so bad that the metal eyelets are worn through and instead of being a hole it is a slot for the string to feed through and it does not miss a lick. We have to replace the bottom covers pretty often because they will wear through. We have incredible results with Echo Trimmers.

Homeowner here. I'll throw in my 2 cents...

Gas and it doesn't matter the brand. I know, some will spout "Heretic!"

Seriously, if your a homeowner willing to take care of your lawn, kudos to you! Your neighbors (and local real estate agents) appreciate your efforts. Electric is great if you have postage stamp size lot and a 50' extension cord. But that damn cord is constantly in the way and the life span of the wacker is limited as the motor is cheap and the housing isn't sufficient to protect the goods inside. For the one or two times you may use it for a VERY small yard, it's OK. The battery powered ones, eh... again, for small sized lots (make sure you pre-charge that puppy).

Gas, 2-cycle has it's pros and cons too... pros: go anywhere and power! and can be relatively easy to repair yourself, extending it's life unlike electric which break and are chucked. Cons: shakes like a mother when unbalanced, can be noisy, needs fuel and 2-cycle oil (obviously).

Brand? How much money do you want to spend? That should be the question, right? I mean, if you are a pro, using the trimmer constantly, then of course you're going to want to get the best you can (and it's also a tax write off I'm guessing...). If you are asking as a homeowner, consider that you'll use once a week (maybe).

For me, I fixed a neighbor's garage door a couple years ago; as a 'thank you', she gave me her old gas powered trimmer, Home Depot "brand" Homelite. Yes, it was probably around $100 new; hers was a few years old, used sparingly. I used it a couple times and the shaft sheared off. Later, the linkage to the throttle busted. I purchased a new shaft ($70) and rebuilt the linkage. I also purchased an upgraded spinner head ($30). So, the free trimmer was rebuilt/upgraded with $100 and an hour's time. Works like any other gas trimmer and starts every time. I use it once a month in the summer. No complaints. Sure, it's not a Sthl or Echo, or whatever; but it fit the budget for my use and property size (1/2 acre with a 2,200 SF home).

I hope I didn't stray off topic here...

Shindaiwa here. Solid shaft drive, & Speed Feed head.

I have an Echo at the present time. I have used it about 10 years on my yard and my elderly in laws yard. My step son has a Stihl (not sure what number} and it is very good also. The Echo has inter changeable shaft that will allow it to convert to a hedge trimmer or a pole saw. I mainly use it as a string trimmer.

When I buy a new one it will probably be a Stihl simply because I have a local dealer who can service the machine and it is approximately a 70 mile round trip to get the Echo serviced.

Just my opinion but, I would buy a professional grade machine in whatever brand I purchased. I would also get one that will run at least .090 size cord or possibly .105 size.

I don't know if they are still made but about 10 - 12 years ago you could buy one at either Lowes or Home Depot (Can't remember) that was marketed as a Troy Bilt that was a 4 cycle string trimmer. I bought one and still have it in my barn somewhere. It was the oddest running string trimmer I ever used. Of course, being a 4 cycle you actually changed the oil in the machine and it ran on just regular grade fuel. It seemed like it took a full minute for the thing to get up to speed where it would cut. Under no circumstances would I get one of those.

Just my opinion but I would shy away from the big box stores and go with a "servicing dealer" who can actually work on whatever machine you buy.

Shelby County Kid said:

I have an Echo at the present time. I have used it about 10 years on my yard and my elderly in laws yard. My step son has a Stihl (not sure what number} and it is very good also. The Echo has inter changeable shaft that will allow it to convert to a hedge trimmer or a pole saw. I mainly use it as a string trimmer.

Just my opinion but I would shy away from the big box stores and go with a "servicing dealer" who can actually work on whatever machine you buy.

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Agree 100%

Plus the ignition coil pack is LIFETIME WARRANTY on Echo &* Shindaiwa.

I have an older Ryobi 25cc two stroke gas power head with curved shaft trimmer, edger and blower attachments. The whole setup probably cost me $250 and I could not be happier! I have had these tools for 7 years now without a single issue. I always keep my fuel fresh and run it dry at the end of the season. In my last house I had a 1/4 acre of yard to maintain with 500 ft of edging that I did every mow followed up with blowing off my driveway and 200 ft of sidewalk. I would go trough 2 edger blades at $10 each and 30ft of trimmer line each year. I recently moved and no longer use the edger but have significantly more brush and grass to whack. I go through significantly more line, but that's because I have over 400 ft of metal fencing to trim along. It may be time for a walk behind trimmer, but until I get one he Ryobi still powers through whatever I put in front of it.

Both my trimmers are "generic" 2 strokers and fierce workhorses they have been. For the homeowner about $125 still buys one of these outside California. The Ryobi bump heads wore out their metal string holes and went into plastic which in my case seemed to affect the feed. One day at a Goodwilll donation store I found a Ryobi which was dumped as junk. For $15 (new $35)I got a like new string bump head with perfect metal holes. Look around because many homeowners simply give up on starting the little 2 strokers and just throw them out. BTW I like the "snap stalk" feature of these units which seem to be mostly compatible across brands. Have the brush cutter, and have ordered the hedge shears for some nasty landscape bushes with "wire" branches.