Does anyone have any recommendations for one of those weed eaters that are sort of look like a push mower? I have had problems with my back for some time and I really need something that is a little easier than my big honkin' weed eater that weighs a ton. Anyone?
#2
173abn
I've seen em in magazines,thats proably what I should've bought instead of my sthil.I hate the heck outta weed wacking. If you get one let us know what you think of it. russ
from what I've seen those will greatly enhance the pain in your back... My neighbor bought one a few years ago... it was used once, and no one wants anything to do with it since...
I think they are one of those things that look good while 'seen on TV'..:biggrin::biggrin: KennyV
I also thought they looked like a good idea-so I bought one. Used it once-took it back the next day. The nice thick line it uses doesnt hold up on even cheap chain link fencing, any type of stone or concrete, or metal T Posts. Save your $!!!!!!
I've seen em in magazines,thats proably what I should've bought instead of my sthil.I hate the heck outta weed wacking. If you get one let us know what you think of it. russ
Hey russ ... I bet I could arrange a swap if you wanted to trade your sthil for my neighbors DR trimmer mower... but I think you would be the only one regretting the 'deal' :wink:KennyV
#6
BKBrown
What would you think about clamping a gate wheel on the shaft (as long as you don't get it too tight) ?????
I've never seen anything like this. I can't imagine it would be good on your back though. You would have to push it still. I would go with hiring someone to weed whack for you! :biggrin:
Thats one of the main problems... and at any angle or change in grade it is MISERABLE to operate. :frown:
#9
173abn
well I'm glad I read these posts.guess I'll keep my sthil and have that love hate relationship with it. russ
#10
RockHound
I'm glad I asked before I laid out that much money on the thing. I guess I'm just going to have to pay one of the neighbors kids to do my weed eating. It really puts a strain on my back. I don't know what it is about it but I think it may be the posture you have to use to extend the thing. Thanks though for the review.
Oh, I've seen those! I thought they were a great idea but I'm glad I found this review. I'd rather not get something I would just wind up returning. I haven't ever seen one of them except on TV, I guess that's the best place for it to stay then huh?:laughing:
I have a Swisher and it works very well after slight modification. I put larger wheels on it so it rolls e.asier in rough terain and instead of looping the line back through itself I installed small bolts w/builtin washers just infront of the string loop. All that is required to hold the line. Works best in rough ground, to cumbersome for fine trimming in the yard.
Have you look at one of those cordless one rechargable ,i'm not sure how much they weight but i think there are some pretty good ones out there. That"s what i'm looking at next, tried of pulling that dam string and my old one does not start. I guess i depends on how much trimming you have to do, and if the battery will stay charged for that long of time.Could get more battery i guess
They are great machines for the right job. I used to cut grass at abandoned properties for mortgage companies. When going in to a yard with 3-4 ft tall grass I'd tip my push mower up and take it down a bit at a time. Eventually I'd get snagged in a dog chain left on the ground and finally one day I hit a tire iron that went flying about 10 ft.
This was the late 90s and the only one I could find was a Troy Bilt for almost $800. Since it was a business purchase and tax deduction I could justify it. It worked great but that thing was heavy as they could possibly make it.
I sold that one and got an Ariens at Home Depot. Can't remember the price but it was about half or more what the Troy Bilt was. Much lighter, easier to re-string and more maneuverable. Failed to mention that the cutting string on these are .155. Not much they won't cut.
There is now a very small Weed Eater. I got it for my Mom back in West Virginia to clear her fence line. She hated it and gave it to my sister. Not sure where it is now.
All that said, I can't see why you'd want one for regular trimming, with the exception being what you said about your back. You might want to give the Weed Eater a look if you really want to keep doing the work yourself. It really is much different than the others on the market.
#18
Semiretired
I found one of the "Weed eater on wheels" at a yard sale 2 years ago. It wasn't running and the guy wanted $10 for it. I offered $5 and brought it home, cleaned the air filter & carb, cleaned re-gapped the plug, put fresh fuel in it , and fired it right up. It's light weight, strings easy to change, and it does a great job.I really don't know what the guys complaining about it giving them a sore back is all about. The hand held units will give you a backache far sooner than this will. As far as the strings breaking, I don't know of any trimmers that won't break the string when you run it up against a fencepost or chainlink fence. They're made to trim grass & weeds, not steel and stone. My wheeled Weedeater has a guard on the left side to keep the string away from such obstacles. Swishers and other large trimmers are way heavier, bulkier, and thus harder to handle and harder on your back. My Weedeater isn't hardly much heavier than the hand held units and I don't have to carry it around.
Hi, all. This is my first post here, and I'm going to provide "equal time for opposing viewpoints." Years ago I bought the first High Wheel Trimmer that Sears sold. It had a 5hp Tecumsa engine and used that thick trimmer line. I had ten acres with a fair amount of fence and some uneven terrain. That thing was amazing. It was actually pretty light, and you had to learn not to whack the fence ('cause yes, it will eat your line). I also had a weed whacker, but unless the grade was steep I preferred the "robo goat," as it came to be called. It recently stopped running and could not be resuscitated by my attempt at a carb rebuild. I need that machine to work again! For me, it's easier on the back than my Tanaka line trimmer.
Semiretired, that's been my experience, too. I'll add a bit more in defense of RoboGoats, too. Unlike my really old model, most make it very easy to change out the line, and if you have tough vegetation (like our dang Star Thistle) you push right through it in one pass! As far as rocks go, I've found them very forgiving.
I'm gonna drop my RoboGoat off at the "professional" mower place during the off season. I miss it.
-ml
#21
Michael
I repaired one of this last summer, I thought the concept was ok, but it seemed flimsy, not very well made. :thumbdown:
Michael
Does anyone have any recommendations for one of those weed eaters that are sort of look like a push mower? I have had problems with my back for some time and I really need something that is a little easier than my big honkin' weed eater that weighs a ton. Anyone?
You might want to check out http://www.weedeaterwheels.com They sell wheels that you can put on the trimmer you already have. They're adjustable, so they'll fit any trimmer, and unlike the weedeaters that come with wheels, you can project the trimmer head beyond the wheel base so you can reach under a fence or into a flower. If you have a heavy trimmer, I think you'll find these very helpful.
Used it once-took it back the next day. The nice thick line it uses doesnt hold up on even cheap chain link fencing, any type of stone or concrete, or metal T Posts. Save your $!!!!!!
