give up on trimmer

[billw]

I am so tired of hurting my shoulder to get my gas fired trimmer to start each time, I am getting a rechargeable trimmer for my light trim work in yard.

any sugestoins on models?

bill

[Rolling Thunder]

Humm, should start in four pulls. Assuming it does run when you get it started, check your vent on the gas tank. Could be getting pressure in there that prevents gas getting to the carb. Just untighten the cap and see if it starts.

Thunder

[Pagan]

I have a Black and Decker 18v model. This thing uses the same batteries as my power tool set (drill, saws, flashlight) so I already have a few on hand.

These things don't have anything near the power of even a cheap gas trimmer, but they're pretty handy, especially for the wife when I'm away on business. This thing is perfect for light work, and the trimmer head rotates 90 degrees for extremely light edging. I've used it for touching up, and for delicate work around baby trees. You don't even have to bump it for the line feed. You can also get a hedge trimmer (which works great as well), and a blower (haven't tried it) that all uses the same batteries, or get them all in a package. No other rechargeable trimmer has the option of using the batteries for other things that I know of. You can get them at Lowes.

If you really like the power of a gas trimmer, you may want to visit Sears. They have a new 2 cycle trimmer that's supposed to start on the first pull. I got their 4 cycle trimmer that starts on the 2nd to 4th pull. This one has the ability to use attachments for edging, hedge trimming, blower, vacuum, and other stuff.

Pagan

[Doug Kanter]

What did you to with the motor in terms of maintenance, before putting it away for the winter?

I have shoulder problems, too, especially when I start my outboard motor from a sitting position. But, if I stand, all the motion is in my hips. Any way you could create a bracket of some sort, maybe something part of a sawhorse, so you can reorganize your motion?

[Scott..]

For small areas you could a pair of long neck grass shears. No pulling, no gas, no oil, no noise, very little maintenance.

[Warren]

I use the Black and Decker 12-volt trimmer, the CST2000.

if I were to buy one today, I'd spend $20 more and get the NST2018. It's an 18-volt, 12-inch trimmer, and it uses the same Firestorm batteries as other Black and Decker tools.

are straight shaft trimmers, with heads that rotate so you can do some pseudo-edging as well as trimming. They're both very quiet, and since they only run when the trigger is pulled, they're even less annoying. You neighbors may never know you're out there working.

But on the minus side, battery-operated (or even electric) trimmers aren't going to have the power you need to go into a big patch of tall weeds. These tools are truly for trimming -- dressing-up the small stuff -- and aren't the pseudo-machetes that some folks use gas powered trimmers as. Also, as you near the end of a charge, you may notice a decrease in rpm's if you run steady for a while.

[billw]

tks all for your experienced advise, will take it all into consideration...

bw