Petrol strimmers

[Mungo "Two Sheds" Toadfoot]

I want one.

I'm not terribly rich at the moment.

Which one of these two do I want, or does anyone know of a better one for

[Palindrome]

What use do you plan for it?

If it is for more than trimming of the edges where a mower can't get, I suggest that you consider a brushcutter:

eg Argo Spear and Jackson 28CC Petrol Brush cutter.

These do everything a strimmer does, plus one heck of a lot more with the blade in place - without constant stopping for the blasted lines when they break every two minutes.

I have had a number of strimmers before finally buying a brush cutter..now I use it for everything that the petrol mower can't touch.

[The Medway Handyman]

What's the difference? Is a brush cutter simply a strimmer that you can fit a blade to?

[Palindrome]

It's the blade that makes the difference. It will cut down things like thistles in an instant - whereas the line on a strimmer will take ages, assuming that it doesn't break first.. Even tree shoots, bracken, brambles, almost anything..ideal for clearing an unloved garden.

The length of the thing keeps it away from toes. The blade is friction driven, so it will stop if it hits anything, without stalling the motor.

[Mungo "Two Sheds" Toadfoot]

It's just for lawn edges/along fences/around trees and sheds etc. I'm leaning toward the second one simply because it's just bigger all round.

I take it the line doodah can be re-wound with line, rather than having to replace the whole thing with a new one?

Si

[Dave Liquorice]

That is the key.

Of the two posted I'd go for the second, it has more power and twin line bump feed head. Twin line means less vibration as the head is balanced. It'll cope with long rough grass and nettles but not anything woody like brambles. For that a brush cutter is needed.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Yes.

I am not sure a reliable one is to be had for under a ton new though.

[Dave Liquorice]

Mine can, bought a bulk pack of line from a clearance bin in B&Q about 4 years ago and it still looks as if none has been used. This despite most strimming being against drystone wall bases which eats line compared to just strimming vegitation.

Try a google on that make/model you may find better and more accurate information about it elsewhere.

[spamlet]

They are death to trees: nearly all the trees in our town (that the council can get at) have been ringbarked by idiots using these horrendous devices, and the same seems to be the case in most other towns I've visited too.

Using them in a garden - as with other noisy power tools - takes away the point of having a garden in any case.

S

> Kin 'ell, sorry about the enormous URLs but they should work.

[Andy Hall]

Is the arrangement with the line any better? I have yet to find a strimmer with a reliable mechanism and reasonable lifetime.

[Steve Firth]

Commiserations.

[Steve Firth]

Hmm, "it depends" is about the only answer that can be given. Some use horrible plastic tabs rather than line, thought that says "bump feed" so it seems fair that it will be line in which case you can rewind it. Some makes easier than others.

If the screw used to secure the spool is standard (i.e. the same as a Stihl) then you can find a range of replacement spools and choose what sort of line to use. I use a 3.3mm line with ours whoch is very heavy but has the advantage that it can shred thistles and even woody plants.

The brushcutter can be less useful than indicated here. Sure the blade wil slash through the thick stuff but it doesn't do anything to it, leaving a mat of stems on the ground that gets to be a PITA to work with. The line simply reduces everything to pulp.

Anyway if you are serious what you want is one of these:

one of these

returning to sanity for a moment. For anyone that can afford them, these really are the ultimate DIY tools, since they can power a saw bench, generator, air compressor etc as well as a range of garden tools and they can be coupled up to form a small 4x4 tractor and to pull some seriously large carts as well.

They are the sort of thing that is sometimes seen in newsreel footage with eight Chinese or Albanian farmers clinging to a truck carring a couple of tonnes of hay all pulled by one of these tiny walking tractors.

[Palindrome]

Nope. Put the line head on and it is much the same as any strimmer of similar price. I only ever use mine with the blade on though. I find that I have enough control not to hit anything.

[Kaiser]

> Kin 'ell, sorry about the enormous URLs but they should work.

Bought the Spear & Jackson from Argos a few months ago to replace a broken McCulloch strimmer, so far so good. Comes with 2 year manufacturers warranty.You can rewind the spool yourself, no need to buy branded spools and they have a tap and go line feed. They are as good as any cheap petrol strimmer, ie: McCulloch. If you want something for continuos every day use, get a Stihl, but make sure it is from the professional range as they also do a domestic range.

[The Natural Philosopher]

The bigger ones are better - use heavier duty line. We have IIRC a Ryobi? something like that. It needs a new bit of line every year or so.

You DO have to be careful with trees and shrubs though.

However if you need one, you need one.

[Mungo "Two Sheds" Toadfoot]

Ramsgate.

Bugger.

Oh well, thanks for the thought.

Si

[Jim Ford]

Oh, Leicester can't be that bad, can it? There's the ... erm ... there's the ... the cheese! ;^)

[Mungo "Two Sheds" Toadfoot]

Well, as I'm one of them southerners I've obviously no idea, or even where it is for that matter. Ah right. Pah! I've been further north than that! Once. To Nottingham to get an MGBgt then straight back down to the safety of the sarf before the sound of the Queen's English confused everybody and turned them aggressive.

[Tim..]

I've owned and used several brushcutters / strimmers.

I'm a more slightly-semi-professional user. I have had all the McCulloch / own brands et al crap. They are cheap, and will serve a domestic user fairly well, although the lifetime is around 4-5years at most. When it starts playing up, chuck it.

They also have some of the most dreadfully awful head's and head mounting arrangements I've ever experienced. The motors only tend to be powerful enough for 1.6mm cord too, which will cut weeds and grass around your lawn but not much else. The auto feed ones invariably do for abit, then don't and only hold a small amount of line.

A good strimmer will last your lifetime. Stihl is still the best, and Husquavana a close second. Aim for a 25-30cc machine.

My machine of choice for everyday use is the FS85 with the autocut head. I buy a drum of the sqaure section jonsered 2.0mm cord, which has sharp edges and makes most use of the 25cc. The stihl head will hold 2x 2m of cord which lasts for ages.

Tim..

[Schrodinger's cat]

Hey - nice sandals!