Strimmers!

[mail-veil]

Anyone found a grass edge strimmer that feeds the line reliably and isn't plagued with the ends continually disappearing into the spool?

[Brian-Gaff]

No, the only thing that you can be sure of is a petrol driven chain flail device and a good pair of steel capped boots while using it! I think the whole point of nylon cord strimmers is to be safe, and hence if the cord breaks at the 90 degree bend where it comes out, its safe. One older person, who may hold the key here told me that every winter, do not leave the cord on the strimmer, take it off and store it in the house, as it gets brittle over a winter with frosts, and its this that makes it break more easily than it really should. Brian

[Tim Lamb]

In message , Brian-Gaff writes

Nylon absorbs moisture so that makes sense.

I have been slow to learn about strimmers: using chemicals to deal with unwanted weeds and grass.

My sister bequeathed me a single string head Stihl followed by a rapid learning curve. The single string head relies on the force created by the mass of exposed string and the rotational speed (centripetal acceleration?) as the string shortens, a spring loaded latch releases more and re-clamps. Of course, with the head stationary, the same conditions are met. My initiation was 2 foot or so of string wrapped around the head every time I tried to start up!

One way round this is to manually advance the string.... only works if your arms normally reach below your knees.

I gave up and ordered a 2 string, bump advance replacement head from the plethora of on line suppliers. This seems to work although there is no way of being sure that the string has advanced so you are tempted to smash the thing on the nearest hard object.

The next discovery was how slow they are. Ignoring stones and other obstructions, a sickle is faster.

Discovery 3. 0.095" nylon will not reliably cut vigorous Hemlock. Initially you get sprayed with high velocity Hemlock sap followed by the realisation that both strings have broken at the ferrules.

Experience tells me that Nylon work hardens and becomes vulnerable to breakage at the ferrules. Regular advancing may use more string but saves annoyance:-)

[Tim Watts]

Yes:

Had it for a year now - gone through a full reel of line and it's brilliant.

I never have any trouble with the autofeed and I've not lost the end of the line either which is a surprise. Even when it's gone "quiet" a couple of taps on the feeder have loosed some more line.

Battery life is OK for domestic work - might need 2 charges to get around the edges of a lot of lawn and paths.

My only regret is Bosch did not make it then I could have shared the power pack with my hedge trimmer!

Only downside is the charger is a bit erratic - seemed to cut out and flash a red light upon insertion of a dead battery. Take it out and replace and it's fine. Never have that problem with the Bosch chargers.

[Another John]

Tim: "Like" :-) For some reason your post is a great uk.d-i-y post, in my estimation!

Tim Watts has also (just now) sung the praises of his B&D strimmer. I have a pretty old B&D one (very domestic - small-scale, but good enough for my purposes), and it's been so good that I went looking for another B&D to replace it for when it finally falls apart.

I got this:

1VS and so far this is also extremely good: light, powerful and *quiet*!. B&D must be good at strimmers!

John

[Adrian]

Listen carefully, and you can hear the difference between short string and long string. Once you get your ear in, it's obvious - even with a two- smoke right next to your armpit.

You need a steel blade... "The death star" - short of "small tree", not much gets past that.

[Davey]

My experience with B&D is that, after a couple of years, the string stops advancing. It doesn't matter if you use new string, or even an expensive B&D wound spool, they just slow down and eventually stop. I have one now that is supposed to send new string out every time the motor starts, instead of bumping, but is still failed in the same way. I'm going to get a Flymo next, my neighbour's seems to just keep on going.

[Roger Mills]

My experience with B&D is even worse. I bought a GL690 heavy duty mains-powered strimmer about 10 years ago, and have had nothing but trouble from it right to the start.

Either it wouldn't advance the cord at all - or would go to the other extreme and throw yards of the stuff out in one go. I rarely use it now because it's so awful!

[Chris Hogg]

I gave up on electric strimmers years ago. I use an Echo petrol-driven one, with a heavy nylon line (an old model, SRM-2010. You may find one on ebay/freecycle/gumtree). I wouldn't go back to electric.

[Davey]

I have a multi-tool machine, which has various attachments. As a

2-string strimmer, it will deal with overgrown brush with ease; I haven't dared put the Death Star on it, it looks lethal. Used as a hedge trimmer, stopping in one spot results in a hole in the hedge. But it's heavy, and is used only when necessary.

[John Rumm]

I find using thick square section line (Makita branded - from ebay) in my dual line head works very well. You can tell how much line is out by the sound I find. When you bump advance it, it eventually reaches the fixed cutter that trims it off at the maximum length.

[Brian-Gaff]

Yes agree with all of that. The one I have is the knock on the ground variety, but it keeps on breaking the plastic one bashes on the ground with the result that cord, springs and bits of plastic go everywhere in the garden. I have now given up and handed over to a paid for gardener, as I have to admit that being blind means I'm going to cut stuff which is way too strong to be cut. Brian

[Adrian]

My Stihl has the bang-on-the-ground head, but I don't. Not only does it seem awfully brutal, but it isn't actually that effective. I just stop it, manually push the button in, and pull the string out.

Probably one time in four, it needs the lid opening and the end finding manually, anyway.

[Muddymike]

Anyone found a grass edge strimmer that feeds the line reliably and

It has more to do with the quality of the cord than the strimmer.

Mike

[mail-veil]

Thanks for all your ideas guys. Gauge and quality of the cord could just be the most critical aspects rather than the strimmer itself. I guess the way the spool is wound could also be a significant factor; I have found that a rewind from a packet of cord is never as good as a genuine original factory supplied spool.

Mike

[Davey]

But as I pointed out, even that is no guarantee of a successful operation. On a two-year-old B&D machine.

[Dave Liquorice]

Hum, sickle gets you a bit close to nettles. ANd there is an awful lot of bending if you are taking stuff sown to an inch or so above ground. I never managed the knack of a sythe and out current terrain is far too bumpy and rock strewn for a sythe.

Not sure what I'm using 2 mm maybe 3 mm. Twin line supposedly bump feed but that hasn't worked reliably for ages and when it did every bump would feed line... Strimming around rocks or along the base of drystone walls eats line but out in the nettles beds line consumption is much lower. Fuel consumption goes up though as old nettles are rather fibrous and have a tendancy to wrap themselves around the head, but lift the head clear and they'll get spun off.

The line I'm using was a remaindered bulk pack (50 100m ?) in one of the sheds. It lives in the garage, gets well frosted, probably dampish, isn't noticeably brittle, the ends will fray against stone work. Had it for years, might not be ten but it's of that order.

The strimmer is a 2 stroke Ryobi. Normally easy to start even from cold, the first fire up of the season can be a bit of a battle but that will be using the old fuel/oil mix maybe topped up with fresh (but even that petrol will have been in a can over winter).

I did try my late fathers electric thing once aroud his garden. Next to useless, struggled with four blades of grass...

[Dave Liquorice]

+1

Also when the string gets really short, couple of inches, the revs rise even when spinning in air. The working length on line on my Ryobi strimmer is 8 or 9".

Aye, used one as a volunteer clearing a well over grown grave yard. Anything shrub like less than 1" dia didn't stand a chance. Lethal thing, could fling hi-velocity stones tens of yards but very very effective.