Weed-whacker recommendation

[Dan C]

Hello all,

I'd like to buy a good weed-whacker, gasoline powered, and with the ability to add/use optional attachments such as an edger.

What would you recommend?

[Bill]

With *certain* Stihl string trimmers, you can use the following attachments and more...

Attachments -vs- trimmer chart... String trimmers...

[John H. Holliday]

I'd recommend not getting a "combo" tool. Each function is a compromise. Get a whacker and if you need power edger, get one of those too.

Sort of like an adjustable/Crescent wench-- sure you can loosen a bolt but not as well as you could with a box wench or socket...and you won't round the edges nor will it slip and you bark your knuckles on a hot manifold ;-)

Doc

[bradsbulkmail]

I spent an extra few $ and bought the 4-stroke model sold by Sears for the same reasons as you did. It works great and has several attachments (edger, tiller, blower) that make this a very handy tool :-).

Brad

[Dan C]

Hmmmm.... good point. I will keep that in mind as I look around today.

Thanks.

[The Reverend Natural Light]

I'd recommend a Honda. It's undoubtedly the most expensive but it'll be the last one you ever buy. They still use real trimmer string (unlike the Sears models) and you'll be able to get parts at your local motorcycle shop forever.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Look at Stihl. Don't look at Homelite or Ryobi

[Ben Phlat]

I've been very happy with my Ryobi 4 stroke straight shaft. For attachments, besides the string trimmer, I have the brush cutter, cultivator and the limb saw, works great.

--Ben

[Bo Williams]

Good choices; Echo is good stuff. I'm a Honda bigot, but all of my

2-cycle stuff is Echo.

[Dan C]

Just to follow up my own post with what I ended up getting...

Some local friends thought highly of the "Echo" brand, and I got two seperate tools instead of the combo deal. Got the straight-shaft Trimmer model SRM-230, and the Edger model PE-200. Both seem to be very high quality, and both got a good workout when they got home. I'm pleased.

[World Traveler]

I agree with the post that suggested a dedicated weed-whacker, and my tool of choice would be the Sears Craftsman high-wheel string trimmer. It rolls on wheels -- you don't have to carry it--, it starts easily, uses 0.135 line which is very durable, and the handle folds for easy storage. Downside -- if you're in an area with vines (Virginia Creeper, etc.) sometimes pieces will wrap around the spinning shaft necessitating that they be cut off at the end of the session, you manually replace the pieces of line after they break off (but I've got that down to about 30 seconds), you can't replace the string head with a brush cutter (so far as I know), and occasionally I try to do too much with it (it cuts small shrubs and bamboo, but the line broke off when I tried it on a sapling).

I've also seen advertisements for a DR model hi-wheel trimmer but the Sears machine is the only wheeled trimmer I've ever actually seen or used. Regards --

[Phisherman]

I have an official 'Weed Eater." I have been using it weekly for over 15 years. I paid about $65 for it. I use it to edge trim the lawn too, walking backwards and tilting the cutter string vertically. Works great. Like anything else, I'm not sure if they make them as good now as back then.