What is the most reliable "Back-Pack" Gas Weed Eater?

Hello everyone,

I have slightly over an acre of yard with 125 large trees, 700+ feet of fence-line, numerous bushes, flowerbeds, out buildings and 400 feet of drainage ditch that I have to weed eat around. I checked with a landscaping company and they said they wouldn't touch it for just the weed eating for less than $75 per/cut. I'm not paying that much. I'll pay for a high quality one and do it myself. I need one that has the back-pack feature because I'm getting older and I can't hold the regular ones very long.

Needless to say, it's a bit much for your standard weed eater. I've worked several of them to death.

I'm looking for a high quality, electric start, "back-pack" type commercial weed eater to purchase.

I thought I would check here first to see if any of you good people could tell me of any that you've personally used and had great experiences with.

Thank you in advance for any information you can provide.

Reply to
Merlin
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Stihl FS110 will handle it.

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Reply to
Steve Barker LT

I have a simple Weedeater. Bought it in 1993 at the BORG for about $60. I use it weekly on a 3/4 acre lot with over 180 trees. It still runs good, lightweight, and I tip it 90% for edging. If it died today, I'd buy another just like it.

It is bad practice to strike a tree trunk with a string trimmer (or anything else), as this will damage the bark and can introduce all kinds of disease.

Reply to
Phisherman

Consider using Roundup everywhere you would trim, easier, less waste of time, do it twice a year or so and its alot cheaper

Reply to
ransley

If you get a good quality straight shaft trimmer (like a commercial Stihl) and try one of these, it might aremove the back-pack requirement.

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Reply to
Mamba

First, thank you all for answering my question. You're a great help to me.

I have further questions that have occurred to me:

If I sprayed an area around a tree with roundup, wouldn't that affect the tree?

Or a bush?

Also, how could I control the spray along a 200 ft ditch so that it was straight and appealing to the eye like I can with a trimmer?

I'm all for making my life easier, but I don't want it to look like hell.

Also, as I said, my arms aren't what they used to be. I was considering one of the back pack units so the part I'm holding would be lighter. Is this practical?

Reply to
Merlin

Most commercial landscapers around here use Stihl. I don't see a need for a backpack unit. A straight shaft 32cc Stihl or Echo with a shoulder harness will do fine and cost half as much. My big Echo starts in one pull and carries plenty of fuel. I also removed the tap and go dispenser and replaced it with a dual line head where you just replace each line with 6" new piece. This allow you to use the big gauge (.24?) serrated line that lasts seemingly forever.

Reply to
Meat Plow

Merlin wrote: ...

As long as the roots are below grade or heavily barked, no. Roundup is not a systemic as the active ingredient (glyphosate) is readily bound in the soil.

Same thing although if the bush is "droopy" applying it underneath is more problematical w/o getting it on the foliage.

And if both cases, of course, overspray and misting and bounceback are issues to be careful of.

That would be quite difficult w/o a physical border of some sort imo.

Seems like but I've not used one so can't personally comment on how effectively it might be to accomplish the goal.

At least you don't have the half-mile of cedar windbreak that needs the weeds taken out of at least a couple of times per year that can't get to w/ the weedeater owing to branches coming to the ground (which, of course, is not fixable if one wants an effective windbreak). So, I still use the scythe. Makes for good exercise if nothing else, I tell myself... :)

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Reply to
dpb

The problem with RoundUp is that the spray can travel to plants you don't want to kill. It won't hurt a tree unless you get it on the leaves. Your best solution is to mulch the tree---controls weeds and provides some nutrients.

Reply to
Phisherman

requirement.http://www.weedwheels.com/- Hide quoted text -

I did my area which has 70 trees and hundreds of perennials, I also convinced a guy who owns a nice farm to do it and he now saves 250 a month all summer from reduced weedwacking labor and gas. Around trees are no issue, I go out about a foot, near plants or gardens first you want no wind, I found a piece of 1/4" paneling about 4x4 that had a hole cut in it I use as a shield, For some areas I cover a group of plants with buckets or plastic. After abouit 2 weeks I get out my handheld propane weed burner and burn everything black, it looks good. Maybe twice a year I do it, I used to spend hours weedwacking with a Sthil, now no more. If you get it on a plant it can be removed by hoseing with water if you do it right away. Get a good garden sprayer with adjustable patterns and try it slowly when you have no wind. The Propane weed burner takes a small tank , the wand or burner head is long enough where you stand and burn out the dead stuff. A 200 ft ditch, I cant really picture but it might look better killed and burnt. Wait till its dead from the spray before you burn.

Reply to
ransley

I use Roundup around flowers in the flower beds all the time. I do use it in a good 2 gallon sprayer with a nozzle I can aim precisely and apply it in the morning when the wind is calm and when I know it's not going to rain for 24 hours or so. It isn't very often I get any bleed-over to plants that I want to keep. From his description of his property I would suggest the OP purchases a sprayer and concentrated Roundup. That will save him a ton of trimming as it does here around all the trees and landscaping features I have.

Reply to
Meat Plow

Thanks man. A friend suggested that I use a cut out piece of cardboard as a backing to spray against. That would also keep the line very straight.

That's a real good idea. I have a sprayer that I use for bug spray also, and it has a good spray pattern that I can adjust to about 6 inches. That will give me a good boarder to mow to.

Thanks to all of you for your advice!

Reply to
Merlin

Just a thought. You could use a reliable straight shaft timmer with one of these to reduce fatigue.

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Reply to
Mamba

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