Weedwacker / Weedeater / Trimmer recommendations.

[rmiddendorf]

You gents have been so helpful with every other device decision (generator, snow blower, etc) I figured I'd might as well throw this up there too.

Ok, so I have a 5 year old battery powered Craftsman weedwacker trimmer thingie. Here's a diagram:



It isn't working. The charger doesn't seem to be functioning at all. No light and no voltage at the DC end of the plug.

So I manually hooked up the batteries to my small car lead acid charger. I only let each charge for 45 minutes or so monitoring them from time to time. For some reason the negative connector from my battery charger heated up on the first battery significantly, but everything else was normal. I figured this would assist in delivering enough voltage to the charger to indicate if that part was bad also. So the charger still wouldn't work. The device would actually spin up a little- enough to indicate that I assume the rest of the device is working properly.

So, I'm assuming that I have 2 bad batteries (even if its just one both will need to be replaced) and I'll also need a new charger.

So batteries are $42.44 each and the charger is $22.08.
So to replace all the parts from Sears would exceed (I think) the original cost of the trimmer at $106.96. Even if I hunt down the batteries from another supplier I figure we could be around $70 for all the replacement parts, still dangerously close to the cost of a new similar model.

So basically I'm attracted to this Black and Decker 18 volt one:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1260 ... ckType=G10

I've never had good luck with 2-cycle engines and the mix is a pain. However I would consider it. I usually only trim once a month or so but we do have a fence in our backyard so that does need trimmer assistance. Our yard is looking pretty dismal at this point.

I hate to be the guy who throws stuff out instead of fixing it but sometimes the economies of scale trend that way. I only paid $62 for my current lawnmower new and have used it for 5 years. If it dies it only cost me a little more than $12/year, which isn't bad either so sometimes I just find this easier and cheaper. I do not, however, plan in using this strategy on the generator or snow blower which are properly stored for the summer.

[a]

appeasing the wife/god, I bought a Husqavrna 2 stoke straight shaft weed wacker. It works pretty good. It specs a 50:1 mix , but I run it just fine on my 32:1 chainsaw and lawn mower mix. If you want cordless , a newer one will have better batteries and charger. They use NIMH or Li-ON batts these days.

[Karl Grau]

The agency I work has hundreds of miles of right of way that have to be cleared at the end of the rainy season. This year we started using goats in some of the more remote areas.

[cddallara]

I suffered through Craftsman, and Homelites for years. Bought a Stihl, never looked back.
Thing starts right up after sitting for months on end, runs great, same gas as the dirtbikes and chainsaw

[Mr_Squishy]

Second vote for Stihl!
As my old yard tools die, I have been replacing with Stihl.
My son even bought a used Stihl chainsaw at a pawn shop so we'd have a second one. I like it better than my new one.
I have been using my Stihl weed eater today and it is a beast.

John

[Mike W.]

I think I've only used Stihl chainsaws, but they're the best, IMO. They also cost that way. In the same vein, I would not buy a Black and Decker. I don't like them, I don't think they put out a good product and the worst is they don't seem to completely die, they just perform so poorly you wish they did. I'm not suggesting a top line product like Stihl is the only option, just that there may be better mid line products. I've been buying more Sears stuff in recent years due in part to their excellent parts availibility years down the road. That is coming from someone who's wife complains I won't just let things die.

[a]

The agency I work has hundreds of miles of right of way that have to be cleared at the end of the rainy season. This year we started using goats in some of the more remote areas.

Back in the days when the country was being cabled for TV . I read an article about using mules out in the woods to pull cable along utility ROWs . The trouble with goats is that they are smart and ornery, Wabbout camels, didnt they use them in your neck of the desert? They are big and ornery, but you can ride them

Goats are a good idea. Better than agent orange , which is what they used into the 70s around here. I'll read the clip later on.

[MShimon]

Buy a Stihl at an authorized dealer, not a big box store. We picked up a straight shaft and it's been nothing but great.

[a]

The reason I dont recommend Stihls, is because I am stihl running my '77 041 Farmboss. I can stihl get parts from my childhood friend's rental shop. Fast and decent money. YMMV with newer Stihl products. My younger brother has been through 3 of 'em. Mine stihl starts well on its original points and condenser. I bought a set for about 50$ just in case along with a 6$ starter dog which is the only wear item so far. Its been repaired by me as needed. The die cast starter housing is held together with extra aluminum, JB Weld and pop rivets. The rest is pretty much original except for the chains and bars.

A lot of low line 2 strokes have only 1 crank bearing. That's the difference between a cheapy and a better 'un

[winfred]

an option for internal combustion that doesn't involve mixing gas is a 4 stroke trimmer, i have a straight shaft troy bilt and it works pretty decent, one thing about a 4 stroke trimmer is you don't have the rpm that a 2 stroke has but lotsa torque, so they gear up the head quite a bit and mine has a dual line head, i think it would be a miserable pain in the ass for heavy weeds to light brush with the drag of 2 lines, it just bogs when you hit too much stuff, it does fine for normal trimming and i think a switch to a single line head would make it badass and it does have a quick change shaft so options are available

[wkohler]

I have a Stihl FS80. It's great. Best one I've ever used. First one I've ever owned, though.

I was considering the 4-stroke units, but for the amount of trimming I do, it wasn't worth the extra maintenance, though the idea of the motor running at a lower RPM is always nice. That said, when I bought mine, the 4-strokers weren't really too common, so I decided to stick with the tried and true 2-stroke. I love the smell. I also didn't understand how they could still effectively lubricate a 4-stroke motor with the oil/gas mix.

[oldskool]

Go gas/mix Stihl and never look back. Your neighbors that used to invite you over for Cosmos will back off and your real neighbors will not be afraid to wave to the guy with the battery trimmer anymore.

[winfred]

i can't speak for the first gen units but mine uses pump gas and has a dipstick

. I also didn't understand how they could still effectively lubricate a 4-stroke motor with the oil/gas mix.

[Bill in MN]

We used to own a Stihl dealership so I guess I am biased.
An FS 45 is a great consumer model and priced around $150. I have a several that we beat the crap out of on a daily basis and they never complain. Parts are readily availible and not all that expensive.

[booker]

Stihl is great, but Echo is a close second, and a bit cheaper, I believe.

Electric trimmers are for the ladies.

[rmiddendorf]

Electric trimmers are for the ladies.

We have an electric hedge trimmer with the extension cord. It was 4 years old and I was discussing with my wife how I was surprised that she had yet to cut the extension cord. Days later she used it the one time a year it gets used and whack... guess what she did? Needless to say she ran right out and bought another cord...

Thanks for the advice gents... looks like I should at least consider a Stihl. Since this post I also just considered 'borrowing' my parents Shindaiwa since it would be free. They're really not in the condition to use it anymore anyway. i already have their Echo chainsaw and may also hijack their Echo hedge trimmer. Next I'll need a bigger garage to store all that stuff...

[88 M5]

Ill put my .02 cents in here. I was going to buy a stihl from the local dealer till I went and talked to the local small engine repair shop (highly recommended by the way). Come to find out Stihl products made years ago are excellent quality and will last virtually forever. new stuff is just as good for the commercial market (read EXPENSIVE) but the consumer level stuff has gone way down hill. I was told to buy ECHO for a two stroke trimmer. It was expensive but great quality. I love mine. and I have owned an electric that crapped out and was bought another so called quality brand two stroke by my father in law (Im blanking on the name right now) that broke before a year was out. Ive had the ECHO for three years now and never a problem. Its got fewer CC's than my last trimmer but is WAY more powerful. I've learned through experience that quality costs, but its worth it.

[Mike W.]

I've got an Echo chain saw that is older than many of the people here and it's been a trooper. It hasn't seen much use in the last 25 years, but it cut a bunch of cords in it's first decade. OK, it doesn't particularly like to idle, but it's still on the original plug, IIRC. Newer stuff may or may not be as good, but I'm of the once burned, twice shy school, and am happy to plug products that have served me well.

[RetiredDoc]

I have had the Black and Decker cordless 18V string trimmer for about 4 years. I also have a B&D 18V drill (~6 years), hedge trimmer (~5 years), pole hedge trimmer with adjustable head (~8 years), and blower (electric broom, ~6 years).

Charging all those batteries with the normal rate chargers was a pain, but one of the newer purchases came with a coupon for a rapid charger for about $8.00. Now I just use the quick charger and feed the batteries into it - takes about 30 minutes to recharge a completely drained battery. Twice, the item I bought also came with a free second battery.

The only tool I've had a problem with was the blower. The plastic impeller self-destructed at 6 years. It's not available as a replacement part, so I bought a new unit.

I also use a Homelite 24V cordless lawn mower purchased about 6 years ago. It will run about 45 minutes on a full charge, and a recharge takes 17 hours. Battery life of the first battery (actually 2 12V batteries) was about 4 years. Replacements were $34.95 each 12V battery plus about $15 UPS ground shipping.

The only two gas powered lawn tools I still own are an Echo chain saw, which is about 15 years old, and an Echo blower, which is 10 years old. They have been very dependable-never had to take either one to the shop.

[1st 5er]

I use the corded stuff.
In my life, it takes less time to drag the cords out occasionally, that's when these things get used,
than it did to rebuild or adjust the gas powered thingys in the past.
Everything that is except our John Deere rider that gets around our acre on a fairly regular basis.

Battery powered? Only if they'd standardize batteries.
I doubt that'll ever happen.
It's like getting the printer/copier for free and then buying ink cartridges, at jacked up prices.

[davem]

Just an FYI/PSA:

I got a recall notice from Stihl in the mail last week, and remembered this thread. Seems like we have a lot of Stihl weedwacker owners.

http://www.stihlusa.com/recalls/recall_toolless_cap/

One of my few dislikes about this unit was the gas cap; it was easy to think it was closed tightly when it was not. Hopefully this will fix it.
I took it to the hardware store where I bought it, and they swapped it out for me in 5 minutes.

P.S. I've got the FS40C. First gas-powered weedwacker I've owned, and it works very well. I miss the lightness, quiet, and lack of exhaust fumes from my P.O.S. battery powered trimmer, but the level of performance is worlds apart.

[a]

I use the corded stuff.
In my life, it takes less time to drag the cords out occasionally, that's when these things get used,
than it did to rebuild or adjust the gas powered thingys in the past.
Everything that is except our John Deere rider that gets around our acre on a fairly regular basis.

Battery powered? Only if they'd standardize batteries.
I doubt that'll ever happen.
It's like getting the printer/copier for free and then buying ink cartridges, at jacked up prices.

With the exception of the fore mentioned huskqa weed whacker , my mowers and blowers are re-habbed freebies.Average age is 30 yrs. Last weekend. I ran 5 of them doing various tasks. All started readily and performed well. I do 2 things, I shut the gas off and run the carbs dry. Secondly, I add a cap full of MMO at every fill. My sitdown is a '77 IH Cadet 80. It has been re-engined with a B+S 11hp flathead. Every spring I had to tear down the carb to get it going. Since I started my new regimen,, I havent touched the carb. The last 3 springs, I just open the shut off, set the choke and push the button. Cranks a bit longer but eventually lights and settles down when it warms up. It is great to spend my time using the tools not getting them to run.

[Brian in TN]

I have Chuck Norris fly(actually the earth moves for him) in once a month and he scares my lawn into shape.

[tsmall07]

Stihl or Echo. That is it. Husqvarna and Homelite used to be great, but they are junk now. I have an Echo chain saw and weed eater. Both have proven easy to operate and have been completely trouble free.

Electric trimmers are garbage. You'll never get a cut that is as crisp. You don't choose horse power of a mower or weed eater by the size of your lawn, you chose by how nice and clean you want it to cut.