Are you definitely looking to buy a new trimmer? Maybe you get more bang for your buck in the states but the ones I've used in that price range from Husqvarna and Stihl in the uk are bent shaft and don't have much power or approval for brush knives etc, more just for trimming grass along fences/ lawns. I've seen pretty decent professional models sell a lot cheaper than their retail second hand even if they haven't seen much use, but then you have to be prepared to do some tuning I suppose! I personally have four Stihl trimmers, and mostly find myself using an old FS81 loop handle with an autocut head for grass or verges, or more often an FS400 with a shredding blade on for heavy brush and brambles. I have a few blades for it but I would definitely recommend the shredding blade, if you want to do a large area of heavy scrub they will do the business, mulches everything nicely so there isn't much to clear up afterwards either! If you're planning on using it for long periods of time I'd definitely look for a bike handle model. Loop handles are great when you need to move the angle of the head a lot for steep areas and verges etc, but if you're going to be using a blade for a large area, a harness and bike handle is the way to go for me! I suppose it depends what you're planning to cut, but there's nothing more annoying than attempting to do a job with an underpowered tool!