Cost is no option best string trimmer...
- Thread starter Cloud IT
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cory@owen
ArboristSite Operative
I see stihl and echo almost exclusively where I live. Occasionally husqvarna.
locofrog
ArboristSite Operative
We sell red max trimmers where I work at and I've used several too. The commercial line are light and powerful. We used to sell Robin and they were excellent too. That is actually what I own now. I heard somewhere Mikita bought them or is partnering with them.
Loco
Loco
I believe the best way to answer your question is. With some questions. Are you only going to use it as a trimmer? Do you wish to use a metal blade for clearing brush? If only used for trimming a 22 to 29cc works great, You need a 30cc or larger with bike handles. to run a metal blade, I own a bunch of commercial trimmers. My favorite for just trimming is a 25cc redmax. Very lightweight with good power. I use a stihl 250 with a blade for the larger stuff. Very heavy but lots of power. I dont really think you can make a bad choice as long as you buy a name brand commercial trimmer. As in Stihl, Echo, Redmax, Husky.
apn73
ArboristSite Operative
Same up here in New England, seems like I see more Echo than anything else. Noticed a Redmax for the first time the other day
zogger
Tree Freak
Best hand held I have run, and prefer to use within my small fleet, is a tanaka commercial grade trimmer. Most powerful is a DR walk behind field and brush mower with a kawasaki engine. The ones they have now are also self powered as to the drive wheels. You can use mambo strings or various blades.
Given my druthers I would use goats.....
Given my druthers I would use goats.....
o8f150
Tree Freak
I bought this one 2 years ago and trust me it gets used every week and it has been flawless
HUSQVARNA 128DJx - Trimmers
HUSQVARNA 128DJx - Trimmers
KenJax Tree
Terraphobic
Here is mine
HUSQVARNA 326LS - Trimmers
HUSQVARNA 326LS - Trimmers
The Honda stuff is very nice but from what I remember they are heavy.
I run stihl fs80's or fs85's. Light, powerful and a true 2-stroke. I usually pick them up on CL for $100 in perfect running condition. And carbs for these trimmers are CHEAP, like $20-$25 cheap!
I run stihl fs80's or fs85's. Light, powerful and a true 2-stroke. I usually pick them up on CL for $100 in perfect running condition. And carbs for these trimmers are CHEAP, like $20-$25 cheap!
sawfun9
Addicted to ArboristSite
Price no object? Try a FS550 with four .130 lines coming out of the head. With those lines it take a lot to wear them down. Not buzzy at all and won't even know you're in 6ft grass and weeds. the downside is it eats, no it REALLY eats fuel. This setup really showed me the limits of my fs250 for tall grass work. You can tug the 250 engine way down and stop it, the 550 wont ever even slow down. Of course its like having a ms290 on a trimmer. Smile on the face value? Priceless.
hatchet13
ArboristSite Operative
Husky
I recommend a 326ls I run mine with .130 craftsman twisted line . Gut that dumass cat and retune thing is a animal . Even clearing a patch of blackberrys that were fully alive and some over a half inch thick it kept on chugging . Felt bad bout the berry bush but the woman hated the prickers did snag a few shoots to stick in my yard . IMHO I think this is the best trimmr ive had yet. Little heavyr than the stilh I had but double the zap
I recommend a 326ls I run mine with .130 craftsman twisted line . Gut that dumass cat and retune thing is a animal . Even clearing a patch of blackberrys that were fully alive and some over a half inch thick it kept on chugging . Felt bad bout the berry bush but the woman hated the prickers did snag a few shoots to stick in my yard . IMHO I think this is the best trimmr ive had yet. Little heavyr than the stilh I had but double the zap
Cloud IT
ArboristSite Operative
I will use it to trim around the house once a week for the majority of the time it's used. I can get by with something pretty small for this task I know.
I want light weight but that is usually low power as well. I know there is a "sweet spot" for power to weight. I want a good power to weight ratio.
I don't care if it's 2 stroke or 4, but i would have to think that a 2 stroke would be lighter for the same amount of hp/torque.
I will want to run a metal blade occasionally to help people out and this is my real reason for buying one right now. My dad is clearing some nasty weeds from the side of a river bed for a friend and having another trimmer so i could jump in and help would be priceless.
I have a good shindaiwa, stihl, echo, and husqvarna dealers around me. Not sure about redmax but that doesn't really bother me. I don' t rely on it to make money and will have the muffler modded Murray to back it up.
My dad has a Shindaiwa and I hate that you can't adjust the carb on it.
I wouldn't mind a used trimmer at all.
I don't have a pole saw so having the option to mount that would be a bonus.
How about this, what's the lightest trimmer that can still run a metal blade?
elanjoe
ArboristSite Guru
I RARELY see any 130's in for service, light enough with a harness and they will do a 360 degree torque roll in your hands when you are not hanging on from idle to WOT !!!
KenJax Tree
Terraphobic
B Harrison
ArboristSite Guru
I have always preferred a smallish echo strait shaft trimmer for anything but a blade. Bigger Stihl for blade work is OK, the Huskys I have used had better power to weight than the Stihl, but I am not sure what the model numbers were. Echo 226 is a great all around machine. Some people will tell you that the solid shaft drives are a must, but I have done a heck of a lot of weed eating (3 afternoons a week at the farm for 4 years) and my little echo handled most all of it. If your going to be doing grass over 12" tall you need a blade of some kind and for that a 25+ cc trimmer.
Handle a few of them.
The two echos I have run were 18 and 14 years old or so, one was stolen and the other i just loaded into the back of my truck to use a little tomorrow on a job.
Handle a few of them.
The two echos I have run were 18 and 14 years old or so, one was stolen and the other i just loaded into the back of my truck to use a little tomorrow on a job.
Magnumitis
ArboristSite Operative
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Why would anyone want the 550XP traits? Hot start issues, poor dealer service, and multiple returns for "fixes"?
Exactly what I was thinking
I wanted the biggest, baddest string trimmer.
Saw a guy who worked for the government mowing a post office lawn, and he was using a very nice Echo.
He told me it was a very powerful machine, but it was heavy and unless you needed the power it would wear you out.
I bought a Dolmar MS-22C (pre EPA nonsense) and am very happy.
Works great for string trimming around the house, and I can put a blade on it for tough thick brush stuff like multiflora, though it won't cut through saplings and suckers.
Saw a guy who worked for the government mowing a post office lawn, and he was using a very nice Echo.
He told me it was a very powerful machine, but it was heavy and unless you needed the power it would wear you out.
I bought a Dolmar MS-22C (pre EPA nonsense) and am very happy.
Works great for string trimming around the house, and I can put a blade on it for tough thick brush stuff like multiflora, though it won't cut through saplings and suckers.
SawTroll
Information Collector
How light it can be obviously depends on how much power you need, so you need to establish that first.
Cloud IT
ArboristSite Operative
I saw that one on the website but couldn't figure out the difference between that and the 323L.
How do you like it?
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