Weed whacker recommendations?

[larry_g]

Thanks for all the replies. Would be great if people can give the model in addition to the brand. Many of the companies make gas and battery models and also consumer and commercial grade.

You have not told us what you are using this machine for. Trimming around the lawn is a lot different than going after large weeds and brush in the outback or along the ditchbank. Makes a lot of difference in what machine will suit you best.

Me I have one of the bigger Stihl machines that I only use blades on, but it is used on some heavy weeds and brush.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[C4VETTE]

I just bought an ECHO PAS-2620, I demoed the PAS-225 (same powerhead as their 225 trimmers) and found it a little under-powered. If your looking for just a trimmer I would look at the SRM-2620. I looked at the other brands as well and honestly I think these are better machines than a Sthil or Husqvarna.

EDIT not to mention if you buy a Sthil or Husqvarna you should be putting an ECHO trimmer head on it anyways. Loading the ECHO is 100x easier than the competition.

 

[CN Spots]

I have the cheap ($199) 2 stroke Husqvarna from Lowes for the ditch out front and the fence around my 1 acre. Everything else can be handled with the Greenworks 40v cordless. I love being able to take it off the wall and buzz around the lawn w/o having to deal with cords or fuel. The head advances line each time it spins down from full speed so no slamming it on the ground. I bought their pole saw that uses the same battery too. It's not a powerful as the Stihl pole saw I was borrowing but it's more than enough for what I need.

But if you're cutting honeysuckle and Johnson grass, you need gas. Cordless can get a little frustrating once you get beyond urban grasses.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

I just bought the Stihl FS38 also use the Stihl premix fuel. Loading the head is a bit of a pain. The tap’n go head works so so. But it might be due to using up my old line of .095 versus the spec’d .08.
I have an old Weedeater GT1-19T and soon as I can find the part I need to get it back operating I’ll be using this on the less forgiving surfaces we have at the lake. Or I might just put the brush blade in it again.

 

[bigtiger]

I just fired up my echo chainsaw that's been sitting for 9 months without use. It has been sitting there with the ethanol free mixed gas in the tank. It started on the 1-2 pull and started using to cut the fallen tree limps on my street side. Love that ethanol free mixed gas.
I don't use the chainsaw much but when I need it, there is no substitute, job was done in minutes. nothing like quality tools when you need it.

for my home yard, I converted to the Milwaukee m18 string trimmer, 1st generation, blower, hedge trimmer... with my collection of m18 batteries of my milwaukee power tools. Now, thinking about converting over to the newer milwaukee quick lock OPE tools...since I need that hedge trimmer and long pole saw,,, it would eliminate me from climbing the ladders to cut/trim. But damn, cost is still too high

 

[Montecristo]

I'm using a straight shaft Echo 225 and highly recommend it.

Check out cordless as well. After getting a Dewalt hedge trimmer (bare tool since I already had batteries), in the future I'm going for all cordless lawn tools since my lawn is fairly small.

 

[John in OH]

Stihl

They manufacture two lines of equipment ... a "pro" line and a homeowner line. Make sure you buy a pro line model, NOT buy the homeowner line. The pro line tools are more powerful and dynamically balanced for smoother operation.

 

[Cougar]

I bought a Kobalt 40 volt.
Been using it a couple years, it works great.

 

[Innovate1]

Have existing ryobi, poulan accessories - edger, pole saw that I use occasionally. Have a couple acres to upkeep for another year but nothing knarly. I have chain saws, tractor with brush hog, etc to deal with rough stuff and I can keep a 2 cycle head running enoug to do a few things in the short term. So it seems a battery unit would be good and fitting and good at the new place.

Looking at Ryobi 40 V line - it seems to get good reviews and has a good warranty. But batteries are almost as much as the tool with charger and battery! 4Ah is about $150. For $160 I can buy the whole set:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-40-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Attachment-Capable-String-Trimmer-4-0-Ah-Battery-and-Charger-Included-RY40250/307663070
And looks to be easy load head. If its troublesome I could by the echo spool.
Above one apparently is the brush motor. Brushless is $200 with a 3 Ah battery:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-40-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Brushless-Electric-Cordless-Attachment-Capable-String-Trimmer-3-0-Ah-Battery-and-Charger-Included-RY40230/303365366?irgwc=1&cm_mmc=afl-ir-27795-456723-&clickid=VQHyQnR%3AjxyJWZewUx0Mo3c3UklQRbUQiytrwg0
and not available in local stores but I could order and have in a couple days. Battery is a bit smaller but may have equal run time with brushless motor? Replacement battery cost is a concern - need to look if it is covered in warranty.

 

[BigGarage]

Looking at Ryobi 40 V line - it seems to get good reviews and has a good warranty. But batteries are almost as much as the tool with charger and battery! 4Ah is about $150. For $160 I can buy the whole set:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-40-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Attachment-Capable-String-Trimmer-4-0-Ah-Battery-and-Charger-Included-RY40250/307663070
And looks to be easy load head. If its troublesome I could buy the echo spool.

This is the same one I have and it's fine (actually I now have 2). The easy load head would be fine except for the string being molded into a semi-circle. I did have to pop off the hub (takes 2 seconds) to get the new line in a few days ago because it wouldn't go in straight, kept wanting to curve. Just turn the head clockwise and the string pulls in properly. They even give you a tool that fits the hub and you use as a wrench.

Dennis

 

[JerryC]

Have existing ryobi, poulan accessories - edger, pole saw that I use occasionally. Have a couple acres to upkeep for another year but nothing knarly. I have chain saws, tractor with brush hog, etc to deal with rough stuff and I can keep a 2 cycle head running enoug to do a few things in the short term. So it seems a battery unit would be good and fitting and good at the new place.

Looking at Ryobi 40 V line - it seems to get good reviews and has a good warranty. But batteries are almost as much as the tool with charger and battery! 4Ah is about $150. For $160 I can buy the whole set:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-40-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Attachment-Capable-String-Trimmer-4-0-Ah-Battery-and-Charger-Included-RY40250/307663070
And looks to be easy load head. If its troublesome I could by the echo spool.
Above one apparently is the brush motor. Brushless is $200 with a 3 Ah battery:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-40-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Brushless-Electric-Cordless-Attachment-Capable-String-Trimmer-3-0-Ah-Battery-and-Charger-Included-RY40230/303365366?irgwc=1&cm_mmc=afl-ir-27795-456723-&clickid=VQHyQnR%3AjxyJWZewUx0Mo3c3UklQRbUQiytrwg0
and not available in local stores but I could order and have in a couple days. Battery is a bit smaller but may have equal run time with brushless motor? Replacement battery cost is a concern - need to look if it is covered in warranty.

I bought that model first, took it back for the brushless model. The brushless model is enough better to justify the price difference for me.

The spool on mine loads like this, when the line runs out it basically ejects the remnant so you don't have to dig it out of the spool. To load the line you push the line straight through the head and even up the each side. Then you turn the knob on the head and it pulls the line in.

I bought the hedge trimmer and chainsaw because as you said it was like getting a 10 dollar tool and charger when I bought a battery.

 

[AngryBeaver]

I bought a KM90R Stihl when i bought my house in 2010. I literally just put a 25 dollar carb on it because it wasn't worth it to buy a 20 dollar rebuild kit.

 

[1720blue]

I bought a Husqvarna 325 over 15 years ago. Paid in the mid-$300s but it’s still going strong. Had to get the carb rebuilt 5 years ago after getting gummed up with ethanol gas; have been using the “engineered fuel mix” sold in quart cans at Lowe’s and HD since. Pricier than gasoline, but 2-3 quarts get me through a season and it guarantees no worries on ethanol problems or gas going stale.

 

[eastbaysubaru]

With a 75x160ft lot you should be looking at electric. I bet you can hardly burn 2gal of gas in a weed wacker all year on that small of a lot

Agree with this. But if you do get gas, get a Stihl. Have had my FS90r for 13 years and haven't done anything to it other than change the string. I use non-ethanol gas and the synthetic (grey bottle) Stihl oil mix.

As mentioned .......small lot.........go witha quality battery unit. All the big players Milwaukee, Mikita, Ryobi, Stihl and Husq have excellent products.

I've had a black and decker battery operated for 5 years and trim 2 acres easily on a charge. Not the most powerful unit in the world, but for normal trimming works great since I can run it against the siding etc without damaging either. Line is autofed and has never tangled. 2nd benefit of the lower power is it tends not to use much line.

Won't ever go back to mixed gas if I don't have to, what a pain.

M18 if you have Milwaukee. there's really no reason to get a 2 stroke trimmer unless you run a business cutting grass. I have 8 acres. I have to use a 9.0 and a 12.0 battery to get everything. but that's about an hour and 45 minutes

Whatever you do, don’t buy a gas anything.

You’re trimming a just a hair over a 1/4 acre and a battery operated trimmer will certainly do what you want. I’m on a bigger lot than you are with trees, a fence, deck, etc. and I do it with a 20v

If you really want to be commercial Husqvarna, Stihl and Echo all make battery powered trimmers.

Pretty much anything will take care of a lot that size. I’m using a Black & Decker LST400 with a 5.0Ah battery and it does my yard with no issue.

This is a little dated, but it gives you an idea.

https://www.protoolreviews.com/tool...attery-powered-string-trimmer-shootout/21505/

Like these folks, I'd go battery all the way. I picked up a Black and Decker a year or two ago and it's been awesome. Zero issues. Just recently had to replace the original string head (it's nice to buy the pre-rolled heads). No way I'd go back unless I had multiple acres.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017PD6TB8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I've now got an assortment of B&D 20v battery tools (hedge trimmer, pole hedge trimmer) and they're all great. Replacement batteries are pretty inexpensive as well. I picked up this guy and it's functioned without issue as well:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IK53PLW/?tag=atomicindus08-20

If I'd been in the Milwaukee M18 game when I bought the B&D originally I probably would've gone with Milwaukee yard tools as well. Regardless, battery is the way to go!

-Brian

 

[Innovate1]

Went with the Ryobi 40V brushless. It isn't in any of the HD stores here yet. They said it was a new product. They had lots of the brush motor version. I ordered it and should be here in a day or two.

 

[Prospecter]

Another that used Echo for years for all my stuff. Originally seemed like kind of a poor man's Stihl. Still have an Echo from 1985ish, so model not relevant. Parts and service in my area became the issue.

Husky seems a little fussier on maintenance. Works ok, but little stuff seems to break more than my Echo and Stihl stuff.

Another Stihl fan. Seems a little pricer, but stuff does not break and they just run and run.