Which Echo trimmer? $650-700 budget

[Travinsky]

I had another thread to decide which trimmer to get so I've narrowed it down to Echo. I have a $650 + tax budget and need it for a small 1/4 acre yard to trim, edge, prune and till.

My yard is St. Augustine grass, a dozen fruit trees and a variety of decorative plants, wife loves roses etc. So can I get it done with the smallest 225 PAS or should I splurge and get a 266 or 280? Also let me know if there is a Echo sale going on or coming up. Thanks

 

[Travinsky]

OK I shopped around and went to 3 different dealers and got similar answers, 266 or 280 is the way to go to operate ALL of the attachments without boggin' down. The reviews I've found on the 280 seem slightly better than the 266, so if I get the 266 I would feel better getting it at a dealer than HD, just in case!

 

[texasfiremedic]

Thought about Stihl? I personally never like Echo. But that's my cent and a half.

 

[Trey T]

For tilling, I would get the biggest engine available, like the PAS-280 you mentioned.

 

[el_chupo_]

Personally went with Stihl, but beyond that - I went with the "Professional line" of their Kombi system, as I wanted to run the tiller and pole saw.

The motor works great for that (limited application), but sometimes the additional weight when trimming and weed eating *****. But I am on 3/4 acre, with a large fenced back yard, lots of trees and plants and boarders, large drive way with parking for 4 vehicles, etc. Its a lot of feet to trim/edge some times.

I have had the Kombi for a couple years now, and I am actually keeping an eye on craigslist for one of the home-owner power heads to come up for sale without all the attachments. I would love to dedicate that one to trimming/edging, and keep the heavier head for stuff that needs the power, as well as a backup. Also, keep in mind I am looking toward the future where I hope to buy a much bigger piece of land. With a smaller yard I doubt it would be an issue.

My Father in Law is a big Echo fan, so I had the opportunity to use some of their stuff. It was never disappointing, in yard tools or their chainsaws and pole saws we used for taking down a tree.

As far as sales, Stihl did their "dealer days" a couple months ago, but labor day is coming pretty fast. Maybe contact a local dealer? I did spend more than you are budgeting on the trimmer, tiller, edger, and pole saw. And I still want to get one of the hedge trimmer attachments...

 

[Travinsky]

Stihl has great reviews everywhere and dealers wanted to sell me one before I said it was for my home, then I got pointed toward an Echo. The Echo is more comfy for me at 6-2, but not perfect.

Hitachi makes the best shaft length, but some complain about lack of warranty service locations and poor customer service. I also have not seen any dealers carry Hitachi/Tanaka but I see them at Walmart, so that sends up a red flag.

So back to the beefier Echo PAS-266 plus the high torque trimmer head and tiller. I would also get the pruner and hedge trimmer, but I already have electric versions and until they die, it will have to wait.

Labor day is coming soon but it rains daily and my weeds are already 2-3 feet tall. I guess I should wait it out and see what goes on sale, hopefully the 266 or 280 would be good.

 

[Chadwilliam1]

I have an SRM-230 and it is a great tool and I would not hesitate to buy another one after the amount of use I have gotten out of it. I have an Echo handheld leaf blower and my Echo trimmer. I like my Echo stuff better than my Stihl stuff. IMO Stihl is over rated. I can not comment on the models you are looking at particulary but my experience with Echo has been outstanding and if I were to buy any more yard tools I would look at Echo first.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Echo is great and hold up well. Given St Augustine grass and such, I would want all the power I could get. Used to work with a guy who maintained equipment for a large lawn service before he came to our job (aircraft mechanic) and he said the Echo were hands down the best as far as durability and also were the easiest to repair. I have issues with Stihl corp and I have one of their pole saws and won't buy another Stihl product. (Stihl protects their dealers by not allowing internet sales of parts, but the dealers don't seem to stock the parts, so why protect them? I can walk into an Echo parts dealer and get any of (the few) parts I need).

Charles

 

[Trey T]

Charles (in GA): You brought up great points. For a lot of us on this forum with equipment maintenance skill, Echo is a more logical brand to buy. Echo is a proven brand for performance and reliability. I don't own any Echo stuff but several people I know that mows grass for living likes Echo.

 

[cagullett1]

Did landscaping for many years when I was younger, and I'm a huge Stihl fan. My dad still has a 20 year old Stihl trimmer, and I kept some of my Stihl equipment from my commercial equipment. My old trimmer was burnt up from an employee forgetting to put mixed gas in it, so I bought the same thing again, FS90R. I've got 1/3 acre (small yard), but it is SO NICE. My neighbors laugh that I use commercial equipment to mow my lawn, but they are ALWAYS complaining about the shoddy job their equipment is doing. I'm never underpowered and having the nice equipment makes it so much more enjoyable to landscape my yard.

 

[SMKS]

I saw you make this post in your other thread:

Stihl is powerful but considered a commercial use and toss product. LCO's get back their investment many times over so if they have to get a new one every couple years, it's no big deal. When I told the dealers it was for home use, I was directed to the Echo brand,

You could call any of the units in the lower end of the price range a "use and toss" product. But even the lower-end Stihl commercial units are worth fixing. That's such a strange thing for a dealer to say and it doesn't make sense.

Especially if you're talking anything in the top-end of the line. A Stihl in the $400 - $600 price range would be anything but a "use and toss" product.

If the Stihls aren't good for your height, that's fine. But Stihl and Echo are both well regarded, so calling one brand a "use and toss" product and acting like another brand of the same price is significantly different doesn't really make sense. They both have models at different price points and different quality levels.

But I digress…
I hope your Echo serves you well. I have an Echo leaf blower and chainsaw that have worked well for me.

 

[Travinsky]

You could call any of the units in the lower end of the price range a "use and toss" product. But even the lower-end Stihl commercial units are worth fixing. That's such a strange thing for a dealer to say and it doesn't make sense

I stand behind what I said and I paraphrased. As I understood the salesman did not imply Stihl was a bad product, but a very powerful one that when it breaks the LCO does not waste time fixing and just gets another one. I am sure this applies to all brands. I also assume they were referring to the bigger companies.

...so maybe the Stihl is worth fixing, but the LCO might just get a new one than bother to be without it for a couple weeks. Time is money.

Personally from the 2 weeks I have spent researching I have no clue which is best, so I am just trying to avoid the ones that are the worst and buy it when it goes on sale. I did not want to spend more then $200, but had to to realistic and expanded my budget as I searched for a trimmer with great reviews.

 

[SASORacing]

I have the ECHO that is $169 from home depot. Im still perfecting the number of prime pushes/ choke half choke. I can get it to start and run with like 3 or 4 pulls from dead cold.

I have heard of people doing 1 or 2. It is the curved shaft, I would get the straight shaft next time though because im 6 foot and its a little short.

 

[nanofrog]

I have the ECHO that is $169 from home depot. Im still perfecting the number of prime pushes/ choke half choke. I can get it to start and run with like 3 or 4 pulls from dead cold.

I have heard of people doing 1 or 2. It is the curved shaft, I would get the straight shaft next time though because im 6 foot and its a little short.

Can you see the actual fuel in the fuel lines?

If so, pump until the bubbles are gone from the lines, and see if that doesn't reduce the number of pulls needed.

FWIW, I can get mine to start from dead cold on 2 pulls every time doing this (followed by: half choke for one pull, turn the choke off off, 2nd pull starts it).

 

[Travinsky]

I have the ECHO that is $169 from home depot.

Yep i saw the Echo and the Hitachi (which is perfect for my height) for $189. HD also carries reconditioned Echo straight for $164. I also saw the Honda for $359 but learned today that the Honda shaft length is only 55" from motor to top of spool. So strike that one.

Price is not the problem, it's the shaft size and the reliability I'm concerned about. I'm not too happy with the Hitachi after reading dozens of complaints about poor servicing, parts availability and repair locations under warranty, so it would be a ****-shoot. So it looks like I'm getting an Echo and using it barefoot.

 

[PRH44]

My Echo SRM has been running for 22 years and it gets rode hard, string and blade attachments. Never had an issue. Spark plugs, fuel lines/filters are the only things I have ever replaced. Of course the spool portion of the head as I wear them out ever few years.

 

[Travinsky]

Good to hear, which SRM?

 

[Travinsky]

Update:

Today I bought a Echo 266 PAS from a local dealer, Kendall Lawn and Equip, located about 5 miles from home. The $299 SRM-225 Value pack looked tempting with 2 attachments (edger and weed trimmer) but he said the 266 was a better built commercial machine. He said the 280 was overkill so I avoided the HE-MAN temptation. OTD price was under $400 with standard weed trimmer, tomorrow I will get some gas and give it a run in the yard - it needs it badly.

 

[Wamsutta]

For a nice trimmer like that, I'd be tempted to buy that special premixed fuel in a can.

 

[Travinsky]

For a nice trimmer like that

Unfortunately cc rate is 25% so regular E0 will probably be the case until I pay it off.

 

[CJM8515]

If your having hard start/choke issues its a good idea to do a full tune up and clean out the muffler as well.

My buddy has a few echos for lawn service and I like them, I worked a few times as a fill in for him. Echos are light and the trick to starting them is to get it to run full choke then hold down the trigger on half choke once it fires up and keep switching the choke from on/off a few times till it warms fully up. Never fails.

 

[jimindm]

I have both brands. I think either one is a great product. The echo is lighter in weight if you are running it for long periods. I have had an echo for quite a while and a stihl that has been around but not in every day use. After using the echo for most jobs, the stihl just appears heavier.

I am over six foot, and I have never felt great using a curved shaft. I would recommend a straight shaft.

 

[Rocket1]

I have an Echo 266. I wanted the 280 but couldn't find one in stock and I needed something right away. This is my second Echo and I have always been happy with them. My dad had an Echo trimmer for years and it always worked great. Right now I have the blower attachment and the trimmer. I'm going to pick up the edger attachment next week I think.

 

[yardpro]

I have run a landscape business for 25 years. We have 5 crews. I have been through EVERY brand.
for your budget i would get several dedicated tools, not a quick attach type tool.

you could get a trimmer, a tiller and a hedge trimmer for the high end of your budget.

we have gravitated back to sthil.

I used echo for years, but honestly they were kinda cheap and i considered the a throw away. I have been through myurama, red max husquivarna, shindawa, and echo... we have gone back to stihl as they have overall the best equipment.

find a local dealer that has a GOOD service department. buy from them.

 

[bindernut]

I've worked at stihl dealers for 9+ years. Trust me, no one tosses a stihl that breaks down unless they trash the engine. And someof the big chain saws and concrete cut off saws get rebuilt.
One thing, echo had 5 year warranty where stihl has 2 year. Now you can double the stihl warranty if you buy a 6pack of stihl synthetic oil

 

[Travinsky]

we have gravitated back to sthil.

Dealer carries Stihl & Echo, and we biefly spoke about the Stihl 4-mix with the extra valves. He's been a dealer for over 20 years and after I told him what I needed he said to get the Echo - so I did. At 6-2 I still have to bend a little, at least until I can find or make a 2" extension.

He didn't have a 230 so I got the 266 for $30 more. Tried it today with E0, it has a nice throaty sound when idling and is excellent compared to past cheapos and electrics. My first real yard machine and can't wait to get the edger and hedge trimmer after I pay it off.