Weed Whackers

[BJE80]

What are your suggestions for good quality straight shaft weed wackers for doing blade cutting, and attachment work as well as just general trimming around the house? I use my weed whacker for some small food plot work as well as clearing small trails with my blade.

Echo, Husqvarana, Stihl, etc?

 

[tooln]

I have a POS Echo sitting in the shed. Stihl all the way.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

ditto on the Stihl. I use for everything...plots, trail maintenance, yard work.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I just bought a trimmer last weekend with the exact same end-use in mind. I ended up going with a Professional series trimmer by Stihl. The Stihl edged Husqvarna in power to weight ratios by just a bit. It came with a brush cutting head and blade...about $400 all said and done. Also, Stihl was having a promotion where if you bought a 6 pack of 50:1 oil the 1 year warranty was extended to 3 years. That might still be going on?

 

[Terrific_tom]

I have a Husqvarna. It was between that and a Stihl. The dealer that sold Husqvarna was better and closer. They are both great trimmers.

 

[j-bird]

Echo is fine for around the house, but if you going to beat on it (and you will) go Stihl. I used one when I worked lawn creww for a large corporation back in college and they took a beating. Make sure you get one that fits you! I am only 6'1" (yes they stack crap that tall) but some of those trimmers kill me with all the bending - get someting well balanced and won't beat you to death.

 

[BJE80]

Okay. Any specific models to look for in that have enough power and size to do it all?

 

[BJE80]

Did you guys feel the need to get one with a bike handle? Or wil the loop handle be good enough?

 

[Terrific_tom]

Get the one with bike handles. Makes it a lot easier if you are using it for any amount of time. Also will help from preventing kickback if you have a blade on it. Don't forget eye and ear protection.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

I have a lawn care biz an have always run stihl until last yr. I let my buddy talk me into a redmax I'm not happy with it an my next will be another stihl. I ran an old stihl for 2 yrs with no air cleaner on it :) they take a beating an the carbs aren't so finicky. At least the older ones

 

[Bill]

Check out the stilhl with interchangeable heads. My weed wackier turns into a pole pruner with an extension and 12 inch chainsaw bar pretty quickly.

Just don't carry your new weed whacker on the back of your 4 wheeler while pulling a running brush hog:mad:
At least I have some spare parts now.

 

[chummer]

I use the commercial echo for my business. I have been beating the crap out of them for 10 years and have only had to replace the carbs. That was due to running ethanol gas, don't use ethanol gas.

 

[foggy]

OK.....so that's 10x Stihl and 2x Echo....but who's counting? ;) Kinda like Honda.....I don't think Stihl makes many bad products.

 

[chummer]

For what it is worth I will be switching to Stihl. Only because the guy I buy all my stuff from dropped his echo line to pick up stihl. If you are going with a commercial grade model I am sure you can't go wrong. My echo runs 4-5 days a week all summer, that is probably more than you will use it in 20 years. If you can, see how they feel, that is the most important part.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

The bike handle set up is good if you are doing a lot of brush cutting with a brush blade. But for around the house the handle bike bars are nowhere near as nimble or light as the loop. If your usage will be mostly trimming around the house with some occasional brush cutting, go with the loop. If you are looking for a dedicate brush cutter that will also take care of your home trimming needs the handle bars would be the better choice.

 

[bryant]

We run all echo in my lawn business and have had no issues at all. That said I wouldn't hesitate to buy stihl either. If you look at echo, I would suggest the 266t commercial trimmer.

Oh for handle, I would stay with the loop. I hate the bike handles.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Shidiawa trimmer, loop handle. I have had mine for 3-4 years with zero problems. My mom works in a lawn and yard store, she can tell you what runs and what is constantly in the shop for repairs. More than once I have tried to outsmart her, only to regret my purchase at a later date!

 

[BJE80]

So for the sake of discussion. Nobody is talking about Huscavara. Why?

 

[tooln]

I have a Husqvarna. It was between that and a Stihl. The dealer that sold Husqvarna was better and closer. They are both great trimmers.

TT talked about them.

 

[MNAaron]

Check out the stilhl with interchangeable heads. My weed wackier turns into a pole pruner with an extension and 12 inch chainsaw bar pretty quickly.

Just don't carry your new weed whacker on the back of your 4 wheeler while pulling a running brush hog:mad:
At least I have some spare parts now.

Bill - I hear your pain. I broke our chainsaw pole saw this past weekend when I placed it in between the roll bars of the Rhino and then forgot about it. Turns out when you get to close to a tree and it hits the end of the pole saw the tree wins the battle everytime. Bent the crap out of the pole saw...in getting fixed as we speak. Expensive mistake...