Best weed trimmer

[jekjr]

I live in Lafayette. We can actually cut grass 12 months out of the year, but, we take a couple of months off to feel normal!! I like to cut at least once a week, but, prefer twice a week. I edge once a week. Our lawn equipment gets used pretty hard. I was going through cheap trimmers every 16 months. I know I am good for at least 5 years with the Echo warranty!! And again, speed feed head is definitely the best hands down!

We run Echo with Speed Feed heads. I have one right now that the head is worn so bad that the metal eyelets are worn through and instead of being a hole it is a slot for the string to feed through and it does not miss a lick. We have to replace the bottom covers pretty often because they will wear through. We have incredible results with Echo Trimmers.

 

[Doughboyea]

Homeowner here. I'll throw in my 2 cents...

Gas and it doesn't matter the brand. I know, some will spout "Heretic!"

Seriously, if your a homeowner willing to take care of your lawn, kudos to you! Your neighbors (and local real estate agents) appreciate your efforts. Electric is great if you have postage stamp size lot and a 50' extension cord. But that damn cord is constantly in the way and the life span of the wacker is limited as the motor is cheap and the housing isn't sufficient to protect the goods inside. For the one or two times you may use it for a VERY small yard, it's OK. The battery powered ones, eh... again, for small sized lots (make sure you pre-charge that puppy).

Gas, 2-cycle has it's pros and cons too... pros: go anywhere and power! and can be relatively easy to repair yourself, extending it's life unlike electric which break and are chucked. Cons: shakes like a mother when unbalanced, can be noisy, needs fuel and 2-cycle oil (obviously).

Brand? How much money do you want to spend? That should be the question, right? I mean, if you are a pro, using the trimmer constantly, then of course you're going to want to get the best you can (and it's also a tax write off I'm guessing...). If you are asking as a homeowner, consider that you'll use once a week (maybe).

For me, I fixed a neighbor's garage door a couple years ago; as a 'thank you', she gave me her old gas powered trimmer, Home Depot "brand" Homelite. Yes, it was probably around $100 new; hers was a few years old, used sparingly. I used it a couple times and the shaft sheared off. Later, the linkage to the throttle busted. I purchased a new shaft ($70) and rebuilt the linkage. I also purchased an upgraded spinner head ($30). So, the free trimmer was rebuilt/upgraded with $100 and an hour's time. Works like any other gas trimmer and starts every time. I use it once a month in the summer. No complaints. Sure, it's not a Sthl or Echo, or whatever; but it fit the budget for my use and property size (1/2 acre with a 2,200 SF home).

I hope I didn't stray off topic here...

 

[7394]

Shindaiwa here. Solid shaft drive, & Speed Feed head.

 

[Shelby County Kid]

I have an Echo at the present time. I have used it about 10 years on my yard and my elderly in laws yard. My step son has a Stihl (not sure what number} and it is very good also. The Echo has inter changeable shaft that will allow it to convert to a hedge trimmer or a pole saw. I mainly use it as a string trimmer.

When I buy a new one it will probably be a Stihl simply because I have a local dealer who can service the machine and it is approximately a 70 mile round trip to get the Echo serviced.

Just my opinion but, I would buy a professional grade machine in whatever brand I purchased. I would also get one that will run at least .090 size cord or possibly .105 size.

I don't know if they are still made but about 10 - 12 years ago you could buy one at either Lowes or Home Depot (Can't remember) that was marketed as a Troy Bilt that was a 4 cycle string trimmer. I bought one and still have it in my barn somewhere. It was the oddest running string trimmer I ever used. Of course, being a 4 cycle you actually changed the oil in the machine and it ran on just regular grade fuel. It seemed like it took a full minute for the thing to get up to speed where it would cut. Under no circumstances would I get one of those.

Just my opinion but I would shy away from the big box stores and go with a "servicing dealer" who can actually work on whatever machine you buy.

 

[7394]

I have an Echo at the present time. I have used it about 10 years on my yard and my elderly in laws yard. My step son has a Stihl (not sure what number} and it is very good also. The Echo has inter changeable shaft that will allow it to convert to a hedge trimmer or a pole saw. I mainly use it as a string trimmer.

Just my opinion but I would shy away from the big box stores and go with a "servicing dealer" who can actually work on whatever machine you buy.

Agree 100%

Plus the ignition coil pack is LIFETIME WARRANTY on Echo &* Shindaiwa.

 

[cruzenmike]

I have an older Ryobi 25cc two stroke gas power head with curved shaft trimmer, edger and blower attachments. The whole setup probably cost me $250 and I could not be happier! I have had these tools for 7 years now without a single issue. I always keep my fuel fresh and run it dry at the end of the season. In my last house I had a 1/4 acre of yard to maintain with 500 ft of edging that I did every mow followed up with blowing off my driveway and 200 ft of sidewalk. I would go trough 2 edger blades at $10 each and 30ft of trimmer line each year. I recently moved and no longer use the edger but have significantly more brush and grass to whack. I go through significantly more line, but that's because I have over 400 ft of metal fencing to trim along. It may be time for a walk behind trimmer, but until I get one he Ryobi still powers through whatever I put in front of it.

 

[motoman]

Both my trimmers are "generic" 2 strokers and fierce workhorses they have been. For the homeowner about $125 still buys one of these outside California. The Ryobi bump heads wore out their metal string holes and went into plastic which in my case seemed to affect the feed. One day at a Goodwilll donation store I found a Ryobi which was dumped as junk. For $15 (new $35)I got a like new string bump head with perfect metal holes. Look around because many homeowners simply give up on starting the little 2 strokers and just throw them out. BTW I like the "snap stalk" feature of these units which seem to be mostly compatible across brands. Have the brush cutter, and have ordered the hedge shears for some nasty landscape bushes with "wire" branches.