bought a cheap trimmer today

[Mike88se]

Deja vu Bought a new Tanaka TBC-260PF on CL. Stopped on the way to see it and bought some canned gas/oil mix to try it out with. Fired right up. It's very quiet like the Hitachi blower. Seems like a decent trimmer but I think calling it commercial is a stretch.
The seller is one of those guys who buys store returns in bulk. This one was apparently returned because the air filter housing/choke mechanism was busted up. It's a $6 part. I'm not sure if I'll keep this and sell the Echo or put it on ebay. I don't need two trimmers. What I need is a stronger engine on my Echo edger.
I think I'd like to get into that bulk buying thing. If this guy can sell a $300 trimmer for $100 and still make a profit then he must be getting this stuff really cheap.

 

[mowerman1999]

Nice strimmer! Buying bulk returns does seem to ne a good money maker.

 

[Crawdad]

If the engine is more powerful then your echo edger, then maybe you should remove the trimmer attachment, and compare the drive shaft to the Echo drive shaft. If it, and the aluminum outer shaft , are compatable, then swap it out.

I've used a few Ryobi attachments on my Stihl trimmer.

 

[Mike88se]

Swapping in a more powerful engine on the edger is something I'd like to do. The edger is great. More convenient than my big edger, leaves a better edge, and takes up less space on my truck. The problem is finding a more powerful engine that is for sale. I've been looking.
I don't think swapping the Tanaka engine over is something I'd want to do.
The Tanaka has ~25cc and the Echo has ~22cc but I'm not convinced it's more powerful. That might be because the Tanaka is so damned quiet lol.

If the engine is more powerful then your echo edger, then maybe you should remove the trimmer attachment, and compare the drive shaft to the Echo drive shaft. If it, and the aluminum outer shaft , are compatable, then swap it out.

I've used a few Ryobi attachments on my Stihl trimmer.

 

[Crawdad]

I don't think swapping the Tanaka engine over is something I'd want to do.

Why not? You don't have to "swap engines." Just swap attachments, if it fits. It's an easily reversable procedure, if you decide that it's no improvement, and it only takes about 5 minutes.

 

[Mike88se]

I see what you're saying now. Swap the heads? Trimmer head for edger head. I'm not sure they'd mate up. And I'm still trying to decide whether to keep the Tanaka or sell it. I'll probably just sell the Echo trimmer and keep the Tanaka. I don't think ebay is worth bothering with anymore. With all the fees they have now the casual seller doesn't make much profit.
If I keep the Tanaka I might consider test fitting the edger head on it. I'd really like 30cc or better for the edger though.

Why not? You don't have to "swap engines." Just swap attachments, if it fits. It's an easily reversable procedure, if you decide that it's no improvement, and it only takes about 5 minutes.

 

[metz12]

I used a tanaka trimmer one time. worked on it too. the muffler on the thing was insane it had so many baffles in it i could hear the line whistle and not hear the motor running. i like my stihl trimmer better though. i like working on my stihl better too.