Until I bought my Stihl I ran a Weed Eater brand Featherlite ($67 from Walmart....Probably a little higher now) and it got the job done doing the weed eating around the house. It lasted me for many years...until it required work from a shop to replace all the rotted gasoline hoses and the expense was gonna cost more than buying another new one like it. Before the Featherlite I had another cheap one about as good in quality and between the two of them they probably ran for 20 years. When the Featherlite went is when I stepped up to my Stihl because I wanted something heavier I could use around hunting camp.
I sold my last stihl last year.
Gave away a few echo trimmers and blowers to a guy starting out
If you have a stihl or a ryobi your still going to trim the gras around the house or fence or wherever. The theory that you can trim faster the more you pay for a trimmer is just that a theory.
The brand of trimmer does not make you walk any faster. If all your doing is trimming the grass then why spend all that money for something that won't last any longer than the cheaper one.
Now if your cutting grass with your trimmer or putting a blade on it then by all means get the one with more power. For just trimming around the yard you don't need all that power.
I see guys all over here buy a new stihl every two years. So every two years they have to cut 5 to 6 yards to pay for 1 trimmer. I have to 2 yards every 3 to 4 years.
For as much as your going to be using it get the cheaper one as your only doing yard care on the side.
(( cowboy up and get over it ))