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On my SM225 when trimming the trimmer throws the grass and small rocks or other objects at me. Does Echo have a different debris guard I can put on this or is there some way to keep from getting pelted every time I trim the lawn? Thanks for any help.

If you are left handed like me there is no cure. I have seen people attach rubber around the head to stop it but all it does is make it less.

ZAE said:

On my SM225 when trimming the trimmer throws the grass and small rocks or other objects at me. Does Echo have a different debris guard I can put on this or is there some way to keep from getting pelted every time I trim the lawn? Thanks for any help.

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While it is not a total cure, I think i still have the shield from srm2301 that covers about 75??? degrees vs the bikini they put on them now. Ill look and post a pic.

ZAE said:

On my SM225 when trimming the trimmer throws the grass and small rocks or other objects at me. Does Echo have a different debris guard I can put on this or is there some way to keep from getting pelted every time I trim the lawn? Thanks for any help.

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Sorry for the delay. While it won't fix your problem 100%, here is a pic of the part. PM me if u r interested:

Most folks that own or work for a "LAWN-SERVICE" outfit remove those debris shields (some of which have a useless line-cutting feature that works only for 50 feet or 50 seconds, whichever comes first. ) They opt to carry a small pair of dykes ( side-cutters ) to trim the line... and they control the direction of debris travel , by tilting the trimmer head SLIGHTLY, .. to the left or right while trimming , it does take practice but it's worth it !! ..:thumbsup:

Next time you see a lawn-service look at their equipment , and observe their motions ....

Boobala said:

Most folks that own or work for a "LAWN-SERVICE" outfit remove those debris shields (some of which have a useless line-cutting feature that works only for 50 feet or 50 seconds, whichever comes first. ) They opt to carry a small pair of dykes ( side-cutters ) to trim the line... and they control the direction of debris travel , by tilting the trimmer head SLIGHTLY, .. to the left or right while trimming , it does take practice but it's worth it !! ..:thumbsup:

Next time you see a lawn-service look at their equipment , and observe their motions ....

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I DISAGREE.

I own a lawn service. I DO NOT remove the guards from my trimmers and I don't plan on doing it any time soon.

To begin with, it's illegal. As a commercial operator, you can get fined for doing it. It's also unsafe, as the debris can go in any direction regardless of which side of the line you use. You can control where most of the debris goes, but not all of it. In addition, it's not always possible to trim with the good side of the string due to close quarters. It also wastes line and decreases the quality of the trimming because you don't know where the tip of your line is.

I'm going to sound like Bert here, and do some math. Say your trimmer has a 14" cutting swath. The tip of the line will move 43.96 inches for every rotation of the trimmer head. Most commercial trimmer engines can turn 8000 RPM, which results in the tip of the line moving 351,680 inches per minute. Convert that to miles per hour: 333.03. If you were to get hit in the leg with a pebble moving at 333.03 MPH, I imagine you'd put the guard back on. Okay, the line tip probably can't move a pebble that fast due to flexing and loss of inertia, but even at 150 MPH it would still hurt.

The reason many commercial outfits remove the guard is to run longer line, which puts excess wear and tear on the trimmer.

There are 3 varieties of guards: those that are inadequate (Echo is one of these), those that are just right (Toro, Stihl, Husqvarna, etc.) and those that are obnoxiously large (the guard on my Dolmar MS245.4C falls into this category.)

Oh, and the only time that the line cutter on my Husqvarna doesn't work is when I leave the string too long after respooling. (Like, 2+ inches too long.)

Next time you see a lawn-service look at their equipment , and observe their motions ....

SORRY , pb120 ..... I will DISagree with you , I stand by my statement !

( BTW ..... FRIENDS CAN , disagree !!

I too have seen lawn mowing companies remove shields for weed eaters and mowers. I being one of those companies would never operate any equipment without either one of the attached and working. My insurance agent warned me when I first bought it. He said a couple of companies that he insured got sued by emploies for not having the safety equipment on and working. They won and the insurance compainey no longer covers the claim if it is removed or broken. So do not be a Lemming and follow the one in front of you off the cliff.:laughing::laughing::laughing:

From my catalogue Stens & Oregon both do universal guards that bolt onto the shaft and are adjustable position wise.
Don't know how well they work.
I have fitted a lot of Ryobi debris shields to other brand trimmers for my customers with reasonable success.
Most lawn care companies sell chaps , leg guards and gaiters for use with trimmers so you can always try some of them.
I use a wire mesh screen attached to a hard hat when trimming cause I cop a lot of crap ( horse, cow, alpaca, goat fox & duck ) when trimming under the fences and that is not counting all the broken glass from the a-holes who toss beer bottles out of passing cars.
As previously mentioned my commercial customers who remove the shields do so to run longer line and as previously mentioned it takes a big toll on the bevel drive & clutch, but for them time is money and down here mos authorities will not allow a trimmer to be used before 6 am and after 8pm and when you got 20 properties to do in a day those minutes saved are priceless.