Export thread

I see a thread on chainsaw brands very interested to see what people say about a trimmer
Please list them from Favorite to lest favorite brand
1 Stihl
2 Echo
3 Redmax
4 Shindawa
5 Husqavarna

K-Pro-Mowing said:

I see a thread on chainsaw brands very interested to see what people say about a trimmer
Please list them from Favorite to lest favorite brand
1 Stihl
2 Echo
3 Redmax
4 Shindawa
5 Husqavarna

Click to expand...

Yep, http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/polls/12671-chainsaw-brands.html

I would rate them as follows (though I haven't used them all):
1) Echo OR Stihl
2) Shindaiwa OR Redmax
3) Husqvarna

K-Pro-Mowing said:

I see a thread on chainsaw brands very interested to see what people say about a trimmer
Please list them from Favorite to lest favorite brand
1 Stihl
2 Echo
3 Redmax
4 Shindawa
5 Husqavarna

Click to expand...

My favorite would be Stihl, I'll buy it before any of the rest.

1 Stihl
2 Husqvarna
3 Echo
4 Shin
5 Redmax

They're right. Stihl is the best out of those brands.

I've only ever used echo, homelight, and green max.

So
1)echo

Don't look now but you professionals have neglected the little guy who buys in the $100-$150 range. I understand you may not have experience with these . Can you at least comment even if you do not favor them?

motoman said:

Don't look now but you professionals have neglected the little guy who buys in the $100-$150 range. I understand you may not have experience with these . Can you at least comment even if you do not favor them?

Click to expand...

My experience with. Homelight and green max tell me they are garbage... hard to use easy to brake and loud to boot

motoman said:

Don't look now but you professionals have neglected the little guy who buys in the $100-$150 range. I understand you may not have experience with these . Can you at least comment even if you do not favor them?

Click to expand...

Yes say if you where to buy one how would you choices go

exotion said:

My experience with. Homelight and green max tell me they are garbage... hard to use easy to brake and loud to boot

Click to expand...

I agree I had both of them an it took you like 1000 pulls :laughing:

OK pro men. Thanks for equal time. I will talk about my limited experience on low line trimmers. Both 2 stroke 31cc. I sense and see a huge offering of "refurb" units, and can guess why. Perhaps average owners find the 2 stroke drill tiresome and confusing. By that I mean getting the oil-mix right and starting. The starting on both my 2 trimmers has been the same.
Ten bulb squeezes until the bulb feels full, choke in 1st position, about 3 pulls and the engine should cough "start," but not start. Do not continue pulling on position #1 or risk flooding-engine is primed rich and wants leaner charge. Move lever to position #2 and pull. My engines start then, 99/100 times without fail. Run engine in position 2 until warm enough to move choke level to position #3. Change lever from 2 to 3 while running.

If engine dies (esp. cold weather) go back to #1 position for 1 pull, then to pos #2 until starts. Run it another 20-30 seconds until position #3 can be selected. I think new owners get so frustrated with fouled plugs (many do not know what that is) they return the timmer. Hot engines should start immediately . Do not move choke lever from position #3. If engine is only warm and will not start, move to position #2, then #3 asap.

In seemingly hopeless starting cases put lever in #3 position and pull 5-8 times to purge over rich condition. Then start over.

First trimmer Ryobi, 2nd the Sears weed whacker. As usual I talk too much. Do not know if this applies to upscale units.

Sidenote: I found and used a great little plug by Autolite SE 2957 , bubble pak (also SE 2954). Plug has ?platinum? center electrode. Lasted many years. Disappeared from internet, but recently surfaced at an auto parts store for $.99. Get one.

K-Pro-Mowing said:

I agree I had both of them an it took you like 1000 pulls :laughing:

Click to expand...

Never buy a cheap-*** brand like Weed Eater. One of my push mowers is a Weed Eater, takes almost 10 pulls before it even thinks about turning over :mur:. Only has 8 hours on it.

I bought a 27cc Cub Cadet last August from Tractor Supply. It is the split pole type that allows various things besides just the string head on it. I ran many tanks of gas through it last summer. Then used the pole saw, hedge trimmers, edger, brush blade, and even the cultivator head on it through the winter. It had been such a good and trouble free machine that I bought a second one just like it as a back up. About 6 weeks ago it started having problems and would to run right. I understood up front hat it was not under warranty because we run it commercial. I took it to Tractor Supply where they said the mechanic who fixed their warranty stuff would take a look at it. It stayed there three weeks. One day they called and said it was ready. All it supposedly needed was the carburetor adjusted. I picked it up and it did to run right. I took it to another guy locally that has a small engine shop. He cleaned the carb out and said it was good to go. It did not run just right but it did run. After a few minutes it started running weaker and weaker and then quit. I carried it back to the mechanic and he checked the compression on it nd the motor is gone. We are still running the other Cub Cadet as a back up but have since bought a Stihl.

If we make it the rest of the summer with the Cub Cadet as a back up we will probably buy either another Stihl or possibly Shindiawa.

X-man said:

Never buy a cheap-*** brand like Weed Eater. One of my push mowers is a Weed Eater, takes almost 10 pulls before it even thinks about turning over :mur:. Only has 8 hours on it.

Click to expand...

We have a weed eater push mower that we run all the time to cut small places or sometimes even to trim. We bout it at a yard sale for little of nothing. It always starts first or second pull and has had no problems.

I've used an MTD, Sears "Pro", and now a Kawasaki. I would list it as 1.Kawasaki 2.Sears Craftsman "Pro" 3.MTD

The MTD was just crappy, but the 10 year old Crafstman "Pro" was actually pretty good, I just had issues with it flooding a lot. The Kawasaki is great, though. It seems to get too hot around the muffler, like they should have put some of that silver insulation there, because it is very easy to touch your arm to it while trimming. Otherwise it is great, great on gas (I had maybe an 1/8th of a cup? in it and I was surprised how long I was able to trim), starts easily, lightweight, and powerful. It is VERY loud, but there is no reason to not wear earplugs, so I don't see any major issues with noise.

When i started a few years back (not dating myself), i used a weed eater brand string trimmer and push mower. It's all i could afford and i wasn't using them all day 5-6 days a week. As i grew i swapped (bought one at a time) for stihl hand tools. I thought stihl was the end all be all "never using anything but stihl" lol. Then the local mower shop where we buy our equipment lent me an echo string trimmer. It was impressive, easy to load head didnt break line in the head, started first pull, even now we pump the bulb once a day and choke once a day with all my echo equipment. I've since switched all my hand tools except chainsaws to echo. My employees prefer the echos as well, and thats important to me. The echo back pack blowers will out blow our old stihls all day to. Also echo just bought shindiawa this year FYI, not sure what will become of it.

So, for a one man operation i say use what you can afford, and like. As you grow don't be afraid to demo other brands, see what works best for your operation. It's kinda like the chevy or ford argument, use what works best for you.

TaskForceLawnCare said:

When i started a few years back (not dating myself), i used a weed eater brand string trimmer and push mower. It's all i could afford and i wasn't using them all day 5-6 days a week. As i grew i swapped (bought one at a time) for stihl hand tools. I thought stihl was the end all be all "never using anything but stihl" lol. Then the local mower shop where we buy our equipment lent me an echo string trimmer. It was impressive, easy to load head didnt break line in the head, started first pull, even now we pump the bulb once a day and choke once a day with all my echo equipment. I've since switched all my hand tools except chainsaws to echo. My employees prefer the echos as well, and thats important to me. The echo back pack blowers will out blow our old stihls all day to. Also echo just bought shindiawa this year FYI, not sure what will become of it.

So, for a one man operation i say use what you can afford, and like. As you grow don't be afraid to demo other brands, see what works best for your operation. It's kinda like the chevy or ford argument, use what works best for you.

Click to expand...

I like Echo, too. :thumbsup:

TaskForceLawnCare said:

Also echo just bought shindiawa this year FYI, not sure what will become of it.

Click to expand...

FYI Echo did not buy Shindaiwa this year or any year. Echo, Shindaiwa and Kioritz are subsidiaries owned by the Yamabiko Group out of Japan. Shindaiwa was moved into the same plant as echo so there made here in the USA in the same place.

http://lawncare.forumsmotion.com/t436-yamabiko-group#829

Ric said:

FYI Echo did not buy Shindaiwa this year or any year. Echo, Shindaiwa and Kioritz are subsidiaries owned by the Yamabiko Group out of Japan. Shindaiwa was moved into the same plant as echo so there made here in the USA in the same place. http://lawncare.forumsmotion.com/t436-yamabiko-group#829

Click to expand...

Reguardless they are now the same company and discussion was made about dropping shindaiwa line initially but have decided to continue both lines.

TaskForceLawnCare said:

When i started a few years back (not dating myself), i used a weed eater brand string trimmer and push mower. It's all i could afford and i wasn't using them all day 5-6 days a week. As i grew i swapped (bought one at a time) for stihl hand tools. I thought stihl was the end all be all "never using anything but stihl" lol. Then the local mower shop where we buy our equipment lent me an echo string trimmer. It was impressive, easy to load head didnt break line in the head, started first pull, even now we pump the bulb once a day and choke once a day with all my echo equipment. I've since switched all my hand tools except chainsaws to echo. My employees prefer the echos as well, and thats important to me. The echo back pack blowers will out blow our old stihls all day to. Also echo just bought shindiawa this year FYI, not sure what will become of it.

So, for a one man operation i say use what you can afford, and like. As you grow don't be afraid to demo other brands, see what works best for your operation. It's kinda like the chevy or ford argument, use what works best for you.

Click to expand...

What are all the blowers you are using???

Ric said:

What are all the blowers you are using???

Click to expand...

i like echo pb770 and have billy goat 13hp honda for plots and roadways

Echo.:thumbsup:

Mid TN Lawn said:

i like echo pb770 and have billy goat 13hp honda for plots and roadways

Click to expand...

The echo is a good blower no doubt. The reason I don't buy echo blowers is because they are misrepresented in there advertisements to the public. There not what they claim them to be.

I was think about switching to echo but i think i will be a Stihl an Husky kinda guy :laughing::laughing::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Here's my trimmer list:

1. Stihl
2. Dolmar
3. Echo
4. Kawasaki
5. Poulan Pro

motoman said:

Don't look now but you professionals have neglected the little guy who buys in the $100-$150 range. I understand you may not have experience with these . Can you at least comment even if you do not favor them?

Click to expand...

I'm not a professional but I've had a chance to try quite a few high and low priced trimmers. I had 2 Toro trimmers in that price range. I liked both. I had a Homelite and Troybuilt too. Nothing good to say about those.
On the subject... I met the guy who invented the original weedeater. He showed me one of the prototypes. It was made out of a soup can and heavy fishing line IIRC

Echo, Stihl, Redmax, Husqvarna.

Lasts the longest.

Been using honda 4 cycle for about a month. Very impressed. Performance is great and very qiet. Hope longevity is as impressive.

As for 2 cycle trimmers i would put them in this order.
1. Echo
2 shindawia
3. Stihl
4. Husq
5. Redmax

I recently purchased a PAS 225 and a PAS 280. I have a string trimmer head for both. Also have an edger and a pole saw.

The edger came in the box with the 225. We find that the edger works a lot better with the 280 much better.

The pole saw attachment works great with the 225 or has so far.

If all we are doing is light trimming the 225 does the job. However if it is more than just light trimming the 280 is much better. The power to wright ratio is awesome.

We are currently also running a FS 70 Stihl as well. It does a great job also.

Unless we put on another crew I do not see us buying any more trimmers for a while but if we do it will be Echo probably 280.

My order:

Stihl

Echo

Husqvarna

Redmax

Shindaiwa

I own all.

LazerZLandscaping said:

My order: Stihl Echo Husqvarna Redmax Shindaiwa I own all.

Click to expand...

What made you change the order around?

Carscw said:

What made you change the order around?

Click to expand...

Because I bought a Shindawia the other day.

Huskavarna sorry for the wrong spelling

Right now we have two Echos and a Stihl. The Stihl is over a year old. The Echos were both bought this year. They all run great.

One Stihl and one Echo on each trailer. Shindawa is for home use.

i used to run stihl but made the switch to echo a couple years ago. they're both good trimmers I just prefer the echo string heads

I just switched all my heads over to the echo speed feed 450
Never liked a speed feed head but these are nice and easy and fast to load.

Carscw said:

I just switched all my heads over to the echo speed feed 450
Never liked a speed feed head but these are nice and easy and fast to load.

Click to expand...

It really is quite convienent :/

I got a Stihl trimmer. I am not satisfied completely. Loss of performance and eating spark plugs. Is a little under a year old. Probably needs adjustments (under warranty).