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Unfortunately I need to use a weed eater on a smallish back yard with limited access. Is there a secret to getting a reasonably level outcome?

Slow and steady. I weed eat around trees and shrubs so that it's easier to use the ride on mower. I've seen the results of grass cut with a weed eater. If the grass was low to begin with, the result looks pretty good, keeping a low even cut , try not to cut the ground. If the grass is high, 6-8 inches, the the cut grass will be on top and look untidy. The thing to do then is rake up the cut grass, remove it, and weed eat again. This grass may even need a third pass depending on length. You can leave some grass behind to act as mulch which is good. But because of the long grass length to begin with the final result will look a bit uneven.

One is safety glasses. Two is walk towards your left side. Head rotation cuts better. Three is ear protection. Four is long pants and a white long sleeve shirt. 5 is no shower shoes, flip flops, crocs or any other lazy America shoes.

When eating weeds younger and tender are the easiest to digest. Sorry had to go there but what some call weeds are actually food.

But I do trim with string trimmers and with lots of experience you can even around young saplings with even nicking their tender bark.

slomo said:

One is safety glasses. Two is walk towards your left side. Head rotation cuts better. Three is ear protection. Four is long pants and a white long sleeve shirt. 5 is no shower shoes, flip flops, crocs or any other lazy America shoes.

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Got all that covered. Issue is a good chunk of grass about 15' below grade on a river, maybe 10' x 40'. Limited access to say the least. Keeping the head level is key. I'm not much good at that. Or I can carry a push down there and I'm not crazy about that.
Re direction, I have a Stihl kombi. Head goes ccw from my pov. You still would be moving left?

Use a trimmer.

Which ever way the head turns, walk where the head is turning against that direction.

Far as not being able to cut level, perfect chance to get some practice.

tgzzzz said:

Unfortunately I need to use a weed eater on a smallish back yard with limited access. Is there a secret to getting a reasonably level outcome?

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Do you have a Darwin’s Grip on your weed eater? The Darwin’s Grip will help keeping the trimmer level and it saves your back too.

Now that looks helpful for my 81 yr old body! [My mind is still 16.] Thank you! I have one on order.

tgzzzz said:

Now that looks helpful for my 81 yr old body! [My mind is still 16.] Thank you! I have one on order.

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I bought me one and it really saves your back and helps keep your trimmer level.

Just what I need.

tgzzzz said:

Now that looks helpful for my 81 yr old body! [My mind is still 16.] Thank you! I have one on order.

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OK that makes a difference.
get a full body harness , not just the shoulder strap they usually supply
When you mount your trimmer to it loosen the mount on the trimmer and move it to a position that when you are standing strait up, not hunched over the trimmer head is about 2" off the ground without you touching it then tighten the mount
This way all your arms are doing is positioning the trimmer head left right.
The better ones will have a mounting clap that allows you to rotate the machine side ways for edge triming
The cheaper one just have a hook

bertsmobile1 said:

OK that makes a difference.
get a full body harness , not just the shoulder strap they usually supply
When you mount your trimmer to it loosen the mount on the trimmer and move it to a position that when you are standing strait up, not hunched over the trimmer head is about 2" off the ground without you touching it then tighten the mount
This way all your arms are doing is positioning the trimmer head left right.
The better ones will have a mounting clap that allows you to rotate the machine side ways for edge triming
The cheaper one just have a hook

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I have the Stihl double harness. Has the hook but it's worked well for me. Thanks.

tgzzzz said:

I have the Stihl double harness. Has the hook but it's worked well for me. Thanks.

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Use a 36” mower if backyard has a small gate with fence. If you don’t have a 36” mower use a 21” self-propelled mower, or drop customer if you don’t want to haul an extra mower around for one customer. Or, use muscle control, consistent throttle on trimmer, and even pattern and practice on getting grass level. No need for bicycle style handles on trimmer, just common sense snd practice.

The Darwin's Grip deal came. I don't have it dialed in but I like it a lot. Thanks

Some trimmer spin clockwise, they throw the trimming on you, some spin counterclock wise, they throw the trimmings away from you. Buy one the spins counterclock wise. Cheers, Ray

I find a shoulder strap helps hold the trimmer and to maintain a semi-constant cut height.

If you don't mind throwing money at the problem an EGo battery-electric mower with plastic deck weighs half or less than a metal deck gas mower. It will mow 45 - 75 minutes on one charge.

GrumpyCat said:

I find a shoulder strap helps hold the trimmer and to maintain a semi-constant cut height.

If you don't mind throwing money at the problem an EGo battery-electric mower with plastic deck weighs half or less than a metal deck gas mower. It will mow 45 - 75 minutes on one charge.

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Yeah, got the stihl double harness and stihl Km111 kombi. 14 lbs. The Darwin handle makes a lot of difference.

I bought a padded trimmer strap. Let your body carry the trimmer weight. I have a ton of edging. It's a must have for sure.

Guess that Darwin adds weight towards the head and will change the trimmer balance.

slomo said:

I bought a padded trimmer strap. Let your body carry the trimmer weight. I have a ton of edging. It's a must have for sure.

Guess that Darwin adds weight towards the head and will change the trimmer balance.

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It promotes better posture for tall people.
I bought mine to save my back. Being hunched over, while using a weed whacker, causes me a lot of back pain. A trimmer strap doesn’t help me one bit.

slomo said:

I bought a padded trimmer strap. Let your body carry the trimmer weight. I have a ton of edging. It's a must have for sure.

Guess that Darwin adds weight towards the head and will change the trimmer balance.

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It weights grams ounces and changes the balance in a positive way for me. I'm going to paint the thing. It screams "please ask me wtf this is." I'd guess it's very similar to those commercial bicycle bars with a throttle.

MParr said:

It promotes better posture for tall people.
I bought mine to save my back. Being hunched over, while using a weed whacker, causes me a lot of back pain. A trimmer strap doesn’t help me one bit.

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Okay, the simple angle I have to hold while edging kills my back as well. Even with the strap I have issues at times. Course I have about 300-400 feet of edging to do in the front only. Wonder if I need a super wonder bar?

tgzzzz said:

It weights grams ounces and changes the balance in a positive way for me. I'm going to paint the thing. It screams "please ask me wtf this is." I'd guess it's very similar to those commercial bicycle bars with a throttle.

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So changing the trimmer balance, how does that take away back pain? That crazy small angle I have to stoop to kills me as well. My strap takes the balance out of the mix. Hmmmm.

slomo said:

I bought a padded trimmer strap. Let your body carry the trimmer weight. I have a ton of edging. It's a must have for sure.

Guess that Darwin adds weight towards the head and will change the trimmer balance.

Click to expand...

It promotes better posture for tall people.
I bought mine to save my back. Being hunched over, while using

slomo said:

Okay, the simple angle I have to hold while edging kills my back as well. Even with the strap I have issues at times. Course I have about 300-400 feet of edging to do in the front only. Wonder if I need a super wonder bar?

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I’m 6’2” tall and it certainly makes me stand more upright. I have a good bit of trimming to do, before mowing. For folks who have weed whacker with dual handle bars, I don’t think the bar would be necessary. That’s where the shoulder strap comes in handy. For edging of my driveway and sidewalk, I use a dedicated Echo edger.
I’ve thought about adding the bar to the edger. The edger doesn’t really cause me any back pain.

I barely have to stoop over and kills my back. I've tried gas edgers and electrics. That straight cut looks terrible and doesn't last till the grass grows again. The way I edge with a trimmer puts a back cut towards the lawn to make the edge last a little longer till the grass grows again. You can adjust the McLane gas edgers to make a back cut but still didn't look right. A trimmer to me, gives the best edge look.

slomo said:

I barely have to stoop over and kills my back. I've tried gas edgers and electrics. That straight cut looks terrible and doesn't last till the grass grows again. The way I edge with a trimmer puts a back cut towards the lawn to make the edge last a little longer till the grass grows again. You can adjust the McLane gas edgers to make a back cut but still didn't look right. A trimmer to me, gives the best edge look.

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A weed whacker works well when edging flower beds. I can use the weed whacker to edge my driveway, sidewalk, and patio however, the edger is quicker for me.

MParr said:

A weed whacker works well when edging flower beds. I can use the weed whacker to edge my driveway, sidewalk, and patio however, the edger is quicker for me.

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I loves my edger attachment. As regards balance, you need not reach down to the D handle, this handle comes to you in an aspect that doesn't encourage weight bearing.

tgzzzz said:

I loves my edger attachment. As regards balance, you need not reach down to the D handle, this handle comes to you in an aspect that doesn't encourage weight bearing.

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You are correct. The D handle forces the operator to hunch over. I might end up adding the Darwin Grip to my edger. It works wonders on my weed whacker.

Suggestion> https://www.amazon.com/Ergonomic-Tr...+weedeater+attachments&qid=1690499913&sr=8-13

RayMcD said:

Suggestion> https://www.amazon.com/Ergonomic-Tr...+weedeater+attachments&qid=1690499913&sr=8-13

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I saw this and a couple of cheaper ones. This is where the rubber meets the road: will you pay extra to support American ingenuity, or save bucks by buying the obvious Asian copy? I bought American.

MParr said:

You are correct. The D handle forces the operator to hunch over. I might end up adding the Darwin Grip to my edger. It works wonders on my weed whacker.

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Okay for testing, one could move the D handle down to simulate that wonder bar? If that works, why are you guys buying another gadget that adds more weight to the tool?

I can't wrap my peanut head around changing the balance with another bar helping back pain. Moving my D handle down this weekend to test.

How far down should it go? Going to copy what you guys have with that wonder bar. Stay tuned.

slomo said:

Okay for testing, one could move the D handle down to simulate that wonder bar? If that works, why are you guys buying another gadget that adds more weight to the tool?

I can't wrap my peanut head around changing the balance with another bar helping back pain. Moving my D handle down this weekend to test.

How far down should it go? Going to copy what you guys have with that wonder bar. Stay tuned.

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I’ve tried moving the D handle down on the shaft. It made my hunched over posture even worse.
The Darwin Grip moves your hold point up the shaft and slightly away from the shaft. This makes the operator’s posture more upright.

MParr said:

I’ve tried moving the D handle down on the shaft. It made my hunched over posture even worse.
The Darwin Grip moves your hold point up the shaft and slightly away from the shaft. This makes the operator’s posture more upright.

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Oh I see. Moves the head more towards you feet.

Dude in the Darwin video, he doesn't even hold the Darwin grip when edging. Nor the D handle. He holds the shaft. So again, how does this work for edging?

I'm all about looking to save back pain.

If I recall correctly my stihl kombi came with an additional straight handle. Long gone. Now I get it. That said, the Darwin is the next iteration. With the harness, you're not holding any weight. No matter for the young and dumb but me? I'm liking it.

Update review: I'm buying stock in the company. I kept screwing around with adjustments and now that the Darwin's Grip is dialed in, it's a gamechanger. Zero weight on the arms, back straight, I'm back to feeling like the Terminator on weeds. I bounce that string way out and let that big dog eat. Returning triumphantly back to the trailer, I stick the Stihl in the trimmer rack, and the Darwin's Grip rotates 180° and is out of the way. Getting back in the cab, I gaze at the yard and announce, "I'll be back."

The harness holds ALL of the trimmer weight. Any debate there?

The Darwin Grip creates a lower grip towards the head movement point. I can see, moving left to right, will be easier with the Darwin.

But how is this a game changer far as back pain goes? Again the harness holds all the trimmer weight. ??????

My ears are open.

Without a strap, as the video shows, I can see a more balancing effect holding the trimmer. One hand by the engine, other attachment near the head. Trimmer would be more balanced.

WITH a harness, this changes everything. Not seeing how it works like this. Someone please help me see the light LOL.

I missed something before, the Grip is bolted to my trimmer attachment on the Stihl Kombi, and stays there. When I put the edger attachment on I haven't noticed a need for the additional handle as I can generally use the edger one-handed while walking straight up once in the groove.

slomo said:

The harness holds ALL of the trimmer weight. Any debate there? Nope

The Darwin Grip creates a lower towards the head movement point. I can see, moving left to right, will be easier with the Darwin. Much much easier to control the swing and the height control is built -in with harness adjustment.

But how is this a game changer far as back pain goes? Again the harness holds all the trimmer weight. ??????

My ears are open.

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I can stand up straight. Without the Grip, I have to lean over to hold the D handle (and doubtless pick up some weight).

I stand up straight, but have relocated the D handle up closer to the throttle grip. I'm used to it & Left handed..

& I always edge the driveway & sidewalk on the edge.. Mowing at 4-1/4" tall the edging looks killer..

7394 said:

& I always edge the driveway & sidewalk on the edge.. Mowing at 4-1/4" tall the edging looks killer

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I'm just not that good.

tgzzzz said:

I'm just not that good.

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You cannot use a harness, unless you are doing lots of rough trimming like a road crew does. You need to be able to quickly maneuver the trimmer and for edging.

Yep. Those days are long gone for me.

Without a strap, as the video shows, I can see a more balancing effect holding the trimmer. One hand by the engine, other attachment near the head. Trimmer would be more balanced.

WITH a harness, this changes everything. Not seeing how it works like this. Someone please help me see the light LOL.

MParr said:

and slightly away from the shaft. This makes the operator’s posture more upright.

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I can see this. Moving the grab point AWAY FROM THE SHAFT. Sorry to yell. Trying to get this through my thick peanut micro brain. Now this looks plausible.

Wonder if they have a try it out slash return policy?

@tgzzzz, I must commend you for swinging a trimmer at your age...that's great.

I would warn you on your Stihl Kombi...there are three major drawbacks in my opinion, for using this as a trimmer. One is weight of the unit, one is the trimmer attachment itself, and one is the 4-Mix engine throttle. I own two Stihl Kombi KM131R power heads and basically all the attachments, including the trimmer attachment.

1.) First off, weight. ANY split-shaft design is going to weigh a little more than a dedicated trimmer. It also likely will have more vibration as there is a coupler for the two shafts to fit into. I'm not sure which Kombi powerhead you have, but the 131R is pretty heavy.

2.) The trimmer attachment. More specifically, the trimmer head. This head does not hold very much trimmer line, and is significantly more difficult to re-spool new line on to compared to others.

3.) The 4-Mix engine throttle. When trimming, being able to "feather" the throttle through various power levels is important to doing a good job and using the least amount of fuel. The 4-Mix engines have a throttle that is basically all or nothing. Idle or full throttle. It is difficult to modulate to a mid-RPM. For many of the Kombi attachments, this is just fine. I have the paddle broom, the articulated hedge trimmer, the cultivator, the straight edger, the bed edge redefiner, etc. These attachments are going to primarily need full throttle most of the time anyway. But a trimmer only needs full throttle when you are in the thickest of grass. To do a precise job, you need to use low and mid throttle, and in my experience, its hard to do that.

For general trimming, I use Husqvarna 525L trimmers. Very lightweight and well balanced, less than 10lbs. At 1.21HP, they are likely the best power to weight ratio for a professional trimmer available. These are not fatiguing, we use three of them for hours at a time when trimming out a cemetery.

Anyway, best of luck in your ventures.

tgzzzz said:

I'm just not that good.

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Well, just for personal use. And I screwed up the edges plenty, but got a lil better with time..
And one thing I learned it will grow back.................Too fast.......

7394 said:

And one thing I learned it will grow back.................Too fast.......

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A feature and a bug.

Thanks Troverman for detailed post.