Garden Petrol Strimmers

Big Jim1

I know this is a bike forum, and asking about Strimmers is pretty much off-topic, but I'm sure someone on here may have some experience on this subject so thought it was worth a try. + have found advice on these forums to be first class.

Anyway, I have a McCulloch petrol strimmer that I have been using for some years on and off, but it's basically shot now. I can;t get a new spool anymore, and the pull mechanism is shot also. I have to say that I think the quality of the McCulloch gear is not great and parts arent easy to get hold of, and I suppose I got what I paid for.

Anyway, I need to buy a new strimmer. SO questions:

1, What do the Pro's use? Stihl always?
2, I like the bike handlbars strimmers, as opposed to the big ring handles, but these only seem to come with Brushcutters. When I see people strimming with these kinds of machines at the side of the road, they don;t look like brushcutters, but strimmers. So question is, when would you use a Brushcutter as opposed to a strimmer?

Any advice on a good machine to buy? I don't use it professionally, just for a few hours a year.

thanks
James

nevman

My McCulloch does great service round the garden-I would have another at the right price.A brushcutter would be for woods/forest clearing HTH.

estampida

parts support is a preium

though about hss or similar and rent

Big Jim1

The machine lives in France. Have tried brining the spool back, but tried everywhere with no joy.

Tried Mr Bricolage where I bought it, and employee gave me gaelic shrug. with a few non's for good measure.

So cant really hire and can;t get parts. Just want a decent stimmer with bike type handles, but Stihl seem a bit pricey.

ste_

I bought a Ryobi one. It was shit.

random man

Where I work we use Husqvarna or Stihl. The brushcutter would be for clearing brambles and scrub but you need to be careful where you're working with them - if they throw a stone up it can be deadly.

ilm_zero7

McCulloch ! pah - toys!

I used to have one, but thats when I had a domestic garden - it couldnt cope - so now have a shaft driven Kawasaki!
you must get a straight shafted machine - with interchangeable gearbox/head - they are great..

have since bought the triangular metal blade, ditched the domestic flex strimmer and use this
http://www.mowermagic.co.uk/acatalog/Or ... Fit_2.html

it takes wire cored strimmer line - super tough.

then buy a hedge trimmer, and best of all a 12" chain saw head

pinno

I bought a cheapie Chinese thing as I only need the thing once every 10 to 14 days for 90 odd quid off e-bay, new. If you are interested, I will send you the link. Its both a strimmer and comes with a brush cutting head.
My friend started a landscape business some time ago and he bought one 'cos he could'nt afford a Stihl or Husqvarna and it never let him down (or me). So, if its low use, I don't know if its worth buying an expensive one.
On occasion before buying this one, I used to hire a Kawasaki strimmer and I can highly recommend it. The bloke at the hire shop said that as Husqvarna have been bought out by Hotpoint and its now American, the quality and after sales service has deteriorated.
I had a Macculloch chainsaw but it was sh!te. I did not buy a Husqvarna on a friends advice and bought a Komatsu chainsaw - its the boll@x. If the Komatsu strimmer is as good quality then maybe thats an option.

shmo

A strimmer is just a trademarked brushcutter which is registered by Black & Decker according to their website. Grass trimmers are the other variety which tend to have curved shafts and smaller engines.

I was recently recommended a 35cc Honda brushcutter for looking after half an acre of garden. It has a 5-year warranty compared to the 2-year from Stihl, although that may turn out to be false confidence if anything actually needs fixing. I like that you don't have to premix the fuel for the 4-stroke engine, but supposed to occasionally give it an oil change (just a 100ml bottle) instead. Loop handles are better for confined areas and can use them without a harness, bike handles better for clearing wide areas but need to use them with the harness really. The Honda wasn't cheap though at £400, but you do seem to get what you pay for.

Big Jim1

I'll need to clear a large area so the bike handles are really the thing for me I think.

I'm not sure about whether to go for a cheaper ebay (less than £100) or something that will last forever (A stihl or Honda). I think the McCulloch seemed to cause me so many problems with it's quality that I spent half my time trying to fix it. Just don't need the hassles with that, though I don't really want to be paying more than £200.

hmmm.

rodgers73

Buy expensive - at least it will have some residual value if you stop using it and need to sell it on.

beverick

ste_ wrote:

I bought a Ryobi one. It was shoot.

The neighbour has a Stihl strimmer. It's very noisy but seems to do the trick.

On the topic of Ryobi. I bought one of their garden vacs a couple of years ago. It helped me redefine the term 'absolute junk'.

Bob

Big Jim1

rodgers73 wrote:

Buy expensive - at least it will have some residual value if you stop using it and need to sell it on.

Good point. Also it I won't get fed up with it keep breaking down (as I did with the one I have).

Big Jim1

beverick wrote:

ste_ wrote:

I bought a Ryobi one. It was shoot.

The neighbour has a Stihl strimmer. It's very noisy but seems to do the trick.

On the topic of Ryobi. I bought one of their garden vacs a couple of years ago. It helped me redefine the term 'absolute junk'.

Bob

The thing is, if you want something that's good, I tend to look at what the Pro's use. Everytime I look at people cutting grass they're using Stihls. But I don't really want to pay £400 for one. I think the same is true of vaccum cleaners also, the pro's tend to use Numatic from what I've seen.

rhext

Husqvarna for me - had it for years. Must confess don't use it a lot, but it's completely trouble-free: just starts and does the job.

dabber

I've got a Stihl FS90 which I bought to clear our field (garden ) in France. It's just under and acre and it dealt with it well until I got it sorted out enough to use a sit-on mower. I now use it to cut close around the trees and shrubs plus down a bank.
It's got the handlebars you refer to.
A great bit of kit and my new Belgian neighbour has just bought the same model.
Shihl make great kit... I've got one of their chainsaws as well.

btw, brushcutting that field in 30+ temperature was no fun but I lost a lot of weight :roll:

Big Jim1

Dabber wrote:

I've got a Stihl FS90 which I bought to clear our field (garden ) in France. It's just under and acre and it dealt with it well until I got it sorted out enough to use a sit-on mower. I now use it to cut close around the trees and shrubs plus down a bank.
It's got the handlebars you refer to.
A great bit of kit and my new Belgian neighbour has just bought the same model.
Shihl make great kit... I've got one of their chainsaws as well.

btw, brushcutting that field in 30+ temperature was no fun but I lost a lot of weight :roll:

This sounds good. but the question that's on my mind is do you use the brushcutter disc thingy, or strimmer wire.

Isn't it a bit iffy using the disc around rocks and walls?

Silly questions, but I've only ever used one of these things with strimmer wire.

dabber

Big Jim1 wrote:

This sounds good. but the question that's on my mind is do you use the brushcutter disc thingy, or strimmer wire.

Isn't it a bit iffy using the disc around rocks and walls?

Silly questions, but I've only ever used one of these things with strimmer wire.

These days I only use the wire but when I was originally clearing the field I use the metal blade to attack small saplings, brambles etc. You're right though... you have to take a bit of care

ShutUpLegs

Were there any recommendations? One light enough for the missus to be able to use perhaps?