Topic: which model of petrol strimmer can you recommend?

[vee]

I'm looking for a petrol strimmer for myself and also one for my son who also has an allotment and wants one for christmas. It's definitely not the time to buy though as no-one near me seems to have any.

 I could buy online but then I would really want to pick one up to see what they feel like as I bought one before from Argos and took it back because it felt unbalanced. I am thinking of making quite a long journey to a place which stocks several but would like to know if anyone has any recommendations for quality, ease of use, weight etc (and also price!)

I've put off getting one because I find them a bit scary but it's the only way I can tackle the part of my plot which I haven't touched yet. The number of times I've said to myself 'I really need a strimmer' when trying to cut grass with shears you wouldn't believe!

I'd really appreciate your opinions before I take the plunge.

[Melbourne12]

I have a McCullough, bought at bargain price from B&Q in an end of season sale.  It's quite a large model, with a interchangeable brushcutter/strimmer.

It's very nice to use, and does the biz very well.

It can be a bit awkward to start, because you don't get a proper pull on it.  We solved that by attaching a short piece of rope to the starter so that the machine could be placed on the ground, and, with one foot steadying it, the starter can be given a good steady pull.

It also needs to be warmed up before hard use, but that's a common characteristic of small 2 strokes.

It came with a protective face-shield and a good harness.

I've bought smaller petrol and also electric strimmers in the past, but they've always been pretty useless/short lived.  My advice based on that experience is to get one a bit bigger than you think you need.

[sandersj89]

I have the top one on this page:

http://www.abbeygardensales.co.uk/subprod/tanaka-brushcutters-0000367.aspx

I have also tried McCulloch and Echo over the years and the Tanaka knocks them into a cocked hat. Easy to start, powerful and easy to look after. Lots of accessories too, I have the hedge cutting attachment and it is wonderful.

But they do cost more.

The main decision you have to make other than budget is where you want a straight neck or swan neck cutter, the straight neck are better balanced and more powerful and suit a wider range of accessories.

If I had a larger budget I would have gone for Stihl or Honda.

Jerry

[blight]

i´ve been using  a STIHL strimmer for quite a few years now and i´m very pleased with it. i did buy it from a proper shop though. they make them in different sizes and you´ll want to hold them in your hands and fool around with a few before you choose and pay all that money. here is their uk website

[katynewbie]

I had a great pressie when i first got my plot...a Ryobi petrol strimmer. It came from B&Q and I think cost about £80.
It does not come with a harness/shoulder strap thingie, think it would be better if it did.
I have managed to start it ok every time and it did the job of taming the chest high stuff on my plot, and as I am not specially big or strong thought that was good enough!!

Hope this helps....biggest tips: wear scruffy stuff and dont be scared of it!!

[vee]

I think I am scared though. I've used an electric one lots of times and they just seem more polite - don't roar and jump about so much! unfortunately there's no electricity at the allotment.

[sandersj89]

I think I am scared though. I've used an electric one lots of times and they just seem more polite - don't roar and jump about so much! unfortunately there's no electricity at the allotment.

How about a rechargable, there are mixed views but they are OK for light work I guess.

Jerry

[tim]

I like my Ryobi, but a brushcutting blade would be useful.

[Robert_Brenchley]

A rechargeable is probablyOK for asmall cuburban garden, but the power packs didn't survive a large allotment for very long. If anyone knows a reliable one for heavy use, I'd be very grateful to hear about it!

[blight]

use mine. it´s the Stihl Fs 85. for cutting sterner stuff than grass, it´s got a metal blade you can put on. (brambles...) you can even get a serrated blade if there are tree saplings growing in your allotment already  .
as i wrote before, they make  a whole array of different models. mine is about 3 - 4 years old.

[pntalbot]

I  bought a `Stihl FS50 Brushcutter -- The Rolls Royce of petrol strimmers, it starts very easily, bit pricey £200, but worth it. Only bought, to clear an Allotment ,that hadn`t been touched, for about 10yrs.

[vee]

 Jerry - the person on the next plot to me has a rechargeable one but it will only work for about ten minutes and really seems only suitable for a bit of grass not the great hulking stuff I have. That's really why I am thinking of petrol as when she uses it, it sounds like my Black and Decker dustbuster when it's running out of charge!

Blight - Is the Stiehl one you have rechargeable? If so how long does it last between charges?

Thanks for all your advice so far everyone.

[blight]

mine´s a petrol-driven one.  pntalbots rs 50 might be strong enough for what you want it for. i think you should  talk to your nearest supplier.  it´s all on stihl´s website, which i posted.

[derbex]

I recently bought a Stihl too -the Multi-tool one as it was the pole hedgetrimmer I was really interested in. I bought the strimmer attachment too -mainy so that it will get some use over the summer as small 2-strokes don't like being left sitting around (as next door has found out) -which reminds me I need to lay up the outboard.

The engine is a bit temperamental compared to a 2hp Yamaha though, and uses more oil (25:1 if you use non-Stihl oil, what does it think it is -a Seagull?)

But the hedgetrimmer is wonderfull I've managed to do the Mother-in-laws hedges and that normally takes a team of men a day and costs £1000+ Ours aren't much better, last time I did them by hand it took over a week just to cut them. That said standing atop a ladder waving a petrol hedgecutter on the end of a 6ft pole is an interesting experience -Health and Who?

Has anyone tried a tiller attachment for one of these -I'm not convinced myself.

Jeremy

[sandersj89]

Derbex,

Like you I find the hedge cutter attachment a real saviour. The reach it gives you is ideal for tall and wide hedges but you do need strong arms.

I used to use a set of ladders but now use a trestle stand, metal frame with scafold boards spanning them. You can get them in places like Build Centre for £30 or so.

This makes it very safe and quicker.

Jerry

[moonbells]

I have had, successively, a rechargeable and a cheap petrol strimmer.

Don't go for a rechargeable! They have the staying power of a small gnat! When I first got it, it'd last half an hour but could only ever cut blades of grass - if there was any stalky grass (ie longer than about 3") or anything like nettles, it was totally ineffective. And this was when it was new.

After 2-3 months I was only getting 15 mins at high speed before it started to fall off. By 6 months it was 5 minutes, which wasn't enough to cut one strip of grass! I chucked it. Waste of £40. (And it was heavy!)

The next year I bought a cheapo McCulloch Trimmac from B&Q, added face mask, earplugs, a two-stroke mixing bottle, two-stroke oil and an unleaded petrol can.  The whole came to about £100. Don't be tempted to mix two stroke oil with the petrol in the petrol can - if you need to use the can for the car, you will clog up your engine! Use a proper mixing bottle!

I have not regretted buying it once,. except possibly the day I dug for hours and then decided to strim and couldn't start it as my arms were too tired! Moral: strim first! (I got another lottie holder to start it for me that time). It's very light, easy to carry - I can lift it, its fuel bottle, a spade, a hoe and my trug and carry it all from the car to the plot without much trouble.  (Back again is another issue, as I've usually got veggies as well!  ;D )

It may only be the cheap line strimmer, but it's capable of whacking nettle patches as well as small brambles, happily doing a whole plot's worth of grass and not eating much fuel either.

Like my strimmer, I do.

moonbells

[vee]

Thanks all of you, I will print this out and take it with me when I go strimmer shopping - it will be very useful.

...In the meantime could you all come round to my plot with your strimmers and show me how well they do? Just half an hour each would probably do ;) :D
Seriously though, thanks very much!

[reedos]

I used to have a good one - but can't tell you what it was cos some bugger nicked it >:( Don't get one from a car boot sale anywhere in Tyneside with a blue engine !!

Otherwise petrol ones are definately the way to go.