Strimmer Types

[vaca]

Hello,

I've been looking at my options for strimming the new plot. Renting a strimmer seems a little expensive at around £40 for a weekend when for around £80 you can get a used one from eBay (although I do realise that the rented ones are probably much better quality).

My question is this, if I were to buy one, should I go for one with a steel cutter or one with strimmer cord? I've seen some that you can interchange but if I get one off ebay, I'd like it to come with the cutter that I'll need for the job without having to go and buy yet another part for it. Will the ones with the cord be up for the job or are they for much less heavy duty work  ???

Thanks for all the help

[vaca]

[Roy Bham UK]

:( I bought two out of the Argos sale both were rubbish both returned, it turned out that they were both made by the same manufacturer and had different brand names, you only find this out when you look at the address on back of the manual. >:(

First was called Challenge Xtreme, the other LandXcape. I believe someone here bought a Challenge and got on well with it, if you are reading this, how is it going? ???

[MaryM]

I hired a petrol strimmer from HSS (its called a Brush Strimmer) which has hard plastic blades-it was really great-I had to clear my new allotment-it took a couple of hours

[RobinOfTheHood]

We've had a few of them. Bought one for a tenner quite a few years ago, it was a mountfield multi-trim brushwood cutter, in pretty poor nick it has to be said. Nevertheless it was brilliant at its job, maybe a bit heavy but it had a sling to help.

When that packed in, we bought a McCulloch strimmer for about £90. Lasted 2 years, getting used every week/fortnight.
The carburettor failed on that, and me old dad replaced it with the newer model, about the same price I think.
We've had that for 2 years now, and it's still going strong.
The McCulloch ones are pretty light, but still powerful enough to do a good job. Much more powerful than any of the electric ones, and totally incomparable to cordless rechargeable ones.

My advice is buy one new. It will probably last 2/3 years and will only cost you a few pence in petrol every week.
If you buy a secondhand one you risk it being near or at the end of its life. Not worth the saving (if there is one).  :)

[jennym]

I'm undecided on strimmers. I've used a Stihl brushcutter which was brilliant but they are expensive. I've heard that B&Q do a cheap Kyobi which is good for 3 or 4 years of use. Has anyone any experience of these?

[katynewbie]

I recently bought a Ryobi PLT-2543Y strimmer at B&Q, cost about £90.

Got it cos I was confronted with a huge plot with chest high weeds all over it. Its a line strimmer, rather than a cutter with blades, and it cleared the whole lot in about an hour and a half. Lots of these were very woody stems and it coped, no problem.

Only had it since I got my plot in June and so far am very happy with it. I plan to use it to keep control when all else fails!!

Hope this helps

[vaca]

...so by the looks of it I should probably buy a new one without the blades :) I'll have a look at the one from B&Q, hopefully they still sell it.

Thanks for all the helpful advice.  :D

[pntalbot]

I have just cleared my New Allotment with a Stihl Brushcutter FS55C. My Plot was 5 ft high with Grass , Weeds,etc. I was going to Rent one for the weekend, but thought, as long as I have this Plot, it will always be handy.It was bought New and has a Blade and Auto Cut Nylon Strimmer Head as well.Stihl are the best ,bit pricey ,but worth it.

[TEL]

I got one from B & Q petrol £49.00 going well & a good price.

[vaca]

I've finally picked one up from B&Q today for £90.00 - now I need my plot so I can strim it  :D

[Travman]

chi

[wardy]

Our lotty association has one which it lends out and only the petrol has to be paid for  :)  It's a brush cutter but very lightweight.  Hard work though on a big lotty