The Honda brushcutter I have used on our site this past 4-5 years has finally given up the ghost. Put it in for repair to be told repairs will cost almost as much as a new one. I no longer need the brushcutter element of it as all heavy overgrown plots are on top of so a heavy duty strimmer should suffice.
I am looking for automatic feed, 4 stroke to do allotment site paths and occasionally reduce overgrown plots prior to allocating them. Suggestions please.
If you are not too constrained by cost go for a Stihl machine.
They are what the professionals use and last for a very long time. The one I used on ground maintenance on a caravan park was at least 12 years old and still going strong.
Your local Stihl dealer will advise you on the correct machine for your usage.
Not sure Stihl do a 4-stroke. I've used Stihl, Husqvarna, and Honda professional strimmers/brush cutters (and I think I'm right in saying that a brush cutter just has the straight shaft and they'll all take a strimmer head, and you won't get a professional quality strimmer as such). I'd rate the honda 4-stroke above the others, it's a lot more ecconomical on fuel, and quieter too in my view. They all have decent enough auto-feed strimmer heads, but you might have to experiment a bit to find the best stimmer cord - fine grass, rough grass, nettles, thistles, and brambles can all take a different cord for best results. I'm not up on the models, but but I guess you're looking at a machine in the £400-500 bracket.
It may not be exactly what you had in mind, but after less than happy experiences with 3 other types (admittedly second-hand), i finally ended up with Ryobi RLT-26CDS Line Trimmer with Start Easy - and its been reliable, trouble-free and starts first time with a flick of the switch - what more could you want!
I've been ahppy with my Ryobi, the interchangeable heads is a useful feature too... but they do have a rep for either being great or being useless, the design is good, their QA is minimal so bad ones get through... need to dig mine out this weekend ....
Do not buy sovereign!!!
Look up Ryobi on the web. We're really happy with ours.
If you are looking for a strimmer then I woulb recomend a mcculloch strimmer as I have had one for over 10 years and it is still going well.
My ryobi 30cc expand-it was good, but too heavy for me so I now have ryobi oneplus lithium ion battery one which is fine for my tamed plot. I am selling the petrol one but not because it was useless but because it was too much for my various injuries.