Help me pick a gas trimmer

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GemStater

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I have a small yard and not a ton of money to spend so don't really feel the need to buy an commercial grade heavy duty trimmer, which would be great, but not in the budget.

For several years now, I've gotten by with a Craftsman battery powered trimmer. Most of the time it got the job done but I was never really satisfied with it. Now I'm looking to replace it with an economical 2-cycle.

Today I was at Home Depot and saw three curved shaft trimmers in the price range I'm thinking. A Homelite for $70, a Ryobi for $100 and an Echo for $149. Then as I recall, I saw another area store that had a Husqvarna on sale for around $150.

So, I'm curious what experiences you all have and if you can make some recommendations for me.

Thanks!
 
Echo or Stihl.
In the case of Echo, find a dealer.
Same price as HD and you will get service.
 
A couple of years ago I bought a straight shaft Weed Eater featherlight from Tractor Supply for about $100. I absolutely love it. Works great for residential use.
 
I have a Toro (iirc) power head and Troy Bilt and Ryobi attachments for it. I like this option for the flexibility it offers. I have a straight shaft trimmer, edger, brush cutter and blower for the power head.
 
I have a husqvarna , works great. Echo would be an equal choice. Also consider tanaka ( Hitachi) but they cost a bit more. I have a Hitachi blower thats great.
 
I know you said you wanted a 2 stroke, but don't write off the 4 strokes too quickly. My bent shaft Honda is 6 years old, and sits for weeks at a time without use, but always starts first or second pull. Much quieter than my neighbors 2 strokes, no smoke, no messing about with pre-mix...and I think I've changed the oil twice, if that! Still on the original spark plug too.
 
Having used and owned straight and curved shaft trimmers now, I think you're on the right path going curved. I have a husquaverna straight now, and the engine is wonderful, but the rubber parts have all gotten leaky... I have an echo leaf blower which has also been a gem, and I suspect the engine will be the same. You can't go wrong with either.

I also have a stihl stick edger, the engine is wonderful, the thing runs great, but somehow it (2 stroke) is bulkier than other makes.
 
I would go for the Husqvarna. I have one now, the 128L straight shaft, and love it. It starts fast and runs. No problems with it so far. It will knock down grass that has grown up thick around fence corners or smaller volunteer trees/obstacles with no problem. Home Depot had a model 128LD that allows you to add attachments, but I have not tried the attachments but it is an option. Good luck and be careful.
 
+1 for the Echo.. I've had one for 6 yrs and had no issues with it. Previously had on old Homelite that bit the dust early due to low compression. Night and day difference.
 
It's hard to go wrong with either the Husky, Echo or Stihl.

I just bought an FS56 Stihl straight shaft trimmer- plenty for my light duty needs. It was 200.00 plus some line and if you buy a 6 pack of their Ultra oil, they'll double your warranty. So I have a new trimmer with a 4 year warranty.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Having used and owned straight and curved shaft trimmers now, I think you're on the right path going curved. I have a husquaverna straight now, and the engine is wonderful, but the rubber parts have all gotten leaky... I have an echo leaf blower which has also been a gem, and I suspect the engine will be the same. You can't go wrong with either.

I also have a stihl stick edger, the engine is wonderful, the thing runs great, but somehow it (2 stroke) is bulkier than other makes.


I borrowed a straight shaft from my Dad. I had a hard time getting used to it. Seems to me like a straight shaft would be better suited to mowing down tall overgrown weeds not so much fine trim work around the lawn. But that's just my limited understanding of trimmers I guess?
 
Now your talking my language. I don't know why you are going for a curved shaft. They are uncomfortable to use and not as useful as a straight shaft trimmer. All the commercial guys use a straight shaft, and for good reason. I know moneys tight, but skip right over the junk that sells for like $129. A $129 trimmer will last you three years while a $200 Echo will last you twenty years. Do the math. Or do you keep replacing your (junk) trimmers every two years, or spend a little more now and get a way better piece of equipment?

Here are some good options, from someone in the business.

Curved shaft Echo $159
http://www.homedepot.com/p/ECHO-16-in-21...54Z12l4Z1z0zy8m

Straight Shaft Echo $199
http://www.homedepot.com/p/ECHO-2-Cycle-...54Z12l4Z1z0zy8m

Hitachi curved shaft $169. Hitachi is a re-branded Tanaka. They are identical, except the color. And most of them are commercial rated. Lots of eople don't know about Tanaka/Hitachi, but the people that have used them generally LOVE them.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hitachi-21-cc...54Z12l4Z1z0zy8m

Hitachi straight shaft $189. (Its cheaper at $179 on Amazon)
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hitachi-21-cc...54Z12l4Z1z0zy8m

Stihl curved shaft $129 (powerful but clumsy to use)
http://www.stihlusa.com/products/trimmers-and-brushcutters/homeowner-trimmers/fs38/

Stihl curved shaft $169
http://www.stihlusa.com/products/trimmers-and-brushcutters/homeowner-trimmers/fs40ce/

Husqvarna curved shaft $179
http://www.lowes.com/pd_108495-86886-952...tInfo=Husqvarna

Husqvarna straight shaft $199
http://www.lowes.com/pd_108499-86886-952...tInfo=Husqvarna

Tanaka curved shaft $153
http://www.amazon.com/Tanaka-TCG22EASSLP...=tanaka+trimmer

Tanaka straight shaft $190
http://www.amazon.com/Tanaka-TCG22EASSLP...=tanaka+trimmer

Do not buy any other (cheaper) brand than Echo, Stihl, Husqvarna, Tanaka, or Hitachi. Trust me. There are more expensive brands but they are not in your price range.

If you do decide to get a Hitachi or Tanaka (since they are the same), (great choice) they have a 7 year warranty. Make sure and buy the one with the dealer closer to you. The closest Hitachi servicing dealer could be 150 miles away and that would be a real problem if you try and get service during the warranty period.
 
I recommend going to an implement dealer and picking up a Echo or possibly a Stihl. You’ll be getting a good quality product and service if needed. I’ve been using two Echo’s for several years with no problems. I also have two Stihl chainsaws that have been equally as reliable. However, my son has had fuel related issues with his Stihl trimmer.

I’m sure some of the other brands like Husqvarna are fine as well, but I have no experience with them.
 
I also recommend a straight shaft trimmer, and for a few reasons:

(1) Curved shaft trimmers are often physically short, requiring you to hunch over some to use it. This problem is worse the taller you are. I'm 6'0" and curved shaft trimmers are right at the cusp of being uncomfortable to me. If I were any taller, they wouldn't work. Keep that in mind.

(2) Curved shaft trimmers will often rotate the head in a clockwise direction, meaning clippings will naturally try to hit you in the shins. For this reason, curved shaft trimmers often have large and bulky clipping guards. It's a necessary workaround for a problem that only exists on curved shaft trimmers. Straight shaft trimmers, by way of the gearbox at the bottom, rotate the head in a counterclockwise direction, which naturally throws clippings away from you.

(3) Straight shaft trimmers, while heavier, have a better balance. That weight at the end of the shaft (gearbox) nicely balances the weight of the engine, with your support hand as the fulcrum. Curved shaft trimmers aren't as heavy on the cutting head end, and usually have the same power head, so you either have to "lift" more with your trigger hand to keep the cutting head on the ground, or you have to move your support hand (fulcrum) rearward to better balance the trimmer, which compromises on maneuverability.

Go to your local dealer to buy one. They're usually not any more expensive than Home Depot, and you'll get good service. The first piece of equipment I bought at a dealer was my Echo PAS-225, and I was genuinely surprised at the level of service I received. They took it back to their shop, the technician filled it with fuel and made sure it operated correctly, then showed me all of the features. Not necessary, but a nice change from buying a big box from Home Depot and being asked (usually in a grumpy voice), "would you like the $29.99 extended protection plan with this?"
 
I'm an Echo fan. I simply love those well built Echo engines. They are so incredibly smooth. And they last forever. My straight shaft Echo trimmer has 15 troublefree years on it. And, I still love using it.

My Echo blower (for the hangar) is 18 years old, still running great. No, it's not quite as powerful as my big Stihl, but it's much lighter and smoother. I very much prefer using the Echo.
 
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