a new purchase???????

[mike lane lawn care]

ok, so i think that i have the basics: mower, trim mower, echo gt-200R curved shaft trimmer and a handheld blower. is it worth spending the money on a straight shaft trimmer? my echo is pretty new and seems to work fine, but i was wondering if i would benefit from a straight shaft.

what are the pros/cons of a straight shaft?
what types should i get, and what are the prices(i don't want to pay too much)
thanks guys(and laddies),
Mike

[mike lane lawn care]

by the way, i have echo and stihl at my prefered dealer, and within a few miles i have redmax, shindaiwa and a few others.

[mcwlandscaping]

straight shaft- more comforable to hold, more power, better reach, more durable, more options for them (interchangeable gearheads, different line heads for it), you also have the option of blade combinations for them on some models.

I love my stihl trimmer, great product,

just my .02

[CBramble]

Use what your comfortable with. I've used both and currently use a curved shaft, personal preference. How much power do yuo really need to cut grass, I'm sure your echo has plenty power for cutting grass. Now if your going to be cutting thicker brush I would reccommend a straight shaft. As for accesories, there are just as many accesories out there for curved as there is for straight. As I said use what your comfortable with.

[jmurphy]

I also use both. I like my straight shafts because they have more power and are longer but I also like my curved because of the way that the head spins. It took me a while to get used to using a straight shaft but now ilike it alot better. All in all, I think its more personal preference more than anything.

[mike lane lawn care]

thanks all, but what would the cost be of a straight shaft?

[jmurphy]

Around $300 to $400 depending on what you get.

[NEPSJay]

i paid under 250.00 for my shinny t-230le

[mike lane lawn care]

thanks Y'all

[J&R Landscaping]

The echos take a bit to warm up. My shindaiwa T20 is a great machine. I have only ever done regular maintnece on it. It will be getting a new carb this season though.
The echo SRM 210 I bought last year has also been very good! No problems wih it accept that it needs a little bit of time to warm up but you are probably used to that with your other trimmer. you'll be spending between 200-400 depending on what size and brand of machine you get.

[mike lane lawn care]

thanks guys, i'm heading down to my echo/stihl dealer to see what they have.

[meathead1134]

ok, , but i was wondering if i would benefit from a straight shaft.

what are the pros/cons of a straight shaft?
what types should i get, and what are the prices(i don't want to pay too much)
thanks guys(and laddies),
Mike

try trimmimg under a car door when it is shut with a curved shaft and you will notice the difference