Trying to start, looking at equipment

[Steel]

Ok, I'm pretty broke right now. I was at walmart and saw the Featherlite equipment which I could afford, is this stuff just junk though?

I'd only be using it temporarily until I could get some Echo equipment (I've only heard good about echo), but would it get the job done? I'm looking just at the gas trimmer, blower, and edgers. And together its probably the cost of a echo backpack blower. Anyway, would it work, and be atleast decent enough for a fallback if in the future one of my better things broke?

[ATVracer]

Hope nobody laughs at me but I have a Featherlite Weedeater also. I have had it for 4 years now with no problems, although only the last 2 years was used for my business. It will work to get you started but I would upgrade whenever you can.

[extremerc76]

weedeater is homeowner stuff, but i have been using a weedeater handheld blower for four years commercial use just to get the grass trimmings away from the curb and in the middle of the road. as far as the edger goes i have been landscaping for four years without one. i use one of my trimmers held sideways and make the edge along the curb. practice a few times where no one will see before doing it on the front curb, because it is harder than it looks.:cool2: i own an echo backback, best blower i have ever bought, echo and stihl are both great products

[zak406]

Go to home cheapo and get homelite trimmer and blower. That's what i am using and the trimmers been great only problem was i (Key Word I) burnt the throtle cable. other than that its probably got 200 hours on it and still working good stuff.

[topsites]

I would agree you can skip the edger for now and use the trimmer to get the edging right. It does take practice but I'll take a pic of myself someday and show you how, but anyway, I just bought an edger in my 4th year and not so much for edging per se, but to dig small trenches as I think of an edger as a handheld ditchwitch (laugh if YOU want).

Even today I only use the edger when I have to, which is to say most of the time, I just use the trimmer. This alone might enable you to get a better trimmer?

For the blower, I use a bg-55 stihl with the bg-65's nozzle. The bg-55 is top of the line homeowner's while the bg-65 is bottom line commercial, but the cc's are the same, the only difference is the nozzle tip (10 dollars for the right one), so I got my bg-55 for 155+10 = 165, and I use this handheld all the time anymore (thou I do have two backpacks), it is the greatest thing for light debris, it weighs less and uses a LOT less fuel.

So in that sense, homeowner's lines do hold up but it helps a lot if they're made by Echo / Stihl, etc...

Hope that helps.

[martinfan06]

Save some money,get some experience in this industry. That kind of equipment is useless(imo). Experience is the key to success. Put your toe in the water see if you like don't jump right in and fall on your face.:hammerhead:

[K&A Lawncare]

If you can i would look for a straight shaft trimmer. The difference is amazing as far as ease of use and for edging.

[TriCountyLawn]

I would just save up and get the Echo with the attachments. Edger, trimmer , brush cutter ect. Saves you alot of money in the long run.

[Jnamo]

Homelite is trash. Don't buy that crap.
Echo is worth saving for.
Jeff

[DodgeTruckMan731]

save up, or to keep the costs down look at the toro ones where you can buy the diffrent attachments, craftsman makes one too its a 4 cyle multi tatch, ive got about 150 hours on it still starts on the second pull (never started on the first cause there small engines), but for the time being to keep the costs down they would be fine.

[GardnerLandscaping]

Homelite is trash. Don't buy that crap.
Echo is worth saving for.
Jeff

Yes, the straight shaft is much desired for reaching around areas. The trimmer head is the most important feature. I personally love the design of the Husqvarna head.

I personally hated the Echo trimmer I borrowed as much as the Homelite trimmer I had. I love the Husqvarna. I even had a Home Depot guy say negative things about Echo. I had another landscaper preach Husqvarna when I was at Lowes. He was right. The Husqvarna trimmer line is even cheaper and better than the Echo trimmer line.

I have a Husqvarna blower. The power is super. It does burn through gas and the tubing is a bit heavy and cumbersome. I miss the Redmax blower I had when I was working for someone else because the tubing is lighter and easier to handle. You might want to pay attention where the throttle is. The throttle on the tubing gives you more control at the cost of probably weight. The throttle on the side gives you less control but makes the tubing lighter and easier to handle.

Homelite is crap, and you'll quickly learn why when you spend half your time fixing the trimmer line and you'll find the replacement heads for them are even bigger crap.

Pay attention to the placement/covering of fuel lines. I work out of an SUV (better gas mileage than a truck and keeps equipment safer from theft). The downside is that equipment tends to get tangled up and you can yank out fuel lines.

[QualityLawnCare4u]

I would highly recommend saving up for commercial equipment. I did like you my first 2 years and what a mistake. As you can see some folks have had good luck with the cheap stuff but mine did not last 2 months! I tried one of thise cheap wally world mowers that last 3 weeks then got my money back. Bought a featherlite that lasted one week then got my money back. I have an echo weedwhacker that is 8 years old and still going strong. However, I have had problems with the newer echo stuff so I can no longer recommend it.

[GardnerLandscaping]

save up, or to keep the costs down look at the toro ones where you can buy the diffrent attachments, craftsman makes one too its a 4 cyle multi tatch, ive got about 150 hours on it still starts on the second pull (never started on the first cause there small engines), but for the time being to keep the costs down they would be fine.

Ya, I saw the Toro, seemed to be rebuilt with the better residential head on it. I liked the new handle on it too. Saw the 4-cycle engine too. Seemed a bit heavy.

[GardnerLandscaping]

I would highly recommend saving up for commercial equipment. I did like you my first 2 years and what a mistake. As you can see some folks have had good luck with the cheap stuff but mine did not last 2 months! I tried one of thise cheap wally world mowers that last 3 weeks then got my money back. Bought a featherlite that lasted one week then got my money back. I have an echo weedwhacker that is 8 years old and still going strong. However, I have had problems with the newer echo stuff so I can no longer recommend it.

Murray Briggs and Statton mowers are good cheapos. They do a good mulch/mow. I use the side discharge too to help keep the deck cleaner and go over with blower when down.

Several years ago when I worked for someone else, he ran the Murray Briggs and Statton cheapo mowers paired with a Redmax blower. Both mowers lasted the whole season even when mowing down a jungle with them as weed eaters. He only had to replace the handle bars on them. He did buy the large rear wheels for them. The handle bars seem better built today. They are still just as tight as when I bought the mower. They must have gotten the hint.

[Proscapez LLC]

craftsman 2 cycle are mostly made by poulan which is also weedeater.
but according to the craftsman label there rated at 125 hours emission complaint. which would make them rebadged poulan pros.
Poulan, weedeater is owned by electrolux which makes washing machines and stuff there normal outdoor equipment is rated at 50 hours emission complaint.
Electrolux also recently bought husky and I was looking at there trimmers at lowes yesterday and there rated at 50 hours emission complaint.
One problem with poulans are they only have 1 ring around the piston so I see why they dont last.

All Echo's are rated at 300 hours and my New Dolmar also has a 300 hour rating.
I thing you can by a low end echo at home depot for either $159 or $199.

I agree save the money on your edger and buy a echo trimmer and use that for trimming and edging.

[hornett22]

you need to stick with husqvarna,shidaiwa,stihl,red max ,or muryama.sorry but you get what you pay for.dealer location and support are key here.stihl will most likely be your best bet for location and support.husqvarna is getting better. as for weed eaters.i have a husqvarna 323L and it is by far the best weed trimmer i have ever used! and i have used them all.i have fixed them all too and this has never needed repair .great balance and power!i like their blowers too.1st or second pull for two years and no problems.lowes is convienient too.

[GardnerLandscaping]

you need to stick with husqvarna,shidaiwa,stihl,red max ,or muryama.sorry but you get what you pay for.dealer location and support are key here.stihl will most likely be your best bet for location and support.husqvarna is getting better. as for weed eaters.i have a husqvarna 323L and it is by far the best weed trimmer i have ever used! and i have used them all.i have fixed them all too and this has never needed repair .great balance and power!i like their blowers too.1st or second pull for two years and no problems.lowes is convienient too.

redmax blowers are the best for ergonomics. the husqvarna blower does start with 1 pull everytime and runs more solid than any 2-cycle engine out there.

husqvarna 125L trimmer at lowes is rated C class (50 hours emission compliance). husqvarna must have taken a stand against california, canada, and the EPA, and lost.

the head and trimmer line is superior on husqvarna. and the other poster is right, the balance on it is superior. they have a lifetime warranty on the shaft, ignition coils and modules. funny i have a busted shaft on one homelite and a bad ignition coil on the other homelite. 2-year non-commercial warranty. 1-year COMMERCIAL warranty. you're lucky to get a Redmax trimmer to last 1-year.

go to home depot and hold an echo sideways. note the placement of the muffler pointed at your arm and how uncomfortable the handle is. also, note how all the fuel lines are exposed and how things are sticking out to get broke. next, go to lowes and hold the husqvarna sideways. notice the balance. notice the muffler is pointed away from you. the two holes pointed at your arm intake air...keeps your arm even cooler. notice the engine is fully encased...nothing to snag. that choke switch automatically closes inside the unit when you pull the trigger.

[GardnerLandscaping]

As far as getting what you pay for. I don't completely agree with this. I'd rather replace a $200 trimmer every year than replace a $500 trimmer every two years, especially if I get more productivity out of the $200 trimmer. I'd rather buy a $200 trimmer every year than a $80 trimmer every half year, especially if it increases my productivity. Productivity is really the key and minimizing damage that can happen on day 1. Yes, I snagged my weedeater in the $300 blower the first day and had to spend an hour connecting the fuel line back. This is why I stress fully-encased engines.

[hornett22]

i haven't liked echo since the early 80's.my buddy has a lawn service and still buys echo for some reason.he just spent 500 on a new blower and i used it and the kill swith on the throttle stick must have shocked me a dozen or more times.nice quality echo! husqvarna is where it's at in my company.my husqvarna trimmer is far and above any trimmer i have ever used.bar none! no exception! buy one and try it.they will take it back if you don't like it.i have a feeling you'll be keeping it.make sure you get the 323 or 326 model.

[hornett22]

you are welcome to disagree.my feeling is,if i'm in the heat and lugging this thing around all day,i'll pay for the good stuff.operator fatigue sucks and i prefer to make my job as pleasant as possible.if i'm happy with my equipment,i'm happy at work and do a better job.i actually like weed trimming now and don't want to stop.

[GardnerLandscaping]

you are welcome to disagree.my feeling is,if i'm in the heat and lugging this thing around all day,i'll pay for the good stuff.operator fatigue sucks and i prefer to make my job as pleasant as possible.if i'm happy with my equipment,i'm happy at work and do a better job.i actually like weed trimming now and don't want to stop.

I agree here. You have to be happy with your equipment. And this is point I was trying to stress. You sound like the landscaper at the Lowes store who sold me on Husqvarna.

I showed the burns on the arm from the Echo I borrowed from my uncle and told him he could keep it. It was over 20 years old and had the metal fuel tank and metal guard. It didn't idle but still ran. They haven't changed in 20 years, the design was the same when I looked at the one at Home Depot, only crappier handle bars with plastic fuel tank and plastic guard.

I couldn't tell the difference between the cheaper Husqvarna and the more expensive one other than the size of the guard. I do like the smaller guard. Easier to see and get in tight places. What is the difference other than the guard? Larger head? Better engine?

[GardnerLandscaping]

you are welcome to disagree.my feeling is,if i'm in the heat and lugging this thing around all day,i'll pay for the good stuff.operator fatigue sucks and i prefer to make my job as pleasant as possible.if i'm happy with my equipment,i'm happy at work and do a better job.i actually like weed trimming now and don't want to stop.

To answer my own question, the 323L and 223L both have the better carb, more powerful engine, bigger fuel tank, less fuel consumption, and lighter weight. And all the models were updated with the larger guard. The 326L seems to have a better built engine. I should have bought one of these models, but was tight on cash when I got the trimmer.