Whats the best Weedeater to buy? [Archive] - LawnSite.com™ - Lawn Care & Landscaping Business Forum

CPLLTT

01-13-2002, 10:35 PM

Hi all,
We are getting ready to retire our old Echo weedeaters and I wanted to get everyones opinion on what to buy next. The Echo's are dependable but nothing impressive about their performance. I personally have used Tanaka's, which are great. I also have an older shindaiwa which is decent too. I'm thinkin about Stihl, all our blowers are now Stihl (echo's were worthless). We need something thats powerful, ergonomic, and dependable, in the 25-30 cc range. What do you think?
Thanks!

CompleteLawn Service

01-13-2002, 11:19 PM

If weight is not an issue then I would have to say Honda. I bought mine when they first came out several yrs ago and had never had it in the shop. It still starts on the first pull. I still am running the original plug also. Being 4 stroke it burns alot cleaner and you wont find a more torquier line trimmer out their.

I also have a stihl that I bought new about 2 months ago for a back up and for my helper to use. It is nice also and much lighter. It doesnt start as easy and has this bearing protector cup thing on top of the spool that makes and annoying sound. I cured this by squirting a few shots of oil in there every now and then. I was told by my dealer that the stihl are better quality than the echos and parts are easier and to get. I dont know if any of that is true or not but I wish I could had tried the echo to base my own opinion though. I think anyone who makes a trimmer that rattles an irrating noise at the spool like my stihl couldnt have put that much more thought or tecnology than the echo.

My thoughts on all other trimmers would not be fact so I'll leave other reviews to actual owners. Hope this helps. Jeff

Grass_Slayer

01-13-2002, 11:40 PM

i personally use kawasaki trimmers. many of the guys on her talk about red max but there is no dealer in my area so i didnt get to try out one of those. shindaiwa echo and stihl are others i have heard talked about on here. i love my kawi though

65hoss

01-14-2002, 12:33 AM

Completelawn, take that piece off. My dealer takes them off when anyone buys a new one. I've never had any problems with any noise.

I love the Stihl trimmers. Power is great and durability is great also.

Hookset

01-14-2002, 01:17 AM

I disagree with the post on echo products. I have a four year old echo that runs like new, its the 2600 has plenty of power. I also have the biggest backpack echo blower made and have yet to find anything to match it.

odin

01-14-2002, 01:43 AM

We like stihl and shindawa both first class ,got a stihl thats 11 years old still going good.

lawncare

01-14-2002, 05:58 AM

Sthil and shidawa are good even though i have hondas for the helpers nothing beats a Robin I've had this weedeater for 10 years or so unmatch power to anything out there haven't been in the shop once only thing i've bought is the head from wearing it out tapping the ground. Robin rules

David Haggerty

01-14-2002, 06:44 AM

I operated Echo for years. When my dealer went to Stihl so did I. They are very comparable.
If my dealer sold Shindiawa or Redmax I would own them instead.

I gotta talk to that dealer.

Dave

sheppard

01-14-2002, 07:09 AM

They are lighter, more powerful and easy to adjust!. Most of the time, in the south, they are cheaper too!

Cordially,
Sheppard

mdb landscaping

01-14-2002, 07:34 AM

ive had good luck with my echo split shaft 26cc trimmer. havent had it in the shop in 3 yrs, and its still running strong. ive used stihls as well, and they are also a great trimmer.

Russ

01-14-2002, 07:35 AM

Before anybody jumps on me about the 2100 being a homeowner model let me say I know that, but--- I have 6 of them. They are cheep, light, easy to start and powerful enough for the trimming we do. I get about 1 1/2 years out of em and when they don't work, I throw em away and buy another. I figure they cost me about 50 cents a day and at that price they are the least expensive piece of equipment I own or operate. Just me.02

65hoss

01-14-2002, 11:03 AM

Originally posted by Russ
Before anybody jumps on me about the 2100 being a homeowner model let me say I know that, but--- I have 6 of them. They are cheep, light, easy to start and powerful enough for the trimming we do. I get about 1 1/2 years out of em and when they don't work, I throw em away and buy another. I figure they cost me about 50 cents a day and at that price they are the least expensive piece of equipment I own or operate. Just me.02

A new Stihl FS85 cost about $279. Lets assume it last for 5 years. Let say you work 32 weeks a year cutting at 5 days per week. Thats 160 days per year. Lets do some math:
160*5 years = 800 days
279/800 = .35

I'm not knocking you. Over the long run you would probably pay less for comm'l grade equipment.

cajuncutter

01-14-2002, 11:43 AM

If you ever trim hedges you may want to consider the Shin T-230. later on for $225 you can buy the articulating hedge trimmer head for the T-230. That way you get 2 in 1. Plus the thing is not heavy and bulky. It runs great and so far I have had no problems out of the thing.

WREBELMACHINE

01-14-2002, 12:05 PM

We use several diffrent brand but if I had to pick it would be either a ROBIN or a KAWASAKI. Most everyone here uses either one of these, there are some redmax, shindaiwa, maryuama units here but not many!

Fantasy Lawns

01-14-2002, 01:13 PM

shindawa

Randy Scott

01-14-2002, 01:47 PM

I have an ECHO and a Redmax, prefer the ECHO by far. Better feel (comfort wise) better power. Just prefer it over the Redmax.

greenngrow

01-14-2002, 01:54 PM

Red Max Is what I use. NO problems so far.

kerr lawn

01-14-2002, 02:06 PM

shindaiwa will smoke anything out there
my friend has somewhat of a long drive way with pine trees and there is undergrowth. He asked for my help with my brush cutter, he went to his dealer looking for a brushblade for his echo pos. i went to my dealer and bought 2 at $23 a piece. My shindaiwa weed wacker besides the weed eating part of it, has made me gobbs of money with that easy attachable blade.
if anyone can tell me of a equiment line that will out run and out do shindaiwa then i'm scared to use it.
i have 3 t260.

williamslawn

01-14-2002, 03:07 PM

shindaiwa

We use T-260's also but we have one 25 that is 7 years old and it is used every day.

lawnkid

01-14-2002, 06:17 PM

Go with a Tanaka or a Stihl. I have a Tanaka TBC-2510 and it's a god. I like it because it is easy to see when edging. The Stihl FS-85 is another reliable trimmer. The Tanaka might be a little expensive at $330-$360, but it's worth every penny. That's my opinion. Good Luck!

lee b

01-14-2002, 06:26 PM

Husky, you just can't beat 'em.

leaflawnandlimb

01-15-2002, 12:20 AM

I've used ech 2100's for years and they have been very reliable. Stepped up this past season and bought two srm 260's and we all seem to love the power , weight and a decent price. I'll probably buy two more this season, my dealer said the price went down and my oldest 2100 (8 yrs) is starting to die.

Flex-Deck

01-15-2002, 12:59 AM

Echo makes the best advance system in the industryas far as I am concerned. Just keep tapping and the string keeps coming. They never plug with dirt etc. I have had a stihl, and nothing but problems with the advance.

summitgroundskeeping

01-15-2002, 06:08 PM

I use Echos b/c I really have no need for super powered trimmers. But I checked out Kaw trimmers and they seem great, but my friends dad's LCO now switched to Husq. and thoes things are amazing and $high$.

Green Care

01-15-2002, 06:50 PM

Echo SRM2400 is a good too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Premo Services

01-15-2002, 09:34 PM

I like the echo trimmers, but the old echo wore out and bought a shindawa t-260. It has a lot of power, but couldn`t get used to it. I finally got used to it and it is a great trimmer with lots of power.

chicks-dig-lawn-guys

01-15-2002, 09:56 PM

I like Weed-Eater.....I get them at K-Mart for a good deal!:D

I have used Stihl and Kawasaki.....the Stihl has a lot of power and is good at trimming against things, however I have found that the Kawasaki is better at doing ditches and islands. Just my opinion.

buster

01-15-2002, 10:11 PM

stihl

No Sweat L/C

01-15-2002, 10:30 PM

Stihl, Stihl Stihl!!
My FS-74 is over 6yrs old. Has more power than the 2400 Echo. The Stihl weedeater heads last 5 times longer than Echos. I had a Echo weedeater before, the little white buttons on the head lock wore out fast and the string would go crazy!!! I have only replaced one Stihl head in 6yrs with of lots hours used.

danzig

01-15-2002, 11:36 PM

I have used Stihl in the past. Mine were stolen over the winter. Got a "free" echo 2601 when i bought my ferris 61'' ztr. The echo has lots of power but it cuts counter clockwise:eek: , so the clippings end up on your feet and shins. I prefer stihl because they turn faster and cut clockwise:D

trimmer

01-15-2002, 11:43 PM

I have had echo, sthil, and husqvarna trimmers.

The echo was to tempramental for me it would flood out easy and the air filters always seem to get twice as dirty as other brands. I do have an echo blower and love it.

The sthil was alright but it was hard to start, I do like thier spools and air cleaners better than echo and husqvarna. It was stolen out of my shop with all my other two cycle equipment a couple of days before christmas.

Husqvarna is the replacement for the sthil, had helped a guy out that used them and was really happy with them, so far I like it. It has lots of power and is very light. I know a lot of people down Husqvarna but I would buy another one in a heart beat along with an echo pb-603.

James234

01-16-2002, 09:47 PM

Sam's Club is currently selling the John Deere GT 21 Line Trimmer. It has a 20 cc Robin engine and a straight shaft. The price is $95.00. Seems like a good deal to me. Any thoughts?

kerr lawn

01-17-2002, 04:19 PM

piece of junk
waste of time to make it
buy something commericial and you will thank yourself for the power, performance, and reliability that it gives you.

bdemir

01-17-2002, 06:08 PM

SHindaiwa

yardmonkey

01-17-2002, 08:27 PM

Robin BH2500 - 4-cycle - less noise, less vibration, less pollution

Someday all trimmers will be 4-cycle (or maybe even electric!)
The Robin is the same weight as a Shindaiwa T-230 or an Echo 2100 (I have both of these also, used them before getting the Robin). Honda makes 4-cycles but they are a bit heavier.
Also, I would not consider the Echo 2100 to be a homeowner model. They may not call it commercial, but it is quite tough enough and you don't find too many "civilians" spending $200 for a trimmer. It seems more common to find several non-working curved-shaft Sears or Black & Decker or Ryobis piled up in the average garage.

BigJim

01-18-2002, 05:07 AM

I'm happy with my Homelite VersaTool,starts easy,cuts great,nice and light,I can trim with one hand,string feed heads great,see thru gas tank means I don't run out of gas part way through a job,parts very cheap compared to other brands,it'll do me:)

Todd Cannon

01-18-2002, 09:22 AM

Shindaiwa T-230 for a light weight(we also added the hedge clipper as noted in previous post above). But the all around winner is Shindaiwa T-260! Great power and runs forever.

Mark

01-18-2002, 11:10 AM

Shindiwa T-260s are my favorite, also use echo 2601s, both do a very good job. Oh buy the way danzig when your trimmer head is truning clockwise your throwing the trimmed grass into the beds and on the home foundations, it also feathers the grass in a different direction than you mowed it in. Try Counterclockwise left to right, the trimmings are supposed to be throwed in the outward direction macthing the mowing cut and keeping grass out of beds and such. Marks Mowing Service

kerr lawn

01-18-2002, 12:11 PM

shindiawa T-260's as a weedeater and with the brushblades the thing is unstoppable
i love them

TLS

01-18-2002, 12:32 PM

I dont understand all the comments on "plenty of power". These are string trimmers we are talking about right? I just guess I never had an underpowered string trimmer before. I use Echo, and before that it was Greenmachine. I AM a power freak, so if they were underpowered, you would know about it!