Rank em': Shindaiwa, Stihl, Maruyama, Tanaka...

[J. Bret Holder]

I am changing the brand of trimmers for our business.

I am seeking a consensus of what you all feel are the best trimmers in the industry. Please share which ones you feel rank the best: 1 - Best > Your least desired.

List specific makes and models if you want to. List as few or as many as you choose.


OK, let's have it!

[little green guy]

1. Redmax
2. shindawia
3. echo

[LAWNGODFATHER]

RED MAX

BCZ25002

[kerr lawn]

1. shindaiwa t-260, le260, eb630, hedge trimmers
i believe it is the only name you need to know in 2 cycle equiment
peace
bryan

[mowngrow]

is there anything but a shindiawa trimmer?? I think not.
I really don't know how I made it for all those years without one.
SHINDIAWA is the route to go






MOW -N- GROW Lawn Service & Landscaping

[2 man crew]

Shindiawa. They are all I've ever owned so I have nothing to compare them to. I've also never had a problem so I have not had a reason to try a different brand.

[KirbysLawn]

Shindaiwa. Much better balance, less vibration, RedMax, and 3rd Sthil.

[Stinky]

i have to agree, shindiawa is the only way to go, had one of mine, an old t-19 for7 years and still starts on first pull

[65hoss]

As far as trimmers I vote stihl. I've had great service from them. The power is great. They are very balanced. The trimmers have just as much power as the other brands. I believe Stihls power problem is only within the blower area. I do own Stihl and Redmax in that catagory.

[Richard Martin]

I went straight from a Homelite to a Shindaiwa T-230. I haven't used anything but Shindaiwa in 6 years.

[Harvestman]

Shindaiwa T-230. Very light and powerful. You can carry one all day with no problems.

[walker-talker]

I hate to jump on the bandwagon, but Shindaiwa T-230 here as well. I had a Maruyama before and it seem to be lighter, but the is falling apart. Bumped a fence post with the trimmer head and everything went flyin, including my temper. I went out and bought a Shindaiwa the same afternoon.

MATT

[Cutter1]

Shindaiwa all the way. t-270's. I have used them and beat them and they still run. I have a redmax bz2500s, I think thats the number. Doesn't even come close to the power of a shindaiwa. I'm interested in trying the new Stihl 240. Replacing the 120. those three are the best. shindaiwa, redmax, stihl!!

[RYAN]

I am a Shindi fan also. I used to use ECHO and found them to be too unreliable. I bought a t230 and wish I would have made the switch a few years ago. Second place is Redmax, Third Stihl

[LAWNGODFATHER]

Is there that many that can say Shin-owa that hurt? LOL

[gravedigger5]

I'm fairly new to the business and new to this site but I'll
give this a whirl. I went from a homelite to a Echo SB2100
because I wanted to be able to use attachments. this
machine is much better than the homelite. Also i like the
looks of the sthil, but after reading the other replys I
might be looking at the shindaiwa.

[luv of green]

got a shiny t230 never looked back got two of em they r only 1 and two years old but every day every pull has been pleasent

[Phishook]

1. SHINDAIWA

2. still (good blowers)

3. anything but homecrap

how many different ways can we spell shindaiwa?? 1, 2, 3!LOL

[C4chris70]

I vote Stihl. The FS85 is both powerful and reliable.

[hollywood]

shindiawa T-270 hands down. love the brushcutter (six tooth) attachment, and the power it has. echo is a close second. never used a Stihl line trimmer but if they are as good as their saws and hedge trimmers, i would certainly consider buying one.

[captdevo]

i prefer Redmax.

(who by the way is made by Komatsu Zenoah which made the GreenMachine, who also makes Shindaiwa)

[proline32]

I guess I'm the only guy here that uses husquvarna professional tools exclusively, I've never had a problem with them and they are user friendly, when I started out in this biz, I didn't know any better and purchase the homelite brand trimmer that was suposed to be heavy duty, heavy was right, uncomfortable to use, vibrated like crazy and really made my hands numb, not to mention the thing vibrated apart in three months, I took the trimmer back and the home depot gave me another one, it was no better...... I being fustrated stopped by a local rental store that sold husquvarna tools and the sales manager let me demo one of the trimmers for a day, boy What a difference.... that was two years ago, I still have that trimmer, Of course I paid for it to the tune of about $350 bucks, but well worth it.

[Bill Davis]

Shindaiwa T-270's and 260's are the greatest and easiest to maintain.

[P&J Lawncare]

stihl stihl stihl

[Heavenly Green]

STHIL FS85 is the only trimmer Ill buy and yes Ive owned Redmax and Shindaiwa and Tanaka and first starting out a homelite the sthil is 2seasons old and starts 1st or 2nd pull and ive never had to replace anything but plugs and the bump knob
1.Sthil 2nd Sthil 3rd Sthil

Steve@Heavenly Greenscapes llc:angel:

[bkd]

Stihl FS85 I love it!

[JimLewis]

Shindaiwa !!! #1 . They are the best.

If they didn't make Shindaiwas I'd buy Stihl next and then Echo. But they are a distant second and third.

[rdln]

shindiawa t270
flawless bump and feed, start.....
and power

[yardmonkey]

I started with an Echo 2100, which was always plenty tough and reliable. I started having some problems with my hands and wanted to get a trimmer with less vibration. I got a Shindaiwa T-230. I don't think it was significantly better as far as vibration, but otherwise a totally great tool. Later I got the Robin BT2500, which is a 4-cycle machine (the wave of the future). This was a bit more $ than the previous machines, at $350, but definitely less vibration and less noise and less pollution. I love the Robin and now use it exclusively. But all three of these are high-quality, tough, reliable machines.

It took me a long time when I was starting out to get used to using the Echo. I used to break the strings all the time. Eventually I got to where I was pretty good with it. When I got the Shindaiwa, I was initially very disappointed in some of the design features in the head. You take the head off to change the string and two loose pieces fall out. I adjusted the spring so it would stay in place and eventually got used to the tapper being loose. The Robin seems to have a very good head design. The guard on the Robin is made of a hard brittle plastic and it broke and had to be replaced. I think all the other brands use a more unbreakable kind of plastic for the guard. Also replacement spark plugs are expensive and hard to get for the Robin.

I hope to see more 4-cycle trimmers and more attention paid to ergonomic design.

[KathysLGC]

I got a snapper 31CC brush cutter from walmart yesterday for $139.99. Opened it up and it was kinda of heavy and felt awkward. Don't ya know the shop near me has the Shin T230 for $249. Well I brought the Snapper back. Only reason I got it was because I was buying more fiberglass handle shovels and I figured, ahh for the price its not bad. But after reading this thread and seeing what a shin goes for I changed my mind. Now that i got my $ back I will get a shin but one question? The ShinT260 is $299. Is there a big differance from the T230 to the T260? I know there is more power in the 260 but do you need more power than the 230 for trimming and edging? If the T260 justifies the extra $50 than I will get it. Thanks.

[kerr lawn]

Playboy <gotta love the name
i was told by somebody 4.5 years ago to go get a T-260 and i have never looked back. Never have tried a T-230, but i wouldn't ever want to after the years of listening to the T-260 scream. Just remember you get what you pay for. If you pay s**t for it, what you do think it will perform like?
peace
bryan

[LAWNGODFATHER]

Originally posted by kerr lawn
If you pay s**t for it,

bryan

Can you tell us where you shop that takes that instead of money?
I am very interested sence I can aqurire it farily cheap.......

[KathysLGC]

Hey L G F if you run out I can mail you some before the sale ends....:D
I am just wondering if The only difference for $50 is a few more CC's or is there some thing else different between the two. The sales man was trying to talk me into a T270 wich is like $300 or $350. I am not ready to spend that much on a trimmer yet. Dont get me wrong I will when I need to if i need to but I am just starting out and only have one solid contract so far and it is perfect for a greenhorn. Flat grass not too hard to cut. Small hedges, A few flower beds, and only a few spots you would need a trimmer for. Only need to edge about 20 feet in the front.

[Scotlawncare]

For me it's Stihl FS85. Man I love the power. As for 2nd and 3rd choices..... well is there anyother than STIHL.

[lamblawnscaping]

I agree with everyone who has said shindaiwa. All T-270s as far as trimmers, all LE-260s for edgers, all EB-630s for blowers. The only thing I don't like about shindiawa is the bump heads. I just have my dealer switch them out with stihl heads. Other than that, you can't beat shindiawa.

[GLS]

Just a quick question for Stihl owners: for those of you that own the FS85, why that and not the FS80 (what's the big difference)? Also, can you please tell me what you paid for it.

I am stuck between the Stihl and Husqvarna. The Husky is lighter, but Stihl is recommended more. I havn't heard anything bad about husky though. So has anyone used both stihl and husky...which one do you prefer?

Thanks
Ryan

PS I would go with shindaiwa, but the two brands listed above are the local dealers.

[Heavenly Green]

Let me repeat STHIL FS85 PRO!!! read the post that other guy just said he put sthil head on his shindaiwa that should sum it up. It too is $299.00 and the best trimmer I ve ever owned and Ill never buy anything elce. Im connvinced that once you try it anyone can fall in love with it. Me and my helper fight over who gets to use it. Cuz neither one of us like my t-230 its ok but is like comparing apples to oranges it will never out perform the fs85.

Steve@Heavenly Greenscapes llc:angel:

[kerr lawn]

hey LGF
i meant if you pay s**t for it, what do you expect.
Like if you pay nothing for it, how do you think it will perform compared to something that is more expensive. Not saying the most expensive root to go all the time, but when i need a good trimmer, blowers, mowers, and more tools i don't mind paying for it because I know it is worth it. I believe you need to do your homework though.
peace
bryan

[KirbysLawn]

Originally posted by Heavenly Green
Im connvinced that once you try it anyone can fall in love with it.

i have the sthil and the shindiawa, since getting the shin the sthil stays on the rack. i was in love with it until i tried and bought the shin.

[trimmer]

I have used both Husky and Stihl trimmers. I just recently bought the Husky and am very pleased with it, very easy to start, light, and the power is more than I need. It is the 325L. The Stihl is a little heavier but is balanced very well and is a great trimmer. I like the head on the sthil better than the Husky's, also the air cleaner on the Stihl is beter than the Husky. They are both great trimmers it all just comes down to personal preferance. My next purchase will more than likely be Sthil because I can run all of their two cycle equipment, but might have to look into Shindiawa, just wondering how well there hedge trimmers cut.

As far as echo goes, I use their blowers and have used there other tools for which I don't care to much for.

As far as the difference between the FS80 and FS85 is the drive shaft. The FS80 is flex drive and FS85 is solid shaft but they both have lifetime waranties, I think the solid shaft is smoother. They also just came out with a new shaft that is hollow to make it lighter, it too is solid.

[shadetree]

I personaly like maruyama.
I used the other brands, but the relaibility and the easabilty of repairing maruyama is no comparison.
Two thumb screw and I am down to every componet that needs to be replaced on this unit, which to this date has been none on the motor.

[65hoss]

As stated before, the FS80 is a flexible shaft and the FS85 is a solid shaft. The solid is a much smoother trimmer. Also, if you plan to run any attachments, they suggest you use the 85. The solid shaft will hold up for them. I had a FS80 and I could tell a difference.

[turfnerd]

im a tanaka man myself, but i think shin's are good also. I've used a tanaka for so long that when a i tried to edge with a shin it looked like s**t.

The way I see it, get whatever you feel comfortable with.

Its kind of a soldiers rifle "There are many like it, but this is mine"

[UGA]

Does anybody use Robin. I got mine from the same dealer that I got my mower from and he only sells Echo and Robin but was pushing the Robin. As little as I use it I am surprised to already have pull rope and line head problems. I must say that last year when I was playing golf in a little tournament for our business I noticed all of the maintenence guys at the Legends course in Franklin,Tn were using Shindaiwa. It made me think I should give them a look but at this point it will be a while before I replace this one that I paid $279.00 for only 2 years ago.

[kerr lawn]

hey trimmer
you were wondering what shin hedge clippers are like. I have a pair and they literally like a hot knife in butter. I have done jobs were the customer says,"My electric hedge clippers just couldn't get through this stuff, but yours did wonderful." thanks and on my way i go.
I have a pair of echos like everything else that they make that just aren't worth a damm. I hate them and everything echo makes.
peace
bryan

[trimmer]

Thanks for the reply Brian, I might have to check into the Shindaiwa line of products. I noticed when I use the echo it does not cut very well and leaves some stringers, I had the Stihl homeowner hedge clippers and they cut a 100 times better, but I would like to get a commercial pair this go round.

[Scotlawncare]

0ryan0,

The Stihl FS85 pro is $299 retail. I payed $275 Oct '00 at a local dealer who gives a discount to LCO's. From what I hear the price is still the same.

As Hoss said. the 85 is a solid shaft and you will notice a differance in the solid and a flex shaft. Plus the solid shaft has a lifetime warr.

Scot

[rwleigh]

We use ROBIN NB253 and KAWASAKI KBL26A just love them!

[ConwayLawnService]

I have to say I'm a little shocked that there isn't more stihl fans out there. I bought the shindi 230 last year, but I wasn't too impressed other than it being very quiet. A few weeks later, I bought the new stihl fs85rt split boom. It's a great machine with lots of power. I love being able to pop off the trimmer and put on the edger. Another way to make life easier!

[lawnbaby]

Havent used the shindiawa yet but it sounds like I need to. I use Maruyama stick edger and weedeater and I also use Redmax weedeater and blower.

[MikeLT1Z28]

i vote for stihl. i have an FS85 and am very happy with it's power and comfort. i also have a BR420 blower. pretty effecient for what it is. if you want something to blow shingles off a roof, get the redmax eb7000 (200+ windstream and ungodly cfm, gas hog though).

[Mykster]

Have two Stihl FS80's. Very pleased with them. After reading past posts, I think I'll try the FS85. Is there any difference in the length with the FS80 and FS85?

[LAWNGODFATHER]

I still perferr Red Maximum performance.

I have the fs85 with weed eater head, chain saw head, and hedge trimmer head.

Won't wind up enough to use weed eater, but great for the rest.

[65hoss]

Originally posted by Mykster
Have two Stihl FS80's. Very pleased with them. After reading past posts, I think I'll try the FS85. Is there any difference in the length with the FS80 and FS85?

Same exact trimmer, just the shaft inside is solid. They look and are the same otherwise.

I believe you can get a new solid shaft for around $20. It will fit in your 80's. You might want to try that.

[MONTE]

Have used maryuama, redmax and robin. really like the redmax and robin.

[KerryB]

Just bought the FS85 and I have to say I love it.
So impressed with it I am buying the Stihl hedge trimmers and the 85 edger.