Which trimmer (< $200) is the best value?

[MikeA57]

Originally Posted by dboyd351

If you're gonna get the Kombi Motor, I'd get the KM90 instead of the KM55. The KM90 is professional grade and the 55 is not. It's definitely going to last you longer than the big box stuff.

Probably good advice. Especially since I plan on getting the edger and the chain saw attachment and maybe even the hedge trimmer. It may be overkill for the weed eating part but not for the others.

[dboyd351]

Mike,
I have a lot that sounds a lot like yours. 3 acres, mostly woods, LOTS of vines - poison ivy, greenbriar, blackberry, honeysuckle, wild grape.
I use the articulating hedge trimmer head more than anything else. It is FAR better than a brush cutter head for tangled vines. Just rev it up and sort of swing it back and forth and it cuts through all those tangled vines without wrapping them up on the shaft. Also cuts a 20 inch swath instead of 8-12 like a brushcutter. You can swinig it up at chest level then work your way down to the ground to clear them all out. Once you get the area cleared, you just set the blade parallel to the ground, with the shaft angled like using a trimmer, and it will cut a 20 inch swath wacking down all the new vines coming up. My articulating hedge trimmerhead gets more of a workout than any other tool and its never seen a hedge.

Good luck on your new tools.

[cashishift]

Originally Posted by SouthernHustler

I've tried all the cheap big box brands. Buy a Stihl and thank your self later.

This guy knows what he is talking about.

[dboyd351]

So Mike,
What did you get?

[MikeA57]

Well I picked up a Stihl KM 90 R with a FS-KM string trimmer attachment. I'll try again to start collecting attachments for it. Hopefully this time I won't get ripped off. Haven't used it yet, I'm still waiting for the yard to dry out enough to walk on it. It's still so soft the dog sinks in it and he only weighs 9 lbs!!

They had a deal where you buy any of the Kombi motors and get the string trimmer for $29.95. Thought that was a deal...

[dboyd351]

Good for you. In the long run you can't go wrong buying quality gear. I'm sure you'll end up acquiring a number of attachments as the need arises and you'll have a good, powerful, dependable powerhead to run them.

[MikeA57]

Well, I got to use the Stihl this past weekend and, WOW!!!! What a beast!! That thing was throwin weed confetti so bad that the weeds in front of it started to shrink back into the ground! That is one powerful machine. I didn't get to use my Echo but a few times before it got stolen but I sure don't remember it being this powerful. The manual stated too that as part of the break-in process, the engine shouldn't be revved all the way up until about 5 tanks of gas have been run through it and I shouldn't have any problem doing that. I didn't NEED to put my foot into it to get the job done.

This trimmer and the Echo were both heavier than I'm used to, but there was something about the Echo too that I just couldn't get comfortable with it as I moved along trimming with it. I had no problems at all with the Stihl. I didn't have a whole lot to trim but I was done in less than 15 minutes with everything I wanted to get done in my back yard. A really enjoyable experience in cutting though.