[paponte]

Kinda funny, but I bought 2 pairs of Craftsman hedge trimmers today. I bet that they wouln't make it past the week!

I saw the sale, and said I would give them a shot. The guys complain about the little wonders being too big and heavy for trained specimens. Definitely feel like a scrub, but hey if they last a day, I'll pay for them 4 times over.

You guys can kick me around with comments for being a scrub.

On a serious note, has anyone had experience with commercial trimmers that are small, light weight, gas, affordable? Smaller shrubs, or as stated pom poms, spiral etc., are easier if you have a compact pair of trimmers. Thanks for the input.

 

[Barkleymut]

Next your gonna be heading down to Wild Willie's Used car lot for a '91 Geo Metro cuz the boys got tired of drivin a big truck. Where are you gonna put the clippings???

Anyways I only use MTD push mowers. Really lightweight, bag nicely (just don't try to mulch), and the price is right. Plus I only need a new one every other year and I have a couple old ones for parts.

Whatever fits at the time.

 

[bastalker]

SCRUB!!!!!!!!

Naaaaaawwwww, I have two craftman 22" trimmers myself.....Have an Echo also. If I am trimmin hedges all day I can sling em around no problem. The hedges don't care what ya use on em, and they come out exactly the same no matter which ones I use. Bought em last spring. Stuck with the echo for the moment, they are gettin sharpened.

Wait Im a scrub

 

[ElephantNest]

Originally posted by Barkleymut


Anyways I only use MTD push mowers. Really lightweight, bag nicely (just don't try to mulch), and the price is right. Plus I only need a new one every other year and I have a couple old ones for parts.

Whatever fits at the time.

Mmmmmkay.

 

[bastalker]

Originally posted by ElephantNest

Mmmmmkay.

LMAO!!

 

[A1 Grass]

I KNOW what you mean...

Someone posted a thread on "list your equipment". I felt like a REAL scrub - oh well, first year solo. Use whatever makes you money, right?

 

[maple city]

We bought a pair of those Crapsman hedge trimmers. Didn't make it through one single job. We killed them in 2 hours, and ended up buying Stihl hedge trimmers. I would consider the Sthil hedge trimmers to be light, since I'm able to use them for long periods without a problem.


Amanda

 

[thartz]

Have 1 brand of weedeater that stay on the truck for very fine shrub trimming;better than the commercial units for clipping a few stray shoots. I don't see a problem with that since they are lighter than a commercial unit but faster than manual pruners.

 

[battags]

Originally posted by Barkleymut
I only use MTD push mowers. Really lightweight, bag nicely (just don't try to mulch), and the price is right. Plus I only need a new one every other year and I have a couple old ones for parts.

Whatever fits at the time.

Sorry Barkley, but I read your reply and about went through the roof. Not because of you, or anything. It's because I spent 45 minutes taking apart a MTD just to replace the pull cord. I couldn't believe was a lousy set-up they had and all that I had to go through just to replace the darn thing. I'll NEVER buy an MTD after that experience.....

B

 

[TLS]

I have a gas hedge trimmer.....CRAFTSMAN.....It was purchased new with my then new SEARS credit card in 1988. Sharpened it about 4 times, still runs and cuts great. It has a 20.3 cc engine on it. Only thing I wish it had would be a primer bulb. As it take about 30 pulls to get it started after sitting all year.

It has an 18" bar.

Its correct name is a CRAFTSMAN BUSHWACKER.

It calls for 16:1 fuel mix (gets 80:1 now!)


While I don't use it every day, when its trimming time it gets used more than a homeowner ever would.

Has a grease fitting and all.

Think I replaced the spark plug once or twice, thats IT!

JUNK - NOT

But their newer stuff sure is!

 

[Flex-Deck]

Why would you consider yourself a scrub because you do not buy big dollar equipment - I say "Give me a cheap mower with sharp blades, and a level deck, and I will make a yard look great - Give me a $10,000 mower with dull blades and an unlevel deck and the yard will look like ****. "

The only-only-only reason people invest in the more expensive mowers, and I am one, is that we are putting on up to 10 hrs a day on them, and they have to stand up for 4 to 5 thousand hrs.

Thanks, Brad - PS - I run JD 455's, and and have a 1988 JD 332 with 5000 hrs on it - it is a diesel - water cooled, and only have had to replace the injectors at 2500 - and a water pump at 2600

Thanks, Brad

 

[TLS]

What the heck does that have to do with buying CRAFTSMAN hedge trimmers ???

 

[paponte]

Ah, it just feels funny running around with a pair of Craftsman in the truck. I am like most lco's, and don't mind spending money if it's going to make me money and last.

But like I stated, I really can't find a good lightweight pair of commercial trimmers for the intricate jobs. The little wonders are just too big ($400.00), the stick trimmers are a pain on different angles ($600.00).

Figured if these little pieces of junk last me through the season, they will pay for themselves 50 times over.

 

[tiedeman]

I feel that it doesn't matter about the product that you buy and what others think about it, it matters whether it makes you happy, can do a quality job, and also whether or not you got your moneys worth from it.

 

[O P M]

I used my Craftsman and my Son's Stihl on the same job, on the same day.

Hey guys, throw the crap away !!!! The Stihl took bigger branches off easily when my Craftman could not even cut them. The Craftman is the best one I could get at the time.

Side by side, I will not waste the money on the cheap stuff (again).

 

[jaredslawncare]

I bought one of those new craftsman bushwackers i think 18" and theyve made it 2 seasons with no problems, and i use craftsman handhelb blowers, because i like the vacuum mode it has.

 

[wrtenterprises]

Stihl makes a lightweight line called " The home scaper series ". I currently have the hedge trimmer with a 24" bar. They are much lighter that the HS 80, and have held up through (3) seasons so far. A little less than commercial quality, but it's still a stihl. I would highly recommend the line....

 

[BSDeality]

Shindaiwa has a sub-commercial grade hedge trimmer too, I've got a 22DH. it's very light weight and pretty powerful 23cc (i think). it's got a grease fitting on the gear box, i paid for it in 2 jobs already $280 and i doesn't even look like it's been used. It's a great tool for bushes that are 6' or smaller. (unless you're really tall).

my next will be an extended reach model for the taller hedges i have to do so i can get by without a ladder or step

 

[The Lawn Boy Pro]

Well, Just see what I got below...

 

[paponte]

BSDeality, I was just checking out a Shindaiwa similar to the one you are talking about today. I think it's a 22". Not a bad machine. It's got a little weight to it, but I guess any gas model is going to.

I ended picking up another power unit today, with the long reach trimmers, and the long reach pole trimmer. I went with the Shindaiwa T230 I think the model was. Cost me $720.00 with tax and all. I shyed away from Echo this time to see if I like the Shindaiwa. I liked that you can just take the trimmer head off and use the trimmer shaft, and put the pole saw on for extra reach. Can't do that with the Echo. Also liked that the trimmers articulate 90 degrees in BOTH directions.

As far as the Craftsman... we used them for about 5 hrs today, and there is NO doubt they are homeowner grade. I will probably end up getting the Shindaiwa. Thanks for all the input guys.