weed wackers .what's a good one..??

[crab bait]

have/had gas types an hate 'em in a major way..<br /><br />they a real P. I. B. (a )..<br /><br />always sumthin'.. an the carbs are the worst..<br /><br />bought a 12 v cordless way back.. an way like it.. it's great..!! it does my property with charge to spare.. plus no muss or fuss.. <br /><br />i don't need rip roar macho power with a nasty loud stinkin' gas type.. <br /><br />it's mostly whackin' weeds at idle an above anyway..<br /><br />anyhoo..<br /><br />i replaced wore out batterys now many a time..<br /><br />just did.. an the 12 v motors shot..<br /><br />they don't make 'em anymore.. so i guess now i havta go back to gas type..<br /><br />what the best-TROUBLE free-LITE weight-small-no bellswhistles-easy out line-easyspool line -gas trimmer..??

 

[KennyKenCan]

Re: weed wackers .what's a good one..??

Best weed whacker I ever had, was a goat!<br /><br />Love my Homelite though.<br /><br />Had it for 15 years now, never been a problem.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: weed wackers .what's a good one..??

I have always used the small Homelites and have had good luck with them.<br />Get a couple years out of them and at $79 get a new one.<br />They are light weight, feed line good and run good.<br />IMO.

 

[Ross J]

Re: weed wackers .what's a good one..??

Homelite down here as well. <br />Gee it's good to see such a preference for one brand. I find ours easy to use and we've owned it for x6 years thus far without trouble.<br />Ross

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: weed wackers .what's a good one..??

Let me just add, the one's I have are used "hard" 7 months out of the year every day, not just once a week and they will hold up pretty good for a couple years.

 

[ndemge]

Re: weed wackers .what's a good one..??

ECHO<br /><br />Light Weight, industrial strength, always starts.

 

[ehenry]

Re: weed wackers .what's a good one..??

I've run a HomeHeavy for over 16 years and it finally gave up the ghost.....Got me a new Sthil for my birthday and that is one weed beating son of a gun....I luv it ! ! It's twice the machine the Homelite was.

 

[12Footer]

Re: weed wackers .what's a good one..??

I've had Homelite pro-grade trimmers for years....But not the same one. There is no way around the springtime ritual "purge-n-scourge", I don't care if you fogged them empty the tank, or stabil the snot outta it, it's going to play games with your head next spring....So just count on that. That being said, they are all pretty-much the same in the carb department, MOF, there are only like two carb manufacturers that they ALL use. And the carbs are the weakest link.<br />I have had to replace the muifflers frequently, as they carb-closed, and once they do, carbonic cleaner won't help them <br />Echo makes a really good, bargain-basement trimmer-only.<br />I like the Homelite for price and flexibility. I use it as a pole saw and brush cutter also. They are bad to De Bone at those tasks....Bad in a good way.

 

[11 footer]

Re: weed wackers .what's a good one..??

I've used the same Homelite "Zip start" for three summers of comercal use. My cusant and I do seven lawns a week. I run all the old boat gas threw it, too. I've never done any manence to it, never even changed the oil or spark plug. It still starts right up every time. Like SBN said, for under 90bucks just replace it when it dies, and beat the crap out of the next one.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: weed wackers .what's a good one..??

On a sidenote on the mufflers, take them off and then take them apart and you will find a small screen in there that gets glogged up.<br /><br />Just remove this screen and it will run like new again.<br /><br />I also have drilled some holes in this screen and left it in and had just as good luck.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: weed wackers .what's a good one..??

I have had a little Weed Eater brand whacker since 98 that has never let me down. Bought it at WallyWorld for 80something bucks and it always starts. I don't do anything amazing to it except run it out of gas in the fall and put new gas in it in the spring. I have used it for way worse conditions than what it is meant for and it is fine.

 

[JB]

Re: weed wackers .what's a good one..??

Weeds at The Hideout are industrial grade.<br /><br />I have been using the biggest Weed Eater for several years with acceptable performance and twice-yearly carb overhauls.<br /><br />When it finally dies I think I will get a Stihl or the Japanese one that the local pros use (very expensive).<br /><br />Never had one that didn't require LOTS of maintenance.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: weed wackers .what's a good one..??

I know, you are all tired of hearing it but I hate to see all my buds, out in iboat land, upset about the unreliability of their 2 cycle string edgers. <br /><br />++++++USE 100:1 SYNTHETIC 2 CYCLE **SOIL++++++<br /><br />NO CARBON BUILD UP AND IT STARTS RIGHT UP AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON. JUST USE A LITTLE STABIL BEFORE YOU PUT IT AWAY FOR THE FALL. 16 YEARS OF REGULAR USE ON MY ECHO WITH ABSOLUTELY NO MAINTANANCE AND NO SPARK PLUG CHANGE. IN THE SPRING IT STARTS RIGHT UP ON THE THIRD PULL.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: weed wackers .what's a good one..??

Originally posted by Ryan T.:<br />never even changed the oil

Good thing you haven't changed the oil, I hear it's heck of a job on those Homelite's.

 

[wajajaja]

Re: weed wackers .what's a good one..??

my vote is the ryobi, with the interchangable end pieces. <br /><br />ANYTHING BUT A SEARS/

 

[oddjob]

Re: weed wackers .what's a good one..??

uhh...JB Sir? doesnt this go to non boating technical? just helpin out and all Sir..

 

[John Carpenter]

Re: weed wackers .what's a good one..??

Ran an Echo for 13 years with nothing but a new plug every year...good reliable machine. When the coil finally died last year I bought another Echo and expect it will do the same thing. Friends and family have had nothing but trouble with Homelite, Ryobi & Sears.

 

[crab bait]

Re: weed wackers .what's a good one..??

WOW ,, lotsa replies..!!<br /><br />you beat me to that 'oil change' quote <br /><br />surprizin' all the nods for homelite.. an demsda suckers i had the problems with.. <br /><br />coils/ignition 2 a year.. and the carbs seem to have an adjustment 'govenor' on them.. as per because they always run to rich an the screw's bottomed-out..<br /><br />anyway,, i always run 100 % synthetic oils in everthin' i got.. i'm a firm believer..<br /><br />in my 2 cycle model airplane engines,, used to run the 'old school' castor oil..<br /><br />GUM/VARNISH mess.. switched to 100 % syn.. clean & slick-as-a-whistle..<br />an motors last forever..<br /><br />so i took that an ran with it..<br /><br />it's in any an all my engines..<br /><br />my ob mechanic raves on 100 % ob oil..!!<br /><br />anyway,, did i mention how much i dispise weed wackers..?? i really do..<br /><br />those 12 v cordless's where just perfect for me... <br /><br />o'well...

 

[Roger Rose]

Re: weed wackers .what's a good one..??

Had a Stihl for 4 years and have had no trouble with it.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: weed wackers .what's a good one..??

Originally posted by ZmOz:<br />

Originally posted by Ryan T.:<br />never even changed the oil

Good thing you haven't changed the oil, I hear it's heck of a job on those Homelite's.

'nuff said.