Another thread about what machine everyone is using! I struggled to find and up to date ones!
i bought a Tanaka tbc 2390 last year and cut a long story short my dealer has told me it's too well battered up to be worthwhile repairing, so back to the drawing board...
What is everyone using?
im not against battery power but I would need my strimmer to go for 5 hours a day which seems tricky to get.
are there any brands that allow you to change the strimmer heads with hedge trimmer heads? Want to avoid a multi tool because of the vibes
keen for something relatively light weight or well balanced
I usually use straight shafted strimmers with loop handle but wouldn't be against a cow horn strimmer if there's a good recommendation (but obviously know I won't be able to attach a hedge trimmer end then)
also toying with the idea of buying a new long reach if anyone has good recommendations!
Thanks for reading!
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I have some of the Hitachi petrol strimmers which are basically the same as Tanaka. Not used them for years but still hanging onto them for some unknown reason. There were attachments for these like a chainsaw and rotavator heads. I found the rotavator was not great the one time I used it. For hard core strimming now I use the Stihl FSA130, cow horn model with an Oregon Jet Fit head, which takes lengths of serrated line and is almost as good as a blade, without the draw backs you get with a blade. I have 3 of the backpack batteries so could quite easily go for 5 hours or more. It can be used with standard battery pack and belt pouch but it drains them too quickly. After using battery strimmers for years, returning to a petrol powered one would simply prove too unpleasant for me
I've used the Honda umk petrol strimmers for years, found them really good, although I now use the battery stihl fsa90 for day to day use, still have a Honda for the more demanding one-off stuff!
Glad to see someone else with a Honda! My main tools are my UMC425 and UMC435, although I'm now using my EGO kit for more and more jobs.
We have two FSA56 (now the 57 I think) - they are lightwieght - great for around gardens, not so good for rough stuff.
We have 3 batteries and an inverter in the van - each battery lasts bewteen 40 mins and 2 hours (they are different sizes) ..... that sees us through the day fine
those are the domestic grade ones really but as you have found they definitely have their uses in a business context...i regularly use about 4 different battery models as each has their applications... horses for courses for the different jobs, the high end machines are serious contenders for all day brush cutting etc if one can afford the initial outlay on battery capacity, yet way too brutal for the lighter domestic work ; whereas other machines can provide that nicely controllable neat finish... i must admit i feel a lot of empathy when i drive past a guy strimming the road side with a petrol strimmer, much as i would a child brushing soot from a chimney
I'll preface my comment by saying that I currently use almost exclusively battery kit, bar my mower and backpack blower, and I do only domestic maintenance.
If you're looking for just domestic edging etc then I would say battery is fine, with Stihl and Husky being your 2 best options in my opinion. I use Stihl but actually think the Husky battery line may be slightly better. If you're looking to do 5 hours including a lot of heavy duty strimming than personally I would recommend a decent petrol strimmer from Stihl, Husky or Echo.
I've learnt to take the recommendations on here with a pinch of salt. Many of the battery users on here preach that anything other than battery is ridiculous, but we all have our own circumstances. For instance, one very pro battery user on here was asked in another thread "what about the rain" and they replied that they don't work in the rain and will simply go out another day, but that wouldn't work for me at all as I work set days and that's it, not bothered about being in the rain, so my equipment has to work in all conditions. My point is that the users on here come from all over the place and all have different circumstances so that is always worth remembering.
The cost to do 5 hours heavy duty strimming on battery would be a huge outlay, so if that's what you need I would go for petrol. If it's just domestic than I would go for battery as it's lovely to use and i've been really happy with the results personally.
Out of interest, I have the Stihl FSA85 strimmer and HLA65 hedge cutter. Both lovely for domestic work. I carry 2 AP200 and 1 AP300S batteries.
All the best with whatever you get.
Yes the Stihl FSA85 strimmer is great, I also use one almost every day for around the edges of lawns etc. A very light and precise tool and good run time on even an AP200 battery. The FSA130 is in a different league really and I would find it unsuited to the small jobs. My 3 battery backpacks are the old AR900 and must be 10 years old now, still fully working. I bought them second hand ages ago, paying about £300 apiece, that included a BGA85 blower with each one, which I then sold for over £100 per unit. I even flogged a couple of the cables as the newer tools require a different fitting. So it is possible to get set up gradually without investment at main dealer type prices. The savings on fuel, lack of maintenance required and reliability count for a lot in my book. The only job I would baulk at using the FSA130 for is the massive bramble patch type of jobs. Where in fact a hedge cutter can be a more effective tool than any kind of strimmer, I find
Great reply......Pgm
ok then....mow n blow edging up with a tanaka 230
to me a light weight trimmer.....no fumes don't mind
fueling up....its getting old n tired do I buy a entry level
stihl straight shaft or a entry level battery straight shaft
my main requirement is the lighter the better ??
We use Stihl FSA90r battery strimmers with AP300 batteries - they are fine for light trimming around after mowing. If strimming heavy and long grass I don't think you would get more than 30 mins use, if light strimming then all day use from one battery is achieveable.
If we have big areas to strim and want lots of power then our Stihl FS400 (cowhorn) strimmers come out. Loads of power, rapid acceleration, comfy to use for long periods. However in the wrong hands they can easily lead to broken windows...
We also use the long reach (telescopic) hedgetrimmers, again with AP300 batteries. They will easily last for a day of cutting, and the batteries are interchangeable with other Stihl equipment.
I can predict a lot of conflicting recommendations so my advice is as follow:
Most of the major brands are equally good, so I would base a choice on how much strimming you are doing per day; is it likely to be the edge of a few lawns, or a massive field of weeds and brambles?
Secondly, do you have any cordless machinery already, and would a battery powered model do the job?
Thirdly, if you are going for a petrol powered machine and you've checked out deals, spares availability and who is local to your operating area, you really ought to have a look at the HAVS exposure limits, as some machine manufacturers are better than others.
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