Recommend me a strimmer

Author
Discussion

NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,280 posts

250 months

Monday 30th May 2016
quotequote all
Well my cheap 2 stroke strimmer was always a pain to get running, and appears to have seized, and the borrowed black and record electric strimmer met with an unfortunate end after a fence post fell on it.

So I am looking for recommendations for a new strimmer. With both of my previous ones I spent far more time refeeding the wire than cutting grass so please something that's not breaking the line every 10 seconds, and something that does actually feed the line through automatically would be nice!

NDA

21,490 posts

224 months

Monday 30th May 2016
quotequote all
Budget?

TimJMS

2,584 posts

250 months

Monday 30th May 2016
quotequote all
I have found that these start first time, every time. Line feeder works perfectly too:

http://www.mountfieldlawnmowers.co.uk/products/fre...

tomsugden

2,233 posts

227 months

Monday 30th May 2016
quotequote all
I had this exact dilemma last weekend, and bought a Stihl. Expensive, yes, but what a piece of kit. I got the multi tool with hedge trimmer and strimmer

bearman68

4,644 posts

131 months

Monday 30th May 2016
quotequote all
Want a free petrol one. I have one in my shed I can't be bothered with.

Cheers

TimJMS

2,584 posts

250 months

Monday 30th May 2016
quotequote all
I use Stihl's too, but no longer for jobs just round the garden. The Mountfields I pointed to will do everything required of a householder.

NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,280 posts

250 months

Monday 30th May 2016
quotequote all
TimJMS said:
I have found that these start first time, every time. Line feeder works perfectly too:

http://www.mountfieldlawnmowers.co.uk/products/fre...
Which one of those?

Budget? Don't know really, happy to pay for something that works but it's not a big garden and doesn't get used that often...

Magic919

14,126 posts

200 months

Monday 30th May 2016
quotequote all
I bought a Qualcast one from Argos for about £80. http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/2...

String feeds automatically (unlike my old mains one) and the battery outlasted the grass.

pmanson

13,374 posts

252 months

Monday 30th May 2016
quotequote all
I git one from Tesco for £12.50.

Yes it's cheap but it will be used once a month at most

phib

4,464 posts

258 months

Monday 30th May 2016
quotequote all
Another vote for stihl other wise buy cheap buy twice

Phib

TimJMS

2,584 posts

250 months

Monday 30th May 2016
quotequote all
NiceCupOfTea said:
Which one of those?

Budget? Don't know really, happy to pay for something that works but it's not a big garden and doesn't get used that often...
http://www.mountfieldlawnmowers.co.uk/products/freedom48-cordless/mb48li-48volt-lithium-ion-cordless-brushcutter

caiss4

1,866 posts

196 months

Monday 30th May 2016
quotequote all
Depends what you're strimming. If it's just lawn edges etc then I use a very old Flymo cordless. I've replaced the battery once in 20 years but it is just right for light duties.

Meanwhile I have a Stihl multi-tool that is now some 12 years old. Does all the heavier strimming jobs (mainly our local footpaths as my bit for commmunity wink) but also the hedge trimmer is invaluable.

If you've got some serious strimming to do then the buy cheap buy twice rule will apply! Just bear in mind that the Stihl will likely be too powerful for just lawn edges and around trees.

dazwalsh

6,095 posts

140 months

Monday 30th May 2016
quotequote all
I have a stihl FS85 that i bought about 10 years ago off ebay for £120 and still works absolutely fine despite some right abuse and not had a sniff of a service or anything. Mine came with the plastic blades head rather than the line but they will quickly grind down if you hit a lot of fence posts or tree roots with them.



paulrockliffe

15,639 posts

226 months

Monday 30th May 2016
quotequote all
phib said:
Another vote for stihl other wise buy cheap buy twice

Phib
This is my Dad's experience, has a Stihl now says it's great. That said, if you don't have much to do like me, I'd get the Makita 18v one that is compatible with my drill batteries because it's much more convenient, would take me 5 minutes to blitz the edge of my garden with that.

Murph7355

37,651 posts

255 months

Monday 30th May 2016
quotequote all
Buy a Stihl. Great pieces of kit.

Like tomsugden I also have the Kombi set up. Good if you want a hedge trimmer, brush cutter etc as well as a strimmer.

One thing to be aware of - any strimmer will have hassle with line feeding if you're trying to cut the wrong stuff with it and/or you don't wind it on properly. Stihl's aren't immune to this.

I have some hefty stuff to get stuck into so am using 2.7mm line in my strimmer head. But really ought to get a brush cutting head. Marginal though - with the thicker line installed it'll still have a good go at thick brambles and dense nettle beds smile

The still is also pretty easy to load with line properly.

dickymint

24,101 posts

257 months

Monday 30th May 2016
quotequote all

13m

26,271 posts

221 months

Monday 30th May 2016
quotequote all
phib said:
Another vote for stihl other wise buy cheap buy twice

Phib
We bought a Stihl FS40. It's crap.

It's ergonomically poor and has some sort of daft line mechanism that has a very long central boss that means the machine cannot be used accurately for cutting short edges.

phib

4,464 posts

258 months

Monday 30th May 2016
quotequote all
13m said:
We bought a Stihl FS40. It's crap.

It's ergonomically poor and has some sort of daft line mechanism that has a very long central boss that means the machine cannot be used accurately for cutting short edges.
Not seen that one, we use 130's around the farm and they get totally abused. Best bit with stihl is you can get all the spare parts.

We use the handlebar's and / or full harnesses might be worth getting one if you can for the Fs 40 ( dong know if you can) sorts the ergonomics right out and stops putting pressure on backs and lower arms.

Phib

V8RX7

26,766 posts

262 months

Monday 30th May 2016
quotequote all
If you're not buying an expensive one then get an electric one.

I've spent more time trying to start crap petrol products than using them.

I now have a larger garden and bought a Stihl.

BlueHave

4,636 posts

107 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
quotequote all
Got one for £2.50 from one of the big sheds last December.

It's a bag of ste but for the 3m of edging I have I shouldn't be complaining.