Recommend me a strimmer

[NiceCupOfTea]

Composite Guru said:

I got a cordless Qualcast one from Argos a few months ago and its great. Best cheap stripper I've had.

I think we're going beyond the scope of the thread title now...

[Composite Guru]

NiceCupOfTea said:

Composite Guru said:

I got a cordless Qualcast one from Argos a few months ago and its great. Best cheap stripper I've had.

I think we're going beyond the scope of the thread title now...

Ha ha, bl00dy predictive text!!

Livened up the thread anyway.

[dickymint]

Composite Guru said:

I got a cordless Qualcast one from Argos a few months ago and its great. Best cheap strimmer I've had.

Edited to be more inline with thread context.

Edited by Composite Guru on Wednesday 1st June 13:46

Had more than one cheap strimmer then?

[Composite Guru]

dickymint said:

Composite Guru said:

I got a cordless Qualcast one from Argos a few months ago and its great. Best cheap strimmer I've had.

Edited to be more inline with thread context.

Edited by Composite Guru on Wednesday 1st June 13:46

Had more than one cheap strimmer then?

Yep I've had three. The two previous B&D one I had were never really that great. The auto line feed was terrible. The Qualcast one is great.

[dickymint]

..... the old adage Buy cheap buy three times

[Composite Guru]

dickymint said:

..... the old adage Buy cheap buy three times

Over the space of 20 years that's not bad.

[trickywoo]

I got one of these a couple of weeks ago http://www.alpina-garden.com/products/en/287121100...

£149 pretty much everywhere that stocks them. Nice bit of kit.

If you don't want the split shaft or horn handles they can be had even cheaper.

[dickymint]

Composite Guru said:

dickymint said:

..... the old adage Buy cheap buy three times

Over the space of 20 years that's not bad.

20 years of "not really that great" and a "few months of great" hope you don't need another too soon

[Craikeybaby]

Bumping this as I am also in the market for a strimmer. I have been looking at the Makita strimmers, as I already have a few batteries for it and don't want something with a cable or a petrol engine.

It will be used for tidying up the edges of the lawn at home, up to raised beds etc. However I'd also like to use it to tidy up the verges on the alleyway behind our house, maintenance is meant to be shared, but no one else does any and I'm sure the verges are making the track narrower.

I guess this one will be better for the garden: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Makita-DUR181Z-Cordless-L...
And this one better for the alleyway: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JITFBBC/ref=pd_lpo_...

Would the lack of adjustable head make the garden stuff more difficult on the second one?

[Accelebrate]

No idea if it's any good, and no use if you already have LXT Makita stuff, but I've just ordered one of these as it seemed rather well priced and I've only got a few light bits to see to in my garden:

http://www.toolstop.co.uk/makita-ur140dw-line-trim...

Argos sell the same thing for £110.

Maybe not such a bargain as I then realised I could buy a drill body to go with the battery and charger for a mere £30

https://www.buyaparcel.com/p/cordless-combi-drills...

[Craikeybaby]

Thanks, but I'm looking for the LXT one, as that is the battery/drill I already have.

[battered]

If you have a modest garden and it's lawn edging then go electric. Cheaper, lighter, no maintenance, they always go, etc. Petrol is for serious use and brush clearing, and you get into the maintenance, making fresh fuel, and all the shenanigans. Brilliant if you have a big job to do, but expensive, noisy, heavy.

I use petrol for the mower and for the hedge trimmer cum chainsaw that does battle every year with the F**KING EVIL bd massive leylandii hedge that's trying to take over the world at the back of my garden. Nothing less than a chain gun will touch that bd, I've just sawn 5ft off it and it's still huge. I'll gird my loins later this summer for another swearing session and removal of a further 2 or 3 feet of the top and a foot off either side, because having topped it the sides are now bulging faster than Arnie's man boobs on steroids.

[Craikeybaby]

That's pretty much my reason for not wanting a petrol one.

[33q]

robwilk said:

Dewalt one for me. I have the batteries and charger so bought the bare tool very impressed with it up to now.

http://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/Dewalt%20Dcm561...

Well impressed with mine. Paid £100 from screwfix

[stemll]

dickymint said:

Dog Star said:

AlmostUseful said:

Please tell me it's not the same as the one I linked to? Firstly, it looks and feels so solid I think I'd hurt myself, and secondly I can't imagine it ever going wrong!

No - it was petrol. Never worked from new, to be honest. And from comments I've had on FB it's a common complaint.

Years ago I bought the Ryobi petrol strimmer/pruner/hedge cutter interchangeable unit. It also came with a free mini rotovator that I wanted to go over my raised bed veggie plot - utter pile of crap! worst bit of kit I've ever bought and ended up in a skip within a month (couldn't be arsed to post it back for a refund).

Will never ever buy anything made by Ryobi again.

Third one here for hopeless Ryobi 2-stroke strimmers. Mine also never really worked reliably, needed a new tank after 1 year (fuel pipes leaked like a sieve). Just replaced it with a Honda UMK425LE 4-stroke and it's so much easier to start and very noticeably quieter. Cost double the Ryobi but has a 5 year warranty.

I sold my old mower when I replaced it but the Ryobi just went in the skip.

[plfrench]

stemll said:

Third one here for hopeless Ryobi 2-stroke strimmers. Mine also never really worked reliably, needed a new tank after 1 year (fuel pipes leaked like a sieve). Just replaced it with a Honda UMK425LE 4-stroke and it's so much easier to start and very noticeably quieter. Cost double the Ryobi but has a 5 year warranty.

I sold my old mower when I replaced it but the Ryobi just went in the skip.

I've got one of those Hondas too. Very pleased with it. Starts well and being 4 stroke no need to mix up the fuel.

Goes through most weeds and brambles up to about 10mm diameter with no problem with standard line.

[Craikeybaby]

Craikeybaby said:

Bumping this as I am also in the market for a strimmer. I have been looking at the Makita strimmers, as I already have a few batteries for it and don't want something with a cable or a petrol engine.

It will be used for tidying up the edges of the lawn at home, up to raised beds etc. However I'd also like to use it to tidy up the verges on the alleyway behind our house, maintenance is meant to be shared, but no one else does any and I'm sure the verges are making the track narrower.

I guess this one will be better for the garden: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Makita-DUR181Z-Cordless-L...
And this one better for the alleyway: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JITFBBC/ref=pd_lpo_...

Would the lack of adjustable head make the garden stuff more difficult on the second one?

I ended up going for the beefier one on the basis that it is better to be overtooled than undertooled!

[anonymous-user]

I bought a Stihl FS40, works well. If I did it again I would look at the multi-tool version.

[craig1912]

sparkythecat said:

In defence of Ryobi, the hedge cutter I bought 14yrs ago is still going strong.

So is mine and starts first time.
I also have a Ryobi multi tool thing and when I first got it I sent it back because it wouldn't start. It was returned saying nothing was wrong and turns out there is a very specific way to start it. It is three years old and starts straight away and the convince of being able to change the heads from strimmer to brushcutter is great.

[Cheib]

battered said:

If you have a modest garden and it's lawn edging then go electric. Cheaper, lighter, no maintenance, they always go, etc. Petrol is for serious use and brush clearing, and you get into the maintenance, making fresh fuel, and all the shenanigans. Brilliant if you have a big job to do, but expensive, noisy, heavy.

Not very heavy if they're on wheels. Twice as powerful as similarly priced Stihl etc.