5 in 1 petrol garden tools

[Nuisance_Value]

Anyone had any experience of this sort of thing?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/52cc-5-in1-Petrol-Strimm...

Is this one on ebay a good price and quality? Trushopping doesn't sound like a particularly well known brand for garden or petrol tools! Will it cut the hedge once and never start again? Any other recommendations? I'll be using it for general domestic light garden duties but the thought of petrol enhanced power is appealing.

[dazwalsh]

Whilst you would probably get better power and reliability out of a stihl equivalent, that price is appealing. Cant see much wrong with that for light use.

[Jimmyarm]

I got the father something similar from Screwfix for his birthday last year (different branding but probably the same tool)

It is perfectly 'adequate' and hasn't broken yet, between me and my brothers we have all the individual things as standalone tools in Stihl/Husquavarna versions and yes, they are a lot 'better' to use and in their construction and will no doubt last a 'lifetime' but to buy them all would cost 10x what that multi thing does.

If I personally was starting out again buying garden stuff, I'd quite happily start with one of those and look at upgrading down the line if/when it stops working.

From what I gather, the biggest downside of the cheap chinese stuff like that is getting replacement parts can be very hard/impossible so it essentially becomes throwaway once something breaks (which is when you upgrade to a individual branded items of the bits you use the most)

[Aviz]

Thinking about one of these. My dad has the full set of stihl kit if I need it for heavier work, but for some basic light work, I'm tempted so I don't have to keep going round to borrow stuff.

Amazon reviews look ok and for the price it's probably worth it to me even if it only lasts a year or so.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B004X9TTJC...

[motco]

I bought the Trueshopping kit a year ago. I have only used the strimmer and hedge trimmer so far but it seems to be fine. The strimmer head has all the cord in it and it was badly wound so no cord would emerge when I tapped it down. Dismantling the head and carefully rewinding it with a new length of cord sorted the problem (there was little in there to start with and a new head is the 'official' way forward). Beware, though, as reassembling the head with new cord in is a fiddly job. It is remarkable value for money and it will pay to treat it gently I suspect. Given the infrequent use it will get, it was a reasonable punt, I thought.

[Chrisgr31]

I have a Ryobi petrol strimmer that can have different attachments fitted so I have the strimmer and rotorvator/tiller. Works surprisingly well, although the rotorvator/tiller is very heavy but it even breaks up our heavy clay soil but jams occasionally.

Surprisingly easy to start.

[Bill]

I have the Ryobi equivalent bought for similar money from Costco three years ago. It works fine but is much louder and has more vibration than my Husqvarna chainsaw. It's also a little weedy so strimming probably takes longer than the full fat kit would.

Tldr: Fine for a smaller garden.

[dickymint]

I had the Ryobi as well. Total crap, rotavator (came free) gearbox packed up on day one as the gearbox exploded! week after the chainsaw fell to bits! week later the drive itself was knackered. Couldn't handle the hassle of posting it back to the dealer on ebay and skipped the lot. Never again!!

[Nuisance_Value]

Thanks for the advice so far. Been looking at alternatives and also wondering, though handy to have, whether I really need a pruning mini chainsaw, brush cutter or rotavator so I might narrow it down to a strimmer and articulating hedge cutter, though the extension tube is a bit of a necessity. This does mean I could spend the same sort of money on a slimmed down system and get a better quality..

Shame about the Ryobi experience DM, I was shortlisting them. Are Titan just a branding exercise?

[jas xjr]

take a look at amazon for reviews . seems fine

[jas xjr]

take a look at amazon for reviews . seems fine

[Chrisgr31]

My Ryobi is doing well. Mind you only use it at the allotment, at home I use an electric tiller/rotorvator from Lidl, great but of kit!

[98elise]

Chrisgr31 said:

I have a Ryobi petrol strimmer that can have different attachments fitted so I have the strimmer and rotorvator/tiller. Works surprisingly well, although the rotorvator/tiller is very heavy but it even breaks up our heavy clay soil but jams occasionally.

Surprisingly easy to start.

I bought one a few years back. Its an absolute bh to start. I've only used it twice because both times it took a good half hour to get fired up the first time.

I have a petrol mower and a petrol rotovator which both start on a couple of pulls, but the ryobi strimmer just won't fire up.

[Bill]

Mine was a bit stubborn to start with but has loosened up nicely.

[McWigglebum4th]

Buy a decent quality strummer as they are used often.

Then for hedge trimmer either buy an electric one or hire a petrol one for the occasional use

[Chrisgr31]

98elise said:

I bought one a few years back. Its an absolute bh to start. I've only used it twice because both times it took a good half hour to get fired up the first time.

Mine does say it is easy start and so far it has been. I did wonder if it would start the other week as it hadn't been used over the winter.

Broadly speaking on mine you have to turn the switch on, then press the fuel primer 10 times, then with choke on give it 4 pulls, if it doesn't start set start mode to the middle option and pull again upto 10 times, no idea what you do after that as it has always started by then!

My Hayter mower requires 1 pull to prime it and then starts on the second pull.

I have never managed to start my 2 stroke generator!

[V8RX7]

I have the Ryobi version and it's great for a normal garden - had it for maybe 5yrs - probably only done 20 hours.

I've just moved to several acres and am now upgrading as it lacks the punch (and probably durability) I now require