Petrol hedgetrimmer recommendations

[rovermorris999]

I have unexpectedly been given some Amazon gift certificates so I'm looking to buy a petrol hedgetrimmer from the site. The choices seem to be cheap and cheerful (Draper, McCulloch, Ryobi plus some unknown brands) or dearer but probably better quality like Makita. There's also Tanaka now apparently owned by Hitachi. Any suggestions? I have quite a lot of mixed hedging, mainly hawthorn and other toughish stuff.
I'm happy to pay a bit extra for something that'll last and tackle a big job but is there much difference between a £150 Ryobi and a £300 Makita?

[shimmey69]

Personally I wouldn't buy any of those I would buy stihl.

[rovermorris999]

It'll only be used once or twice a year so I don't want to spend that much. Plus I'm limited to what's available on Amazon, Stihl aren't there.

[crankedup]

I have about a 300 metre run of hedging which is also mixed with hawthorn, I do the top and both sides once a year with my electric 'Flymo' hedge trimmer. Brilliant bit of kit thats both light and very powerful. Of course if you have acres of trimming to do then petrol is best bet perhaps.

[anonymous-user]

I've got a McCulloch 2 stroke, it's ok but getting a bit old. I'm glad I only have to use it once or twice a year as it stinks so much I'm nearly hallucinating after
1/2hr. But then we have a patch of land on the other side of the road with no electricity so it has to be petrol.

Mike

[E24man]

Shindaiwa.

I got mine, a long reach device, and the local dealer said that of all the hedge-trimmmers he had sold he had never had a shidaiwa come back with any faults at all. This is in a rural area where they get plenty of use.

Mine is light, well balanced, powerful and cuts to just over 1/2 inch with ease. It mainly gets used for Laurel which is pretty heavy-goind but also for leylandii and box.

I have bought the strimmer head for it which is used occasionally and there is also a long reach chain-saw attachment.

It is the business.

HTH

Edited by E24man on Monday 17th January 20:14

[itsnotarace]

rovermorris999 said:

I'm happy to pay a bit extra for something that'll last and tackle a big job but is there much difference between a £150 Ryobi and a £300 Makita?

I thought that when I bought my Ryobi petrol strimmer. Now I realise the error of my ways - it's really difficult to start, it doesn't do a great job and I wished I had listened to the guy who was trying to sell me a Kawasaki. Buy cheap, buy twice.

[Johnnytheboy]

shimmey69 said:

Personally I wouldn't buy any of those I would buy stihl.

+1, I bought the cheapest Stihl about 8 years ago. Apart from a new blade when I bent the old one and cost of servicing every couple of years it's been without fault.

[tractorguy]

Johnnytheboy said:

shimmey69 said:

Personally I wouldn't buy any of those I would buy stihl.

+1, I bought the cheapest Stihl about 8 years ago. Apart from a new blade when I bent the old one and cost of servicing every couple of years it's been without fault.

+2

I've had a Makita and a Stihl in the past, the Stihl was by far the better machine.

[netherfield]

I have a long Stihl and a short Echo,both excellent neither as ever let me down in 10 years.

Find some one to buy the vouchers from you and get a good one.

Strange to find Amazon don't sell Stihl machines but do sell their 2 stroke oil.

Edited by netherfield on Friday 14th January 15:54

[sparkythecat]

I'm really surprised to hear Ryobi stuff getting slagged off. I've had a Ryobi petrol hedgetrimmer for 6 years now. I use it to trim 60 yards of conifer hedge twice a year. It starts every time and has never gone wrong. I honestly can't fault it.

[thesyn]

Stihl, buy cheap buy twice!

[lambonut]

Stihl. Anything else is a waste of money. You will regret it.

HL100. I have one for sale on Ebay now!

Edited by lambonut on Friday 14th January 23:41

[Johnnytheboy]

Given the OP specifically said "no Stihl" we're being less than helpful aren't we?

[jjones]

after years of electric (flymo, bosch etc), cheap petrol trimmer (McCulloch) last year i bit the bullet and bought stihl. about 300 notes but superb compared to all the rubbish i had put up with for years.

my advice would be to spend the amazon vouchers on something else and get yourself a stihl trimmer.

the chainsaw i have is stihl and about 10 years old and had a lot of use and still works perfectly.

Johnnytheboy said:

Given the OP specifically said "no Stihl" we're being less than helpful aren't we?

a lot of us have been in the ops position "dont want to spend that on a damn hedge trimmer" so most of us are speaking from bitter experience. also it would have been cheaper for me to buy sihl in the first place.

Edited by jjones on Saturday 15th January 08:33

Edited by jjones on Saturday 15th January 08:34

[smifffymoto]

If you can buy a 4 stroke within budget,do,it saves alot of hassle.Even the wife can use it as there is no mess with mixing 2 stroke.

[Johnnytheboy]

smifffymoto said:

If you can buy a 4 stroke within budget,do,it saves alot of hassle.Even the wife can use it as there is no mess with mixing 2 stroke.

Isn't too bad, just get the little tubes and a dedicated five litre can and you get the mix right.

I didn't know you could get 4-stroke hedgetrimmers; how do they cope with not being kept level?

[Pickled Piper]

lambonut said:

Stihl. Anything else is a waste of money. You will regret it.

HL100. I have one for sale on Ebay now!

Edited by lambonut on Friday 14th January 23:41

What he said.

pp

[rovermorris999]

How about Makita? Like this one?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Makita-HTR5600-Petrol-Hedg...

[base]

Tanaka THT Hedgecutter is where my money would be i have some 2 year professional warrentys and 5 year non pro warrenty basically tanaka are trying to get into the stihl and husky league and they are doing a very good job of it as well, i do alot of hedge trimming as part of my work and my money would be Tanaka's for hedge trimming. i have owned husky and stihl hedge trimmers as well,