Recommend me a decent strimmer please

[Raverbaby]

Hi, I was looking for a decent strimmer to give as a fathers day gift.
All the ones he's had over the years have been a pain when it comes to releasing the wire after a snap, even the one he had that was meant to self adjust with a tap on the ground was rubbish.
Not wanting to spend a fortune as its just for a middle sized garden.
Thanks

[66comanche]

To be honest, I'd say to spend a bit more and get a petrol version, so far superior to even the best electric ones, plus there's no hassle of trailing the lead around (and potentially cutting it through). Probably overkill for a medium sized garden but I've had great use of mine, cuts through not just grass, but bracken/nettles/bushes. You can get line trimmer versions too if that's what you prefer and with the Ryobi I have, its a component system so all in all it's a brushcutter, line trimmer, hedge trimmer (adjustable angle) and a mini-chainsaw, also have an extension pole so I can prune up to about 8ft away. Good thing with the brushcutter blade is it lasts for years, when it becomes blunt simply turn it over.


(pic is of a 4 stroke which is definitely overkill)

[andy43]

Save some cash and just get him a reel of Oregon strimmer line for his existing strimmer. Much much tougher than the freebies you get with most strimmers.
Or Stihl

[karona]

2 stroke Petrol Stihl, their range starts with a basic line trimmer with a loop handle for smaller gardens, Mines a FS 55 with handle bars, with interchangeable line trimmer spool or brushcutter blades. It takes 3mm line, strong enough for giant hogweed, the autofeed works properly, and it's possible to rewind the spool without removing the strimmer head. I've had it three years without any problems, and you haven't seen weeds until you've seen Bulgarian weeds.

[D5M]

I'm quite happy with my ryobi 2 stroke - it was about 90£ from eBay iirc.

[Raverbaby]

Excellent, thanks, gives me somtehing to look into.