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Garden strimmers - talk to me

Jamie said:
The line feed on the one (Black and Decker) I had did not work properly, so it was a ball ache to use so I gave up and went back to edging shears.
I gave it away on Freecycle
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got a stihl but not used for some years due to same problem
 
mandryka said:
I can see a post above mentions a strimmer with a blade . . . I haven't tried one but I can imagine it's a very good idea.
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The metal brushcutter for mine is lethal. I’d only use it with chainsaw boots and helmet on but there’s no need for it, Oregon square line rips through anything and doesn’t tangle. I suppose a plastic blade on a low powered battery model might work and be safe.
 
Can I view thee panting, lying
On thy stomach, without sighing!
Can I unmoved see thee dying
On a log,
Expiring frog!

Say, have fiends in shape of boys,
With wild halloo and brutal noise,
Hunted thee from marshy joys,
With a dog,
Expiring frog?
 
If it’s just a one off, why not go to a hire shop?

I have a couple of electric Black and Decker strimmers and the non-working auto feed renders them useless.
 
The one time I owned a strimmer for gardening use I quickly replaced the autofeed nastiness with clamping-in a 6"offcut of steel-wound bass string (E, A or D - little difference).

Massive improvement in strimmer performance, and you get 20 or so refills from every change of guitar strings... = years' worth of use.
 
Have had a B&D electric strimmer 10 years or more now - not had any problems with the feeder to speak of, just have to wind it the right way when refilling ;)

Did start playing up a couple of weeks back (losing power and cutting out) took it to bits and turned out to be a 'push-in' contact that had worked loose - fixed that, screwed it all back together and works a treat ...

Not much to them really to go wrong - a motor, switch with suppressor and plastic casing.
 
I have a Stihl brush cutter with metal blade for our 1/3 of an acre. Bought used off ebay and was difficult to start. Got a replacement Carburettor direct from China for buttons - ebay again now runs like a dream. Wouldn't go near it without safety boots and a Stihl helmet with ear defenders.
 
I bought a cheap cheap B & Q 18V rechargeable one. About £40 I think. It works really well for the light duties I have for it. Feed works fine. Bit slow to charge, but a charge lasts a long time.

A curious mate with a larger garden was sufficiently taken with it, to buy one himself.
 
I bought this cordless Terratek last year. The blades are very easy to change (just snap in), and it does the job ok. It's not as powerful as my previous heavy duty corded one (that was a beast), but it's much lighter and easier to use. Since living with this, I wouldn't want to go back to corded.
 
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Stihl fs45 with an Oregon Gator Speedload head and line. Line changes take 60 seconds, no faff.
 
MJS said:
The last time I tried to use a cheap strimmer I had nothing but trouble with the feed mechanism and the whole thing ended up in bits in the driveway in a Basil Fawlty moment.
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LoL! I might try that later.
 
Head gardener uses a cheap McGregor from Lidl which seems ideal.

I use an expensive 2 stroke Tanaka with saw blade which is usually a total pain to start. On reflection it might have been free when the previous one died under guarantee.
 
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