Garden strimmers - talk to me

[Ponty]

I use Aspen 2 stroke fuel in my Husqvarna. Over four years old, still works fine. I think it has a recommended life of five years.
It isn’t cheap, but it’s well worth it for me.

I pop fuel stabiliser in the last tank of the season in everything. Sure enough, after the winter rest, everything fires up straight away come spring without having to drain anything.

 

[Tony Lockhart]

I pop fuel stabiliser in the last tank of the season in everything. Sure enough, after the winter rest, everything fires up straight away come spring without having to drain anything.

I put fuel stabiliser in the mower, as I use a lot more fuel in that. Aspen is about £35 per 5 litres of four stroke!

 

[Nero]

Be very, very careful. Permanent injury awaits. Buy some decent gloves to prevent this.

If you're getting tingling fingers or numbness, stop. Gloves don't do very much I'm afraid - the only solution is to do less strimming in a session, or to buy a new strimmer with declared Hand/Arm vibration figures. When we were part of the EU, we adopted the Physical Agents Directive - Vibration, and let's hope that doesn't get watered down.
The effects of long-term human exposure to vibration are not pretty at all.

 

[Tony Lockhart]

Gloves like these can work wonders

https://www.zafety.co.uk/anti-vibration-gloves-for-use-with-pneumatic-tools-black/

Some guys at work are using air tools all day, every day, and none of them have issues with numbness etc. They all wear gloves like these.

 

[Ponty]

Smashed this today, piece of cake with the Stihl. Late doing it this year, kept the bluebells. Now it’s strimmed down I can mow it. Bit of cloud cover around, which was welcome at the time.

 

[Tigerjones]

My bluebells have come and gone now. Lovely for five weeks.

 

[Nero]

Gloves like these can work wonders

https://www.zafety.co.uk/anti-vibration-gloves-for-use-with-pneumatic-tools-black/

Some guys at work are using air tools all day, every day, and none of them have issues with numbness etc. They all wear gloves like these.

Horses for courses. Air tools are different in that they tend to be used in short bursts rather than continuously like a strimmer or polisher. I’m not saying don’t wear gloves, but I am saying don’t count on them.

 

[Tony Lockhart]

Horses for courses. Air tools are different in that they tend to be used in short bursts rather than continuously like a strimmer or polisher. I’m not saying don’t wear gloves, but I am saying don’t count on them.

Of course, but all day every single day…. And look at a council worker strimming. Proper PPE no argument.

 

[Nero]

Covering their arses, white fingers crossed. Not many take any sensible measurements. Shameful really.

 

[runforfree69]

I’m looking for a cheapish garden strimmer. I need to tidy up the wife’s front garden.

Any recommendations? It won’t be doing anything too heavy as she’s kept it fairly well.

Thanks
Tiger

Don’t buy cheap ones with thin lines, they snap at the first serious hurdle. Use hand tools.

 

[Tigerjones]

Runforfree, this is what I have now done. Gone for manpower over electricity.

 

[Seeker_UK]

Runforfree, this is what I have now done. Gone for manpower over electricity.

Scythe or sickle?

 

[Tigerjones]

Edging shears and some weird weed extractor tool, looks manly.

 

[Seeker_UK]

... looks manly.

That's quite an important consideration, so I chose one of these.

 

[Tigerjones]

My kind of tool, Seeker.