Strimmer /BrushCutter … any recommendations ?

[Former MemberParticipant @formermember12892]

[This posting has been removed]

[Simon Williams 3Participant @simonwilliams3]

+1 from me for the Aspen fuel, worth every penny. But it is pricey. My local dealer suggests using it for the last tankful of the season but otherwise use oil/petrol mix but with stabiliser.  Worth while to empty the tank back into the manin petrol can each time you put the machine away.  It's a fiddle but it seems to be worth it.

Buy an aerosol of Carburettor Cleaner and spray the carb' passages if it plays up.  But you need to take the mixture control needles out, which may mean breaking the adjustment seals.

I use a four stroke Stihl brushcutter quite a bit, I've gone over to the head with the three nylon blades ("Polycut&quot you end up wearing a lot less of the debris. I bought it secondhand from the local Cash Exchange, hasn't missed a beat. For brambles you need a steel blade, but that in turn needs a machine on a harness so you can't get the business end near enough to your feet to do yourself a mischief.

I have a friend who bought the Honda four stroke one, seems to be completely trouble free. But then it is a Honda.

edited – added comment about emptying the tank

Edited By Simon Williams 3 on 01/07/2021 21:39:28

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by br on 01/07/2021 21:25:51:

Michael.

If on someone elses property does that not make it their responsiblity as opposed to yours ?

bill

.

Possibly, bill … but I wouldn’t want to debate whether there is any responsibility

It’s a scrubby field on which they occasionally graze a few bullocks, and they don’t have any interest in maintaining it. I just strim a few metres beyond my fence-line, to keep the brambles away from the garden.

MichaelG.

[Simon Williams 3Participant @simonwilliams3]

Cutting brambles is quite effective with a hedge cutter – for which a reasonable quality battery one will suffice. But it does give you back ache!

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

Posted by br on 01/07/2021 21:25:51:

Michael.

If on someone elses property does that not make it their responsiblity as opposed to yours ?

bill

It should be the same as tree branches – if they overhang your property then you can cut them but the owner of the tree has no responsibility to do it unless they overhang a roadway or public footpath
Officially Michael is trespassing but I doubt anyone cares…unless he gets rid of it all and the cattle start to break through the fence.

[Adrian NicolsonParticipant @adriannicolson]

Hi All,

Surprised that no one has recommended Jonsered Products for well engineered BrushCutters. On a purely personal note: I bought a Jonsered GR2036 Brushcutter back in 1995/6…that is still going strong. Granted, it was an expensive item at that time…but we had just bought a smallholding and we had a lot of Nettles, Brambles, Docks etc. to deal with…The Jonsered came with both a grass blade and a saw blade, as well as the Trimmer head…and made short work of anything we put in front of it. It doesn't get such heavy use these days, now that we have "retired"…but it is an extremely well made bit of kit IMHO.

Regards,

Adrian

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Adrian Nicolson on 01/07/2021 22:03:43:

Hi All,

Surprised that no one has recommended Jonsered Products for well engineered BrushCutters. […]

.

I had never heard of them until now, Adrian … but the website ticks a lot of the right boxes
**LINK**

https://www.jonsered.com/uk/products/trimmers-brushcutters/#medium

I may take a trip to the reasonably close dealer

MichaelG.

.

Edit: Ownership to Husqvarna, via Electrolux …  are they as good as they were ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonsereds_Fabrikers_AB

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 01/07/2021 22:36:36

[Adrian NicolsonParticipant @adriannicolson]

Hi MichaelG,

I really don't think you will be disappointed when you see their Products, in the flesh…as it were.

They are better known as being, pitched, more at the Professional/Contractor level…However, my view has always been that if I am going to buy something…I only really want to have to buy it once…and therefore I have always made my choices around that old "mantra"…

It has certainly served me well…I hope that you are just as impressed, when you see them.

Best Regards,

Adrian

PS The disclaimer: I have no association with Jonsered, other than being a very satisfied customer. Thanks

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Thanks again, Adrian

MichaelG.

[Paul LousickParticipant @paullousick59116]

I don't use a brush cutter but had a Ryobi 1100w, 240v line trimmer. Powerful motor and have had it for 10 years + with no problems. Also a 2 stroke line trimmer / hedge cutter / chain saw with extension poles for trimming trees. Manicuring trees with a hedge cutter on the end of a 5 metre pole is harder than pumping iron at the gym. The petrol engine noisy, messy and a B#@%& to start.

I now have a Ryobi 36v battery line trimmer which is better thjan the old 240v unit. Variable speed trigger and a high/low speed switch. I only use it on the low speed setting and the battery lasts for over 1 hour. Made an adaptor to use the hedge cutter and chain saw attachments. Now I can clean my yard without a messy, noisy, smelly petrol engine and listen to music while working.

Paul

Edited By Paul Lousick on 02/07/2021 01:03:19

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Michael, my experience with Stihl goes back to 1982, when the first 2-stroke landscaping machine I operated was a Stihl backpack brushcutter. I've owned 12 Stihl machines and currently have 9, the oldest at present being 16 yrs old.

Experience tells me carbs used by Stihl on their machines in the last ten years are not generally as good as the ones they used to fit twenty plus years ago. I could be wrong but I seem to remember Stihl bought out Zama some time ago and it was around then that carb quality started to decline.

I've done numerous carb strip-downs over the years, mostly just for routine maintenance but sometimes to cure uncharacteristic lumpiness.

The worst carb experience has been on a KM55R bought ten years ago. Thorough ultrasonicking, new diaphragms, gaskets, even new metering needle and spring didn't help. It's currently on its third carb, the last two being non-OEM ones bought direct from China for under £7, after my local Stihl dealer wanted £125 & VAT about five years ago just to supply an OEM replacement for the first one that went phut.

One thing it's nearly always necessary to do, in my experience, as soon as your machine is run in if not before, is to adjust the high and low mixture screws to optimize throttle response from idle and not to have the engine running too lean at the top end.

My best Stihl strimmer has probably been my KM130R Kombi, which has the 4-mix engine. Have had it thirteen years and only had to reset the valves twice. It has a solid steel driveshaft (unlike some of the other Stihl strimmers/Kombis) and more grunt than a herd of pigs. It's too powerful for tickling round trees and routine lawncare. My preferred line-cutting head is the Autocut 25-2.

As others have said, a hedgetrimmer is good on thick brambles. My KM130R will cut through all but the very thickest brambles with just the line head, but the downside is you end up having to bump out more line much too frequently. The Stihl KM-HL hedgetrimmer attachment for Kombi engines lets you cut brambles effortlessly without excessive bending down.

[Former MemberParticipant @formermember12892]

[This posting has been removed]

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

I,m with Duncan ! I found most Bosch stuff to be little better than crap.

[peak4Participant @peak4]

Just spotted the latest flier; it you have a Lidl near you, they have their 4 in one 2 stroke garden gizmo on offer this week.
Combined strimmer, hedge trimmer, etc.
I believe they carry a 3 year warranty, but do check.

https://www.lidl.co.uk/en/online-leaflets/01-07-07-07-lidl-weekly-4/view/flyer/page/20

Bill

[Henry BrownParticipant @henrybrown95529]

Probably depends on the depth of your pocket, My cousin gets through three a year and will only buy Still, they are used five days a week in his gardening maintenance business.

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

Posted by Henry Brown on 02/07/2021 21:08:29:

Probably depends on the depth of your pocket, My cousin gets through three a year and will only buy Still, they are used five days a week in his gardening maintenance business.

Jeez what the hell is he doing to them?🤔

Tony

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

Posted by Henry Brown on 02/07/2021 21:08:29:

Probably depends on the depth of your pocket, My cousin gets through three a year and will only buy Still, they are used five days a week in his gardening maintenance business.

Jeez what the hell is he doing to them?🤔

Tony

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

I've had a Stihl FS96 strimmer/brushcutter which I bought in 1985 and its still going strong. Had it serviced by dealer for the first time last year as was getting a bit difficult to start when warm. Now as good as new again. Still looks as good as new wash it off and clean it after every use and always turn the fuel off and let it run dry before putting it away. Cannot fault it. Even the harness still looks like new. I has had three or four heads for the strimmer line during that time, which I class as consumables.

Colin

[Henry BrownParticipant @henrybrown95529]

Posted by Tony Pratt 1 on 02/07/2021 22:17:08:

Posted by Henry Brown on 02/07/2021 21:08:29:

Probably depends on the depth of your pocket, My cousin gets through three a year and will only buy Still, they are used five days a week in his gardening maintenance business.

Jeez what the hell is he doing to them?🤔

Tony

Just the hammer they get, its not just him, he has two or three guys working for him. This is normal apparently, no other brand lasts as long.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Still pondering, and still reading the responses [for which I am grateful]

Aspen tells a good story about the fuel … so at least I’ve learned something !

**LINK** : https://aspenfuel.co.uk/benefits/consumers/

MichaelG.

[Former MemberParticipant @formermember12892]

[This posting has been removed]

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

Posted by br on 03/07/2021 09:49:59:

A brushcutter with a metal blade would appeal more to me than having to buy reels of plastic string.

'String' tends to describe a large arc so potentially quicker.
Another option is replaceable plastic 'blades' – quicker to replace.
Also heard of folk making their own steel substitutes for the above – dangers?
I've heard of folk using wire guitar string but suspect it just goes frizzy. Embryotomy wire?.

It all depends on the density and size of stalks being cut and how rough/stony the ground is. It may be quicker just to use a small petrol mower and ram through on a high setting and without a collection device with the front angled upwards. Second hand petrol mowers with tin worm are cheap.

I've seen arborists using chainsaws to clear dense bramble patches, but whenever I try it, the chain comes off. When I asked one of the professionals how he managed, he showed me his saw with a loop of chain hanging more than 2 inches below the bar – either a special skill or a magician!

The ultimate answer is a fail mower

pgk

Edited By pgk pgk on 03/07/2021 10:17:02

[Nigel McBurney 1Participant @nigelmcburney1]

I use a Ariens wheeled strimmer/brush cutter with 6 hp 4 stroke engine,push it on big wheels like a lawn mower,as an ordinary strimmer sods my back, now even a machine like this will not cut thick brambles,brambles it destroys the thickest cords. a heavy commercial brush cutter with a harness which with a steel blade will cut up to 30mm stems needs a strong operator,we once borrowed a Husquavarna which really attacked rough scrub with a steel blade.Using a ride on mower on brambles will wreck it. Starting and carb problems with modern petrol is a nightmare,modern carbs have little or no adjustment due to the green emmisions lobby, Some chainsaw users fit carbs from old scrap chainsaws onto new machines as they run better and start easier. My last new Stihl chainsaw ,was a pig to start and now I have got to old to pull on the cord so gave it away and bought a Stihl battery chainsaw,expensive but is instant start and reliable and will cut a 7 inch oak log. A friend who repairs contractors and domestic garden machinery despairs at the way operators just beat their machines to death, latest comment from him was an upmarket mower with cast rollers came in with a smashed roller on asking him how on hell did that get broken ,reply from contractors operator " did not have a ramp so pushed it off the back of the truck"

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by br on 03/07/2021 09:49:59:

A brushcutter with a metal blade would appeal more to me than having to buy reels of plastic string.

.

My current Ryobi has the 3-pointed star blade, which works very well for what I need [when the wretched thing will run] … it’s the engine non-starting that’s the problem.

MichaelG.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi MichaelG, one thing I have found with one strimmer I have, is that one of the plastic tubes from the petrol tank to the carburettor had a very small spilt in it, so small it was un-noticeable until it was flexed a little bit, but of course it sucked in air, might be worth checking out.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 03/07/2021 10:58:23

[Author]

Posts