I need a tougher weed eater!

[DHCarrotfeeder]

Straight shaft, pro grade trimmer. Stihl/Redmax/Echo are all excellent and in the 23-25cc size they are a good balance of power and weight.

I have a Honda straight shaft 4 stroke trimmer also and it’s a decent piece with good torque. It doesn’t spin up as quick as the two strokes though.

Feed them good fuel (non-ethanol if possible and mid-grade octane) and store without fuel for more than a week or two. There are enough anecdotal stories about ethanol and 2 stroke issues to be considered a significant increase in problems with the ethanol.

I find the vibration bothers my hands a bit longer than what I feel is reasonable. So now I wear the stretch fabric gloves with the textured thick rubber coated fingers and palms (aka Atlas gloves). This helps.

[Bluey]

Spam reported.

[Kvncrll]

When you say “I need a Tougher Weed Eater,” I think you’re referring to a Brush Cutter. As mentioned above there are several good brands out there. We were having the same issues with weed eaters just not doing the job, especially when attacking tougher weeds and such. We ended up with a Jonsered Model after reading this brush cutter review https://besthomegear.com/best-brush-cutter-top-5-picks-to-clean-up-your-yard/ and it works incredibly. Grass, weeds, and small saplings are mowed down with ease and just this one tool. Has made our work around the farm immensely easier! Agree as well with the post about not using gas with ethanol, if you can avoid it for all gas power tools, much less trouble down the road.

[SonnysMom]

Post is 3 years old. Reported post 22 as possible spam- first post by user and has a link.

[clanter]

When you say “I need a Tougher Weed Eater,” I think you’re referring to a Brush Cutter.

never heard of a goat called Brush Cutter

[Christa_P]

@SonnysMom

Get a pro quality straight shaft. I know another CoTH member that swears by Tanaka’s.
Stihl’s tend to be a good brand.

On a funny side note I was trying to look up the wheeled weed eater thingy and I Googled weed machine and clicked images. OMG I did not realize there were machines that looked like soda machines that dispensed marijuana. There are gumball machines and dispensers that look like snack vending machines.

This was what I was looking for: http://www.drpower.com/power-equipment/trimmer-mowers/walk-behind/prompt-for-tr4-6-25-premier-new.axd?ctm_id=TR4675&src=AW90351XE3663309&gclid=CJj7upfjwM0CFQEmhgod8M0F7A

I have always wondered how well these work for fencelines.

I have one like this. Not sure the exact model, but it works great. Cuts through heavy brush and is very manuverable. Not as good in tight spaces as a regular weed eater, but easier to use because you don’t have to carry it.

[fanfayre]

@clanter

never heard of a goat called Brush Cutter

No, but we have/had a CoTHer with a horse called Weed-eatrrr (or something like that!)

[Moderator_1]

Heads up that this is an older thread that was bumped by spam.

[hosspuller]

Still a timely thread, I had to weed-wack the fence line last week. We have TWO Husqvarna four stroke machines. Like them a lot, no fuel mixing and easy on fuel.

Tag team weed-wacking… a person on each side of the fence makes it go fast … no reaching around the posts or under the fence.

[ASB_Stars]

I swear by a commercial grade Tanaka. I run mine anywhere from one to three hours at a time, and that burns a cheap one out in no time flat.

They will run you just under $350, and worth every penny.

[Wanderosa]

Echo is about as good as they get. All my friends who own lawn service companies swear by them. So I’m surprised your’s didn’t last that long. Do you use gas with no ethanol? Because ethanol will kill 4 cycle engines after a while.

I have tendinitis that is easily aggravated by the safety triggers on power tools. At the same time, stuff has to get built and grass maintained. My workaround is to use non-power options. I pick up beautiful hand saws, planes, and other tools from the late 19th-early 20th centuries cheap at the local auction. They work way better than anything manufactured now. The only time I use a power saw is to rip large pieces of sheetgoods. As crazy as it sounds, I have a really high-quality scythe and one of those old-school golf club style weed wackers. Generally prefer them over a gas powered weed eater. Especially in areas with very tall and rough weeds. And no getting hit in the face with particalized poison ivy and reeking of gas/oil fumes.

[hoprah]

Ever tried out Stihl? or Echo even perhaps? I own both of them and they work just fine. But then again, Echo and Stihl are the most two well-known brands out therewhen it comes to weed eater heads. I just came across this article yesterday and they recommend plenty of other high quality weed eaters https://trimthatweed.com/best-weed-eater-head/ . I’m thinking about ordering one. I heard that they have soe pretty sick exclusive trimmer line.

[goodhors]

I have one of these walk behind weed trimmers and love it! No weight on my back and shoulders while cleaning long fence rows. They take an extremely heavy string, 155 I think, that cuts well and lasts pretty well. The heavy string is available from other folks than DR, could be cheaper too. Mine is usually one-pull to start, never more than 2 pulls. Pretty easy to manuever. I get a lot of fence done on a tank of gas. The DR folks have a good warrenty, will take them back if unsatisfactory, with paid shipping and if you bought from the website. Not sure about how they manage returns sold thru other places like TSC. They have sales all the time, so you can get them for less than list cost.

I would recommend getting the extra cost mow-ball for the string, so easy to use! Just push in cut length to add new string or adjust the length of strings very quickly. The slotted string holder that is standard can be a bit difficult to change strings on. Husband drops the string holder now and then to clean out trapped weedy pieces that can slow the belt. Easy to do, fast to blow it clean, then put all the bolts back in place.

I do a LOT of fenceline with needing to keep our tensile wire hot. This machine is a blessing. I have tried other makes, but they did not hold up to long running times more than a year or two. Carrying a trimmer for long times is exhausting. Pushing the trimmer never seems like it is hard, though i do get tired lIke any job does to you. DR has greatly improved these machines over the years, since I first got a used one. I decided I needed a Newer model and sold the old one. Love the new one!

DR also has a tractor powered fence trimmer I tried. It did not work well with the tensile wire. I broke it twice, they paid for repairs when I took it in. Same 2 issues both times, with very long wait times at busy repair shop. No use having it if it keeps breaking. So per the warranty, I returned it. I did put it back on the same pallet machine arrived on, bought some super long, heavy zip ties at Home Depot to secure it to pallet. Put it on the Semi they sent and got my money back. Looking at their advertising, all the fences were board fences, maybe I should have figured out it was not meant for wire fences!! Ha ha It was a nice machine, cut weeds well, but there is a learning curve to using it.

[omare]

So is the ethanol why I have would have such an awful time starting up gas weed eaters? I finally switched to weeny electric as -I could never find anyone to do repairs on weed eaters locally and my shoulders could not take the wear and tear yanking on the starter string (I think galloping racehorses in my youth did a number on my shoulders…) If I venture back to a gas one -avoid the ethanol?

[luvmyhackney]

No clue, I use regular unleaded from Sheets in my push trimmer with zero issues.

Thing is a beast with weeds and small trees.

[LCDR]

String trimmers should be “tried on” by the person using them. Balance is critical. I am tall, and the sales folks always tell me I need a straight shaft trimmer. However, my posture and back prefer a curved shaft trimmer.

Another critical choice is which trimmer line you choose. It is frequently a mistake to continue using the same line that originally came with the trimmer. Search and read up on trimmer line and you’ll likely come up with a better choice.

For ease of starting, use the canned gasoline substitute with no ethanol. Pricey yes, but when the trimmer starts on the first pull you’ll be glad you spent the money. Also, during my pandemic time as a hermit, I discovered you can order this stuff and have it delivered by Amazon. Can’t do that with gasoline. No more trips just to buy gasoline, and no more mixing it with oil yourself.

I use an Echo curved shaft model, but I have replaced the head with an Oregon brand, and use the Oregon spools of trimmer line. I’m on my third Echo. None has failed, but they don’t handle being backed over by a tractor very well.

[walktrot]

I have a terrific weed eater.

He does fence lines and spots the lawnmower missed. He’s not picky. Most varieties of grass and weeds with flat leaves are fine.