Strimmers

[PaulT]

Arrived in France yesterday and wow, how the grass, alright, weeds with a little grass, has grown this year. Normally the ride on mower makes short work of it but not this year - it is so wet that it keeps clogging the mower (and so much of it).

I have just pulled my arms off trying to start the cheap strimmer that I have got. So think it is time to buy a decent one to finish the job.

So, before I buy the wrong one and pull my arms off which would you recommend I buy and if it is one sold by the chains is it OK buying from them.

Thanks

Paul

[Patf]

Poor you! I know what it's like.

The first spring in this house we had a bran new siton mower and snapped the belt trying to cut the grass. But we also had a small tractor at the time, so did the first cut with that, then raked up.

We have a strimmer which Eddie uses, too heavy for me. It seems reliable, It's a RYOBI RK43, thermique, if that means anything. probably from M.Bricolage. Debroussailleuse in french.

Good luck.

[idun]

When our cheapo Black and Decker strimmer finally gave up, we bought a good ryobi. I did a lot of damage with that thing, it ran away with me and I ended up cutting things that should never have been touched. So it sounds like it is just what you want, something that will cut ruthlessly. So my advice get a Ryobi.

[Loiseau]

I was out using a sickle today on the sodden long grass surrounding what passes for my flowerbeds...

Angela

[dave21478]

Stihl are about the best you will get for home or even professional use.

I have an FS400 and not much will stop it.

Expensive, but solid and reliable, with spares available from pretty much any garden equipment shop anywhere in the world.

[idun]

[quote user="Loiseau"]I was out using a sickle today on the sodden long grass surrounding what passes for my flowerbeds...

Angela[/quote]

I applaud you Loiseau, you talented lady. I could never manage to cut the long grass back with a sickle, even when it was really sharp. There is, I am told a technique, but I never mastered it!

[Fittersmate]

My OH got fed up messing about with all the rubbish strimmers and bought a Honda - always starts, quiet-uses half the fuel of the geriatric smoky old two strokes and no mixing oil with the fuel, ploughs through anything, grass,weeds,brambles with very little effort. If parts are needed go to a Honda dealer - sorted!

[Pierre ZFP]

As Dave said before Sthil are the best, no doubt about it.  Also they are nicely balanced so easy to work with for long periods, but they are expensive.  I have a Roybi (no idea which model) that subbonly refuses to give up the ghost.  It fires up and works year after year, if only it would break then I could justify to myself to get a Sthil [:-))]

A couple of observations in buying a strimmer.

Get one with Handlebars and not that stupid ring type handle, so much easier to control.

This is probably wrong but I use much thicker strimmer cord than specified, lasts longer and cuts better, in fact the best cord I ever used was when I ran out but had a broken tennis raquet, the cord from that was brilliant! watch your toes though

[PaulT]

Thanks very much for all your inputs - apart from the sickle suggestion [:D]

I had been thinking of a Stihl FS 55 but thought what do others suggest,

I am replacing a Ryobi, albeit one that cost £150 and came with some additional attachments and was a little reticent to buy another even though some of you are doing well with them - you were probably not a miser as I was when you bought yours. The 4 stroke Honda is probably very nice but I bet it cost a tidy penny.

Went with my first thought, the Stihl FS 55 and just put a tank full of fuel through it, Compared with the Ryobi it needs only a little bit of throttle to get the blade spinning - the former needed the engine screaming to get it moving. Cut through the grass, sorry, weeds with the little bit of grass quite easily. At the base the vegetation is extremely thick.

Need to get the strap length right and the position of the bracket to get the balance right.

Wonder if it will start tomorrow morning [:(]

And Pat a tractor would be very useful - having bought the strimmer went past a guy from the local authority cutting the verge with his overhead cutting attachment - so easy.

Paul