MarkO

I need to get a petrol strimmer to keep our grassy bank under control; it needs to basically be a 'mower' 'cos we won't have enough grass on the flat to justify a new mower, but will need to keep our wild grass area in trim. Our current rechargable Black&Decker jobby just isn't up to the task.

I've got £110 of garden vouchers to spend on it from my birthday and was originally going to buy a Ryobi job from CostCo, but am now thinking I might need to chip in a little extra to get something a bit more robust. Current likely choice is the Stihl FS55 which would match my chainsaw nicely.

So, any recommendations? Anything to look out for or to avoid? I'm fairly sure I want one with 'bike' handles (as opposed to loop handles). Are McCulloch any good (they seem slightly cheaper than Stihl)?

Re-posted from DIY forum after a singular lack of responses

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Look at engine size and make rather than the overall maker.


Mine in France is a "Partner" but it has a 46cc Kwakka motor rather than the more normal 34cc, and is very powerful. It's one with it's own harness and is well balanced so it doesn't tire you when you use it.

DO get a face mask though, one of those flip down mesh ones if you don't have one already...............although if you have chainsaw you probably do, and ear protection, ditto.

Alcazar

Faire D'Income

I'd recommend Stihl or Husqvarna for this type of thing although I'm sure that I saw a STihl model on one of the gardening programmes that you could buy which could be used in conjunction with a load of attachments.

This may be the way to go as you could get other bits as and when you need them.

Brendan Hughes

Normally we love Stihl, but Dad's somewhat unreliable (very fiddly to start etc) Stihl, forgot the model number but it was bought 10 yrs ago, was eventually nicked. He got a different brand, forgotten which, red rather than orange, and it seems to be a lot better. He said he was cheered to see the local council guys using them.

Good point about looking for power specs, though wouldn't need much for grass! And you might want to check how much official cord costs, Stihl can be bloody expensive.

the moose

My petrol strimmer is a Black and Decker 50cc, which cost me £65 (boxed and unused but 18 months old) from Loot about 7 years ago. Flipping noisy but tremendously effective, and so much better than either a mains or rechargeable electric.

It's been used a lot, and serviced exactly zero times; a new spark plug evey year or so keeps it sweet.

ajm

I have used Echo strimmers which seem pretty good. How thick is the grass and how far is it from a mains supply? As an alternative you could buy a cheap electric hover mower which are excellent for use on banks.

MarkO

The place we want to cut is 30-50m from a power supply and is on a steep bank...

Looking like I might stump up the extra £50 and get the SF55 from the link above. Since the RRP is claimed to be anywhere between £230 and £270 depending on where you look, the £179 they quote looks to be a bargain....

planky

Get a Homelite..11 yrs of very hard labour and still working.
Just make sure you mix the oil and petrol correctly and they will go on for ever.

MarkO

Ordered a Stihl FS55 with the optional metal blade in the end. Look out grass!!!

Brendan Hughes

MarkO, just in case you don't know about the metal blade:

Advantage; doesn't run out like cord

Disadvantage; make very sure that no-one has thrown the odd beer bottle into your long grass...

ProperCharlie

at work we use big husqvarnas, but in general stihls are equally as good. what BH says about the metal blades is very true - our guys have had quite a few accidents by hitting peices of metal with the blade attachment. now we carry out a site search before starting cutting.

MarkO

I'm aware of the risk of the blade hitting something. 90% of the time I'll be using the cord strimmer, as it's mostly strimming rather than mowing required ATM. Later on I'll be using the strimmer for mowing some areas of grass, but as you say I'll be clearing the area first.

Plus, after having a go with my neighbour's FS55 the other night, I'll be making sure I wear strong boots, and probably my chainsaw helmet (with mesh visor and ear-protectors) whilst using the new strimmer. It's significantly more powerful (and therefore dangerous) than the puny Black&Decker rechargable job we used to use before.

Brendan Hughes

Don't think I ever bothered with boots, given the harness and the rigid shaft, I found it almost impossible to get it close to my feet, it would hit the ground first. OTOH, eye protection at minimum (face protection preferably but I've often gone without when I know the terrain, I just use goggles), and ear protection from the engine barely a foot from your head are a MUST. Depending on the size of your bank, get ready for whitefinger as well (tingling/numbing from prolonged vibration).

I commented on bottles rather than metal as I borrowed Dad's to cut the 2ft "lawn" of the Young Ones-style house I moved into in Hounslow to share with a bunch of weirdos. Fired it up, happily started with metal blade - bastids never told me they'd spent the last year chucking their beer empties out there, did they?

Anyway, have fun!

PeteT

Watch out for dog **** (not nice when strimmed)

MarkO

Took delivery of my Stihl FS55 yesterday, and spent 15 minutes thrashing around in the long grass. It came with a rather fierce-looking mowing blade which looks like a giant ninja throwing star. I'll have a go with that tonight and see if it works as well as it looks like it will.

Very pleased with it...

ajm

and cat ****!

ProperCharlie

and frogs

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I'd advise not using it before 10:00am on a sunday morning like my nieghbour kept doing - even though he's retired and can do it Any Day and time of the week - but did it first thing on Sunday on every working persons lie in

I soon let him know (as did his other neighbour ).

MarkO

Did it at 9pm last night. Not really an issue though, as there's nobody else for several miles except for one set of neighbours who were out (and often mow/strim late in the evening too).

OllyK

Buy some geese instead - good guarders and 3 geese = 1 cow in terms of grass consumptions and best of all the eggs are cracking for cooking with

Brendan Hughes

Bit messy when you strim them though. Blood and feathers everywhere...

MarkO

Not to mention the fact that surely 3 geese is far noisier than a petrol brushcutter in full effect.

OllyK

I dunno, usually pretty quiet unless somebody comes snooping about then all hell breaks loose.