strimmer

[SHAZSULL]

can any one recommend a cheapish petrol strimmer?
thanks

[digthatchick]

What sort of price are you looking at? I bought mine from Ebay - A Stihl (probably the best there is) and I paid £90 it is almost new and would have cost £350 new. I think buying the best you can afford second hand is better than buying cheaper ones new.

[Paul Wagland]

I think buying the best you can afford second hand is better than buying cheaper ones new.

I second that. Stihl tools are certainly very good (I have a multi system, and mould recommend it). Makita would be my other top choice.

[allotmentlady]

if you have not got much to do, some hire shops can be cheap, our local one charge a fiver a day, they do deals if you need it longer, just haggle.

Tesco have some reasonably priced ones.

[bluemoon]

Argos did one in last year's Spring/summer catalogue which cost £70 and which they later reduced to £50. It was a Spear and Jackson. It was just a bog-standard petrol strimmer, but it did the job. They might have it again in the new catalogue.

[Flytrap]

Be careful that you get what you actually need. I bought a very good petrol strimmer but later realised that it was not really up to the job and I should have bought a strimmer/brush cutter. It coped well with grass, easy to use etc.etc. but could not cope with thicker weeds.

Flytrap

[Mikey]

Argos did one in last year's Spring/summer catalogue which cost £70 and which they later reduced to £50. It was a Spear and Jackson. It was just a bog-standard petrol strimmer, but it did the job. They might have it again in the new catalogue.

I was trying to think of the strimmer sat in the garage, and this is the one, its not the lightest by far, but came with both strimmer head and blade as options, the latter was very useful for clearing my lottie. The cheapest alternative was more like £150, not £50. I actually ended up using my nectar points I think so didn't pay a penny.

[Glutton4...]

You will find, as with most things, that the cheap ones are just not up to the job. Unless, that is, it's only a small job.

Try your local garden machinery dealer. Find out who sells to the local authority, as a lot of them part-exchange them after a year, so you could get a fully reconditioned one for a fraction of the new price. That way you'd be able to get a better one.

[bubblewrap]

B&Q have one @£99 98

[allotmentlady]

i contacted our local Honda machinery dealer who had a p/x in, last year and got it for 75.00, plus if i take it to be serviced every year there, they only charge me 6.00!!

[SHAZSULL]

[QUOTE=Glutton4...;346077]You will find, as with most things, that the cheap ones are just not up to the job. Unless, that is, it's only a small job.

Try your local garden machinery dealer. Find out who sells to the local authority, as a lot of them part-exchange them after a year, so you could get a fully reconditioned one for a fraction of the new price. That way you'd be able to get a better one.[/Q
MY neighbour works for the council doing the parks gonna give him a shout,baby sat his dog last summer so sure he wll help me out !thanksx

[NOG]

I got a Robyi 30cc for the big stuff and a Argos Spear and Jackson one for light stuff.

If is more than grass you need a straight shaft, and 2mm nylon.

[SHAZSULL]

thanks everyone ,gonna ask my neighbour who works for the local parks ,get tooled up and get down the allotment.

[SHAZSULL]

mainly grassy stuff ,some woody stuff (i sound so thick)that pulls straight out no problem
nothing to heavy

[Mikey]

Then the spear and jackson then will probably fit the bill, unless you can get a better deal, on a part ex.

I used to work on the council strimming grass all day long, their strimmers are lighter there is no doubt about it, and the weight is better balanced, so much so that you can hold it comfortably with one hand.

My only tip would be get a full face mask, the number of times I used to get wet things sprayed in my face isn't worth thinking about. (everything from slugs and snails, to cuckoo spit, and worst of all the smell stuff, bleugh.)

Go with your gut, but definately test them out, wear it for about 5 minutes at least, and walk around with it, you'd be surprised how heavy and uncomfortable they can get after an hour or 8!!. Put it on and leave it on, to see how hot it gets, and how close the balance of the motor is to your forearm, elbow and hip. They all look so similar in the shop, but if you are gonna use it, it really needs to be comfortable, light and well balanced for you.

Heads are a different thing all together, the motor speed and thickness of cord will mean that thicker grass is beyond the cheaper models, this is where a blade comes into its own. If you have a corded head, make sure its a bump or automatic feed head, there is nothing more annoying than taking the strap off when its comfortable to extend the reel and have it cut out on you.