Choosing a garden strimmer ?

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stevewestern

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So, the sun has appeared, the lawn, such as it is and the weeds and dead stuff from last year need to be attacked.
My cheapo flymo strimmer was never really up to the job and I need to get something more powerful - so what should I look at ?

The idea of a petrol engined strimmer doesn't appeal partly as they seem noisy, and partly as my mower is mains powered so I need to have the extension lead out anyway.
My garden isn't a big one and my interest in gardening is small, so doing the job quickly and effectively is important.

Having had a quick look at what is available I don't want a pro model nor do I want to spent over say £150-ish

Anyone got any suggestions ?
 
Don't get one that has a curved tube. They are driven by little more than a speedometer cable. Get a straight shafted one that will have a solid drive shaft. Also don't get one that has the automatic line feed. This usually relies on you hitting the head on something hard to operate the feed.
As ever you get what you pay for.

I use one every day and wouldn't dream of an electric one, but it depends on the size of your patch and how happy you are to be tangled up in wires. Petrol nowadays have quite stringent noise regulations, and many are now four stroke with a silencer, as opposed to the very noisy two stoke models. Generally speaking petrol will be better built and will last longer than electric, and probaly be easier to operate.

Caveat emptor, as always!
 
Good advice - Thanks !
So avoiding an automatic feed means you need to manually pull out more line ?
I assume the stuff lasts well ?

The garden is small - 3 patches of approx 25sq m each, so plenty of edges and lots of overgrown bits that I want to try to reduce.
As for petrol - could be I only hear the noisy ones - I may need to ask a local garden centre if they can advise as to quiet models.
Again, thanks for the help !
 
The head should have a spring loaded top that you pull up and then pull the two strands of cable out. Simple to do - easier than it sounds. Auto line feed usually requires you to bash the head on the ground or a hard surface...do you really want to be regularly hitting you equipment against hard surfaces? Not good for longevity! Cable will last as long as it lasts. If you start strimming against brick/comcrete it won't last as long as just strimming grass round tree trunks. Cable is cheap, but don't buy the small packets available at B&Q and the like. Search Google for 100 metre rolls - that will last you a lifetime.

I'm considered a "pro", and wouldn't buy from a garden center. There will be a garden equipment/repair man near you. You just have to find him. Most are back street type operations because everyone goes to the fancy big names. But the little guys will be far more help. Where are you? My local guy has a workshop that doesn't even have a clean mug to drink out of - yes you get cups of tea - but his advice and help is far more than a garden centre will give - and it's free!
 
Your advice is much appreciated mickledore.
I am in St Austell in Cornwall, and I would far rather buy from someone who knows than a big shed - I'll see if I can find a local guy.
Given that the sun is shining I may just find someone working with their machine so will stop and ask them.
 
Yet again, many thanks !
I'll pop by in the next few days to have a chat - they don't have any listed on their website but are sure to sell them !
 
Consider a Stihl if possible, they aren't *that* much more.
We have one with plastic blades and it must be almost 30 years old.
Anything running on electric is a joke by comparison.
 
Definitely agree about petrol ones. The weeds - rough grass, bracken, tree seedlings and brambles in our garden destroyed electric trimmers. The petrol one copes easily. Thankfully I haven't needed to fit the scary looking brushwood blade.
Can understand if you don't want to go for a petrol one if your patch is fairly small but in the long run they are worth every penny.

Dave
 
My only problem with a petrol strimmer is the noise factor, if it is indeed a factor..!
My neighbours are a quiet lot and I don't want to disturb the peace too much, but it isn't easy to find out what sort of noise they make before buying.
 
Just buy chickens
They sort the edges and the rest of the garden out nicely :-)
 
Chickens make even more noise than my children although my children do not lay eggs.
You may have a valid point.
So where do I buy some flymo chickens ?
 
We've had a Bosch electric one with the tap-to-extend-string mechanism for about 20 years and it still works fine! Only gets used for grass around the path and patio, no heavy duty use (brambles etc) and our garden isn't that big.
 
4wd said:
Consider a Stihl if possible, they aren't *that* much more.
We have one with plastic blades and it must be almost 30 years old.
Anything running on electric is a joke by comparison.
Click to expand...

Tringa said:
Definitely agree about petrol ones. The weeds - rough grass, bracken, tree seedlings and brambles in our garden destroyed electric trimmers. The petrol one copes easily. Thankfully I haven't needed to fit the scary looking brushwood blade.
Can understand if you don't want to go for a petrol one if your patch is fairly small but in the long run they are worth every penny.

Dave
Click to expand...

Got to agree with both these posts. Ever since I went petrol I'd never go back to using an electric strimmer, they're pathetic in comparison, just like electric chainsaws! I can cut my back garden with a petrol strimmer - and it's only a piddly ~30cc - faster and easier than your average electric lawnmower would. Sure, it's noisy, but it cuts through almost anything, thick grass, bogweed type stuff, small plants, heck you could take it to the hedge and it'd give it a run for your money. It's so effective that my mum has me round sometimes to shred the jungle she calls a garden, and I've only stalled it a handful of times when it got caught on the pampas grass. OP for your needs a small petrol would do the trick.
 
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Nod said:
We've had a Bosch electric one with the tap-to-extend-string mechanism for about 20 years and it still works fine! Only gets used for grass around the path and patio, no heavy duty use (brambles etc) and our garden isn't that big.
Click to expand...

Hmm. I've got two Bosch strimmers, both are the same model. The one in SA works perfectly - powerful and reliable. The one in the UK is useless, the line on the spool constantly jams/breaks and the tap to extend, well, doesn't! I've replaced the spools with OEM ones several times and tried reloading them with different types of line. The Amazon and other reviews suggest that this is a common complaint.
 
I too have a Bosch, it takes a couple of different spools and 'single length' clip in heavy duty lines which is what I use in it all the time, lasts for ages and handles the thick heavy wet grass that takes over my garden.
 
stevewestern said:
Chickens make even more noise than my children although my children do not lay eggs.
You may have a valid point.
So where do I buy some flymo chickens ?
Click to expand...

any good hardware store should keep them in stock
if not try the flymo chicken rescue
mine keep the grass short scrape up the moss and fertilize all in one
and are cheap to run and occasionally help out with the neighbors gardening to
:-)
 
Stihl probably has the best reputation. I had a makita in work and it never failed and i worked it hard!
 
If OP is getting serious he should maybe consider a split boom unit. I have a strimmer, long reach hedge cutter and even longer reach chainsaw attachments to fit on the basic engine unit. Depends on his garden/probable usage/budget.
 
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