Strimmer / brushcutter

[Guss109]

Just seen the price of the fs460:001_huh: might just go for the husky 323r11

[scbk]

Tanaka is well worth a look. It is top quality kit, every bit as good as the legendary Kawasaki.

 

Yep it can run a nice long line (with the strandard guard on!). Seems to have gone up in price since last year from I think £350 ex vat to £440 ex vat on the Abbey website

[hedgesparrow]

the good thing about the Honda is its 4 stroke has more grunt than a 2 stroke. power for power cc class. also most 2 strokes apart from the monsters take 2,5 line the hondas take 3.5 line. the feed is simple double up line wind on pt through eyelets and away you go 20 seconds i can refill with line and be on my way. and i can do a good half day on one refill of line if strimming hard.

and you will get the 425 for around £300 has i believe do not quote me 3 years pro warrenty

[GardenKit]

But one problem with the 4 stroke is the weight.

 

For example the 25cc 425 straight shaft weighs 5.9kg, but a 24cc Tanaka 2 stroke produces 10% more power at only 4.4kg

 

Or you could have 30% more power on a 34cc machine and still only weigh 5.1 kg

 

Horses for courses I suppose.

[hedgesparrow]

the debate 2 stroke over 4 stroke. you say the tanaka is lighter than the honda.

and has 10% more power. but what size string will it take. my hondas take 3.5 and work well so does not break as quick on tuff work.

it looks as if a duel not at dawn to early:laugh1: the honda again ts a equivalent 2 stroke on some grass. still say honda will beat it on fuel consumption rate of work and noise. i am up for it small wager to the arbtalk charity from the looser.

[Rich2484]

the debate 2 stroke over 4 stroke. you say the tanaka is lighter than the honda.

and has 10% more power. but what size string will it take. my hondas take 3.5 and work well so does not break as quick on tuff work.

it looks as if a duel not at dawn to early:laugh1: the honda again ts a equivalent 2 stroke on some grass. still say honda will beat it on fuel consumption rate of work and noise. i am up for it small wager to the arbtalk charity from the looser.

 

The gauntlet has been thrown. Will it be picked up?.

[mowingjamie]

i alway thought that 4 stroke would not be good for a strimmer because the oil levels would be all over the place if you were strimming a hill side, etc. Iam i right in thinking that or wouldn't cause any problems?

[littlerob]

i got an echo srm330 it gets work hard one day every week its now 10 years old and still going strong and have never let me down never needed to lay a spanner to it and the anti vib is real good don't feel any vibration if it ever need replacing its going to be a echo

[hedgesparrow]

i alway thought that 4 stroke would not be good for a strimmer because the oil levels would be all over the place if you were strimming a hill side, etc. Iam i right in thinking that or wouldn't cause any problems?

 

have no problems have a stick and a cow horn and i do banks anything and does not do a thing to them. old one last 10years still goes just needs a new shaft and housing £40 yes had a go with big sthil and good machine but for size to size i still say the honda is better than a 2 stroke. does not scream its head off you can go into big brambles with the blade on and it does not loose power it just keeps ploughing in. wish they made a bigger one than the 435 but that does all the jobs i throw at it. would not go back to a 2 stroke.

[GardenKit]

The obsession with getting the biggest line into a strimmer head is one that always intrigues me.

 

All sub 30cc machines should,IMO, only be used on 2.4mm cord. Why?, I hear you ask.

 

1) small diameter line cuts much more efficiently than large line. This enables faster revs at the head and lowers fuel consumption.

Thick line has a lot of wind resistance and even without contacting the grass, the engine revs drop and fuel consumption rockets.

 

2) 3mm or greater line simply does not wind well into 4" and 5" 2 line heads, and it tends to wedge itself tight inside, hindering the action of a bump feed head.

 

Sure, thick line is more wear resistant, but work rates drop, the 'cut' is poor and fuel consumption increases.

 

4 stokes are however more able to tolerate the abuse of too large a line, as they have the torque to labour away at the lower speeds caused by the thick line, its not doing the engine any good though.

 

35cc and upwards, however, will drive 3mm cord well, but it still wont cut as well as the thinner stuff.

 

If you are in any doubt of this, fit yourself up with an oregon Jet Fit head, and experiment with different thicknesses of 'flexiblade'

 

In areas of sparse vegetation but plenty of stone, however, there is a case for the abrasion resistance of the larger line.

 

Edit.. and dont forget to store all your strimmer cord, flexiblade, etc, in water. Soaked cord will last much, much longer than dry stored cord.

Edited May 20, 2013 by GardenKit