Here to have a rant.
I've had a Makita/Dolmar DCS7901 for 8 years. never missed a beat, always done the job, amazing power to weight (6.2hp to 6.3kg). I want to buy another one but guess what? They don't make them any more, but their newer model of the same displacement (EA7900) is available.... except its heavier, has less power, and will inevitably be worse.
I wouldn't mind if it wasn't the same across the board: the MS201t is, frankly awful when compared to the old ms200t. The Husky 540 is ok when it works, but still not as good as the old 200t, and you are not able to adjust the carb settings when it does stop working, meaning a trip to your nearest retailer to have it re-tuned.
Getting the idea now? Well here's some other examples:
MS362 - gutless when compared to the MS361.
MS661 - You can't adjust the carb so it loses to the MS660. Also feels cheaper and looks worse.
MS880 - The old 084 was better balanced, cut quicker, had an auxiliary oil pump, and was just better.
Husky 576 - Anyone who used the old 281 knows what i'm talking about.
The whole Stihl 4 mix series of hedge trimmers - don't even get me started.
Now call me old fashioned, but newer should really mean better....stop me if i'm wrong. Not a cheaper, more plastic, crappier version of what we already had. In the past 5 years we seem to have been inundated in this industry with updates that have been worse, not better. Am I just being a dinosaur here, or does anyone else agree?
