Recommend a Petrol Strimmer please

riverboat2001

I have just bought a house and that will be taking all my spare time for quite a while.

In the meantime i have a 160ft x 30ft garden, which is mostly, grass, nettles,weeds,and some bramble. And I'd like to be able to just about keep on top of it.

Rather than keep hiring one, i thought that we should buy a decent petrol strimmer, this will also makes things easier, as we don't have a 160ft extension lead for our cheap little electric strimmer!

It can't be too heavy, and ideally not more than about £150.

So, any ideas on what we should buy?

matt987106

pop to your local hire shop, have a look at what they hire out, they will want them to last, so they will have the best

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

And get some goggles, earplugs and a mask, as the stench, the fumes, the ear rupturing noise and the speed in which they can chuck a stone or shard of plastic up is terrifying.


(Lived in a block of flats where we had these descending upon us every so often by order of the landlord, and had to help out when some of the lads got overcome by the fumes/hit by debris)

peter_the_piper

We have a honda one, much quieter as its four stroke, no fuel mixing and no screaming engines.

paddy's_mum

You might want to look at a Stihl brushcutter. Although over your budget, they are tough and reliable. I got a small toothed cutting disc with mine that is fine with leafier stuff such as grass and sappy weeds but also a heavy duty disc that copes with brambles, nettles etc.

I'm really not sure that any strimmer currently on the market would be able to cope with what you have to deal with plus Stihl also have quite a good resale value once your jungle is back under control.

Davesnave

I also have a Honda 35cc, 4 stroke, but it was way over your budget. It will do exactly what you require though, and it has a 5 year guarantee (if you buy it from a recognised dealer.)

No nasty faffing about with 2 stroke mixing, no problem using it at any angle and, as Peter says, you get to keep your eardrums (though I wrecked mine in the 1960/70s listening to the Who:rotfl:)

poly1

Something like this maybe: Ryobi Brush Cutter it is 4 stroke and has a blade but I can't comment on reliability.

peacellily

ideal world have petrol strimmers, 3 easy payments intrest free around about £100 we have one does the job has some kind of attachments with it to

Davesnave

If you are meaning to just take control of the garden while you do other things, then brushcutting wont tackle the underlying problem of the nettles brambles etc. If there is nothing worth saving in there and if you are not an organic convert, I would get a knapsack sprayer and glyphosate whole areas, using a generic brand, not Roundup. Buy it via internet in 5 litre amounts (about £50)

I've done this on garden areas that I'm not using for veggies. The brambles won't die in one treatment, and nor probably will nettles, but I come back & keep hitting the surviving bits. After a year of that, sorting out the underground remains of roots etc is easier.

If, on the other hand, it may be years before you tackle the garden properly, brushcutting will be a decent solution for the next few years. By the way, a brushcutter with a proper harness isn't heavy. Even this old pensioner can run his for 3 hours without reaching for the ibuprofen the next day...:)

peter_the_piper

Agree with Dave, I usually knock them down and let them start to regrow and then hit them with roundup.,you use less that way. Takes a lot of time though. Nettles just spray the Blighters and they go in about 4 weeks. I usually leave some in an out of the way corner for the butterflies.

forgotmyname

Ive used a cheap argos one on the allotment works well. No issues yet.

ABout £50 - £70 i think?