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Petrol Strimmer advice please

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LindsayT
LindsayT Posts: 246 Forumite
Fourth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
Hi All
Thinking about getting a petrol strimmer but know nothing about them.
Any advice on what to look for greatly appreciated.

Comments

  • MattMattMattUK
    MattMattMattUK Posts: 11,105 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper
    LindsayT said:
    Hi All
    Thinking about getting a petrol strimmer but know nothing about them.
    Any advice on what to look for greatly appreciated.
    How much strimming do you need to do? Unless you have a huge garden that needs a lot of strimming, or you are using it a lot for work you are almost certainly better off getting an electric strimmer instead. 
  • prowla
    prowla Posts: 13,956 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I looked at getting a petrol strimmer a couple of years ago and was leaning towards a Stihl.
    However, I ended up getting a DeWalt 18V one, as it takes the same battery as my other power tools.
    I'm pleased with the purchase.
  • ButterCheese
    ButterCheese Posts: 514 Forumite
    Third Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
    As above, a petrol strimmer is not necessarily better for small to mid-size gardens unless you have a lot of heavy brush.  Even then, modern electric ones are now very very good.

    I have this one https://amzn.eu/d/cePMVnK

    It is fairly light, no bother with filling with fuel, quieter, and has a proper thick cord (more like power cable thickness) which I have yet to break or replace.  It also comes with a blade attahment, and I also bought separately a wire wheel attachment which is great for weeds.  It also has a shoulder harness.

    The only thing I'd say is, if you want the "handle bar" type grips the you might need to go petrol after all.  This is preferable if you're going to spend hours strimming, but the normal straight shaft grip ones are fairly comfortable with the shoulder strap.

    The only reason I'm against petrol for small domestic use is that

    a) they don't work very well at an angle and can be starved of fuel if you are cutting stuff at an angle or above waist height.
    b) they are noisier
    c) you have to keep petrol and 2 stroke mix (unless you buy a 4 stroke) which is messier and more expensive
    d) you have to ensure that the carb doesn't get gunked up with old fuel if you don't use it often.

    That said, I've just seen a 2 stroke petrol on Amazon for £111 (unbranded).  This will be fine if you don't have laods to do or if you are just dead set on petrol.  It has wide handle bars and a harness and comes with a brush cutting blade.  More expensive branded ones may well start easier and last longer, but if you keep it dry and serviced, many chinese knock-offs are very good these days

  • Dustyevsky
    Dustyevsky Posts: 2,512 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Second Anniversary Homepage Hero Photogenic
    If you need a petrol strimmer/brushcutter then I can recommend Honda models, which work at any angle (even upside down!) They aren't messy and don't suffer any fuel problems, provided you strain all petrol through a suitable filter, which you should anyway, judging by what I find in mine.
    It won't be cheap in the short term, but mine's 15, and I've failed to kill it. It started first time on Monday after laying (empty of fuel) in the barn for 6 months.
    I agree with those who say battery models have improved. I might even buy one, but I have to kill the Honda first!

  • QrizB
    QrizB Posts: 17,880 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    LindsayT said:
    Any advice on what to look for greatly appreciated.
    Ear defenders, decent gloves, eye protection, long trousers, stout shoes (or safety boots).
    And a hat if it's sunny.
    N. Hampshire, he/him. Octopus Intelligent Go elec & Tracker gas / Vodafone BB / iD mobile. Ripple Kirk Hill member.
    2.72kWp PV facing SSW installed Jan 2012. 11 x 247w panels, 3.6kw inverter. 34 MWh generated, long-term average 2.6 Os.
    Not exactly back from my break, but dipping in and out of the forum.
    Ofgem cap table, Ofgem cap explainer. Economy 7 cap explainer. Gas vs E7 vs peak elec heating costs, Best kettle!
  • LindsayT
    LindsayT Posts: 246 Forumite
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
    Thanks for the replies guys.
    I only wondered about petrol because it's what someone used on my garden last year and he was so quick with it.
    A cordless one could be another option, maybe even a better option from some of the comments.
  • ButterCheese
    ButterCheese Posts: 514 Forumite
    Third Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
    LindsayT said:
    Thanks for the replies guys.
    I only wondered about petrol because it's what someone used on my garden last year and he was so quick with it.
    A cordless one could be another option, maybe even a better option from some of the comments.

    A good cordless one will be more expensive.  A cheap cordless one will be less powerful and less effective.  The one I linked to was 240v electric.  yes you have a wire to consider but mine worked fine on a 20m extensino lead (ensure to use a breaker). 

    Battery ones in my opinion have all the cons and none of the pros of a petrol so I'd probably choose petrol over battery.  You can fill up with petrol quicker than fully charging a battery.  And it will be more powerful and cheaper to buy.  So in that case, anything Japanese will be good.  Things like the cord shroud and other breakable bits will be better made on a branded one, but cheap ones will last if looked after.  Depends how much you will use it
  • QrizB
    QrizB Posts: 17,880 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 21 May at 1:57PM
    I bought a cheap (£100-ish) Qualcast-branded 2-stroke petrol strimmer about 15 years ago, as my mains electric one wasn't really up to the job (we'd recently moved to a house with a much larger garden). It's still going strong.
    As a guide as to how much use it gets, I need to refill the string spool a couple of times a year.
    If you've only used electric tools before, do keep in mind that small internal combustion engines do need a bitore TLC and you need to learn their quirks. Mine has a manual choke that needs careful use when the engine's cold, and (as mentioned above) 2-stroke fuel can cause problems if left in the tank for a long time.
    N. Hampshire, he/him. Octopus Intelligent Go elec & Tracker gas / Vodafone BB / iD mobile. Ripple Kirk Hill member.
    2.72kWp PV facing SSW installed Jan 2012. 11 x 247w panels, 3.6kw inverter. 34 MWh generated, long-term average 2.6 Os.
    Not exactly back from my break, but dipping in and out of the forum.
    Ofgem cap table, Ofgem cap explainer. Economy 7 cap explainer. Gas vs E7 vs peak elec heating costs, Best kettle!
  • -taff
    -taff Posts: 15,325 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 22 May at 12:56PM
    I have a cheap battery strimmer and I would say it's fine for a small garden or an allotment [ only edging though, I have beds] but I wouldn't be able to use it for any tough stuff or very long dense stuff. It does have a decent amount of time on the battery though.
    Also have a battery mower now [ again, bought for the allotment] which is now being used in the back garden. It did cope with a bit of dense tall grass but again, the battery will only last so long so I have to do the allotment over two days bringing the battery back to charge.
    It's definitely a case of you get what you pay for so decide whther you do actually need something that powerful or you just want one :) I'm a !!!!!! for deciding I want a specific thing even if I don't truly need it.
    Non me fac calcitrare tuum culi
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