"Rod" wrote:

Hello Rod

R I was told that the Stihl is a Honda engine so not much to
R choose between the 2. Looking at the new Stihl
R catalogue after I posted here last night it seems Stihl are
R going over to a strange hybrid called '4mix' - 4 stroke
R engine running on a petrol/oil mix like a 2 stroke. I think

Weird! So you have none of the benefits of 2-stroke (twice the power,
twice the revs) but you do get the major disadvantage (need to mix
fuel)?

R bought one. Most of the main makers of serious strimmers
R include both kinds of handles in most sizes so get a
R demo.

IME, although cow horns are sometimes available for smaller petrol
strimmers, they're not as well balanced nor placed as the larger
strimmers and are harder to use.

R Type of engine is not really a major consideration for
R most people, much more important is how it feels in use and
R how well it does the job. If it comes from one of the major
R makers like Stihl or Husqvarna you don't need to worry about
R durability.

Unfortunately this isn't strictly true. Husqvarna/Jonsered and Stihl
have all made complete turkeys in their lower priced non-professional
ranges for strimmers, mowers, hedgecutters and chainsaws. With badly
designed parts, bad ergonomics and very bad durability. Some of the
small (25cc) Husqy's in particular are a nightmare to use for any
length of time.

I suspect, cynic that I am, that this is deliberate to steer everyone
but the occasional user to the higher quality and pricier models, but
if that's the case it's a very dodgy strategy to weaken the brand with
inferior models.

I've returned a Husqy and got a refund because I didn't think it was
fit for the purpose. OTOH, I've now got two Husqy 240Rs and I think
they're wonderful, probably the best heavy duty grass strimmers I've
ever used. So while I like a lot of their stuff, I don't think it's
true to say that you can buy solely by brand.

--
Simon Avery, Dartmoor, UK Ý http://www.digdilem.org/