On 07/24/2011 08:00 PM, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Sun, 24 Jul 2011 16:52:09 +0100, Jake Nospam@invalid wrote:

On Sun, 24 Jul 2011 16:29:30 +0100, "john thompson"
wrote:

We need to buy a strimmer for a very overgrown garden and will need the
stronger type I believe called a 'brush cutter' for some heavier work.

Grateful for any recommendations for a reasonably priced one.

Preferably any information about both electric and petrol version, so we can
try and decide if it's worth paying the extra for the petrol version.
Thanks.

Simple fact - electric means a lead that you can cut. Petrol gives you
freedom. Don't bother with anything rechargeable.

If you're talking an average garden, rather than an acreage, you might
look at the petrol multi tools on the market. For a couple of hundred
quid you get a brush cutter, strimmer, pruner (sort of chain saw on a
pole thing) and hedge trimmer attachments with a single motor unit.

Check out the Ideal World shopping channel on Freeview/Sky or their
web site - they regularly have deals on this sort of kit but even if
you don't buy from them the product videos on offer will give you an
idea of what you can achieve.

Didn't see the OP's post, but I'd go for petrol (2-stroke) every time,
having struggled for years with both cheap and flimsy and also more
substantial electric ones that can seemingly only use thin line which
disappears at a geat rate of knots, distributing itself in little
brightly-coloured bits around the garden. The heavier line used by
petrol strimmers lasts and lasts, and my strimmer can also be fitted
with a metal disc with cutters around the edge for brush-cutting. I
can't see an electric strimmer coping with one of those, but I may be
wrong. Mine's an Echo, BTW.


I also have an Echo, have had it for around 6 years, it is a really good
machine and starts every time one the first or second pull. I
understand Stihl also makes good strimmers but I spoke to some
professionals who liked Echo better (for strimmers not for chainsaws).

I have an electric B&D but its really very light weight and not very useful.

I did have a Ryobi but it was really cheap kit. Similarly I had a Ryobi
grinder recently and the motor just died in the damp, couldn't be fixed
or cleaned at all. A real waste of money.

-E