Strimmer /BrushCutter … any recommendations ?

[VicParticipant @vic]

Petrol powered tools used by gardeners have really destroyed the peace and quiet we used to enjoy in our village. Virtually every gardening “problem” seems to require a very noisy solution. I’m pleased with our battery powered mower but admit we don’t have a large amount of grass to cut. As for strimmers in particular I dread to think of the amount of wildlife destroyed by them every year. Hedgehogs in particular often seem to fall prey to them losing a limb or worse. I can only hope that Petrol powered garden tools get banned along with cars.

[Henry BrownParticipant @henrybrown95529]

Posted by br on 03/07/2021 09:49:59:

A brushcutter with a metal blade would appeal more to me than having to buy reels of plastic string.

I have one that I can put a solid three blade cutter on, I was advised not to get a brush cutter with a flexible drive shaft as the solid blade would destroy it, mine has a geared head. With the solid blade it does tend to get long grass wrapped around it more so than with the string.

I have a Canadian make (can't remember what) with a 35cc Kawasaki motor I bought in the mid 80's, not as good as a Still but I has served me well but it doesn't get the use my cousins machines do.

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

Posted by Nicholas Farr on 03/07/2021 10:57:44:

Hi MichaelG, one thing I have found with one strimmer I have, is that one of the plastic tubes from the petrol tank to the carburettor had a very small spilt in it, so small it was un-noticeable until it was flexed a little bit, but of course it sucked in air, might be worth checking out.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 03/07/2021 10:58:23

I've also had to change the fuel lines on a couple of older machines. I blame the 5% ethanol (which may or may not be to blame) A trip to local agri repairer for new fuel line – he stocks reels of different sizes. A new spark plug is a good idea too You can buy cheap carbs on eBay but somehow they never quite seem to fit despite being sold as good for general garden power tools. The other obvious thing to check is the cut-off switch.

The reliable kit i have – husky and a no-name strimmer, gardenline chainsaw and stihl pole saw all work nicely with 1-3 pulls with the choke on, when it coughs turn off the choke and it'll run next pull. My big stihl chainsaw is different 'cos it has a decompressor button so one can actually turn the engine over with a cord – so it actually starts with the choke on. I do have a ryobi multi-tool but hardly ever use it – the hedge trimmer blade is rubbish as is the narrow rotorvator attachment and I think I gave up with the strimmer attachment altogether. – not sure where that is.

pgk

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Posted by pgk pgk on 03/07/2021 10:16:26:

The ultimate answer is a fail mower

Just don't think of using a flail brushcutter/strimmer, i.e. one using two pieces of steel chain instead of nylon line.

Remember the sad case of Anthony Robinson.

In spite of HSE intervention, chain strimmer heads are still being sold on eBay, albeit not of the kind in the Three Shires/Anthony Robinson case.

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

Posted by Bill Phinn on 03/07/2021 15:02:48:

Posted by pgk pgk on 03/07/2021 10:16:26:

The ultimate answer is a fail mower

Just don't think of using a flail brushcutter/strimmer, i.e. one using two pieces of steel chain instead of nylon line.

Remember the sad case of Anthony Robinson.

In spite of HSE intervention, chain strimmer heads are still being sold on eBay, albeit not of the kind in the Three Shires/Anthony Robinson case.

I didn't know about those. This was what I had in mind:
Link
Mine only has a 6ft mulching deck

pgk

[An OtherParticipant @another21905]

Just read this thread with interest, since I have several acres of land mostly used as a 'garden', and several areas are only accessible with a 'strimmer'. I have gone the allegedly 'quality' route (Stihl, Husqvarna, etc) over several years, and am of the opinion it is a total waste of money – either they are the same machine as the much cheaper machines one can buy (and appear so visually), or they are equally as questionable.

I ended up with the cheapest machine with the largest engine (usually 49cc) I can find, because none (including the expensive 'quality' machines) have lasted longer than three years, so buy the cheapest and junk it when it fails has worked best for me.

I have also experimented with different heads – as noted by someone else, nylon cord is sometimes a problem in long grass due to tangling. If you can find square section cord it works slightly better. I have found the solid metal blades (3 or 4 blades) fine for doing the job, especially brush-cutting, but don't do the works of the machine any good – many machines have a flexible drive shaft (looks like a large version of the old speedo drive cables) – guaranteed to shear off eventually – and you try to buy replacements. The versions with solid drive shafts are better, but I have ended up with the squared off drive section just rounding off and spinning in its coupling. If you are cutting heavy growth, it is difficult to be sure you won't hit anything which can stop the blade dead – and bye-bye drive shaft.

The best head I have come across looks like a disk or hexagon with 6 small toothed blades pivotted round its rim. these seem to deal with most things, even hitting the occasional rock, but they will also shred normal boots – beware. The teeth in the blades apparently catch on the grass and shear it off, rather than slide off it. I once made one from thick steel, with short pieces from a log-saw blade attached round the edge – it worked fine, except it was difficult to drill holes in the log-saw blade.

There is also mention of fuel stabilizer – sounds like another con trick to me – I traced the gumminess in my engines to the fact that the engine was left with the residue of the two-stroke mix in it – the petrol evaporated, and left the oil to set in the engine – I had to dismantle several and remove the solidly gummed piston ring (sometimes unsuccessful, breaking the ring in the process). Since then, when I have finished, I drain the petrol, run the engine until it stops, then flush it with clean (non-two stroke) petrol through the spark-plug hole – and never had the problem since I started doing it.

The other repetitive problem I have had is failed spark-plugs – I have no idea how long these are supposed to run – my estimate is about 8 to 10 hours. I have lost count of the number of times a dead machine was traced to 'weak sparks', eventually proved to be a dead spark plug – manufacturer seems irrelevant.

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Yes, those kinds of dedicated flail mowers, if properly guarded and otherwise up to standard, are approved for use under HSE "rules". What's more, their cutters are one-piece and will simply wear down with use, posing no risk of detachment.

The chain that killed Anthony Robinson (illustrated in the HSE document) is ordinary loop chain. Did it never occur to the user (who was not Anthony) and his supervisors that the outer links would wear down (the wear can clearly be seen in the picture), and once worn beyond a certain point inevitably detach themselves, probably at high speed?

The reason why we should be particularly intolerant of the continued sale of chain cutting heads for strimmers is that it is almost always going to be a bystander, not the operator, that gets injured by flying chain links. That bystander could be you or me, or our children or grandchildren…

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Posted by An Other on 03/07/2021 17:10:50:

none (including the expensive 'quality' machines) have lasted longer than three years,

That sounds like very bad luck. Could you say how many Stihl or Husqvarna machines you've owned?

Posted by An Other on 03/07/2021 17:10:50:

The other repetitive problem I have had is failed spark-plugs – I have no idea how long these are supposed to run – my estimate is about 8 to 10 hours.

None of my Stihl or Honda machinery has ever had a spark plug failure, and my spark plugs get hundreds of hours' use between changes.

What make or makes of spark plug are failing on you?

 

 

Edited By Bill Phinn on 03/07/2021 17:27:36

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Nicholas Farr on 03/07/2021 10:57:44:

Hi MichaelG, one thing I have found with one strimmer I have, is that one of the plastic tubes from the petrol tank to the carburettor had a very small spilt in it, so small it was un-noticeable until it was flexed a little bit, but of course it sucked in air, might be worth checking out.

 

.

Thanks for the thought, Nick … but I can happily confirm that both tubes are good.

I took the carb off today, and externally it all looks surprisingly clean … but I may have found a significant problem:

I was under the impression that the little bulb ‘priming pump’ squirted fuel straight into the cylinder … BUT, when I pulled the tube off the lower pipe I got a face-full. The tank was pressurised !

Have I naively missed a ‘feature’ of these systems ? … or am I right in assuming that this indicates a total blockage somewhere ?

MichaelG.

.

 

P.S. __ The carb is branded RUI [] ING: 

http://sinoruixing.com/en/product.asp?cla=1,

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 03/07/2021 18:15:38

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

If memory serves, the bulb pulls fuel through the carb and returns to the tank as opposed to pumping fuel from the tank into the carb. There should be some sort of valve on the bulb outflow for that circuit.

This vid is cool:

pgk

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Thanks, pgk

MichaelG.

.

Phew !! … Just watched it 

No wonder I couldn’t  immediately see how it worked … will need to watch that again.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 03/07/2021 21:04:57

[Robert ButlerParticipant @robertbutler92161]

Interesting response to some of the suggestions. Lack of maintenance never results in long life, to remain reliable an annual service always helps. Users think nothing of neglecting to change the oil in 4 stroke engines, checking air filters, cleaning gapping or replacing spark plugs and air-gaps. They expect the same reliability as an electric motor but with no input, however an electric motor will not perform the arduous tasks an IC engine is capable of with a little care.

Although rubbished by one post I can confirm the efficacy of fuel Stabilizer, it is not a con trick, and I speak from first hand experience having used it for over 20 years. As a favour I have repaired a number of 2 & 4 stroke engines for friends over the years and with one exception ( duff electronic ignition) all faults resulted from varnish/deposits left behind by stale fuel contaminating the tank or carburettor.

Strimmer and chainsaws rely on a pressurised fuel supply as they are rarely operated with the carburettor horizontally disposed, think model aircraft IC engines.

I see the same problems mentioned in Classic Car & Motorcycle magazines – fuel left to deteriorate resulting in gummed up works.

Robert Butler

[Author]

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