| jswift2000 |
| Hi all. I have a question refarding outdoor power equipment (Wayne - I need your expertise again). I need to buy a new string trimmer (weed wacker) and back pack leaf blower. Whats the best out there? Price is kind of open. Still havent decided on a lawn mower but im thinking of a exmark walk behind or a simplicity lawn tractor. Thanks all. |
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| xcel |
Hi Jswift2000:
___I can’t tell you what the best is out there but if I were to purchase another string trimmer today, the Echo 31 cc straight steel shaft trimmers are the ones I would purchase and recommend for commercial use without hesitation. I can tell you that most Landscape Professional’s including myself use these models almost exclusively in my locale.
___Now for the reasons why in my experience … I actually tried to go the cheap way out (who wouldn’t) w/ the largest Ryobi’s including some of their attachments many many years ago. They would burn up in ~ 6 months almost to the day w/ medium commercial use. I was receiving free replacements over a 2 year time frame with their 1 yr. warranties but they did not work nearly as well. They were underpowered w/ the same size engines as the Echo’s I use today and were extremely maintenance intensive. I can’t tell you how many times I was pulling the bump head to clear a jamb on the Ryobi’s when I should have been moving on to the next lot or home site! They were far more expensive to use on a TCO of ownership basis. In fact, I can only remember fixing a bump head on an Echo 4 times (besides string replacement) and 3 of those were when trying unique strings that didn’t work worth a damn.
___Remember that the above was quite some time ago. A commercial landscape trimmer sees more use over a 3 day period than most homeowners would use their particular trimmer in a year. I can imagine a Ryobi or equivalent trimmer giving the average homeowner many years of dependable service but for me, the headaches (much lower Power w/ a similar sized engine, bump head jams, trimmer replacements) were not worth it.
___As a caveat, my experience is limited to the Echo’s but having to replace an Echo maybe 4 years ago? only because one of the guys ran over it with the truck is a testament as to how good this brand of landscape equipment truly is. They may last you a lifetime with the proper fuel mix but I am only making this statement knowing how great they have performed for me. Again, I would not hesitate to recommend a Commercial grade, straight Shaft Echo to anyone even when considering the increased cost vs. any of the non-commercial brands available out there but this is likely to be way over the top for the average homeowner.
___And for the specific recommendations … I just looked up what Echo offers this year. I would only consider straight shaft trimmers myself but the low end non-commercial grade curved shafts might be a bit more comfortable. The straight shaft trimmers will last longer. I also don’t think you would need a steel shaft given your use so save a few dollars there. I am partial to the 27 and 31 CC models but a 23 should be more than enough for the average homeowner. I perform some light brush cleaning on a few lots so a more powerful trimmer is needed in my uses. If you are only trimming edges and walks for example, the Echo 23’s should have more than enough power. The 200 and 210’s are pushing the minimums IMHO but for an average homeowner may be able to get by with a trimmer of this engine size?- SRM 210 would be an absolute minimum.
- SRM 230 would be a starting point for a small commercial application.
- SRM-260 is the trimmer I would own for home and commercial uses.
- SRM 310 is the trimmer I own + the steel shaft although mine is quite a bit older without the power boost engine :(
___The following image is of the Echo SRM 310S which is similar to the model I use …
___As for Backpack blowers, I only use the Echo’s here as well. I have posted my opinion on the Echo line in the AcuraMDX forums in the past but only because I know that when I need them to start, they start. When I need them to work, they work. I had an employee leave one at a job site last year and it was gone the next day. I replaced it with another Echo PB602 earlier this year …
___And on to that lawn mower … I purchased a new ExMark Lazer Z 60” w/ 27 HP Kohler just last week. It was a steal ($7,690.00) given it was marked down $1,000 from MSRP and I received $1000.00 for a 72” SCAG that was on its last legs. Did I mention that it comes std. with the cup holder ;) I did see a brand new 48” ExMark Lazer CT 48” for just $4,995.00 at that same shop. That was a relative bargain although the CT series is somewhat different in design specs then the Z’s. I will let you know later what I find if you are interested …
___I hope some of the above helped but I may be going overboard for the average homeowner as you can well imagine.
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net |
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| jswift2000 |
| Thanks wayne. You are the god of lawn care and the gods have spoken. I appreciate all your help. How is Scotty doing? |
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