Garden strimmers

[Electric_Andy]

If anyone is interested, this is mine:
Amazon link

It comes with 2 spare cords which I haven't had to use yet, and a blade. It's a lot more powerful than I was expecting, and has a shoulder strap which is quite handy.

 

[BoldonLad]

If anyone is interested, this is mine:
Amazon link

It comes with 2 spare cords which I haven't had to use yet, and a blade. It's a lot more powerful than I was expecting, and has a shoulder strap which is quite handy.

That looks like a good bit of kit. I have a cordless Bosch lawnmower. Had it about 7 years and very pleased with it.

 

[Jameshow]

I have a 1010w one from b+Q which is quite powerful for a 240v one, worth a look for bigger jobs...

 

[PedallingNowhereSlowly]

Got a DeWalt 18v strimmer - used for two seasons on three peoples gardens. It seems fine. I use decent strimmer line with it. The cheap stuff breaks to easily.

Got an electric (230V mains) Bosh strimmer/brush cutter for the heavier duty stuff. It has two attachments; one is a blad for brush cutting and the other is a thicker heavy duty line - there's no feed. I guess when it breaks, the attachment has to be replaced. But it hasn't broken yet.

I think a mistake a lot of people make is trying to use a strimmer as a brush cutter?

 

[Gillstay]

I never use a strimmer as I think it takes away all the small bits of habitat and seed heads that are important to sparrows and similar.

 

[icowden]

I never use a strimmer as I think it takes away all the small bits of habitat and seed heads that are important to sparrows and similar.

Then I take it you do not have ---- a rockery! I have many rocks around the ponds and stream in my garden, so a strimmer is necessary. Similarly it's handy for the edge of the decking.

 

[simongt]

The only maintenance is draining the petrol tank in the winter

Thus do I infer you never clean it post strimming - ?

 

[Alex321]

Thus do I infer you never clean it post strimming - ?

I also have a petrol strimmer - overkill for my current garden, but it saw extensive use over 20 years in the previous house.

As icowden says, no real hassle at all. Put the harness on (10 seconds), start the engine, hook it on to the harness, strim. It has a separate tank for the 2 stroke oil, which it then mixes with the petrol itself, so no need tri mix fuel - that tank holds about 8 hours worth, while the petrol tank holds about 1 hours worth.

And no, I never clean it post strimming. Why would you, unless strimming REALLY long stuff that wraps itself round the head? And then you need to clear it a few times while strimming, not just after.

 

[Kingfisher101]

I have the SGS 52cc Petrol Strimmer. Its been a steep learning curve with this as I didn't know anything about strimmer's when I started. I do now.
It's a big strimmer, not the type of strimmer for trimming a lawn. I use it for a meadow with brambles etc.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I used to work with a bloke who bought a house at autcion - intending do it up himself
the garden was apparently totally overgrown so he started using his home strimmer - which went nowhere!

He got a good commersial standard one and it was much better put was still a lot of hard work for not much progress

In the end he hired a weed burner thing that he said was like a flamethrower from a nightmare
probably shouldn;t have been using it without training but he cleared the whole garden in one day once he got started with that.

I think he knew the guy from the hire shop - and "got round" any restriction on who they could hire to!

 

[Sterlo]

Another +1 for the plastic blades. I tried all sorts of different lines, including an expensive Oregon one which was supposed to be longer lasting and was worse than the cheapo ones from supermarkets. When the lugs snapped off the clip holding the spool, I searched high and low and eventually found a cordless blade type in Homebase, only cost about £40 and I love it. Strimming is no longer the chore it used to be, if one of the 2 blades comes off, either clip it back on or put a new one on, takes seconds. It cuts through brambles no issue and copes quite well around the rockery.

 

[icowden]

Thus do I infer you never clean it post strimming - ?

Er no? Is that a thing then?

 

[Alex321]

Another +1 for the plastic blades. I tried all sorts of different lines, including an expensive Oregon one which was supposed to be longer lasting and was worse than the cheapo ones from supermarkets. When the lugs snapped off the clip holding the spool, I searched high and low and eventually found a cordless blade type in Homebase, only cost about £40 and I love it. Strimming is no longer the chore it used to be, if one of the 2 blades comes off, either clip it back on or put a new one on, takes seconds. It cuts through brambles no issue and copes quite well around the rockery.

Mine has a metal cutting blade for brushcutting, though I find the strong 2.5mm cord I use is usually enough for brambles.

 

[Kingfisher101]

I used to work with a bloke who bought a house at autcion - intending do it up himself
the garden was apparently totally overgrown so he started using his home strimmer - which went nowhere!

He got a good commersial standard one and it was much better put was still a lot of hard work for not much progress

In the end he hired a weed burner thing that he said was like a flamethrower from a nightmare
probably shouldn;t have been using it without training but he cleared the whole garden in one day once he got started with that.

I think he knew the guy from the hire shop - and "got round" any restriction on who they could hire to!

A woman on my street used one of those and it burned her Garage down and nearly her house. The fire brigade had to come and all the street were out watching. They are dangerous.
A large petrol strimmer/brush cutter will take down thick brambles etc. I've done it but you have to wear the helmet with visor etc and walking boots and be covered. Otherwize you can get hit with debris

 

[oldwheels]

I used to work with a bloke who bought a house at autcion - intending do it up himself
the garden was apparently totally overgrown so he started using his home strimmer - which went nowhere!

He got a good commersial standard one and it was much better put was still a lot of hard work for not much progress

In the end he hired a weed burner thing that he said was like a flamethrower from a nightmare
probably shouldn;t have been using it without training but he cleared the whole garden in one day once he got started with that.

I think he knew the guy from the hire shop - and "got round" any restriction on who they could hire to!

I have had a flame gun for years. Burns paraffin and is warmed up with either paraffin or meths just like my old Primus stove (which all good cyclists carried on their crossbar). The paraffin is under pressure and it is good for clearing gravel paths but care has to be taken not to incinerate the neighbourhood.
The trick is to burn stems at ground level and let the rest die off.