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Originally Posted by daycart1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I had a battery powered one that sucked for about 20 hours of use before the battery died, so I'm not looking to go battery or electric (have to cover large area).
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You are absolutely correct, and with electric ones with a power cord, the cord is always in the cutting zone.
I've been using these things for over forty years and have found out some stuff. In gas whackers, 2 stroke is the way to go; power stroke on every revolution and much better power-to-weight ratio. Just plan to drain the tank and let the motor suck out the carb at the end of each season.
In gas whackers for homeowner use, lightweight is good and having the powerhead on the other end of a
straight shaft balances the best. Just make sure you do not get the smallest displacement/output motor in the bunch. Bigger is not better, and for grass trimming, the model one up from the bottom of the line is just dandy and usually on sale in the Spring sometime.
I like dedicated whackers (do not have interchangeable tool ends) for less complexity. The weak part of most whackers is their cutting head's system for holding and advancing the line. They can be fragile, tend to get packed with gunk during use, and have individual idiosyncratic ways of loading line. Check the owner's manual
before purchase to make sure you are going to be happy.
And in my experience the aftermarket hard blade and other cutter heads are not worth the powder to blow them up. Finally, I found some diamond shaped cutting line in various diameters that cuts better and lasts longer. It's available in bulk, so you "roll your own".
Brands? Stihl is good, but price controlled. I have issues with the durability of some Homelite models. Right now, I'm very happy with the Ryobi I bought several years ago.