Line trimmers (again)

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#2904029 19-Apr-2022 18:14

MartinGZ:
martyyn:

... I decided to replace it with a much more powerful Makita and dual line feed. It rips through everything now and is what I should've bought in the first place.

I'd be interested in what model it is, how powerful, and what runtime you get. My Stihl (petrol) is near the end of its life, so I'm browsing the market. Typically when I bash the weeds I'll be doing 2-4 hours at a time and the going is pretty heavy. Often I don't just cut, I clear them right down to bare soil.

That 2-4 hours - is that because your current petrol version isn't grunty enough to take bigger cuts in less time, or simply the expanse that you are trimming?

dt

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#2904060 19-Apr-2022 19:10

Have a this dewalt - its very grunty and can easily do 25 mins of trimming [5.0a] battery with some left over battery at the end

Only con if I was being picky is that since it's split shaft it can get a little wobbly in comparison to a single shaft but makes storage of it very easy

If you have any other battery powered tools it's a lot more convenient to stick with tools of whichever platform you're already on

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#2904108 19-Apr-2022 19:47

Ge0rge:

That 2-4 hours - is that because your current petrol version isn't grunty enough to take bigger cuts in less time, or simply the expanse that you are trimming?

Plenty of grunt, the only thing that stops it is cabbage tree leaves - which is why there is always a sharp pocketknife in the pocket. It's really the area (have 4000 m2) and a tendency to operate the scorched earth policy. Might get through 2-3 tank refills of petrol which has me wondering whether batteries will do the job, even swapping with spares. Fast recharge would be needed if they only last 30 mins.

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#2904109 19-Apr-2022 19:48

I got the Ozito PXC one, mainly because I already have the batteries and chargers, takes two 4Ah batteries and leaves them at about 50% charge after doing the various grass patches around the property. It's definitely not as powerful as a petrol one, but good enough to get the job done. The only really annoying thing is that they've emulated the 1950s-style throttle control from petrol trimmers rather than allowing you do dial up the speed you want and leaving it set at that, which makes it really uncomfortable to use for any period of time.

(This is an inherent problem in any throttle-style trimmer, not specific to the PXC design, I'm just annoyed that Einhell decided to copy the poor usability of the original in their battery-powered design).

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#2904114 19-Apr-2022 20:30

Powerload EGO trimmer, uses the same batteries as the mower. It seriously kicks arse. As grunty or more than the petrol one before it. The bump feed actually works but the best thing is the powerload spool which is a game changer. I have two 7.5Ah batteries, and one is enough to mow then trim the whole 1000m2 section, but the trimmer is a bit heavy with that battery.

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#2904117 19-Apr-2022 20:56

MartinGZ:

Plenty of grunt, the only thing that stops it is cabbage tree leaves - which is why there is always a sharp pocketknife in the pocket. It's really the area (have 4000 m2) and a tendency to operate the scorched earth policy. Might get through 2-3 tank refills of petrol which has me wondering whether batteries will do the job, even swapping with spares. Fast recharge would be needed if they only last 30 mins.

Yeah that makes sense. I've got an FS-85 that doesn't stop for much other than cabbage or flax. I have looked at replacing it with an electric version last time it packed a sad.

I've got some other Stihl gear so it made sense to look at theirs - essentially it's either the FSA 90 or FSA 130 to have the same capacity. While I've got a couple of AP300 batteries, you're really only looking at 70mins of run time each according to Stihl - and you full-well know that will only be one step away no-load running.

Stihl recommend the AR 3000 batteries, which would apparently get you 360 minutes of run time so more than enough to do a decent amount of work - but you'd expect that for $2,445!

I chose to replace the ignition coil on the FS 85 for ~$50 and will continue to burn dead dinosaurs for a little longer.

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#2904123 19-Apr-2022 21:03

rb99:

I don't have any battery powered anything at the moment (garden / powertool wise). I cut the edges with hand shears. The novelty of that is wearing off. OTOH I had a petrol trimmer once - an hour of swearing to get it started and all the line used in half an hour followed by another hour of trying to add new line. The electric (mains) one we had was good and had (as mentioned) a trigger you pulled to release new line, but thats long gone.

So anyway, maybe this -

https://www.bunnings.co.nz/ryobi-18v-one-hp-4-0ah-brushless-line-trimmer-kit_p0292179

or similar ?

That looks like an upgraded version of my one. Pretty sure mine isn't brushless. I have quite a few Ryobi tools so there wasn't much choice in the matter. Mine works fine, my yard is tiny so rarely use more than a battery. The original line was a bit weak, but the bump head works ok which is nice. I still often have to wind it out manually though, but I suspect that's because I use an aftermarket line now. One thing I don't like is that it's a little short and I'm average height at 178cm, but I should check if I can move the handle up a little.

I think the main thing is if you will use other tools in the range. Ryobi is at the cheaper end of the market but for my needs it's been pretty good, the impact wrench has been great on the project car.

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#2904138 19-Apr-2022 22:30

That one is part of the expand-it it range. I have the weed eater blower and edger attachments. Works ok for what it is I can get around the yard on a single battery charge. The edger is a nice to have.

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#2904141 19-Apr-2022 22:45

I have had one of these for several years and love it. Although mine came with a bigger battery, it runs very well and has automatic line feed at the push of a button.

https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/black-decker-18-volt-cordless-line-trimmer-kit-2ah-battery-28cm-cut/p/290263

You can turn the handle around and use the wheel for edging which takes the weight off your arms and makes edges really easy.

You can take the easy option and buy prefilled spools of Black+Decker line but I found that this stuff breaks a lot less https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/sufix-trim-n-cut-premium-round-nylon-trimmer-line-15m-blue/p/125418

My other power tools are all Dewalt and Makita but I’ve found no reason to upgrade the line trimmer.

insane

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#2904146 19-Apr-2022 23:00

dt:
Have a this dewalt - its very grunty and can easily do 25 mins of trimming [5.0a] battery with some left over battery at the end

Only con if I was being picky is that since it's split shaft it can get a little wobbly in comparison to a single shaft but makes storage of it very easy

If you have any other battery powered tools it's a lot more convenient to stick with tools of whichever platform you're already on

I also have this DeWalt one. It's a beast and easily outperforms my 25cc Echo trimmer, and being battery/electric is quite.

The balance is way out of whack though with a 3 or 5ah battery, I often get a sore back after 10 min use. The ideal location for the handle would have been right where the shaft join is. Wish I had got the straight shaft version instead. Perhaps if I had a much bigger battery it would balance better.

rb99

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#2904194 20-Apr-2022 09:47

I'm good at analysis paralysis. So many to choose from.

That Dewalt is nice, but 315 plus 225 for a charger plus 199 for a (large nice) 5Ah battery. Eek.

OTOH that B+D is way cheaper and has that edging wheel, but battery seems a bit small and not sure if the kit includes a charger.

EGO look nice but again not cheap. Sigh.

Would be nice if there could be the odd sale around as well...

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#2904199 20-Apr-2022 10:10

We have an ego line trimmer. It's a good unit, adjustable length, 2 speeds. Bump to feed line. At 56v and 5ah, it has tonnes of power and will go through heavy weed and small softwood saplings without any issues. It's a little heavy for my partner who is an average height 50-something female.

Mike

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#2904202 20-Apr-2022 10:13

rb99:

I'm good at analysis paralysis. So many to choose from.

That Dewalt is nice, but 315 plus 225 for a charger plus 199 for a (large nice) 5Ah battery. Eek.

OTOH that B+D is way cheaper and has that edging wheel, but battery seems a bit small and not sure if the kit includes a charger.

EGO look nice but again not cheap. Sigh.

Would be nice if there could be the odd sale around as well...

Personally I kind of like the fact that Bunnings essentially doesn't have sales. Makes me feel less ripped off buying anything at full price. That said, individual stores do sometimes have clearances on ex-demos or end of lines, so might be worth popping in to your local to see what's available.

But other ideas:

- The beat the same stocked item by 15% deal can work really well for Makita and deWalt, since both are stocked at Mitre10, Bunnings and the Toolshed. IIRC there was a deWalt drill that Geekzone managed to get down to ridiculous levels a year or so ago during Black Friday with everyone asking the other to beat it.

- The Toolshed does have sharp pricing and periodic sales on their XHD line. I don't have this and haven't used it properly, but from looking in store they have a Ryobi/B&D level of fit and finish but most have a 3 year warranty. There is a sale on some items at the moment, including a bare (i.e. no battery) 36V line trimmer. And in one of those quirks, looks like you would save buying individual batteries rather than a kit. Only one review online but it is positive.

Handsomedan

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#2904203 20-Apr-2022 10:18

rb99:

I'm good at analysis paralysis. So many to choose from.

That Dewalt is nice, but 315 plus 225 for a charger plus 199 for a (large nice) 5Ah battery. Eek.

OTOH that B+D is way cheaper and has that edging wheel, but battery seems a bit small and not sure if the kit includes a charger.

EGO look nice but again not cheap. Sigh.

Would be nice if there could be the odd sale around as well...

I recently got the B+D pressure washer and line trimmer - also bought a spare battery at the time, too.

You can also get a higher-capacity battery that fits the range.

One of the two (I can't recall which) didn't come with a battery/charger, so be on the lookout for "Skin only" or "Battery not included" etc on the advertising.

I have a relatively small garden (450sqm) and the trimmer does a good job and lasts on one battery pretty easily.

Edging using the wheel is quite nifty too.

THIS ONE is the one I have, which comes with a battery and charger.

EDIT - originally linked the wrong one, which was a different model sans battery

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#2904205 20-Apr-2022 10:27

rb99:

Would be nice if there could be the odd sale around as well...

Ego do promotions at M10 from time to time. We got our trimmer in a trimmer-mower combo deal and they also had a free battery deal going (via redemption). Under the battery deal if you'd spent enough on the tool skin, you'd be able to claim a free battery.

Mike

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