Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Weed Whackers

I hate my Stihl weed eater. Damn thing floods when you look at it the wrong way.

Echo has lasted me for about 20 years. Still going strong. Always non-alcohol gas.

Now, for about 2 years, using a HF Atlas 40v for 90% of my trimming. Echo is only used on tougher jobs.

Bruce

I haven't used that but I did buy some mechanic in a bottle once. It did help

but cleaning the carb is pretty easy on a Stihl weedeater.

Also they just opened a ethanol free gas station less than a mile from the house. That should change things considerably

If you want the best "weed wacker" and not just some little old "grass trimmer" you want to get a Husqvarna 525 LST commercial gas trimmer. I own, or have owned three different Stihl, from their smallest residential trimmer, to a commercial trimmer (fs250), to a commercial clearing saw (fs 550) and they were or have been good pieces of equipment but my Husqvarna 525 is my favorite of all. That thing will go thru the heaviest of weeds and never miss a beat.

I still prefer Stihl chain saws but all of my string trimmers will be Husky.

I have all Husky equipment and wholeheartedly agree with the Husky 525. The 522 is good as well if are not going to be too hard on it.

Run Avgas in your weed eater and chainsaws you’ll never have carburetor problems.

I've used my echo trimmer 15+ years...never done a single thing to it cept replace line....always fires up and runs strong.

When I did it commercially, we used Red Max for everything...they were not treated kindly...and never bobbled

Shindiawa hands down . I have a1998 model . Lots of hard use . Only thing I’ve changed is air filter , spark plug and primer bulb. It is by far the most dependable piece of yard equipment I’ve ever owned.

I had a stihl for 21 years, but even it finally wore out. This summer I replaced it with an Echo. So far, so good.

I used to have carb problems with all my small engines, I pretty much kept the local small engine guy in business. I started using 93 octane non-ethanol in everything when I found a local source, and I also empty the fuel tank & run the carb dry on my weedeater and chainsaws. That's fixed the problem, I haven't had carb problems in years now.

I would caution against using AVgas as one poster mentioned. 100LL (low lead) actually has more lead in it than the old leaded gasoline we used to get in the 70's. I don't want to inhale the exhaust from that running a chainsaw or weedeater for any length of time.

Honda 4 stroke… no more ethanol…

Husky 525. Cuts circles around Stihl. Just like there chainsaws

I mow professionally and have for over 10 years.

Stihl or echo are solid choices and what we have at the shop but if you’re going to take care of it better than the average 18 year old employee and want a step up I’d go Honda.

It’s what I have at home.

Never used an electric but if Milwaukee wacker is anything like the chainsaw it’s probably pretty great for home use and worth the money.

I have a Stihl I bought used a while back and only use it a few times a year. When it runs it is great, but every spring I have to take the carb off and blow it out with air and replace the jets to the same setting they were on before and it usually starts right up. However, like most of my gas yard tools, after a while they just don't want to cooperate any more. Several years ago I started buying these replacement carbs on Amazon that are probably chinese made for about $10-$15 and putting them on. They usually start first or second pull after installing the new chicom carbs and run better than they ever have. Same thing with my Stihl- it has never run as well as it does now- idles like it was meant to but never has since I owned it and just plain does what it is supposed to do.

My echo 350 has been great.

Bb

Used buddy's older (mid-2000's) Stihl and worked great. Bought one 3 years ago and new ones are crappy; hard to start, hard to restart. Gas blowers even worse.

Skip new Stihl. Go (much) older.

Or, go Shindaiwa.

Husky 525

No contest

What is this thing for?

Big difference in knocking back some grass around the junk in the yard weekly, and cutting heavy weeds and clearing brush.

I have an upgraded version of Husky's most popular small pro-landscaper model. Been great. (Unlike others, can't say it's best. Haven't run them all)

Wanted an Echo when I bought it, the dealer was a Richard-Noggin. Hard to deal with, didnt even have a demo i could run in his yard.
The Husky dealer offered up one to take home and run for the weekend.
Liked it, bought it.



If buying one now, it look at Echo again.
The Husky dealer is now into Echo also.😁

They have a much nicer designed head.
Easier to load, gets closer to the ground.
(Stihl uses it under license, claims it as their own!)

Wouldn't likely buy Stihl.
A saw maybe, but have seen some bad trimmers that turned me off.

You can buy the Echo SpeedFeed head for your Husqvarna. They are great heads.

I bought a Craftsman 4 stroke about 15yrs ago. Never doesn't start, ever!

I bought a new Stihl 2 stroke 3 yrs ago to replace the Craftsman when it dies. It won't die, ever!

I should sell the Stihl.