"E Z Peaces" wrote in message
...
SteveBell wrote:
How come they don't make 'em like that anymore?

Same reason they don't make much of *anything* like that anymore.
Stupid consumers want everything absolutely as cheap as possible, and
stupid manufacturers want you to buy a new whatever every couple of
years.

If I had first seen the Hoffco in a store with other brands of similar
prices, I would have thought the Hoffco was of lower quality.

The carburetor lacks a squeeze bulb for cold starting.

It's less powerful than is typical of a large trimmer. (The power is
adequate, and more power may have meant a shorter motor life.)

Its driveshaft is a flexible cable. (The cable has held up fine and may
mean less weight at the head.)

The most important feature is the wide handlebars. I don't know why I
don't see it on other trimmers. I wouldn't try to control a motorcycle or
a manual scythe with my hands as close as the grips on most trimmers. Wide
handlebars allow my to trim along a fence without beating up the line, to
trim close to flowers with confidence, and to cut a wide swath across a
field without fatigue.
The wide handlebar type handles have been available as add-on accessories
and they work on most trimmers. They can be used with a support strap and if
you get everything set up just right it makes trimming a lot easier. I
personally have found that a very light weight trimmer used freehand works
best for me. I have a heavy duty wheeled trimmer for the tough stuff.

Don Young