I have only tried Craftsman then to Ryiobi and then to Husqvarna. They
are each a step to a better trimmer. I can say that the Husqvarna is a
workhorse. As I get older (wiser too...maybe I hope) I get tired of
using marginal equipment. The old saying is usually true, "you get
what you pay for". I have not tried Stihl but I would imagine that
they are excellent also. I got the Husqy since Lowes carried them and
I had a place to go for any problems. Well, some years later and still
no problems. I can recommend getting the heavy trimmer string to use.
It does save time not having to restring the head so often from
breaking string. Happy buying.