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UK diy (uk.d-i-y) For the discussion of all topics related to diy (do-it-yourself) in the UK. All levels of experience and proficency are welcome to join in to ask questions or offer solutions. |
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#1
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
I need a petrol strimmer. Basic requirements a Long - must reach the ground when I am standing up - something most tools of this sort seem to fail to do! Usage will be relatively light - an hour a week perhaps trimming edges, round and under trees etc. It would be handy if it could take a hedge trimmer attachment - I have one tall evergreen hedge about 60' long that could use the occasional taming. The extra reach would be handy - I don't have a hedge trimmer at all at the moment. Any recommendations? -- Cheers, John. /================================================== ===============\ | Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk | |-----------------------------------------------------------------| | John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk | \================================================= ================/ |
#2
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
John Rumm wrote in
I need a petrol strimmer. Basic requirements a Long - must reach the ground when I am standing up - something most tools of this sort seem to fail to do! Usage will be relatively light - an hour a week perhaps trimming edges, round and under trees etc. It would be handy if it could take a hedge trimmer attachment - I have one tall evergreen hedge about 60' long that could use the occasional taming. The extra reach would be handy - I don't have a hedge trimmer at all at the moment. Any recommendations? I've just bought a JCB-PBC25/F 2-stroke brush cutter / strimmer from Makro at £75 + VAT A google throws up stuff like this: http://www.stocktogo.co.uk/pbc25-25c...ter-p-236.html Used it yesterday and cut down about 250 sq m of brambles, some of them up to 20mm in diameter in an hour. I'm frustrated that I finished the job before the enthusiasm waned - thinking about cutting the flowerbeds and the wisteria to the ground next. I haven't used one before so have no basis for comparison but it did what I wanted and more. Incidentally, as regards length of shaft, I'm around 6'2" and didn't have a problem - and I know what you mean, sometimes it seems that the greatest strain is the stooping to operate something that's just that little bit too short. -- PeterMcC If you feel that any of the above is incorrect, inappropriate or offensive in any way, please ignore it and accept my apologies. |
#3
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
"John Rumm" wrote in message news I need a petrol strimmer. Basic requirements a Long - must reach the ground when I am standing up - something most tools of this sort seem to fail to do! Usage will be relatively light - an hour a week perhaps trimming edges, round and under trees etc. It would be handy if it could take a hedge trimmer attachment - I have one tall evergreen hedge about 60' long that could use the occasional taming. The extra reach would be handy - I don't have a hedge trimmer at all at the moment. Any recommendations? Not a recommendation but Screwfix do have one on special offer. http://www.screwfix.com/prods/61459/Landscaping/Landscaping-Power-Tools/Brushcutters-Trimmers/Ryobi-Petrol-Brushcutter-30cc-1-04Hp just in case you have not seen it. Adam |
#4
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
John Rumm wrote:
Any recommendations? If you just want cheap crap, I bought a Spear and Jackson from Argos a 30cc brush cutter which has been adequate for garden use. It has a metal blade as well as a line, cost £64 and it works fairly relentlessly on long grass, cow parsley and nettles. Don't expect much from the name, it's just more rebadged Chinese crap, but as long as you use it for light use it will be fine. On the positive side it's very comfortable to use, has a long reach and bicycle style handles which are comfortable for long sessions of use. The tools provided were good including a 2T mixing bottle of decent quality. For the farm we use much better quality stuff since sclearing hedges and banks wil generally involve working for 8-10 hours a day. We tend to use Stihl brushcutters and split-shaft units for farm work. They cost a lot more (£400 to £600) and the attachments are each more expensive than a no-name brushcutter but the engines are more rugged (4-stroke) and the attachments don't fold up when you snag discarded wire or polypropylene rope. If you want a compromise, I've had good experience with Husqvarna at about £180 for the motor/brushcutter and £60-80 for the accesories. I'd say these were "good enough" for garden work. I think these are also sold as "Partner" in some parts of the country, but IIRC both Husqvarna and Partner are Electrolux brands. Ryobi offer the cheapest recognisable name split shaft units with attachments priced around £40. I've not used one, but the attachments sold in the local garden shop look flimsy. If your use really is light, I'd buy separate cheapskate units. Firstly they will cost a lot less and having two motors and no split shaft means that if one fails the other still works and the units are stronger than cheap split shafts. The lowest price I have seen for long-reach hedgetrimmers is around £100-140. If you want a leap into the unknown, there are some "Zomax" brushcutters with hedgetrimmer attachments for sale on eBay for £100. No idea how good they are, or even what they are. They have 35cc engines so they should have decent torque for the price. Ryobi are next on the lsit at £140 for brushcutter + hedgetrimmer. You can also get a chainsaw pruner for the Ryobi which may well sway the decision. Although the Ryobi is sold by Screwfix the attachment prices seem to be about 2x the price elsewhere. |
#5
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
PeterMcC wrote:
I need a petrol strimmer. Basic requirements a Long - must reach the ground when I am standing up - something most tools of this sort seem to fail to do! Usage will be relatively light - an hour a week perhaps trimming edges, round and under trees etc. It would be handy if it could take a hedge trimmer attachment - I have one tall evergreen hedge about 60' long that could use the occasional taming. The extra reach would be handy - I don't have a hedge trimmer at all at the moment. Any recommendations? I've just bought a JCB-PBC25/F 2-stroke brush cutter / strimmer from Makro at £75 + VAT Yup, saw those there today in fact. Does the literature give any clues as to spare parts availability? What about a hedge trimmer? Used it yesterday and cut down about 250 sq m of brambles, some of them up to 20mm in diameter in an hour. I'm frustrated that I finished the job before the enthusiasm waned - thinking about cutting the flowerbeds and the wisteria to the ground next. ;-) wanted and more. Incidentally, as regards length of shaft, I'm around 6'2" and didn't have a problem - and I know what you mean, sometimes it seems that the greatest strain is the stooping to operate something that's just that little bit too short. Yup... even finding a decent length broom handle can be a pain! -- Cheers, John. /================================================== ===============\ | Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk | |-----------------------------------------------------------------| | John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk | \================================================= ================/ |
#6
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
On Sun, 25 May 2008 15:11:35 +0100, John Rumm wrote:
I need a petrol strimmer. Basic requirements a Long - must reach the ground when I am standing up - something most tools of this sort seem to fail to do! Usage will be relatively light - an hour a week perhaps trimming edges, round and under trees etc. It would be handy if it could take a hedge trimmer attachment - I have one tall evergreen hedge about 60' long that could use the occasional taming. The extra reach would be handy - I don't have a hedge trimmer at all at the moment. Any recommendations? I'm looking for similar. I've found a couple of offers (including hedge trimmers) from a company I've bought from before :- http://www.gardenlines.co.uk/Default...edge+trim mer http://www.gardenlines.co.uk/Default...h+Hedge+cutter I think I might buy one of those - not sure yet. This is not a recommendation as I don't know how good these products are - still investigating :-) -- Regards, Hugh Jampton |
#7
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
John Rumm wrote in
PeterMcC wrote: I've just bought a JCB-PBC25/F 2-stroke brush cutter / strimmer from Makro at £75 + VAT Yup, saw those there today in fact. Does the literature give any clues as to spare parts availability? I looked at the manual, found the URL for spare parts and was going to post it as a helpful link. Having visited the URL, I'll post it as an unhelpful link: http://www.jcb-powerproducts.co.uk/ OK, it does give a phone number and address but I was hoping that it might have a bit more about availability and prices. What about a hedge trimmer? Well, it has a 430mm strimmer head, I know that some strimmers are sold as hedge trimmers and I can see that this would seem to have that potential but... ....I haven't used it as such and there's nothing in the literature that mentions anything other than ground level operation. -- PeterMcC If you feel that any of the above is incorrect, inappropriate or offensive in any way, please ignore it and accept my apologies. |
#8
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
ARWadworth coughed up some electrons that declared:
"John Rumm" wrote in message news I need a petrol strimmer. Basic requirements a Long - must reach the ground when I am standing up - something most tools of this sort seem to fail to do! Usage will be relatively light - an hour a week perhaps trimming edges, round and under trees etc. It would be handy if it could take a hedge trimmer attachment - I have one tall evergreen hedge about 60' long that could use the occasional taming. The extra reach would be handy - I don't have a hedge trimmer at all at the moment. Any recommendations? Not a recommendation but Screwfix do have one on special offer. http://www.screwfix.com/prods/61459/Landscaping/Landscaping-Power-Tools/Brushcutters-Trimmers/Ryobi-Petrol-Brushcutter-30cc-1-04Hp just in case you have not seen it. Adam I bought the 25cc version of the Ryobi above. It's noisy and a bit unbalanced to hold, but it was at the cheaper end (79 quid) and it's still got more guts than an electric. Apart from caveats mentioned, it seems competent. It was a distress purchase as I was faced with vast amounts of 2' high grass last week. However, I did go and get the hedge cutter attachment from Bodgeit-Qwik this week and that seems quite good for lots of light trimming. Biggest stick it would go through was about 3/8". I would be interested to find out what the chainsaw/pruner attachment is like... I have noticed various combo deals on the web. like this one: http://www.cheapmowers.com/acatalog/...shcutters.html and this one http://www.worldofpower.co.uk/Garden...540/p4262.aspx I'm sure I saw a combo deal on chainsaw + hedge trimmer for about 70 quid, but I can't find it just now... HTH Tim PS Apparently the Ryobi ExpandIt system is compatible with other similar systems including Flymo's, or so the sign in B&Q claimed... |
#9
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
On Sun, 25 May 2008 18:35:49 +0100, Hugh Jampton wrote:
I think I might buy one of those - not sure yet. This is not a recommendation as I don't know how good these products are - still investigating :-) FWIW (not a lot) I've had a Ryobi strimmer only for several years and it's OK. Started without too much fuss on the old petrol after being stored over winter. "Stored" meaning it was just cleaned as normal and put back in the garage after the last use, probably in October may have been earlier. It only has a dual line head and that is it's second. On the orginal the cup that covers the spool failed around the middle near were the shaft joins. -- Cheers Dave. |
#10
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
John Rumm wrote:
I need a petrol strimmer. Basic requirements a Long - must reach the ground when I am standing up - something most tools of this sort seem to fail to do! Usage will be relatively light - an hour a week perhaps trimming edges, round and under trees etc. It would be handy if it could take a hedge trimmer attachment - I have one tall evergreen hedge about 60' long that could use the occasional taming. The extra reach would be handy - I don't have a hedge trimmer at all at the moment. Any recommendations? I found a strimmer made a decent hedge trimmer anyway.. They are all much of a muchness really. Try and get one that feels balanced to your height. They are heavy *******s to use over long periods. |
#11
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
ARWadworth wrote:
Not a recommendation but Screwfix do have one on special offer. http://www.screwfix.com/prods/61459/Landscaping/Landscaping-Power-Tools/Brushcutters-Trimmers/Ryobi-Petrol-Brushcutter-30cc-1-04Hp just in case you have not seen it. Yup loads of places seem to have the ryobi... on the plus side the attachments are readily available and cheap, but most of the reviews I hjave read don't seem that favourable (flimsy construction, poor warm starting, lame line feed units etc). -- Cheers, John. /================================================== ===============\ | Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk | |-----------------------------------------------------------------| | John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk | \================================================= ================/ |
#12
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
John Rumm wrote:
I need a petrol strimmer. Basic requirements a Long - must reach the ground when I am standing up - something most tools of this sort seem to fail to do! Usage will be relatively light - an hour a week perhaps trimming edges, round and under trees etc. It would be handy if it could take a hedge trimmer attachment - I have one tall evergreen hedge about 60' long that could use the occasional taming. The extra reach would be handy - I don't have a hedge trimmer at all at the moment. Any recommendations? I think I went into detail about this last year on another group. I set up on my own as a gardener/handyman last May and spent a lot on new gardening equipment. I went round to a load of different dealers looking at what they had to offer.For everyday use, almost all recommended buying from the Stihl range. So my search narrowed down. Stihl do a 'multi-use' range where you unplug the strimmer, and turn it into a high hedge cutter etc. They were quite pricy, but a good quality motor should ensure no problems. Then I went to try them out. The strimmer was pretty good. the other attachments were not. It is clear they were not designed for the one use, so the balance of the unit was completely wrong for a stand alone trimmer/lopper etc. I discounted them immediately as too unwieldly. A local dealer then showed me the Tanaka range of strimmers/hedge cutters/chainsaws. I was smitten. They felt good in the hands, and the dealer recommended them for everyday use - just as reliable as a Stihl product he reckoned. So I bought the strimmer/brushcutter, and an 18" hedge cutter (both petrol). http://www.abbeygardensales.co.uk/su...ters-0000367.a spx http://www.mowdirect.co.uk/acatalog/...OL_HEDGECUTTER S_1088.html They do do an extension adaptor to fo fit a long reach hedge trimmer to the strimmer head. The strimmer has been perfect. Screw on the strimmer head, or take it off to fit a steel blade. Dead easy, and it has been perfectly reliable. The hedge cutter was faulty when I bought it. It went back twice, as it would only run for 5 minutes, then die. It went back again, had a new carb fitted, and has been trouble free since. I would recommend them for everyday use. However for just use at your own garden it may well be a little OTT, as the combined cost was around £400. The dealer seemed to think the Ryobi range was perfect for occasional use, but would quickly wear out when used daily. At half the price, that is quite understandable. For my own gardens use, maybe 6 times a year, then the Ryobis would be on my list to look at. I've also got a quality electric hedge trimmer - a Viking HE615. Using this is a revelation compared to cheap hedge trimmers. It is so lightweight, balanced and powerful. the downside is the electric cable dangling from it, which, although I like to think I'm quite capable, and aware of things, I cut through it once. For garden use, where access to a long extension lead is available, then I dont think you could get better than that one. HTH Alan. -- To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'. |
#13
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
John Rumm coughed up some electrons that declared:
ARWadworth wrote: Not a recommendation but Screwfix do have one on special offer. http://www.screwfix.com/prods/61459/Landscaping/Landscaping-Power-Tools/Brushcutters-Trimmers/Ryobi-Petrol-Brushcutter-30cc-1-04Hp just in case you have not seen it. Yup loads of places seem to have the ryobi... on the plus side the attachments are readily available and cheap, but most of the reviews I hjave read don't seem that favourable (flimsy construction, poor warm starting, lame line feed units etc). Warm starting seems fine on the 25cc engine. Line feed is OK. Flimsy - maybe; I'm having some suspicions about the starting cord ratchet but if it's dodgey I'll make sure I break it in the warrenty period. Cheers Tim |
#14
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
A.Lee wrote:
I think I went into detail about this last year on another group. I set up on my own as a gardener/handyman last May and spent a lot on new gardening equipment. It being a wet bank holiday I may venture off to the spiritual home for such occasions (a garden centre!) A local dealer then showed me the Tanaka range of strimmers/hedge cutters/chainsaws. I was smitten. They felt good in the hands, and the dealer recommended them for everyday use - just as reliable as a Stihl product he reckoned. So I bought the strimmer/brushcutter, and an 18" hedge cutter (both petrol). http://www.abbeygardensales.co.uk/su...ters-0000367.a spx http://www.mowdirect.co.uk/acatalog/...OL_HEDGECUTTER S_1088.html Ta, another option. Just notices that Lawson have some Makita strimmers: http://www.lawson-his.co.uk/scripts/...%20Linecutters I have been quite impressed with their engine on a chainsaw I used, and the main machine price looks quite competitive. The hedge trimmer accessory is pricey mind you. Anyone ever seen these in the flesh? -- Cheers, John. /================================================== ===============\ | Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk | |-----------------------------------------------------------------| | John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk | \================================================= ================/ |
#15
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
A.Lee wrote: John Rumm wrote: I need a petrol strimmer. Basic requirements a Long - must reach the ground when I am standing up - something most tools of this sort seem to fail to do! Usage will be relatively light - an hour a week perhaps trimming edges, round and under trees etc. It would be handy if it could take a hedge trimmer attachment - I have one tall evergreen hedge about 60' long that could use the occasional taming. The extra reach would be handy - I don't have a hedge trimmer at all at the moment. Any recommendations? I think I went into detail about this last year on another group. I set up on my own as a gardener/handyman last May and spent a lot on new gardening equipment. Do you still do much gardening work Alan? -- Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk |
#16
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
On 2008-05-26 14:27:45 +0100, John Rumm said:
A.Lee wrote: I think I went into detail about this last year on another group. I set up on my own as a gardener/handyman last May and spent a lot on new gardening equipment. It being a wet bank holiday I may venture off to the spiritual home for such occasions (a garden centre!) A local dealer then showed me the Tanaka range of strimmers/hedge cutters/chainsaws. I was smitten. They felt good in the hands, and the dealer recommended them for everyday use - just as reliable as a Stihl product he reckoned. So I bought the strimmer/brushcutter, and an 18" hedge cutter (both petrol). http://www.abbeygardensales.co.uk/su...ters-0000367.a spx http://www.mowdirect.co.uk/acatalog/...OL_HEDGECUTTER S_1088.html Ta, another option. Just notices that Lawson have some Makita strimmers: http://www.lawson-his.co.uk/scripts/...%20Linecutters I have been quite impressed with their engine on a chainsaw I used, and the main machine price looks quite competitive. The hedge trimmer accessory is pricey mind you. Anyone ever seen these in the flesh? Which one were you considering? |
#17
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
Andy Hall wrote:
Just notices that Lawson have some Makita strimmers: http://www.lawson-his.co.uk/scripts/...%20Linecutters I have been quite impressed with their engine on a chainsaw I used, and the main machine price looks quite competitive. The hedge trimmer accessory is pricey mind you. Anyone ever seen these in the flesh? Which one were you considering? The 2110 or 2510 look like they would be adequate... -- Cheers, John. /================================================== ===============\ | Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk | |-----------------------------------------------------------------| | John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk | \================================================= ================/ |
#18
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
The Medway Handyman wrote:
A.Lee wrote: I think I went into detail about this last year on another group. I set up on my own as a gardener/handyman last May and spent a lot on new gardening equipment. Do you still do much gardening work Alan? No. I went into it without too much thought (hey, I know that now!). I had intended to do the gardening/patios etc as the full-time job, with the back up of a handyman type service. As it turned out, it is near impossible to start up a gradening business from scratch, as well as paying bills/debts/mortgage. Firstly, few people want to pay more than £10 a hour. Some will gladly pay £15, but they are rare. Then there is the travelling time between jobs. I was finding it hard to do more than 6 hours works a day - the rest taken up with travelling etc. 6 hours work at £10/hr would soon bankrupt me. The final straw came in August when I reluctantly took on an old womans garden. I didnt know anyone who could be so fussy with their garden. There were 3 lines of bedding plants, most still in bloom. I got a 10 minute tirade of abuse about the previous gardeners over the last 5 years who had the audacity to plant bedding plants in her garden. It transpired the only things she wanted were grass,roses and privet hedge. My first job was to restore the borders, and lay turf. So we agreed I'd do the front first, and be there at 10am the following week. I fetched the turf/compost/sand for the front garden, got there at 9:55, and sat for 5 minutes or so listening to the radio news. My phone went at 10:01 - "I thought you said you were coming at 10am?" So I walked in, and she said she'd changed her mind, and wanted the rear garden doing first. which needed 3 times the amount of turf/sand to make it good. I explained to her the problem, and she said just do what you can to the rear. So I did. She was told that it will take 4 to 6 weeks to root, then I'll fill in any dips that occur. She rang me 4 days later, saying the grass wasnt completely flat, would I come round that day to level it. No. I was coming the next week, so would do it then. She than rang me a couple of days later to make sure I had got enough turf. Yes I had. She rang me again the day I was going. "Are you coming" I was 3 miles away at this point with 10 yards of turf in my trailer. I flipped, and told her I wouldnt be coming any more, as I just didnt want the hassle, and for what I was charging, it barely covered my costs. She wasnt at all happy, but I had lost money on that, and got so much hassle from her, that I just wasnt bothered if she was unhappy. I got 2 more phone calls asking me to go back there and finish it off. So, after that, I have refused to take on any more gardening work. I still cut the lawns of 2 people local to me, but otherwise dont do any gardening now. As an aside, business has definitely picked up. Dec to March were pretty awful, just keeping my head above water, but since the beginning of April I have been doing 6 day weeks, albeit at my ridiculously low prices, and getting a lot of repeat custom. I'm not regretting starting up at all, I'm still skint, - any spare cash I do have goes straight on new tools/equipment, so in future years there will be less outlay, there'll be more people recommending me, so I should be able to start paying off my mounting credit card bills! I've recently finished a Council Grant job , with the Council Officer very pleased with the work, so I'm to go on their approved Contractors list when it is next updated, which is another good thing. Alan. -- To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'. |
#19
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
The Medway Handyman wrote:
A.Lee wrote: I think I went into detail about this last year on another group. I set up on my own as a gardener/handyman last May and spent a lot on new gardening equipment. Do you still do much gardening work Alan? No. I went into it without too much thought (hey, I know that now!). I had intended to do the gardening/patios etc as the full-time job, with the back up of a handyman type service. As it turned out, it is near impossible to start up a gradening business from scratch, as well as paying bills/debts/mortgage. Firstly, few people want to pay more than £10 a hour. Some will gladly pay £15, but they are rare. Then there is the travelling time between jobs. I was finding it hard to do more than 6 hours works a day - the rest taken up with travelling etc. 6 hours work at £10/hr would soon bankrupt me. The final straw came in August when I reluctantly took on an old womans garden. I didnt know anyone who could be so fussy with their garden. There were 3 lines of bedding plants, most still in bloom. I got a 10 minute tirade of abuse about the previous gardeners over the last 5 years who had the audacity to plant bedding plants in her garden. It transpired the only things she wanted were grass,roses and privet hedge. My first job was to restore the borders, and lay turf. So we agreed I'd do the front first, and be there at 10am the following week. I fetched the turf/compost/sand for the front garden, got there at 9:55, and sat for 5 minutes or so listening to the radio news. My phone went at 10:01 - "I thought you said you were coming at 10am?" So I walked in, and she said she'd changed her mind, and wanted the rear garden doing first. which needed 3 times the amount of turf/sand to make it good. I explained to her the problem, and she said just do what you can to the rear. So I did. She was told that it will take 4 to 6 weeks to root, then I'll fill in any dips that occur. She rang me 4 days later, saying the grass wasnt completely flat, would I come round that day to level it. No. I was coming the next week, so would do it then. She than rang me a couple of days later to make sure I had got enough turf. Yes I had. She rang me again the day I was going. "Are you coming" I was 3 miles away at this point with 10 yards of turf in my trailer. I flipped, and told her I wouldnt be coming any more, as I just didnt want the hassle, and for what I was charging, it barely covered my costs. She wasnt at all happy, but I had lost money on that, and got so much hassle from her, that I just wasnt bothered if she was unhappy. I got 2 more phone calls asking me to go back there and finish it off. So, after that, I have refused to take on any more gardening work. I still cut the lawns of 2 people local to me, but otherwise dont do any gardening now. As an aside, business has definitely picked up. Dec to March were pretty awful, just keeping my head above water, but since the beginning of April I have been doing 6 day weeks, albeit at my ridiculously low prices, and getting a lot of repeat custom. I'm not regretting starting up at all, I'm still skint, - any spare cash I do have goes straight on new tools/equipment, so in future years there will be less outlay, there'll be more people recommending me, so I should be able to start paying off my mounting credit card bills! I've recently finished a Council Grant job , with the Council Officer very pleased with the work, so I'm to go on their approved Contractors list when it is next updated, which is another good thing. Alan. -- To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'. |
#20
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter - OK Sorted
John Rumm wrote:
Thanks to all those who responded. I got the impression from most of the comments that the basic models will probably hang together well enough for my intended use. I need a petrol strimmer. Basic requirements a ok, went to have a look at some in the flesh. The models available at the place I went to were a bunch of fairly high end Stihl models and Ryobi at the toy end of the market. I had a chat with the chap behind the counter (who from past experience seems to know his kit quite well). He seemed to rate the Ryobi as "ok". He said they sell lots, and don't get many back, and the spares are available and cheap. He said he has a sold a few to trade customers, who treat them as disposable, and bin and replace them every couple of years. While not being a great fan of Ryobi kit in general, the deal on offer was reasonably compelling, so I thought I may as well give it a go. So I got of these: http://www.screwfix.com/prods/79750/...re-Brushcutter Came with the chainsaw pruner attachment as a freebie. I got the articulated hedge trimmer thing for the end, and managed to get him to throw in an additional extension bar, and a couple of bottles of 2 stroke oil as well. Total price £230. Got as far as assembling, and test strimming a bit of grass before giving up for some less inclement weather! Seems reasonably solid - just about long enough on its own (and plenty long enough with the extension bar in there). I will do a more detailed review after I have had a chance to use it. -- Cheers, John. /================================================== ===============\ | Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk | |-----------------------------------------------------------------| | John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk | \================================================= ================/ |
#21
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter - OK Sorted
On Mon, 26 May 2008 20:46:27 +0100, John Rumm wrote:
So I got of these: snipped Ordered exactly the same model this evening - should be here on Wednesday. Mine comes with the hedge trimmer only. Will post my opinion of it when I've tested it. -- Regards, Hugh Jampton |
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-05-26 07:15:46 +0100, (A.Lee) said: A local dealer then showed me the Tanaka range of strimmers/hedge cutters/chainsaws. Which models did you buy, Alan? TBC230 strimer: http://www.abbeygardensales.co.uk/br...shcutters/show item-F1-TBC230S.aspx THT2000 hedgecutter - got the small one as it felt well balanced: http://www.mowdirect.co.uk/acatalog/...OL_HEDGECUTTER S_1088.html Alan. -- To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'. |
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
On 2008-05-30 06:46:56 +0100, (A.Lee) said:
Andy Hall wrote: On 2008-05-26 07:15:46 +0100, (A.Lee) said: A local dealer then showed me the Tanaka range of strimmers/hedge cutters/chainsaws. Which models did you buy, Alan? TBC230 strimer: http://www.abbeygardensales.co.uk/br...shcutters/show item-F1-TBC230S.aspx THT2000 hedgecutter - got the small one as it felt well balanced: http://www.mowdirect.co.uk/acatalog/...OL_HEDGECUTTER S_1088.html Alan. I figured that these would probably be the ones, Alan. I'm looking for a line trimmer/brush cutter and a hedge trimmer - ideally long reach. I noticed that Tanaka have a hedge trimmer as an attachment for the TBC230 model but also a slightly different TBC230SF (Smartfit) with a range of accessories. Did you look at any of those or was there a particular reason to choose separate machines? |
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-05-30 06:46:56 +0100, (A.Lee) said: Andy Hall wrote: On 2008-05-26 07:15:46 +0100, (A.Lee) said: A local dealer then showed me the Tanaka range of strimmers/hedge cutters/chainsaws. Which models did you buy, Alan? TBC230 strimer: http://www.abbeygardensales.co.uk/br...shcutters/show item-F1-TBC230S.aspx THT2000 hedgecutter - got the small one as it felt well balanced: http://www.mowdirect.co.uk/acatalog/...OL_HEDGECUTTER S_1088.html Alan. I figured that these would probably be the ones, Alan. I'm looking for a line trimmer/brush cutter and a hedge trimmer - ideally long reach. I noticed that Tanaka have a hedge trimmer as an attachment for the TBC230 model but also a slightly different TBC230SF (Smartfit) with a range of accessories. Did you look at any of those or was there a particular reason to choose separate machines? I had a stihl combo one once. The diddies nicked it and now I have two separate ones. Frankly the weight and power for the brush cutter is overkill to one holding up and cutting hedges with. |
#26
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
Andy Hall wrote:
I'm looking for a line trimmer/brush cutter and a hedge trimmer - ideally long reach. I noticed that Tanaka have a hedge trimmer as an attachment for the TBC230 model but also a slightly different TBC230SF (Smartfit) with a range of accessories. Did you look at any of those or was there a particular reason to choose separate machines? The hedge trimmer attachment is available separately for the brushcutter/strimmer - it is the long reach one, not really any good at anything under 6 feet high. I didnt realise at the time that it was available, but the dealer said it was a straight fit onto the TBC230, just one bolt to take off the end mini-gearbox, then the attachment slides on. I havent really got any use for it, so have never bothered getting one. Alan. -- To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'. |
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
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#29
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
Andy Hall wrote:
Each supplier had a few entry level products which were distinctly ropey and flimsy. Most had TTI Ryobi and it was clear that this is an in-between product, as I expected. The comment was that Ryobi could be OK for occasional domestic use but not more. There was a big jump in quality to the Stihl, Tanaka and Makita products and of course a price difference as well. By way of follow-up, I have had a bit of a play with the Ryobi now, in both strimming, and chainsaw/pruning mode. Starting seems quite straight forward when cold or hot - don't know if it will get less so with age of course. Throttle response is ok as well (offering more than just a choice of idle or full revs). Balance when strimming is ok and the length not as short as the electric ones. However I would not mind it being tad longer or at lease there being an ability to change the angle of the head a bit. Most of the trick seems to be getting the shoulder strap length tuned for most comfortable operation. I did try strimming with the extension bar in there, and it is ok for reaching under overhanging trees etc, but not well balanced enough for extended use like that. The shoulder strap does a reasonable job of carrying the weight at the balance point. The line feed mechanism seems to work ok at the moment. Strimming performance at full revs is quite prodigious - chopped its way through damp grass, cow parsley, nettles and thistle and brambles with just the line trimmer head (not tried fitting the steel brush cutting blade yet - and suspect there is not going to be much if anything I will need it for). The chainsaw add-on I was expecting to be a bit feeble, but was actually quite impressive - sliced its way through anything I threw it at without complaint - the strimmer having plenty of power for the task (which given its only a 10" bar on a 30cc engine is perhaps not that surprising). Seemed quite economical with the chain oil, and did not exhibit the tendency to spew too much of fit all over the place. The balance with the saw is not as good as the line cutter head, being slightly end heavy. Working at a reach for higher overhead stuff becomes a bit tiring after 20 mins or so. (I went round trimming anything dead looking from about 18 fruit trees - was quick and easy enough, but that was about as much as I wanted to do in one session). I might try out the hedge trimmer tomorrow and see that that is like. General impression of build quality is nothing to write home about, but should last well enough in a domestic setting. Not sure if it is typical of all 2 strokes, but it gets through fuel at reasonably swift rate (probably about 20 mins to a tank full). Running, while not silky smooth in good enough to not cause any vibration related issues for the operator. -- Cheers, John. /================================================== ===============\ | Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk | |-----------------------------------------------------------------| | John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk | \================================================= ================/ |
#30
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
Andy Hall wrote:
Anyway, the results are impressive. I cut one of the low hedges in about a third of the time as using the previous electric one. The line trimming work was done in about half the time. Be aware that hedge cutting in the nesting season is deprecated, and may in some cases be illegal. These machines are going to pay for themselves quite quickly. Thank you for the pointer. |
#31
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
John Rumm coughed up some electrons that declared:
snip The chainsaw add-on I was expecting to be a bit feeble, but was actually quite impressive - sliced its way through anything I threw it at without complaint - the strimmer having plenty of power for the task (which given its only a 10" bar on a 30cc engine is perhaps not that surprising). Seemed quite economical with the chain oil, and did not exhibit the tendency to spew too much of fit all over the place. The balance with the saw is not as good as the line cutter head, being slightly end heavy. Working at a reach for higher overhead stuff becomes a bit tiring after 20 mins or so. (I went round trimming anything dead looking from about 18 fruit trees - was quick and easy enough, but that was about as much as I wanted to do in one session). That's encouraging, I might get one of those. What's the thickest branch you tried cutting? I might try out the hedge trimmer tomorrow and see that that is like. I did some *serious* cutting of a 10' high hedge at my late fathers house yesterday[1]. Hawthorn, holly, brambles in amongst something quite tough. It had no trouble - I was quite impressed. Took 1/2 an hour to take the outside face off 150' run of hedge. Cheers Tim [1] People were whining about getting twigs and brambles in the face, not unreasonably... |
#32
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
On 2008-06-01 08:15:10 +0100, The Natural Philosopher said:
Andy Hall wrote: Anyway, the results are impressive. I cut one of the low hedges in about a third of the time as using the previous electric one. The line trimming work was done in about half the time. Be aware that hedge cutting in the nesting season is deprecated, and may in some cases be illegal. Yes I know. |
#33
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
Tim S wrote:
That's encouraging, I might get one of those. What's the thickest branch you tried cutting? about 4 or 5" (It seemed to have no difficulty with that, so I expect more would be ok) I might try out the hedge trimmer tomorrow and see that that is like. I did some *serious* cutting of a 10' high hedge at my late fathers house yesterday[1]. Hawthorn, holly, brambles in amongst something quite tough. It had no trouble - I was quite impressed. Took 1/2 an hour to take the outside face off 150' run of hedge. I have about 120' of 10' evergreen to have a go at... did not get round to it today... -- Cheers, John. /================================================== ===============\ | Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk | |-----------------------------------------------------------------| | John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk | \================================================= ================/ |
#34
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
John Rumm coughed up some electrons that declared:
Tim S wrote: That's encouraging, I might get one of those. What's the thickest branch you tried cutting? about 4 or 5" (It seemed to have no difficulty with that, so I expect more would be ok) Thanks John. The hedge is pug ugly but the max trunk thickness is about 2", so the pruner won't have any trouble. It will be useful having the pruner on a pole, with the hedge being a fairly nasty blend of prickly things... I just have to decide if it's worth saving (cut to 3-4 feet high and see if it can be loved into shape over a couple of years) or whether lop it to the ground and start again. 5-6" capacity should sort out some of the tree branches too. I might try out the hedge trimmer tomorrow and see that that is like. I did some *serious* cutting of a 10' high hedge at my late fathers house yesterday[1]. Hawthorn, holly, brambles in amongst something quite tough. It had no trouble - I was quite impressed. Took 1/2 an hour to take the outside face off 150' run of hedge. I have about 120' of 10' evergreen to have a go at... did not get round to it today... My first conclusion is that it may not give the same grade of finish (flatness mostly) that a "normal" trimmer with a decent length bar would (probably not surprisingly), but I did manage reasonable results on the climbing dangly stuff along the fence. BTW, I did notice an ExpandIt extender pole which can add another couple of feet onto the reach - might save the arms if reaching high will be a regular occurrence). http://www.greenfingers.com/supersto...&pf_id=DD4440D Cheers Tim |
#35
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Petrol strimmer / brush cutter recommendations
Tim S wrote:
I just have to decide if it's worth saving (cut to 3-4 feet high and see if it can be loved into shape over a couple of years) or whether lop it to the ground and start again. 5-6" capacity should sort out some of the tree branches too. The actual bar is 10" - so it would probably cope with close to that without any exotic cutting techniques. I might try out the hedge trimmer tomorrow and see that that is like. I did some *serious* cutting of a 10' high hedge at my late fathers house yesterday[1]. Hawthorn, holly, brambles in amongst something quite tough. It had no trouble - I was quite impressed. Took 1/2 an hour to take the outside face off 150' run of hedge. I have about 120' of 10' evergreen to have a go at... did not get round to it today... My first conclusion is that it may not give the same grade of finish (flatness mostly) that a "normal" trimmer with a decent length bar would (probably not surprisingly), but I did manage reasonable results on the climbing dangly stuff along the fence. Yup - I expect that may be the case... (note there are two trimmer add ons - one fixed and one with an articulated head (chap in the shop said they sell hardly any of the fixed ones)) BTW, I did notice an ExpandIt extender pole which can add another couple of feet onto the reach - might save the arms if reaching high will be a regular occurrence). Yup, managed to get the shop to give me one of those ;-) Tried it on the strimmer - handy for getting under overhanging trees - but a bit front heavy as you would expect. Probably more use on the saw or trimmer. (although not recommended you can use more than one extender at a time) -- Cheers, John. /================================================== ===============\ | Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk | |-----------------------------------------------------------------| | John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk | \================================================= ================/ |
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