Propane powered trimmer

[GaryM]

I saw one of these last night at Ace Hardware. Runs for about two hours on one of the larger diameter disposable cylinders. Has a four stroke engine with an oil sump. The one they had is the straight shaft unit ST025DS which can be seen near the bottom of This Page

Anyone have any experience to share?

[Bird]

I never even heard of them, but it sounds interesting.

[Pat]

Well now there is a cure for old fuel varnishing up the carb.

Sounds good, it should smell a lot better too. You can refill those little bottles from a larger bottle or a residential type storage tanks with the right accessories so fuel would not be a problem.

Pat

[GaryM]

They look interesting. I'd prefer to try one before making a purchase, but that's not likely to happen.

It's a four stroke, so the power to weight ratio is not going to be as good as a two stroke I'm thinking.

Has anyone used a four stroke trimmer?

[Pat]

Gary, I have used a 4 stroke (not mine) and it was no big deal weight wise, just as much a pain in the back as a 2 stroke. I'm not that tall (6'2") but the trimmers seem to be made for shorter folks and cause me back pain to have to lean/stoop to engage targets at ground level. I got a Weed Eater on wheels and that helped. It worked so well I got a DR string trimmer, electric start self propelled and it is sort of so so. I can't find trimmer string that lasts more than about 15-20 feet of trimming in medium grass, less with weed with hard stems with the DR.

It is exasperating to have the horse power, electric start, self propelling and not cut as much as the little Weed Eater on wheels per unit time due to way to frequent line changes which are much more time consuming than with the little Weed Eater. Both use cut pieces not a bump feed.

While I think the propane powered unit has merit I don't want any of the "standard" types until or unless they make one where the handle location, shaft length, angle if any, and balance point accommodate someone of my height comfortably. It isn't the side to side motion that bothers my back, it is the having to lean/stoop to reach the ground with the spinning string.

Pat

[jimbrown]

Pat I do not have a wheel trimmer but one of mine uses the cut line. I had the same problem of it not lasting very long. I had some stainless braided wire from something who knows what, it works well and last twice as long. Is kinda dangerous I guess.

[Bird]

Down in the country, I had bought one of the biggest Stihl string trimmers, but after my rounds with carpal tunnel and the surgeon telling me I needed to, as much as possible, avoid tools that vibrated, I sold it to my brother and I bought what was at that time the top of the line DR trimmer/mower. It was electric start, big wheels, but not self-propelled. In fact, I don't really think I'd want a self propelled one, and they didn't have such at that time anyway. It did go through line too fast until I got accustomed to using it, and going into the material to be cut a big slower, but then I really liked it. Of course now I'm back in town, sold the DR to a friend when we moved back, and now I'm back to a Stihl; just not as big a one. I now use the FS55RC Stihl.

And by the time I mowed, edged, and trimmed our yard this morning (started just before 7 a.m.), then went to Irving and did the same for a house one of our daughters and her husband are moving into, I was one worn out old man when I got back home about 12:30 p.m.

[Pat]

I thought about SS cable too but decided to not risk it (as much because I didn't have any as true concern for safety.)

Pat

[Pat]

Bird, silly me, I had thoughts that maybe a self propelled one would attract some attention from my wife. Oh well..., it is pretty handy and dead easy to engage and disengage the drive so it can easily be pushed manually or driven forward, clutched, and dragged back as when working around a post or other obstacle. The wheels are a little smaller than the non power drive one.

I would have thought it would be way faster and better than the little Weed Eater. It has lots more HP but in side by side tests with two operators and both of us trying both machines we lost so much time changing strings so much more often that with the Weed Eater that the Weed Eater got more done per unit time when working within its max capability which is a little less than the DR. I am hopeful that I can get a string that will survive (or go with SS cable) because I know that if the string would last better the DR would easily win the competition.

The convenience of propane with no limit to storage life and no gumming when leaving the tool fueled are big pluses to my way of thinking but it needs wheels to get my attention.

Pat

[GaryM]

The one SEARS sells has the cut line system while the one sold by Ace Hardware has a bump feed head. I prefer the bump feed style myself. I know some folks don't like them, but I've never had a problem with any of the ones I'd bought.

The length of the shaft seems about right for me. I'd move the handle up a little, but it is adjustable. Someone once told me that a curved shaft model is better for tall folks, but I've never had one so can't comment.