I recommend Echo string trimmers. I mow 5 township cemeteries, and use a trimmer to trim around all the monuments (gravestones). I use a John Deere trimmer, (which is an Echo that's been private labeled) that is about 6 years old, and has literally hundreds of hours on it. It's on its third string spool, but the engine still starts and runs like a new one. This trimmer gets more use in one season than most home trimmers do in their lifetime. Like Timex, it "takes a licking and keeps on ticking".
OK, so I got to this thread late. I vote for Stihl, if it makes any difference. As long as you stick with their brand of oil, get new gas each season, and keep your air filter clean the engine and carb should last pretty much forever. And I prefer the way they sound, personally. Oh, and if you can get a non-vented gas can and shake the crap out of it before each fueling you'll prolong the fuel's (and carb's) life. Just make sure you fuel up outside!
YOur 110% right about Echo anyhting any more. Before they changed over to their ECO carb they were some good little engines, now they are a constant pain in the neck. I bought a Echo back pack blower and had nothing but troubles, returned it and bought a stihl BP340, and it has yet to miss a beat. The Stihl cost less than $60 more than the Echo cost....
I just recently bought a weed wacker. I had looked at all of them from BOlems, troybuilt, Homelite, Ryobi, Shindawa, Husky, Echo, Toro, Poulan Weedeater) and Stihls. I got the Stihl FS45 on sale for $120, and its super. I also have two Jonsered brush type with bike type handle bars (40 and 60 cc engines) which are opver 20 years old and work just fine, but much to large and heavy to use for general trimming. The Stihl FS45 is light, powerfull and its head is great. Refilling it with line is a snap, and with about 20 tanks of fuel put through it already it has yet to screwup on the line feed, even when it gets packed with mud and wet grass etc, as I use it in and around my pond a lot.
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============================================== Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!
I am very happy with my cub cadet. Starts nice, cuts through everything but Pita head, must change. It only cost about $160 and the crank and major components start as Forgings, not cast. For only about $160 and made in the USA, its a good buy. John
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