Yet Another Cycling Forum
Random Musings => Miscellany => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Ham on 30 October, 2022, 08:17:10 am
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A few years back (7? maybe more), I got a brushcutter to help do service clearing our newly acquired allotment, and it has been used to clear paths and stuff. It was a Qualcast branded piece of finest chinesium with a 50cc engine, and aside from (a) noise levels handling and balance and (b) feed head fun it's been basically OK. A while back the primer bulb died, squirting 2-stroke mix straight in my eye as is the way of things. Ebay provided a replacement for £notalot, fitting it it was obvious most of the plastics are arriving at the end of life - tubes, tank. While it started and ran for a few seconds, there's clearly an issue with fuel feed.
I also recently bought a makita strimmer body (https://its.co.uk/pd/DUR181Z-Makita-DUR181Z-18V-LXT-26cm-Line-Trimmer---Body-_MAKDUR181Z.htm), primarily for use in the garden which is just as well as it doesn't have the guts to handle the allotment.
So, I 'm contemplating replacing the Qualcast.
Would a 25cc-ish engine have sufficient power to be better than the cordless? I no longer need the brush cutting capability. Something like this (https://its.co.uk/pd/ER2600L-Makita-ER2600L-257cc-2-Stroke-Petrol-Line-Trimmer-_MAKER2600L.htm) would seem to be good, but as 1.25mm line cutter an expensive mistake if not. Another might be the Hyundai (https://hyundaipowerequipment.co.uk/hyundai-hybc5080av-50-8cc-anti-vibration-brushcutter) (sold at B&Q, too) but that may just be chinesium again. Stihl, Honda etc would be spendy, but at least you know what you're getting and I would not have to replace again.
Two questions really - what power do I need to whack through couch grass etc and any suggestions to type/brand appreciated.
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We have a Stihl FS-70, which is 27cc and change. Price including line bobbin, disc and harness was OK back in March but seems to have gone up a hefty chunk since. Our jungle being what it is I've only used it with the disc, and it makes short work of elder shoots etc. The starting system is good: the cord winds up a spring that turns the motor once fully wound, but it still needs the customary umpteen tries + imprecations to actually fire. Beware of lending it to ham-handed know-it-alls, if they yank too hard on the cord they'll pull it off.
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I confess I'm hoping to get away with less than £400.... (Well, £380, call me a liar)
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Just down the road we have an old-fashioned country hardware-shop (also does newspapers, sweets, tobacco...) that carries Stihl stuff so it seemed the best decision. Especially since it's what all the farmers round here use. 469€ now but I got ours in a sale for around 100€ less.
Natch, when I used it a couple of weeks ago I did something narsty to my back. Something that can only be improved by cycling, of course.