I need a new string trimmer, it must be a straight shaft style. Who all makes good 4 stroke gas trimmers these days? I'm not only maintaining my property but helping with my Mother's property. It sucks to drive 125 miles one way to have your only string trimmer go down.

I have a Troybilt, runs just fine but it’s a bit heavy and next time around I’ll just get a 2 stroke, they aren’t as heavy and sluggish.

I used a Ryobi 4 stroke for many, many years until the cable shaft finally broke near the head. Unfortunately it was cost prohibitive to replace.

Four strokes are heavy. My wife wanted one for her to use too, so I bought a battery powered Kobalt from Lowes and it works great for our small yard. Charge doesn't last too long but it'll do my 20 min or so without dying.

Love my Honda.

Todd Huffman is right: four-strokes are heavy. I've got a relatively small yard, though, so I don't care.

It starts on the first pull nearly every time, and on the second when it's not the first. I love it.

I have a Ryobi. I'm gonna ditch it and go DeWalt Electric. E is the way to go. I have a 40v chainsaw, and blower. Only time I've out-juiced the chainsaw was after most trees were taken care. Blower, I just can't use it enough.

Go electric.

Please make no recommendation for electric trimmers. I hate my experience with both battery and corded string trimmers. Both were wasted money for me.

Four stroke is not ready for prime time. They are garbage, currently.

Go buy an Echo, Stihl, Shindaiwa, Redmax, or Tanaka string trimmer.

If you use TruFuel premix 50:1 cans, you wont have any troubles with the fuel and it WILL work, when you need it. That fuel is good for years and years, without going bad. And don't try and tell me that the premix fuel is too expensive, that argument doesn't hold water. You'll use one or two cans per year at your mothers property. $6-12 per year, for premium non-ethanol fuel that doesn't go bad, is a sound investment. It will cost you $5 or $6 to make a gallon of premix fuel, and it goes bad after 90 days. The premix cans save you money and effort, especially considering down time for carb repairs. I am absolutely, positively, 100% convinced, that if more "average" consumers used these premix fuels, they would no longer have carb problems. The majority of folks would use less than 2 cans per year, so the cost is not expensive.

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Huffman:
Four strokes are heavy. My wife wanted one for her to use too, so I bought a battery powered Kobalt from Lowes and it works great for our small yard. Charge doesn't last too long but it'll do my 20 min or so without dying.

I'm thinking about going this route when mine dies. IDGAF about my current one in won't die after over a decade of abuse, only thing I've done for it is air filter (once) and new gas lines. Heck I stopped even mixing the gas properly. I dump a little oil in the tank add gas until the dye looks about right mix +/- and go. Takes four or five pulls but the damn thing still goes and won't die.

One thing do recommend is buy one of these.. Beats wacking the trimmer head on the ground constantly. I buy a roll of line and trim to size, they also sell pre-cut for the lazy.

I got a Husqvarna 4 stroke because of the Honda 4-stroke engine at 10,000 feet. It was Anemic and needed re-tuning. Still was was anemic.

Moved to 6,200 feet and even re-tuned, the Husqvarna was anemic. Bought a Still and am now finally happy.

I had a Troy-Bilt about ten years ago. Three seasons and I replaced it with a Stihl. Weight was not as much an issue as performance. Very disappointed in it. Underpowered was an understatement.

Kind of embarrassing but I left it at the curb on a Saturday morning, trash pickup is on Tuesday. I figured one of the roving scrappers or a backyard scavenger would have picked it up. Finally Tuesday afternoon I took it to the local Habitat For Humanity.

Probably putting a sign on it for ten dollars would not have helped either.

My Stihl FS-90 is a 4-stroke. It's not heavy and it's definitely ready for prime time. There's a reason you see them on landscapers' trucks. It uses the same mix fuel as the 2-strokes, has tons of torque, is quieter, and uses less fuel. It starts on the first or second pull every time, and is a lot easier to pull than a 2-stroke.

I like echo over Stihl (both high quality), but parts can be ordered to any Home Depot for the Echo and they seem a touch lighter and better balanced than Stihl.

The stihl 4mix is a 4 stroke, heavy and still uses pre-mixed fuel, so what's the point of that. Mine did have enough power, but I dumped it because it was motor heavy and not well balanced.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
I like echo over Stihl (both high quality), but parts can be ordered to any Home Depot for the Echo and they seem a touch lighter and better balanced than Stihl.

The stihl 4mix is a 4 stroke, heavy and still uses pre-mixed fuel, so what's the point of that. Mine did have enough power, but I dumped it because it was motor heavy and not well balanced.

The point of it is that it makes the engine lighter by not having to have an oil tank and oil pump. The stihl is very well balanced and the balance point is adjustable. My 4-stroke is much less tiring and more enjoyable to use than my 2-stroke.

quote:

Originally posted by houndawg:
My Stihl FS-90 is a 4-stroke. It's not heavy and it's definitely ready for prime time. There's a reason you see them on landscapers' trucks. It uses the same mix fuel as the 2-strokes, has tons of torque, is quieter, and uses less fuel. It starts on the first or second pull every time, and is a lot easier to pull than a 2-stroke.

^^^^^^
This. My Stihl combi is an excellent.

quote:

Originally posted by houndawg:
My Stihl FS-90 is a 4-stroke. It's not heavy and it's definitely ready for prime time. There's a reason you see them on landscapers' trucks. It uses the same mix fuel as the 2-strokes, has tons of torque, is quieter, and uses less fuel. It starts on the first or second pull every time, and is a lot easier to pull than a 2-stroke.

^^^^^^
This. My Stihl combi is excellent.

quote:

Originally posted by houndawg:

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
I like echo over Stihl (both high quality), but parts can be ordered to any Home Depot for the Echo and they seem a touch lighter and better balanced than Stihl.

The stihl 4mix is a 4 stroke, heavy and still uses pre-mixed fuel, so what's the point of that. Mine did have enough power, but I dumped it because it was motor heavy and not well balanced.

The point of it is that it makes the engine lighter by not having to have an oil tank and oil pump. The stihl is very well balanced and the balance point is adjustable. My 4-stroke is much less tiring and more enjoyable to use than my 2-stroke.

The point of having a 4 stroke, is so you don't have to bother with mixing oil!!!! And, it's still considerably heavier than a 2 stroke and I didn't notice any fuel savings either.

I didn't have the Stihl Combi. I had the Stihl pole hedge trimmer with the 4 mix engine. The engine was heavy and didn't balance well at all (motor end heavy). Also the carberator you needed a special tool to adjust it. I sold it to my lawn man about 3 years ago and bought an echo and couldn't be happier

My Stihl FS55R straight shaft trimmer is the biggest piece of shit outdoor power tool I have ever purchased (don't worry, Stihl no longer sells the lemon). I bought it at a Stihl dealer so it's not a big box store stripped down version either. My el-cheapo Ryobi was stolen off my covered porch so I splurged on the Stihl, and I wish I would have bought another Ryobi.

Let's start with the complaints:

Piece of shit motor that spent more time in the repair shop than it did running. Stihl dealer in Alaska went out of business so I was stuck. After moving to Canada, I tried the one in Calgary and they got it to run twice.

Finicky 2-cycle mix. No premix fuel at that ratio in the stores so I had to buy a 2-cycle syringe and precisely mix it myself.

When it actually ran, vibrated like a 1960s jackhammer (i.e. before the NVH engineering made them easier on the user).

For the remainder of my days in Alaska and nearly all of my days in Canada, I gave up and just sprayed the fencelines, the edge of my house, etc. with Round-up instead of buying another string trimmer. In N Houston, I have a lawn service.

I haven't met a person I disliked enough to give them my Stihl trimmer.

---

Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

quote:

Originally posted by Jelly:
Who all makes good 4 stroke gas trimmers these days?

I didn't even know anybody made such a thing. I would imagine it would be unwieldy, and the comments I've read here confirm that.

I've had my Shindaiwa 2-stroke string trimmer for 30-35 years and it's still going strong. Put a new head on it last year. The old one still worked, but this new style is easier to dispense fresh string and easier to reload.

It's got a fuel leak as of last season. I'll address that this season. Probably the gasket for the fuel lines, from the looks of it. Still runs like a top, though.

Bought an Echo hedge trimmer and Shindaiwa pole hedge trimmer, also both 2-cycle, last summer. Bought a Stihl 2-stroke pole saw summer-before-last. Obviously I think for things with engines that small, 2-cycle is still the way to go.

I've never had an issue with the fuel mix thing. I mix up a batch with Opti2, as per the ratio specified on the bottle, and use it in everything.

I have the Ryobi with the straight shaft. Much quieter than the 2-cycle. Doesn't spin up as quickly, buts works just as well if you adjust your way of approach and get it spun up.

Uses 2.2 ounces of oil in the reservoir - I'm changing it twice per season, which is more than required.

I've had numerous battery trimmers, but have never had one that has enough power to work on anything other than very light trimming.