|
|
Gas Trimmers
I love my stihl fs 85 !! between the bump head and the flail head there isn't much i can't take down !!!! Although the stihl flail blades are a little weak I replaced them with the shindiwa blades (thicker and more mass) or the stens poly blades with the metal inserts(normally use with my allen hover mower). ANY thing larger than that I use my old robin nb04/rebaged craftsman 42 cc brush cutter that is still running well since it was made in 1987 !!
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
Gas Trimmers
"I would trather spend a little more now than have to buy a new one in a few years...."
There's only one answer then in my opinion: Stihl. Good equipment, good dealers and good service.
Brian
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
Gas Trimmers
Forget the Trimmer and the Round Up.
get a scythe!!
Seriously. If you get a good one, and have it sized to you, and use it properly, its actually alot of fun, and surprisingly, less work than a trimmer.
American Scythe Supply out of Maine will custom make you a good one.
Don't buy a bent wood piece of 'stuff'.
Besides- real men use these!
(Edited to make it 'G' rated by moderator Murf).
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
Gas Trimmers
Earthsurfing, two problems to me with your suggestions here:
I get enough flowers and such with the string trimmer and short string.
But the one that really worries me, my wife does a good bit of trimming and I sure don't want a scythe handy for her when I goof up..(visions of the grim reaper here).
Seriously don't think in my 55 years have ever seen one used here. I can remember when the ideal yard was a swept dirt one. No grass and used brooms made from broom straw to really sweep them. There is a house about two miles from me with that still.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
Gas Trimmers
EW, find you a real farm supply store (where farmers buy) for your chemicals. Better chemicals (read the percentage of the chemical) and better prices than Lowes at least here. Price the 2 1/2 gallon containers. Generics that are same chemical as Round up are as chemicals go cheap. Notice, have not priced any this year but have heard no one talk of major price changes. Here TSC is better than Lowes but again the real farm supply stores beat them.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
Gas Trimmers
I can't remember the name of the product right off the top of my heard, but the local Co-op elevator sells packets of dry roundup concentrate for three dollars a pack. That pack is the correct amount for a gallon of water. A full box is five packs for 15 dollars, that's enough to last me a full summer for my two gallon hand sprayer. Greatest string trimmer ever invented and cheap too. Frank.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
Gas Trimmers
The missus and the dogs and I were out for a stroll a while back and saw a guy up the road from here was trying something I've never seen before as far as trimming.
He was walking along the fence line (galv. chain link) with a big blow torch in hand, the kind roofers use to seal the cracks, 250,000 BTU propane fed by a 20 pound tank.
I stopped to ask him about it and he claims that just a few seconds of heat will kill the top of the grass blades leaving the lower part unaffected. He said he singes the tops one week, then comes along a week or so later after the dead part is dry and actually burns off the dead material. He claims it works even better than cutting because the burnt edge slows the growth rate of the remaining blade of grass.
Clever idea if it works I guess.
Best of luck.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
Gas Trimmers
I use the propane torch method to knock off weeds on our gravel driveway. Works great.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
Gas Trimmers
I've seen (and done it myself) for weeds in driveways and patios and such, but never to control grass in a lawn.
Best of luck.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|
Gas Trimmers
I have one of those roofer torches (I think it's 250,000 BTU).I tried it on the weeds we have. It takes more time effort and gas than it's worth. And it burns off only the growth that was exposed to direct and intense flame. Otherwise the weeds continue unaffected. Within a week they were growing back.
Murf, if flame-singing grass stunted growth, I wonder if the principle could be adapted to a wide, towbehind boom affair that would horizontally produce a controlled flame for golf courses greens.
|
|
Add Photo
Bookmarks: |
|
|
|