New weed wacker.. hope it wasn't as mistake.

[David2012]

My 6 yr old Poulan Pro 33 CC weed wacker gave up on me today-- it had gotten a lot of use.. The fuel line inside the tank had broke last year.. but it still ran if you kept the tank full.. then today the pull crank went out.. no tension on the string. I didn't figure it was worth a lot of effort or money trying to fix.

Anyway, I can't afford a Stihl or other major name brand right now.. so I trotted down to Walmart this afternoon to see what they had on the shelf. The biggest model they had in stock was a 2 cycle Poulan Pro 25cc straight shaft for $124+ tax.. so I bought it. That was a mistake. It ran good, but it had a small hoop handle, no shoulder strap, under-powered and a throttle trigger heavier than a California / New York trigger on a Glock. My hand is still sore from squeezing that thing.

So, I'm back down at the store tonight around midnight and see them unloading pallets in the lawn & garden Dept. ... and spotted 1- 4 cycle 28CC Poulan Pro straight shaft w/ bump feep .095 line @ $179. I've had good experiences with my last Poulan Weed Wacker & my Chain Saw... but I've heard a lot of pros & cons about the 4 cycle weed eater engines. Anyway, I bought it and am going to take the smaller one back tomorrow for a refund.

Hope I'm not making a mistake going with the 4 cycle motor. I'm gonna pull the side J- handle off the old weed eater along wiht the shoulder strap mount.. so it will be easier to use. I've heard the 4 cycle models have really improved as of late and I like not having to mix the oil & gas... and while it comes with a 2 yr warranty.. I spent a extra $20 for an additonal 2-3 yr warranty.. so if it gets to running bad.. hopefullly it gets repaired or better yet replaced.

I had a cheap 37" Polaroid brand 720 dpi LCD TV a couple of yrs ago that I bought the extended warranty for at Walmart... and when it went out due to a electrical surge just after 18 months...they replaced it with a new 42" Sony Bravia 1080 DPI. Sent me a box and shipping label to send in the damaged TV.. and then after 2 trys to repair it.... they shipped the new television to my home, attached the base, put it in my stand, hooked it up and set the color and all the settings to my satisfaction.. at no charge.. and even included another 2 yr replacement warranty. So hopefull, this new weed eater will turn out OK if I have any problems with it in a yr or 2 or 3. It also has a 30 day return policy right now.... if I'm not happy with it.

Any one on the forum have any recent experiences with the newer models of 4 cycle weed eaters? I know they are a little heavier than the 2 cycle models and have more moving parts that can wear out. I looked on line, but didn't see any reviews for this particular model. I don't know how long it has been on the market. Thanks for imput.

 

[FullAuto]

Why can't you afford the better brands? You're now ~$200 into that Poulan. You can get a straight shaft Echo or Stihl for $229. The Echo comes with a 5 year warranty and the Stihl a 2 year. The curved shaft trimmers are cheaper.

 

[Shoot Summ]

So your first one died after 6 years, and you are taking a risk on the second one. I will own 1 commercial Stihl for that period of time and longer. It hurts to spend the extra money up front but it pays off over time, and every time you use it. you will ask yourself why you didn't do it sooner...

I'm running the 4 stroke version btw, actually called 4 mix as it still takes premix for the crankcase lubrication.

 

[1shott]

For $180 you could have got a Echo with a 5 year warranty at Home Depot. Straight shaft, .090 line, commercial grade equipment.

 

[1shott]

Back in 2002 I dropped the money on a Sthil Pro power head, so I can use attachments, funny thing is I never use any attachements. I have a brush cutter shaft for it, but have only use dit once. That Sthil runs to this day, never to anything but add fue and line.
Buy once, cry once.

 

[UnSafe]

1. Unless you're just trimming the edges of a 1/4 acre suburban lot, buy a larger Stihl trimmer.
2. Teach yourself to repair whatever you have. string trimmers sacrifice durability for weight.
3. .095 or larger line helps if working along fences, cutting Johnson grass or on concrete edges. 28cc- ok. 31+cc- better.
4. Stihl

 

[Biggsly]

I have to agree with the others. I broke down and bought a straight shaft Stihl 8 years ago. It still runs like new. I helped my b.i.l "who owned a landscape co" one year. That is what sold me on it. I know it sucks paying the extra money up front, but you are getting close enough to give it a good look. How ever you go, I hope it last for years.

 

[ronny]

I used a 4 cycle Ryobi for many years and it was really a good machine. It was heavy duty and would knock down any weed. Loved the sound it made. Only problem was, as I got older, it got heavier. Funny how that happens.

One thing different from 2 cycles, you can wind up with burned valves, which I did finally.

I gave it away to a guy who rebuilds them and gives them to charitable entities.

 

[-Pjackso]

Lots of good advise here.


Be good to your wacker, and your wacker will be good to you.

 

[n423]

For $180 you could have got a Echo with a 5 year warranty at Home Depot. Straight shaft, .090 line, commercial grade equipment.

I bought an Echo last year and love it!!!Easy start and has the easy line replacement.