UKC

Grass trimmer, strimmer, line-cutter whatever they call them, over the years I have had no luck with these.
Motors burning out, line release mechanism not working or line feeder using up cassette after 10 minutes...etc.

Had a B&D (best so far), Ryobi ( cheap one, didn't last), Wickes (Ultra cheap, rubbish),Wickes (medium expensive, cord mechanism)
Not tried a Bosch yet...

My latest Wickes special ate its own cord on Sunday in a successful suicide bid to get out of work this Summer. My lawn now has a Mohican ruff down the edges.

Any recommendations for a quality piece of kit that will give me years of trouble free use, with a reliable and durable mechanism and no fiddly issues when loading new line....( sub £100, mains)

Thanks in advance.
Sean

In reply to sbc_10:

I have a Bosch one - don't remember the model number.

It can use a normal line feed, or fixed heavy-duty line.

It's worked for 4-5 years without a glitch now, including keeping the grass on my allotment down to an acceptable length (allotment is outside our back garden, so just need to use a decent extension lead).

In reply to sbc_10:

Viking is the domestic brand of still and I've heard good things about their stuff

In reply to steve taylor:

Thanks Steve,
Yes, met a mate who was buying a Bosch last week, could be worth investigating if his short term review is favourable.

Thanks Toad,
That's a new one on my list of possibles. Stihl have a very good reputation in the petrol cutter market. Ease of use, dependability and longevity are very important.

In reply to sbc_10:

Sheep or Rabbit

In reply to sbc_10:

Simpson .

My Gardener and Lawnsman.

Thorough ,and reliable.

In reply to sbc_10:



I know exactly where you're coming from. If you have a perfect little lawn then I suspect there are plenty of reasonably-priced power tools out there for you. If you have real work to do then it seems to be a problem.

These guys
http://www.almmanufacturing.com/
and these guys
http://www.mowermagic.co.uk/
have lots of replacement bits and pieces. Some of them are not up to much. As far as I can tell, both the original makers and the people making the replacement parts have about as much knowledge of material science as a typical single-celled organism.

If you find a part that fits then it is probably best to order another two example right away.

In reply to Dave Perry:


Sadly, I like Rabbit pie and Lamb shank very,very much.
They wouldn't stand a chance.

In reply to andymac:


Alas, the new swimming pool health spa complex has limited the turning circle of the ride-on mower in my back garden.
Tuxedo cleaning costs and the high price of starched winged collars has sadly led to me letting the servants go.
One simply does not know what to do when the garden party season arrives.

In reply to sbc_10:

True, but you couldn't eat the lawn mower when it gets too old.

In reply to Dave Perry:

err....well, if served with a good Chianti and 3 in 1 oil....

http://tailgatefan.cbslocal.com/2012/10/01/michel-lotito-the-man-who-ate-an...

In reply to Jim Fraser:

Thanks for those links Jim.

Yes, I don't like the culture of paying for quality pieces of kit that have an inherently weak and many times replaceable component.
A bit like car exhausts, put a stainless steel one on in the first place and you'll probably get 200,000+ miles out of it.

In reply to sbc_10:

Bought a Bosch one at the weekend as we only have a small lawn. Its an animal. Has a spare extra strong cord as well but the normal one is pretty brutal. Only used it twice though so cant comment on its reliability. Was £41 from B&Q.

In reply to sbc_10:



Welcome to the 21st century.

It is ridiculously simple to design bump head parts that last. You can see these on the professional tools and they are not significantly more complex or expensive to make than the ones on the cheap ones. The real extra costs in the professional machines are in the engines and transmission.

The cost of hundreds of customers coming back to B&Q or Wickes or whatever with broken machines must be high. I don't understand why it doesn't pay these companies to troubleshoot this sort of thing as soon as these trends appear and produce what retailing is all about: happy customers who keep coming back.

In reply to sbc_10:

whatever you buy, stick this on the end of it....

http://www.frjonesandson.co.uk/products-page/consumables/strimmer-heads-lin...

all of the auto feed heads are a huge ball ache

I'd suggest upping the budget and buying a stihl (and use aspen fuel which won't go off).

Kev