rechargeable weed eaters

[farmbif]

today I was working on the lawn, cutting weeds down with a still km131. thing is a 2hp beast of a weed eater.
ive been thinking of selling my older km130 and getting a rechargeable one.
I was at the still store last week asking the salesman about them and they only stock the small homeowner ones and the one they currently make that has the same power of the 130 costs just under $1000 for complete package with battery and charger. no way the km 130 will sell for that much.
has anyone tried a rechargeable weed eater of any brand. what's your experience?
back when I was younger there was no such thing as a rechargeable drill today its difficult to find a drill with a cord. just saying things change.

[Winger Ed.]

I've had a couple and weren't happy with them.
They either aren't very strong, or the battery doesn't last long enough for what I need to do.

So I went to a shop that is a Stihl dealer and also works on them.
I got one of the smaller sized commercial ones. I think its a FS 70. It's a beast!

I've been babying it along since the 90s and hope it lasts forever.

[trails4u]

I have a Ryobi one that I bought for the wife years ago, so she could trim when I was away during the summer working fires out west. We've had it probably ten years... For anything 'lawn' related...it's become the one I grab. But still have my big commercial Stihl gas trimmer for bigger jobs. Battery life is probably 20-25 minutes, which is generally enough for me to take care of trimming around the 'lawn'. We don't really have a lawn...just a patch of weeds and clover that we keep reasonably cut and trimmed around the house, mabye 1/3 acre or so.... It's good for that....but wouldn't try to tackle any major trimming job with it. It just doesn't make the RPMs to tackle big stuff....

[gc45]

Having owned 2 battery weed eaters both were less than expected. Batt life was short, charge time was long and neither lasted more than a year or so..Junk IMO. My stihl is going strong after ten years and uses very little gas for all it gets done..

[Nobade]

I have a Snapper 40 volt one that works quite well for cleaning up the yard. It runs for about 35-40 minutes and seems to do as well as any homeowner type machine. It's lasted for three years so far. But for real work, the FS250 2 stroke or the FS111 44-mix are the ones that get used. That 4 mix engine is surprisingly fuel efficient, and since I started running it on Aspen Fuel is always starts and works great.

[243winxb]

SKIL PWR CORE 40-volt 14-in Straight Cordless String Trimmer (Battery Included) $159. @ Lowes.

Wife bought it. Ok for yard work. Recharge in under 2 hours. Less the a year old.

If i was buying on- STIHL FSA 130 R

[Finster101]

Like anything else you get what you pay for. Stay with 40 volt. Most likely one extra battery and you will be ready to put the back breaking torture device down before you run out of power. A good electric one is not a whole lot lighter than a gas one, but not having to mess with fuel is sure nice. If I could train a goat not to eat my good plants I would never touch one again of any type.

[GhostHawk]

I have a Lynxx 40 v sold by Harbor freight. Came with some really tough gray string, small in diameter but heck on baby trees and weeds.

This is its third summer, think I've charged it twice. It has yet to run out of juice on me. But I figured after sitting around for a year it would not hurt it to give it a fresh charge. Now I don't have a huge yard, but to me that is all I could ask for and more.

It does not have the typical "bump" string dispenser. But it does feed new line each time it starts. And there is a button you can push if you want more.

Handle is incredibly adjustable for angle, position of forward hand hold, etc. It was around 100$ and I would buy another one in a heartbeat.

I have several area's where it is hard to get the big mower into and under trees. 5 minutes with the trimmer twice a year knocks down the weeds and trees trying to get started. Poles, signs and traffic lights get hit once in spring when it starts coming up again I nail it with roundup. Might get a cleanup with the trimmer in fall.

[GhostHawk]

I have a Lynxx 40 v sold by Harbor freight. Came with some really tough gray string, small in diameter but heck on baby trees and weeds.

This is its third summer, think I've charged it twice. It has yet to run out of juice on me. But I figured after sitting around for a year it would not hurt it to give it a fresh charge. Now I don't have a huge yard, but to me that is all I could ask for and more.

It does not have the typical "bump" string dispenser. But it does feed new line each time it starts. And there is a button you can push if you want more.

Handle is incredibly adjustable for angle, position of forward hand hold, etc. It was around 100$ and I would buy another one in a heartbeat.

I have several area's where it is hard to get the big mower into and under trees. 5 minutes with the trimmer twice a year knocks down the weeds and trees trying to get started. Poles, signs and traffic lights get hit once in spring when it starts coming up again I nail it with roundup. Might get a cleanup with the trimmer in fall.

[Ringo10x]

I just bought a Stihl rechargeable for the house yard, and I love it. The old one was a 110v corded blackdecker.
this new battery power beats the 110v in every way

[Mal Paso]

The guy next door bought the Stihl with the external battery pack and Loves It. He uses it most on low power but cranks it up for the big stuff. I bought a Shindiawa C344 a couple years ago and it's going to take me YEARS to wear it out before I go electric. Shindiawa is the best gas powered, Echo bought them a few years ago. Weedwacking is serious business here for fire clearance.

[DocSavage]

I've an Ego 56 volt I think it's a bit heavy but does the perimeter of my yard 140ftx48 ft and rhe front of my house. Bought it mainly due to the warranty 5 years IIRC. Batteries are cheap either but charge up in less than an hour.

[alamogunr]

I bought an EGO last summer. Not sure which battery it came with. The manual shows 4 levels from 2.5 amp hour to 10 amp hour. I feel sure that mine is one of the lower capacity batteries. Since my yard is fairly small, I can usually go over it twice on one charge.

The only criticism I have is that replacing the string is something I haven't mastered yet. I can't get the lower end to release so I can access the spool. Next week I'm going to call customer service to see what I'm missing. If I can shoot a .475 Linebaugh without dropping it, surely I have enough hand strength to push the tab to release the lower end.

[MrWolf]

I've had the EGO for about three years now. I takes two charges to do my trimming as it can get thick in areas. I start trimming till it dies. Use the push mower then the ride on then back to trimming as it usually is charged by then. It is a bit heavy but you learn to tuck the battery under your forearm for balance. Other than wishing it could do the whole yard on a single charge, no complaints.

[Ickisrulz]

I bought a Stihl 2 stroke weedeater a couple years ago. It is light, plenty of power and starts every time. It cost $210. I cannot imagine spending $1K on an electric weedeater.

If you cannot get gas, you will have more problems than keeping your yard nice. Plus, I'll bet that Stihl will still be going after the batteries on an electric unit are obsolete.

[Finster101]

I bought a Stihl 2 stroke weedeater a couple years ago. It is light, plenty of power and starts every time. It cost $210. I cannot imagine spending $1K on an electric weedeater. If you cannot get gas in NY, you will have more problems than keeping your yard nice.

I believe the $1000.00 price tag was with a bunch of attachments. If I were to go electric I would look at the brand my current gas tool was. Most likely they will use the same attachments.

[kootne]

I use a 20V B&D. Works for me. I've had it over 15 years. I have about an acre and a half, 50% trees, rest grass. I used to rent a big gas Stihl to knock down the grass if we were having a dry fire season. Dumb thing would not start hot so I wasted time I was paying for letting it cool after every refuel. So I just decided to do it with my 20V. It takes longer even with several batteries but I just work on the parts as they cure and it gets done and is sure easier on my back. I've been using it for nearly 10 years now and it just keeps going. I also got a little chainsaw using the same batteries that I leave in my Jeep. I rigged a set up to charge batteries off the Jeep. I've used it twice to cut out trees that have fallen across the road. Not a powerhouse saw but gets the job done and doesn't stink up the Jeep with saw gas so I always have it with me. YMMV
Dennis

[Misery-Whip]

Milwaukee m18. Lasts an hour 2 speed settings. Cuts thru most homeowner weeds. Batteries charge fast.

Mine is the split shaft, so i have a pole saw too. Lots of power for chestnut, fir, alder limbs up to 5-6 inches. 1 8ah battery can create 4-5 hours of dragging or chipping limbs with a 4 wheeler...

I still have a gas weedeater too for the bigger jobs away from the house.

[Handloader109]

I've a stihl that was the top of the line homeowner model when I bought it roughly 15 years ago. I used it on 3 acre lot for about 4 years till we moved, it would outlast me easily... it was intermittently used on my first home up here for 5 years and now back to hard work on my current location back in the woods. Replaced the bulb once. Starts on the 2nd or 3rd pull, and just works. Battery machine would have been replace two time..... not for me

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[Dom]

My gas powdered Stihl, bought in 2000 still works great. I'm on large acreage so an electric is out of consideration. I did buy an electric with two batteries to try. . It was always going dead on me . Very frustrating. Add some fuel to the Stihl, same as I use for my Stihl chain saws, a crank or two , & away I go. Lots of power , for even the toughest weeds. Add my saw blade to the Stihl, & cut down small brush. Maybe some day electrics will be practicle for me , but for sure not now.

[sigep1764]

We have a Stihl FS90 down at the lake and its going on 20 years. 4 stroke that runs on 2 stroke mix. I go down once a month and have to weedeat a couple of acres at least, too rocky for mowing. The fuel lines gave out a couple years ago and not having time to fix, I bought the new version, an FS 91R I think. We had just bought a house and I needed a weedeater and thought a backup to the old one down at the lake would be a good idea. No complaints from either. Grandma needed a lighter one and we went through a Worx brand rechargeable in a year. Bought her a Stihl FSA57 last year. She loves it, but there is no way I can its possible to do the work I need to do down there. Our house in the city, it would prolly be perfect.

[Rich/WIS]

Had a Kobalt 40V from Lowes but found it was too heavy to handle with my arthritis. Don't need a lot weed whacking and could do several trimming on one charge. Replaced it with the small Stihl FS38 gas trimmer, which works well for my limited needs. Replaced the OEM spool with a head that you slide the string through the head and wind without removing the spool. Also got a head that uses plastic blades for the little bit of heavier stuff that needs trimming.

[quilbilly]

I have a Ryobi one that I bought for the wife years ago, so she could trim when I was away during the summer working fires out west. We've had it probably ten years... For anything 'lawn' related...it's become the one I grab. But still have my big commercial Stihl gas trimmer for bigger jobs. Battery life is probably 20-25 minutes, which is generally enough for me to take care of trimming around the 'lawn'. We don't really have a lawn...just a patch of weeds and clover that we keep reasonably cut and trimmed around the house, mabye 1/3 acre or so.... It's good for that....but wouldn't try to tackle any major trimming job with it. It just doesn't make the RPMs to tackle big stuff....
What he said. My wife loves the Ryobi for small jobs. The battery lasts a little more fur us by by the time it runs down, she/I are ready to move on to the next project anyway.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I use a 20V B&D. Works for me. I've had it over 15 years. I have about an acre and a half, 50% trees, rest grass. I used to rent a big gas Stihl to knock down the grass if we were having a dry fire season. Dumb thing would not start hot so I wasted time I was paying for letting it cool after every refuel. So I just decided to do it with my 20V. It takes longer even with several batteries but I just work on the parts as they cure and it gets done and is sure easier on my back. I've been using it for nearly 10 years now and it just keeps going. I also got a little chainsaw using the same batteries that I leave in my Jeep. I rigged a set up to charge batteries off the Jeep. I've used it twice to cut out trees that have fallen across the road. Not a powerhouse saw but gets the job done and doesn't stink up the Jeep with saw gas so I always have it with me. YMMV
Dennis

Like Dennis, I have a 20 volt Lith Ion Black and Decker.
ABout 6 years ago, my 2 cyl gas trimmer wouldn't start, so I bought the B&D. I live in town, so I don't have farm weeds. I am impressed with the automatic line feed. BUT, I wasn't impressed with Battery life (factory 2.0 Ah). Then I bought a aftermarket 6.0 Ah off of Amazon. It takes me half an hour to trim my yard (I am told, I have a lot of personality in my yard, I guess that means I got a lot to trim around, LOL). The 2.0 battery wouldn't do it all, without charging. The 6.0 Battery lasts over an hour, so I am able to do it twice on one charge.

The B&D has been good for these 6 years, but is showing it's wear. If and when it gives out, I am considering the upgrade, to the Milwaukee M18 straight shaft (split). I already have a bunch of Milwaukee tools and batteries.

[PhilC]

I've had a Stihl FS-86 since the early 90s, shoulder harness and handlebars. It still runs like a top and with 16+ acres I'll never get rid of it.

[Idaho45guy]

My dad bought a Stihl FSA-57 battery weedeater to replace his Stihl gas model since the old one was too hard for him to start and too heavy for him.

When his foot was bad, he had me come over and weed eat for him. I was amazed at how well it worked and how light it was.

The battery lasted for the entire 45 minutes it took me to trim everything, and the string feeder worked well. I put the battery in the charger and it was fully charged in about half an hour.

He said it cost him about $125 at the local Stihl dealer.

I've got one on my list to replace my Murray gas trimmer since it is so heavy and my back hurts after half an hour of work.


https://www.stihlusa.com/products/trimmers-and-brushcutters/battery-trimmers/fsa57/