Suggestions Non-sign making predicament..............

[Gino]

We recently lost our grass cutting guy for the house and the shop, due to this covid19 stuff. I have all the tools I need at the shop to do the trick, til he comes back. However, at home, my wife wants to help and my gas weed-wacker is too much for her to handle. I was looking at battery-powered trimmers and found a Mikita, which uses the same batteries as all my cordless tools. I can certainly spare two for a new trimmer. The unit is only $99. and I hafta supply my own batteries, which mean it's about a $190 unit. I can't find anything on the weight if the unit or the handling of it. Are any of the other brands just as good or better ?? I'm not looking for top end. She's gonna use it. I use my stihl gas trimmer.

Any other input would be appreciated. I need to decide by Monday, as most of these aren't available at the store and need to be ordered in.

Gino​

 

[player]

Stihl battery tools are very good. There are pro lines from other mfg as well.

 

[Johnny Best]

I have a 40-volt lithium-ion cordless weed wacker made by Ryobi that I picked up at Home Depot for $99 on sale about year and a half ago. last a long time on the charge. Easy to load the string into it.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Most battery operated wackers are pretty easy to handle.

The big thing is how much area does it have to take care of and type of grass (some are thicker, coarser (especially if allowed to grow to the point of bolting)) and both of those can contribute to going through batteries.

Like with anything, stick with your more well known brands and should be fine on that part, but the type of grass, growth of grass and how much of it can really be a drain on batteries.

 

[Moze]

Most of the OPE from the major brands is pretty well rated. Since you already have Makita tools, I would just get the Makita trimmer. The line in it is probably ok, but I would replace it with Husqvarna Titanium Force. It cuts really nice and holds up really well. Definitely get her some safety glasses.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Gino, you ride around on the mower and stick your poor wife with the trimmer? Youre smarter than you look!
I hate battery powered lawn equipment. For $200, you can go get an entry level echo or shindaiwa and it should be about as heavy as the battery powered stuff and better balanced.

 

[Gino]

Yep, I ride the mower, cause we have a heck of a steep hill, but it takes just a little under 2 hours to cut 1.5 acres. Another 1/2 hour with the push mower and about another hour or so trimming. If she does around the perimeter of the house and some of the back walls, she'll knock 1/2 off my time. Thing is, she wants to help.

Gino, you ride around on the mower and stick your poor wife with the trimmer? Youre smarter than you look!
I hate battery powered lawn equipment. For $200, you can go get an entry level echo or shindaiwa and it should be about as heavy as the battery powered stuff and better balanced.

 

[netsol]

We recently lost our grass cutting guy for the house and the shop, due to this covid19 stuff. I have all the tools I need at the shop to do the trick, til he comes back. However, at home, my wife wants to help and my gas weed-wacker is too much for her to handle. I was looking at battery-powered trimmers and found a Mikita, which uses the same batteries as all my cordless tools. I can certainly spare two for a new trimmer. The unit is only $99. and I hafta supply my own batteries, which mean it's about a $190 unit. I can't find anything on the weight if the unit or the handling of it. Are any of the other brands just as good or better ?? I'm not looking for top end. She's gonna use it. I use my stihl gas trimmer.

Any other input would be appreciated. I need to decide by Monday, as most of these aren't available at the store and need to be ordered in.

Gino​

gino,
the mikita should be fine for the wife to use
you have their system, so plenty of batteries & obviously an extra charger

if something happens (like 90 days of rain) and you get overgrown, you will break out the gas powered tool

 

[GAC05]

Get a few of these - cordless - outdoor Roombas - if you get a big one your wife can ride along too.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Yep, I ride the mower, cause we have a heck of a steep hill, but it takes just a little under 2 hours to cut 1.5 acres. Another 1/2 hour with the push mower and about another hour or so trimming. If she does around the perimeter of the house and some of the back walls, she'll knock 1/2 off my time. Thing is, she wants to help.

I think youll be annoyed with the battery life but if shes volunteering give it a go.
Looked at home depot and the ryobi weighs 9lbs 15in cut. A shindaiwa ts235 (gas) is 12lbs 20” cut.

 

[Gino]

Welp, gonna go to home depot, later this morning and see what they have. I'm not particularly fond of lowes. They're both near me. Wish me luck.

Thanks for the input.

The goat is a good idea, but I don't like cleaning up goat sh!t. I clean up enough racoon and deer sh!t already. Turkey guano is also very abundant. All the other critters is so small, it slips between your toes and doesn't knock ya over.​

 

[rjssigns]

You're in the Makita eco-system stick with it. I bought the Ryobi brushless 18 volt string trimmer and it runs very well. Brushless is the key. Will trim about 200 linear feet of fence line, around the house, trees, mini-barn etc...easily on a single 18 volt 4Ah battery. Only need to run it on low power. High power really rips.

BTW if you get one of those 40 or 56 or 80 volt set ups beware of battery replacement costs.. Once the battery dies you may as well throw the tool away too and go buy another trimmer with battery for a few bucks more. Funny how no one ever talks about that...

What I'm saying is you'll be fine with 18 volt.

 

[bob]

Look at Ego and Stihl tools. Since Ego was around for some time before Stihl came out with their battery powered line and they bear a striking resemblance to the Ego line I figure that they're pretty much the same tools. Anyway, all of the Ego tools use the same 56v battery and I assume likewise for Stihl. I have an Ego leaf blower, more powerful than my top of the line Husqvarna blower, and an Ego hedge trimmer, which could probably fell small trees, and one battery between them. I have absolutely no complaints and I'm looking forward to getting the Ego chainsaw and string trimmer. My son has the Ego string trimmer and he actually looks forward to using it. He wants to get the Ego mower next.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Stay in your battery ecosystem. All tool brands seem like they are all good quality. Makita, Ryobi, Dewalt, Milwaukee... they are fine and none of them are bad.

 

[Gino]

Yowsa, we ended up going with the smallest ryobi they make. All the others were either too cumbersome or too heavy. Staying within my battery arsenal, had NO bearing on the matter. Got it home, charged it up and she's happier than..... well she's happy. She took off and just started weed whacking everything in sight...... even astuff that didn't need it. Both batteries are fully charged and she's ready for anything. Even got a specail hook for her to hang it on. Her very own weed-whacked hook. Almost sounds pornie.


Thanks again, everyone.

 

[GAC05]

W

Yowsa, we ended up going with the smallest ryobi they make. All the others were either too cumbersome or too heavy. Staying within my battery arsenal, had NO bearing on the matter. Got it home, charged it up and she's happier than..... well she's happy. She took off and just started weed whacking everything in sight...... even astuff that didn't need it. Both batteries are fully charged and she's ready for anything. Even got a specail hook for her to hang it on. Her very own weed-whacked hook. Almost sounds pornie.


Thanks again, everyone.

Women do seem to like their battery-operated devices..... or so I have been told.

 

[Gino]

Yeah..... and then they go and name them.........

 

[bob]

Y..charged it up and she's happier than.....

 

[bob]

..charged it up and she's happier than.....

 

[Andy D]

I might get heat for this.... I hate weed-wackers so much, I only use "Round-Up" type spray,
it makes that part of my life so much easier..

I bought the Ryobi brushless 18 volt string trimmer and it runs very well. Brushless is the key. Will trim about 200 linear feet of fence line, around the house, trees, mini-barn etc...easily on a single 18 volt 4Ah battery.
What I'm saying is you'll be fine with 18 volt.

I just bought a Ryobi electric chainsaw so my wife would be more comfortable using it & was amazed how well it cut and how long my existing 18 volt
batteries lasted.