Landscape Protection

An overlooked and equally important aspect of landscaping is protection, many people seem to think with landscaping you don’t need any safety protection, I’ve seen people operating trimmers with no eye protection, that’s a recipe for disaster and a very good way to lose an eye. I’ve also seen people operating mowers with regular running shoes on, what if you lost control of the mower and it went over your foot. You lose your foot. A hefty price to pay. One of the companies I worked for had a girl who was operating a mower trying to push it up an incline, it was a hot sunny day, she was tired and for a moment, a lapse in judgment. She lost control. The mower came crashing down, she got her body out the way but not her foot, thankfully she had a pair of steel toe boots that save her feet from becoming amputated. Safety is no joke, and when you are operating equipment it should be your number one concern.

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The first layer of protection is your safety glasses. In a job like landscaping where there is lots of debris, bits of grass, twig, rocks and sometimes even glass, you want to protect your eyes. Especially when you are trimming, trimming is probably the most dangerous part of the job, you can’t always control what the trimmer line picks up and whatever it does pick up is going to be sent toward you at a high velocity. Another thing to keep in mind is the direction that debris will be shot toward you with the trimmer, have the line spin away from you, working in the opposite direction the line spins at. Something I never understood is removing the guard off the trimmer, the guard is there for a reason. It’s called a guard and it does a very good job of protecting you from debris, especially when you are line edging. Yet many professionals insist on trimming without the guard.

Regardless if you use a guard or not, you’re going to need safety glasses. The best kind to get are the ones that wrap around your face, covering all angles of your eyes. Even on the lower part where some debris can sneak its way behind the glasses. The ones I use have a string attached to the two arms.

I’ve lost many high-quality safety glasses because I would take them off during lunch or when we were working on a garden and I forgot where I left them. I recommend the XX With the string around the arms so you can just have them hang while you do safer work.

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Buy them here .

Once you have the face covered you want to move a little bit lower to the hands, gloves are needed depending on the work you do If you do any heavy manual labor then you should wear gloves. Gloves can also protect you from getting splinters, or thorns stuck in your hand. If you do decide to wear gloves, you should invest in some good ones. Ones that will last a bit more than a season, your gloves will wear out the quickest of any safety protection you use. I recommend the X. Everyone where I worked had them, including myself. I swear by them.

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Best Gloves for Yardwork
Buy them here.

Moving onto another important piece of protection, the earplug or earmuffs. As a landscaper you’re going to be operating heavy equipment that easily exceeds the amount of decibels that can cause hearing damage. Ear protection is mandatory. There is multiple ways you can protect your ears, you use the actual ear plugs that go inside your ear, a headset style protection that has a built in radio or you can use some music headphones, allowing you to listen to music while working. It’s your decision, what I typically use is either small little in ear protection or the big muffs. I use the small ones if I want the mobility without having to having to carry around a headset, and I’ll use a headset if I know I’m going to be on a machine for a while. It depends on the circumstance however you should always be wearing ear protection. Your hearing is too valuable to lose to negligence.

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Buy the small in-ear ones here and buy the big muffs here or the ones with the radio here.

The next set of protection you want to consider is pants if you plan on trimming. Pants will protect you from most of the debris that hits your legs while trimming, you may hit the occasional object that will go through the pant material but that is rare. Whereas if you wear shorts you’re going to have to deal with not only debris, but grass covering your legs, getting inside your boot and so on. It is personal preference, you don’t have to wear pants but your legs will take a beating if you are trimming. You can pick up a pair of pants that are also breathable here, they come off in sections so if you think it’s too hot you still have the option to wear shorts, just unzip the leg. Many landscapers wear pants like these, and there’s no question why. They are great.

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Buy the pants here.

I touched on this before, in the beginning of the article where I told the story of a girl I worked with who almost lost her foot if it wasn’t for her steel-toed boots she had on. Foot protection is very important, especially when you are using a mower. Blade can spin at a speed of 3000 RPMs for your typical homeowner mower and for a commercial mower a blade can spin in the range of 40,000 RPMs. You must wear steel toed boots. I wore heavy-duty construction boots that I had for a previous construction job, they were big and clunky. I would not recommend them for landscaping, get something light. You do a lot of walking and there is a world of difference between walking an entire day in heavy construction boots and walking in something lighter. Regular shoes felt like clouds after a long days work. Make sure whatever you get has sufficient grip, often time you will be cutting in wet grass where you can lose traction if you’re on a slope and your boots don’t have the traction you are required. I’ve seen a lot of landscapers use these, they are lightweight and provide good traction.

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You can buy them here.

Now that we have our whole body covered, we’re ready to go out in the blazing hot sun and tackle or work..right? Not so fast. Before you do ANY work outside you should put on sunblock, skin cancer is a very serious thing and it’s extremely common with people who spend a lot of time outdoors. It’s a slow killer, you won’t know you have it until it’s too late and symptoms have already developed. As outdoors men we tend to take this one for granted the most, we love the outdoors, and we forget that the sun despite providing us warmth and enjoyment, can also harm us, and eventually even kill us. Skin protection should always be a concern. Make sure you buy sunscreen lotion that is properly rated for the intensity of the sun you plan to work in. I recommend this, they’re a good product and a large reason why I haven’t burned this entire year despite it being one of the hottest.

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The final thing I want to go over is simple awareness, the safety equipment I have listed here are great but the best piece of equipment is our own brains. If a job doesn’t look safe, or you don’t think the mower will be able to handle the incline or slope, don’t try to. Be aware of the people around you, especially if you are working near residential or high traffic areas. If people are close, turn the equipment off or leave it in idle and pull the throttle back. This rule holds even more weight if there are children nearby, children are more sensitive to loud noises and their hearing hasn’t fully developed which makes them more susceptible to hearing damage from loud equipment. Be mindful of your co-workers too. If you’re trimming and one of the guys on a mower is passing by, stop trimming and wait for your path to be clear. A general rule is the person on the heavy equipment has right of way, so the guy on the trimmer should idle his machine and wait.

Safety is an overlooked aspect of a landscapers work, there are many hidden dangers when you are operating heavy or light machinery, dangers not only to yourself but also to others as well. We often forget in the comfort of our own backyard that the equipment we are operating has the potential to change our lives, for ever. We often forget when we work for a commercial company, on the same piece of equipment for many years that the equipment is still dangerous and can still injure us just as severely as when we first started. This is why it is important to wear the proper safety equipment and to always be aware of our surroundings because if we don’t we could change our lives, or someone else’s forever and that is a burden that no one would want to live with.

Commercial and Professional versus Consumer

The jump from homeowner to commercial grade equipment can seem daunting

  • Is it worth the significant increase in cost?
  • Should the average homeowner run commercial grade equipment?
  • When is it worth it?

In this article we will look into when it is a good idea to spend the extra money and purchase commercial equipment, as well as the factors to consider when choosing which dealer to go with.

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The biggest problem with homeowner equipment is the quality of the parts and the amount of abuse that they can take. A homeowner machine could last longer than ten years if it rarely gets used and if the use it does get isn’t heavy or hard on the machine. Then you have outlier machines, ones that last for years, taking any abuse you throw at them. Sometimes you get lucky, the push mowers that I used at a private golf course I worked for were very old, probably from the mid eighties and they were residential mowers. They took an insane amount of abuse, cutting fescue, running on severe slopes, the mowers tipping over and oil getting into the gas and even running over rocks. The thing is, these machines are outliers, your average homeowner machine lasts about two years from normal use, and if it gets abused this life cycle shrinks even more. This short life cycle is even more noticeable with trimmers, blowers, and other equipment with small two stroke engines. Some people have purchased a homeowner trimmer and had them blow up within an hour or two of use. This is why many homeowners now run commercial equipment, despite the increase in price.

Don’t let the word “Commercial” confuse you, commercial quality products are not going to be bulkier, and harder to work with, it’s actually the contrary. Commercial grade products are going to give you less headaches and you will be able to start the job quicker and finish it quicker as well. Commercial simply means professional equipment with dealership support in case anything goes wrong.

So when do you want to upgrade from homeowner equipment to commercial? When is the jump worth it?

To answer that question, you have to ask your self a few questions.

  1. Are you satisfied with the equipment you currently have?
  2. Do you spend a lot of time taking care of your lawn?

If you’ve experienced issues with your current equipment breaking, or not lasting as long as you would like, then you should upgrade to commercial quality. Yes, it will be more expensive but it will last longer and save you from buying new machines every season. A good commercial mower can last upwards of 7 years. That means for 7 years you will not have to buy a new machine, whereas with homeowner brands you might have to buy a new machine every year, which could add to over a thousand dollars in new machines over the time frame of 7 years, making the commercial grade equipment the better investment in the long run.

Another great advantage that commercial grade equipment has, is dealership support and the warranties. When you buy a machine from a reputable dealer, you can count on your machine being properly serviced and often times dealers will offer new customers free tune ups, depending on how expensive of a machine you got. This also means that if you have problems with your machine, or want to trade it in or if you bought it and realized it isn’t what you expected  you are not stuck with a lemon. Dealers are much more generous when it comes to returning faulty product, and if you have an old commercial machine you can always trade it in for a new one to help cut cost.
Contrast this, to big box stores where the policies are stricter, generally once you use it a few times you cannot refund it and if you do you will only get store credit. I believe this factor alone constitutes commercial grade over residential homeowner equipment.

A big plus with commercial equipment is the amount of time that can be cut taking care of your lawn, instead of spending three hours to mow your lawn, it could take two or less with a commercial mower. Making those painful tasks of mowing on a step incline, or slope much easier and providing a nicer cut at the same time. If you find you take more time than you would like maintaining your lawn, then commercial quality might be a good choice for you. You will not only save time but potentially money in the long term.

If you snoop around lawn care forums and ask the members what their worst purchase was, you would see many vouches for homeowner designed equipment, very few people are unsatisfied with commercial grade quality and the ones that are, simply trade in their current product for something better. That’s the great thing about buying commercial equipment, the re-sale value is high. You can buy a new trimmer for 700 dollars and sell it for 400 leaving only a 300 dollar deficit which is about the price of two homeowner trimmers, or one expensive homeowner trimmer.

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Don’t let the words “John Deere” , “Toro” , “Echo” stamped on equipment in Homedepot, or any other big box store fool you. It may say John Deere, but it is not. The components are not John Deere quality, the frames will be weaker, the engines cheaper often being MTD engines instead of a Kawasaki, Honda or one of the commercial grade engines you would find in a Deere and the parts are just not as tough as you would find on a commercial piece of equipment. Many people do not know this, they simply assume because it says John Deere on the mower, that it is going to be a quality machine and generally that is true, unless it came from a big box store and has MTD parts in it instead of the parts a true John Deere has. The hard part about this is some big box stores, or department stores will have say a John Deere with the true parts a John Deere has and it won’t have any MTD parts, but this is hard to tell and it’s much better to go to a dealer where you know you will be spending your hard earned cash on a quality product.

The biggest issue with commercial grade equipment is the price, you will pay about double for commercial compared to homeowner equipment, thankfully with commercial equipment you don’t have to buy new. You can buy a used machine for much less than new and still maintain that commercial quality power, cut and longevity depending how much abuse the machine already has. You can also still have the benefits of dealer support when you buy used too, the parts will be the same, and service will just be like you bought it new, except the warranty might be over. Lot’s of homeowners and new business owners choose to buy used commercial equipment, you lose some longevity but you make up for that in the savings, not only with money but time as well.

The biggest thing with commercial equipment is your dealer support, a good dealership is extremely valuable and before you chose which commercial product you want to buy, make sure the dealer is reputable and the mechanics are good, there will come a time where something will need to be replaced and you don’t want to be stuck with a bad dealership, who takes forever to fix your machine or gives you the run-around saying they cannot fix it and that you will have to buy new. A good dealership is worth more than its weight in gold.

If you took the time to read this article then you’ve probably already thought about upgrading to commercial quality equipment, if you value your time, and don’t mind spending more in the short-term then I would highly suggest you make the jump, it’s a little scary, dealers can be intimidating but if you do the proper research and only do business through a reputable dealer, then the jump will be painless. And soon, the struggles of a homeowner machine will be a thing of the past, and you too will be one those homeowners who swears by buying commercial equipment.

Starting A Landscape Business

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With the state of the economy and jobs being cut, the idea of owning your own business is becoming increasingly attractive. Many go to into business for themselves as a freelancer and others start their own companies. One of the simplest companies to start is a landscaping/lawncare company. Many people do this and you can make some good cash through it, especially when you start getting big contracts like malls and high-end condominiums. That’s where the money is at.

In fact, you may have ran your own lawn care business when you were a kid. Offering to cut the elderly’s lawn or your neighbors for some extra cash. It’s a great way to introduce a youngster to business and all you really need is a mower.

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However, to start a real landscape business you will need much more than a mower. You’re going to need blowers, trimmers, ride on, push mowers, trailer and a truck to haul it all. You can’t really skimp out on any of this either. You may be able to get by without a ride-on mower but that severely limits the amount of work you can take on.

Landscape businesses can be profitable and if you already own some of these things I would highly suggest going into business, even if it’s just part-time. The extra bit of cash definitely helps and if you keep it up you can parlay your business into other avenues like window cleaning or garden maintenance.

Like most businesses though, you need clients. That will be the hardest part, getting people to pay for your services. Once you get some clients it’s relatively easy to keep them due to the nature of the business. Lawn has to be cut on average once a week, that’s residual guaranteed income. Repeat clients. Which is great for a business because then you don’t need to find a new customer after ever purchase. It’s easier to have a current customer pay more than it is to find a whole new customer.

That leads to the one major downside of landscaping, that is that the work is seasonal. Most of the time, you’re only going to be operating between Spring, Fall. Depending where you live the length of your winter will vary. What most landscape companies do is run a snow removal operation during the winter, this is great and helps supplement the loss of income. But as a beginner, there’s a very slim chance you will be able to do snow removal on top of landscaping. The equipment is expensive and unless you like shoveling snow then it would be wise to stay out of the snow business for now. Wait till you have more clientele.

Landscaping seems like a great business to start it has relatively low costs, residual income and is capable of scaling to big dollars. Even if it’s seasonal you can still make great money at it. However, there’s one thing you really need to consider before starting a landscaping business.

That is location. The success of your business will vary completely on your own location, many cities, towns and even rural areas already have a plethora of landscaping businesses. Everyone is trying to get a slice of the pie and the thing is, most of them go under after the 1-3 year mark. There’s a lot to owning and operating a successful business that will last and if the market is already heavily saturated then you’re only making your chances of survival slimmer than they already were.

The problem is, if you do go under, you’re going to have equipment that you’ve already invested into that you need to get rid of. Especially if it’s commercial grade. This makes the cost go up even more. A lot of first-time business owners don’t consider the actual costs of a business nor do they create a solid plan to go about their business. Causing them to ultimately fail. I would highly recommend you to create a business plan if you’re thinking about going into landscaping. You will save a lot of headache by doing this.

One final thing I want to touch on is repairing. When you own a business and have a piece of equipment down, that’s money you are wasting. If you plan to own a business I highly recommend learning how to repair most of your equipment yourself. Waiting for a mechanic to fix things is going to kill you, not only with cost but time as well. Bigger machines, you can get away without knowing how to fix them but the smaller engines you definitely should learn how to fix yourself. You will save a lot of time and money by doing so, which is key in business.

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Remember, when you start a landscaping business you have to keep in mind that the business end of it is just as important as the actual lawn care part. Many people don’t take this important piece of information into consideration. You may love cutting lawn or lawn care but to make any sort of profit you have to remember that it is a business. You can’t expect to make cash just because you love the work. Its easy to forget this and it will be detrimental to your business if you do.

Starting a lawn care business can be a great way to earn some extra cash or if you decide to go fully into it; a living. However, before you even consider starting one you should take into account the factors I have listed here. If you do not and decide to start one anyway then you’re going to have a rough time. You might still succeed and I hope you do, but it’s best to arm yourself with knowledge before you decide on something that could impact your life as much as a business could. Starting a lawn care business can be a great idea but only if you do your homework. If you don’t you could end up like the multitudes of business that go under. Be smart, think it over and I have no doubt you will come to the right decision.

Review – Is The Remington RM2520 Gas Trimmer Worth Investing In?

Remington RM250 gas trimmer ReviewThe Remington RM250 gas trimmer is among the common gas-powered trimmers in the market. It is taunted as a good solution for those looking trim their hedges, cut grass, manicure their lawns, trim trees and bushes and many other functions. It can accommodate a range of attachments that turn it into a hedge trimmer, cultivator, branch pruner, blower and mower. However, is this trimmer as good as the manufacturer claims? (Check our guide on weed eaters)

Weighing about 10lbs and measuring 38.25 x 12.37 x 11.25 inches, the trimmer feels light on the hands. It can be used continuously without the user feeling bogged down by its weight. Unfortunately, it doesn’t feature a harness which could have made it even more manageable and user-friendly. The weight of the gas trimmer seems fairly distributed though it feels that more of its weight is towards the back. But thanks to the D-loop, it is easy to control the weight even in the absence of a harness.

The RM250 trimmer features a non-adjustable plastic handle that provides good grip during use and is soft on the fingers. This minimizes the possibility of cramps or aches on the finger joints. Though it lacks any anti-vibration technology, the vibration from the cutter is mild and so is the noise generated. You don’t have to put-on ear mufflers to block off the noise. It is CARB compliant meaning the noise and emission levels are within the acceptable standards.

Being gas-driven, the Remington RM250 features an exhaust that allows the fumes to escape when in operation. The exhaust is located in a safe area that reduces the possibility of the user accidentally touching it or getting burnt during use. The 10 oz gas tank allows the RM250 to operate continuously for 30 minutes or even more. However, it may get quite hot when cutting through course grass, thick bushes, or tough tree branches.

Powered by a strong 25cc, 2-stroke motor, the Remington RM250 gas trimmer is regarded as a multi-tasker. Using the right attachments will turn it into a cultivator, grass cutter, hedge trimmer, weed remover, bush cutter and more. It can be used on the lawn, walkways, hedges, garden, field and other situations.

The gas trimmer is powered up manually and will start easily courtesy of Remington’s QuickStart Technology. This is boosted by the advanced bump line system that allows fuel to flow fast. Re-threading the machine incase the line runs out is not very complicated and can be done by anyone.However, you need to be extra careful to avoid doing it the wrong way.

The gas trimmer head is not replaceable and care should be given when handling and operating the device. Remington offers a fairly-good support network for parts and service and the policy on return is 30 days. The trimmer also comes with a 2-year warranty from the manufacturer.

The trimmer scores well in regard to weight, versatility, built-quality and service backup. However, it shouldn’t be used for very long periods as it gets pretty hot. Also, the 10oz fuel tank can only last for so long and controlling it without harnesses may put a strain on the user’s body. All-in-all, any person looking for a simple, no fuss and reliable domestic trimmer will find the Remington RM250 gas trimmer a good choice.

Weed Eater Model w25SFK For Occasional Trimming – A Review

Ryobi RY253SS Gas Weedeater Review

The Weed Eater Model W25SFK is an interesting entry into the mid range gas trimmer. (Check out our full tutorial on picking a weed eater) Trimming the lawn is necessary and as much as possible it should be done on a regular basis. For an efficient trimming, having a good weed eater is the main requirement. One of the reliable weed trimmers that are available today is the Weed Eater model w25SFK.

Design

The Weed Eater w25SFK is a gas trimmer that features a lightweight design. Weighing only 10 pounds, this weed eater is very light and portable enough to use around the yard. Coming with a straight shaft, fixed line trimmer head and 15-inch cutting width, one can feel an equal weight distribution from the handle to the cutting head. This weed trimmer has a plastic, D-loop handle that gives comfort and easy grip.

The noise of this weed trimmer is in moderate level and earmuffs are not really necessary unless you have very sensitive ears. This weed trimmer does not come with an exhaust and anti-vibration technology. Thus, you can really feel the vibration with performing the task. The vibration is in moderate level but, it is still not advisable to use this trimmer for large-sized yard because it may result to muscle fatigue. Also, this trimmer does not have a harness.

 

Performance

The Weed Eater w25SFK features the Simple 2 Start™ system. With a simple prime and pull, you can easily start the trimmer. This trimmer does not consume much fuel as well. It features a 15-inch cutting width that is strong enough to cut thick weeds and vegetation. It has a 25 feet line feed capacity which is considered to be impressive as compared to other trimmers available in the market today.

This weed trimmer also comes with an easy bump-and-feed mechanism to feed additional string to the trimmer. The fixed line cutting head is designed to allow easy loading of pre-cut trimmer line. Once the line runs out, rethreading is very easy. It is also designed to prevent line from getting tangled.

Warranty and Long-Term Care

Manufacture offers this weed eater with a two-year warranty for the labor and parts and two-year warranty on the drive shaft. The manufacture is also selling parts and accessories should you wish to have spare parts for future use. There are also several service centers throughout the U.S. where you can purchase parts and have the weed trimmer repaired.

There is also a user manual available online. You can refer to the manual online if you experience difficulties in handling the trimmer. The manufacturer can also be reached through telephone call and email.

Conclusion

This weed eater comes with several features. It is easy to start, lightweight enough to carry around the yard, and easy to assemble for convenient transport and storage. Though it lacks the anti-vibration technology and other features, this weed trimmer is still reliable to cut thick weeds. Yet, this trimmer might not be ideal for large-sized yards.

This weed eater is enough to eliminate ugly weeds and groom your lawns efficiently. Compared to other gas trimmer, this weed eater will not disappoint. It is easy to start and restart and absolutely easy to maneuver.

With that in mind, this is not in our top picks for the mid range gas weed eaters.

Ryobi RY253SS Gas Weedeater Review

Ryobi RY253SS Gas Weedeater ReviewBe sure to check out our guide to weed eaters.

The Ryobi RY253SS is reliable 2-cycle gas trimmer. This gas trimmer comes with several features that give users a satisfying trimming experience.

Features

The Ryobi RY253SS fgas trimmer comes with several features that make it a reliable weed trimmer. Some of the features include the following:

  • The Zip start carburetor allows easy starting of the device.
  • It comes with a two cycle engine.  As two cycles go, this one will probably need carburetor adjustment to make sure that it doesn’t run rich or lean.  This of course means also using ethanol free fuel, and mixing the fuel with motor oil.
  • It features the Ryobi Universal Brand Fit attachments that allow the trimmer to accept universal fit attachments.
  • It comes with a Reel-Easy String Head that allows easy head string reload. Just thread the string and twist the head and then you are ready again to resume trimming.

Design

The Ryobi RY253SS comes in a sturdy design. It weighs around 15 pounds and it feels fairly heavy when used. This trimmer has a straight shaft and the weights are equally distributed from the engine to the cutting head. It comes with a plastic, round loop handle that is highly adjustable, giving comfort to those who will use it. The handle is not padded.  This trimmer does not have a harness or anti-vibration function. When trimming, you can feel the vibration in your hands but it is pretty manageable. Compared to other trimmers, the sound level of this trimmer is also acceptable by the ears without any protection, but we recommend it anyway.

Performance

The Ryobi RY253SS gas trimmer is fuel-efficient. It also comes with a zip start that is designed for an easy starting and restarting. It is reliable and strong enough to cut through thick weeds and ugly vegetation. It has a 17-inch cutting width and a 25-feet line feed capacity.

It comes with bump head feed that allows you to extend more string easily with just a simple thump on the ground. In this gas trimmer, rethreading is pretty simple and easy. The line does not get tangled and you can expect an efficient weed trimming session.

Warranty

This trimming device is offered with a three-year warranty for the labor and parts as well as the drive shaft. Compared to the average trimmers, this warranty is better. For troubleshooting help, online manuals are readily available in their website. For further concerns, you can also call or email the manufacturer. Also, local service centers are willing to assist you with your weed trimming concerns especially when it comes to repair.   The unit reviews fairly well, but not necessarily in the top tier.

Conclusion

The Ryobi RY253SS gas trimmer is a durable trimmer that could last for years and it really provides great features. Aside from being heavy, another drawback of this trimmer is the lack of anti-vibration system. But overall, this gas trimmer really gives an impressive performance. It is easy enough to use and reliable enough to clear away unwanted weeds and vegetation.

A Look At the Poulan Pro PP 966774301 Review

Poulan Pro PP 966774301 Review

The Poulan Pro PP 966774301 is a good four-cycle gas-powered trimmer. This helps you to cut all sorts of tough spots all around your yard. It is a good option that can especially be easy to maintain and start up as necessary.  (For an idea of how we look at these things, check out our weed eater guide)

Physical Features

This trimmer weighs about 13 pounds and has a bit of a heavy feeling to it, especially when compared to the typical 2 Cycle gas trimmers.  The better emissions and less smelly exhaust comes from using the 4 cycle engine. Like most trimmers, most of the weight is on the back part where the motor and chain pull ignition feature are featured.

This means that you will need to be cautious when trying to balance it.

This model does not have a harness for easy carrying. The D-loop on the middle is used as the key handle. This is close to the middle of its body to help you with carrying it around quite well. The handle does not have any padding on it as it is made with a standard plastic body.  If you plan on using this for more than a hour, we recommend getting some padding for the handle and a harness.

Noise and Control

The Poulan Pro PP trimmer does vibrate although the vibrations are not all that strong as compared to a typical 2 stroke. Also, it does generate a bit of noise. so it would be a good idea to wear earmuffs.

The exhaust on this trimmer is rather minimal and should not get in your way. However, it can smell if you get a little too close to use.

Strength

The trimmer has a powerful motor mated to a good shaft that can create faster cutting speeds when compared with electric trimmers. This can easily get through thicker weeds and can also cut through bigger vegetation spots. However, it might struggle with some spaces if they are far too dense.

Other Usage Points

It can take about fifteen to thirty minutes for the fuel to run out. It is easy to get into the fuel container on the unit though. Also, this is very easy to start with a pull cord that works quickly. It especially works faster if the engine is already warm and has been properly primed.

The semi-automatic line is designed to where it will not become loose or worn out easily. However, it can also be replaced and cleaned off as needed. Still, when it is in use, it will not get into a series of annoying knobs or other bends that might keep it from working well.

Long Term Care

The Poulan Pro PP trimmer is supported by a company that offers plenty of solutions for cases where its products might wear out for any reason. Poulan offers plenty of technicians around the country that can help with repairing its many items.

The warranty on this trimmer is good for two years. This warranty only covers damages that might have come about from product defects. It also covers those that have happened during the normal usage of this product. Therefore, people will have to be careful when using this to ensure that they don’t use it incorrectly or try to adjust it in some way.

Overall

This is a decent model from Poulan Pro.  It’s offered in this straight shaft configuration as well as the curved shaft configuration.

 

A Review of the Black and Decker GH3000

Black and Decker GH3000 Review

A Review of the Black and Decker GH3000

The Black and Decker GH3000 7.5 Amp 14-inch trimmer and edger is a convenient electric string trimmer that you can use in your yard right now. This can help you to take on the hardest weeds, grass and other growths in your yard with ease.  If you want to get an idea of what we look for in a corded weed eater, check out our guidelines.

Physical Features

This is about 6.9 pounds in weight and carries most of its weight on the top part where you would handle it. The handle is a D-loop option with a trigger handle on the back to help you move it around with ease. This does not come with a padded material on the handle although it is smooth and easy to hold onto. A non padded handle is fine for this application because it’s not designed for very long sessions.

This does not come with a harness. Fortunately, the handling system makes it so it will be easier for you to carry it around wherever you might go. It will not vibrate much nor will it be far too difficult for you to carry around with you wherever you might go when using it.

 

How It Feels When Using It

The GH3000 will not vibrate as much as a bigger electric weed eater or a gas powered weed eater. This is thanks to how it works with an electric cord. Also, it does not generate far too much noise and it will not create any exhaust. The model can get warm when you use it for a while but not to the point where it will wear out and weaken.

Usage Points

The GH3000 works with an automatic line feed. The Feed Spool AFS works to get the line to work quickly and to keep it from wearing out all that quickly. This makes for a simple setup that is easy to follow. It does not require any bumping. It addition, the line will not get easily tangled.

A guard is also used around the line. This is to keep the main mechanism from getting caught up in different things as well as stopping debris from hitting you.

The cutting path is wide and powerful enough to get through many tight spots. It can cut through weeds and grass quite well. It takes a while to get through some thicker or wetter spots though.

Powering It Up

This electric model is easy to start up with a simple switch. It also works with an electric cord, thus meaning that it will not require a battery.

Although this corded trimmer can work for a while so long as it has enough electric power going into it, this will be rather difficult to use if you don’t have a proper extension cord. You will need a good cord that can extend to your location to provide you with something that is easy to use.

Here’s the guys at Tools in Action with their take

Long Term Care

The long term care points of this Black and Decker trimmer especially deserve to be seen. Black and Decker offers a two-year limited warranty on this product. This works for regular home use only.

Also, the product can be easily fixed by most professionals. Black and Decker has various technicians around the country that can repair this as needed so you can keep your model running well in the event that it breaks down for whatever reason one has.

Overall

This is one of the nicer corded weed eaters available.

A Review of the Troy Bilt TB 525

Troy Bilt TB 525 Review

Our review of the Troy Bilt TB 525 touches on a lot of the factors that we use to evaluate weed eaters and brushcutters.

The Troy Bilt TB 525 EC Curve Shaft string trimmer is a four-cycle gas trimmer that can handle all kinds of attachments. This choice uses a dual line and a setup that makes it easier for you to reload the trimmer head as necessary. You can use this gas-powered option to help you out with trimming a variety of spaces all around.

Physical Features

The TB 525 is about fifteen pounds in weight. This is rather heavy in that much of its weight is distributed around the back area where the motor is.  Most 4 cycle engines are heavier than their 2 cycle counterparts.  This is the trade off for better emissions and not having to mix fuel and oil. The weight does requires you to keep a good hold on the unit.

This does not come with a harness but it does have a D-loop design for its handle. This is located in the middle to give you a little more control over it and how you are holding onto the trimmer. This handle does not have any padding materials on its body, so that adds to the vibration and the “creature comforts”.  Some aftermarket foam padding might be a good idea if you plan on running the TB 525 for more than an hour.

How It Works

The 29cc four-cycle engine on the gas trimmer is built to run with a cleaner body. This produces less noise and exhaust than most other models. You will not need to use any earmuffs when using this. It should not be all that hot either.

This uses more power while using fewer RPMs than most other models. Therefore, it creates fewer vibrations than what you might find elsewhere. This in turn results in a stronger body when used right.

Usage Points

This is very easy to start up and will not be all that complicated for your use. It can work with a traditional starting mechanism but you can use the JumpStart electric start adapter if you prefer.

This can work for about 30 minutes at a time with a fuel tank of fuel. The unit is very easy to refuel when needed. It is especially easy to handle as it will not use far too much fuel at a time, thus allowing it to last longer enough for a typical day’s worth of work.

The line will not be tangled far too easily. The mechanism also allows you to open up the casing on the inside to help you get the thread adjusted when needed. This can work quickly and effortlessly to get your spool organized.

Long Term Care

The long term care that Troy Bilt are especially important. The company always works hard when getting the machine fixed and treated as needed. The company also offers an online service where you can order replacement parts as needed. This is for times when you might need some help with getting a machine fixed or maintained the right way.   However if you read any of the reviews, there are a good amount of happy customers but plenty of angry customers.

The warranty program offered by Troy Bilt is an especially important point. The warranty works for about two years and will be good for coverage on regular use. This includes use that has not entailed you using anything other than what Troy Bilt has offered while also using this only for the purposes that this machine was designed for.

Overall

This is a decent 4 cycle trimmer when it is working, but there are other models that are just as good.

Black & Decker Automatic Feed Trimmer ST7700 Review

There are great deals of factors to consider befBlack and Decker ST7700ore buying a costly grass/weed trimmer for your yard. So what qualities would you look for while buying one? Check out our guide to see more of our thought process.

If you are after quality clearing of your compound, I propose you have a look at the Black and Decker Automatic Feed Trimmer ST7700 and you will welcome the solace this ‘get and go’ comes along with. The Black and Decker Automatic Feed Trimmer ST7700 has been uniquely composed with a programmed sustain spool that guarantees consistent work without bumping or stopping to adjust the spool.

This Automatic Feed Trimmer allows you to maintain your yard neat and perfect. Its advantageous flip up edge guide allows clients to change from trimming to edging in negligible seconds. It is really the best with regards to trimming weeds, grasses, over-growth and can likewise be utilized for edging along hard surfaces like pavements around your home. Also, this Automatic Feed Trimmer is all around outlined with a selective Black and Decker Automatic Feed Spool framework that naturally progresses the cutting-string without bumping. These are a portion of the reasons why it has turned into a most loved trimmer for many homes. Go along with me in this article as we reveal more insight into this Black and Decker Automatic Feed Trimmer ST7700; dig into its specs, points of interest, detriments and give our autonomous suggestion on whether it’s a great purchase.

 

 

 

 

Specifications

So what additional specifications make this item the best?

  • A 4.4 Amp engine turns the line at a velocity of 10,000 RPM and gives the ST7700 the force it needs to handle over-grown grass & weeds.
  • The Groom “N” Edge head turns 180 degrees to change over the trimmer to an edger and the other way around in a matter of seconds.
  • This is an Electric Trimmer. Thus it uses no gas hence has minimal exhaust, noise and vibration.
  • It is a corded electric trimmer, so you’ll require an additional rope in the event that you have an expansive yard.
  • It has a light weight of 4.5 lbs. For individuals who aren’t linebackers, this is a light unit. Prescribed for seniors and women alike.

What’s So Great About The Black and Decker Automatic Feed Trimmer ST7700? 

There are many reasons why this Automatic Feed Trimmer ST7700 is the main inclination for most homes. It has various advantages that include:

Comfortable: The inherent D-loop handle gives greatest solace and control.This well-padded handle helps minimizes wrist weakness for long haul use while the string maintenance framework averts unplanned line separation for constant trimming.

Powerful: The effective 4.4 Amp engine turning the line at 10,000 rpm functions as an intense device for trimming overwhelming weeds and grass.

Light: Weighing in at a simple 4.5 pounds, the ST7700 allows for less weariness but rather more control.

Guarantee: This product comes with a 2 year full warranty.

 

What’s Not So Great About The Black and Decker Automatic Feed Trimmer ST7700? 

There are a couple cons of the Automatic Feed Trimmer ST7700, too, however they are for the most part eclipsed by the advantages. The disadvantages include:

· Session Length – Running this trimmer for quite a while is not exhorted. This is a light obligation trimmer. If you run it for too long it may overheat

· Low torque-For a huge chunk of yard, the electric trimmer may not be very effective. The gas powered trimmer may have the necessary torque to handle such magnitude.

· Difficult to Start- When the trimmer switches off due to bumping it may prove difficult to re start it.

· Internal wiring needs to be adjusted in order for it to work dependably

Is this Product A Great Purchase?

There are a lot of Automatic Feed Trimmers accessible today yet the majority of them are tormented by one essential issue; insufficient power to complete even the most fundamental trimming assignments. Automatic Feed Trimmer ST7700 uses its 18V battery rechargeable in 6-9 hours. This helps it to accomplish tried and true trimming and edging services where different trimmers have ended up inadequate. This makes it the best Automatic Feed Trimmers as well as the most dependable trimming accomplice. The Black and Decker ST7700 Trimmer and Edger makes your yard look impeccable and excellent in a matter of moments.