McSpredder Posted September 23, 2020 Report Share Posted September 23, 2020 Does anyone have experience of 4-stroke strimmers? Small 2-stroke engines are not always keen to start after being stored for several months, and battery life with cordless strimmer (using two 5Ah batteries) is not long enough for my requirements. Honda and Stihl appear to be out of my price league, just wondering about something like the Hyundai HY4BC31 (£180) or Makita EM2654LH (£280). Electric power tools from Makita are usually pretty good, but I know nothing about their engine-powered stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted September 23, 2020 Report Share Posted September 23, 2020 5 minutes ago, McSpredder said: Does anyone have experience of 4-stroke strimmers? Small 2-stroke engines are not always keen to start after being stored for several months, and battery life with cordless strimmer (using two 5Ah batteries) is not long enough for my requirements. Honda and Stihl appear to be out of my price league, just wondering about something like the Hyundai HY4BC31 (£180) or Makita EM2654LH (£280). Electric power tools from Makita are usually pretty good, but I know nothing about their engine-powered stuff. Doing a bit of manscaping 🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted September 23, 2020 Report Share Posted September 23, 2020 Shindaiwa, Echo, mitox are all decent bits of kit and shouldn't cost the earth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adzyvilla Posted September 23, 2020 Report Share Posted September 23, 2020 I think makita are now what was sachs dolmar. If their chainsaws were anything to go by, the Strimmers should be very good. If in doubt, and if you are considering spending £200+, just get a second hand stihl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
countryman Posted September 23, 2020 Report Share Posted September 23, 2020 I brought a Honda 4 stroke this year and it’s rubbish, first you have to leave the choke on for some time or it will stop, the thing will just stop randomly when on tick over even though the engine is running fast enough not to. The power is not as much as an equivalent 2 stroke one, I will stick to 2 Stoke next time which will not be that long off with this one, and when you fill it up you can not see the clear petrol in the tank so expect to over fill it every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigroomboy Posted September 23, 2020 Report Share Posted September 23, 2020 A decent 2 stroke is fine, the secret is not to use petrol from the pump if you only use the equipment intermittently. Find you local Aspen fuel stockist, get the premixed 2T and you are good to go. Its expensive compared to unleaded but as a hobbyist you wont use much and it will save you lots of headaches and actually work out cheaper wen you don't have to replace equipment all the time. The number of people i see selling garden machinery for peanuts or even throwing it away at the tip every spring boggles my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markm Posted September 23, 2020 Report Share Posted September 23, 2020 Our syndicate has a Honda with cross bars. It takes no prisoners with the blade and will also cut most things with nylon. I change the oil after every few hours, which is really easy as the correct level is the overflow point. Shaft needs grease through a small nipple, other than that it’s never missed a beat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rovercoupe Posted September 23, 2020 Report Share Posted September 23, 2020 The Honda small 4 stroke engines are a exercise in cost cutting, had two failed ones and am still using my old husky 2 stroke strimmer. the biggest advantage is the fumes being better on a 4 stroke but not convinced on a strimmer it’s the way forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted September 23, 2020 Report Share Posted September 23, 2020 Aspen2 alkalyte fuel is much better fume wise, not as harmful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricko Posted September 24, 2020 Report Share Posted September 24, 2020 I bought a cheap petrol trimmer brand new, only ran it on Aspen. Didn't use it for three years, put in some fresh Aspen, it started third pull. The reason that small two-stroke engines get bad publicity is that when they are stored with fuel in them the petrol goes off (something to do with long chain hydrocarbons breaking down or something), petrol evaporates and leaves the two stroke oil behind that starts to clog orifices, the petrol overtime starts to make diaphragms in carbs go stretchy. Aspen is a synthetic fuel, yes it is expensive but for me as a casual user of chainsaws etc it means I can always grab a saw and start cutting. I've recently been reading up about 'fogging' two stroke outboards to store them over the winter, so that they dont suffer the same sort of problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted September 24, 2020 Report Share Posted September 24, 2020 I have a 4 stroke Honda (the bigger model), have had for years. I bought 4 stroke after bad experiences with (old) 2 strokes. The first one was stolen. Insurance supplied a 'like for like', so I have now had the second about 10 years. Works well, starts well, idles OK, plenty of power. I use normal unleaded. It did get difficult to start once, and though the old plug looked perfect, a new plug sorted that. I also have two Stihl 2 stroke engines on a blower and a chainsaw. Both start and run well on a mix of unleaded and Stihl 2 stroke oil. I have not so far had any problems after out of use periods despite both being a few years old and having only occasional usage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McSpredder Posted September 24, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2020 Thanks for all the replies. For years, people have been telling me “Buy Honda, you can’t go wrong with a Honda”, but so it is interesting to learn that their smaller 4-stroke strimmers have not been entirely problem-free. My personal experience with 2-strokes is very limited and very much out of date (Mobylette, Bantam, Villiers 9E, etc), but it sounds as though a decent modern 2-stoke strimmer and a gallon of Aspen might be the best solution, and obviously a lot cheaper than an equivalent quality 4-stroke. Local Stihl agent is only 5 miles away, so I’ll go and have a chat with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sussexboy Posted September 24, 2020 Report Share Posted September 24, 2020 I have an old ryobi strimmer that is now at least 8 years old that has been run on aspen most of its life and is still going strong. The hedge trimmer was rubbish though and got replaced with a Stihl some years back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted September 24, 2020 Report Share Posted September 24, 2020 I have a old Ryobi multi tool strimmer and blower hedge cutter thing. It must be well over ten years old now. Still runs ok, splutters and slow to pick up revs at first then runs great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strimmer_13 Posted September 24, 2020 Report Share Posted September 24, 2020 Get a stihl fs55, easily pick one up for under £200 secondhand. Thank me in a decade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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