Hi,

My old strimmer has given up and I'm taken with replacing it with a petrol brushcutter. I believe these are generally sturdier than a strimmer, having a blade instead of nylon line.

...but some I've looked at on the 'net seem to have a nylon line as well as the blade? How does that work?

And, in general, does anyone have experience of a brushcutter and what in particular I might look out for when comparing models?

Thanks.

Kevin- It entirely depends on what you used the strimmer for. If it was simply for edging grass, thrashing a few small weeds etc, then stick with a strimmer. If you were trying to cut thicker weeds or stuff like bramble or thistle (perish the thought , being a scotsman!), and you found the line kept breaking, then upgrade to a brushcutter. Be aware brushcutters are generally heavier than strimmers, and also that they are not really suitable for cutting grass. They can come with a strimmer head and/or a brushcutter head, which are interchangeable. Do not see this as automatically the best option, as buying a cheap multi tool will give you an immediate passport to a world of pain. Decide which suits you and your needs, then buy a decent make. Stihl are always good, older Husqvarna`s, or Japanese made stuff like Kawasaki and Honda.

You can fit different heads for either strimming or brushcutting. I'm on my second brushcutter/strimmer and for 99.9% of the time I only use the strimmer head (with a self-feeding mechanism - as essential as a hydrostatic gearbox on a ride-on mower). The strimmer deals with pretty much anything (easily disposes of thick thistles etc), but the line comes in different diameters. Stihl are always good, but on the advice of my local garden machinery maintenance people about 10 years back I bought an Efco (because everything is made by them apparently, so spares are always available). I make extensive use of it with 2 acres of land to keep under control, and have had no problems with it at all.

I bought a second hand McCulluch petrol strimmer off ebay for £40 and found the line was snapping like mad so bought 50m of 2.4mm line also off ebay for £10 and now it flies through brambles, thistles etc

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Mike
http://rebuildingatimberbungalow.blogspot.com/
any advice welcome

Excellent replies everybody . Thank you so much. Looks like i'll go for a quality strimmer with some decent line and auto feed.