Lawn mower and weed whacker options

[Whidbey78]

Actually, any of the non-self-propelled Hondas would be okay. I haven't had many in the shop for anything but routine maintenance. I haven't dealt with these models specifically, but they are from the same lineup I've become pretty familiar with. They are fairly good machines, though some are a little over-engineered. For day-to-day use they're good, but not for commercial applications. Keeping them cleaned up and stored in a shed or garage is important, but that goes for all mowers. Due to various regs about what can be used to build various parts the control cables have gotten very corrosion-prone over the last few years, so having a place to park it where it's out of the elements is a must. They are also sensitive to the fuel you use...just make sure it's not E85, not more than 10 percent ethanol, use the lowest octane at the local gas station, and don't use old gas. All that sludge wreaks havoc on the carbs on these things.

It looks like these have a big hatch on top to dump clippings...that's a good thing! Mesh or plastic doesn't really seem to matter much. Try it out in the store and see how easily it can be removed, dumped and replaced.

Even the self propelled ones aren't bad as long as you keep the drive clean(take covers off once in a while to get the crud out, epecially inside the hubs).

Overall, those look like decent options, and they are pretty well priced. Hondas have improved in the past few years. Not long ago they had all sorts of design flaws, but I think the engineers realized that variable speed blade drives and shaft driven oil pumps are just over the top on a push mower. But be sure to look through the owners manual and make absolutely sure the cam is not belt driven...they aren't like the DOHC in an Accord. It's a narrow belt with no positive engagement and they fail a lot. They slip and then your timing is out of whack. I have no earthly idea why they ever made them that way! I think last year they finally quit building them like that, but I would check anyhow. I would give you engine model numbers to stay away from but my books are at the shop and I'm at home...35 miles away. You can google it if you want to. Most were gear driven anyhow...I think there was only one series of engines with belt driven cams, and probably 99% sold are already in junkyards.

[Tobus]

Curved shaft? Forget it!

Why the dislike of a curved shaft?

The curved shaft is actually more comfortable to use. You can hold the weed eater at a comfortable angle, and the curve 'drops' the cutting edge to ground level without having to stoop. And what's more, you don't have to have all that weight sticking out 6' from your body in order to reach the ground, like you do with a straight shaft. The longer the shaft, the more muscle you use to swing it back and forth. So a curved shaft actually saves you a lot of energy and potential muscle strain by keeping everything closer in to your body for ease of use.

Tough big line is less expensive than the wimpy stuff that everybody uses

I'm with ya on that one! I was surprised that the model I purchased came with two heads. One for the wimpy string and one for the thicker ribbed stuff. I like the option of being able to switch them out. If I'm working around more delicate objects that I might accidentally whap with the line but don't want to damage, I can use the thinner string. But then I can bust out the thicker line (or even the brush cutter blade attachment) for heavier work.

The brush cutter is awesome. It easily takes down 1" diameter and larger stalks that even my riding mower won't tackle. We have a lot of thorny huisache that pops up all over the place, and my riding mower will only lay it over but not cut it. And regular weed eater string (even the heavy stuff) will only whap on the sides of it. But the brush cutter blades saw right through it.