# 4 stroke weed wacker



## hipster dufus (Apr 16, 2009)

my old weedwacker died. i was wondering if anyone has used the new 4 strokes? are they any good? any input on brands and models would be appreciated. thanks


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## Twenty five ought six (Apr 16, 2009)

I have a Honda.  Much more torque than a 2 stroke.  Put a brush blade on it, and it's a beast.  Easy starting, easy on the gas --some kind of quite compared to the 2 strokes.

Biggest down side is it's a good bit heavier.  A lot harder to get the little woman outside and weed wacking.  I let her take a lot more breaks, especially when it's hot.


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## hipster dufus (Apr 16, 2009)

*4 stroke*

oh, yeah i forgot to mention that momma has to use it. she gets sick of me saying im gonna do it. where did u buy ur honda?


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## Twenty five ought six (Apr 16, 2009)

Riverside Mower, Athens.


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## gunny542 (Apr 16, 2009)

i have a stihl 4 mix, its a 2 stroke, but runs like a 4 stroke, its junk!!!it is very sluggish


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## BoxerLuvr (Apr 16, 2009)

Twenty five ought six said:


> I have a Honda.  Much more torque than a 2 stroke.  Put a brush blade on it, and it's a beast.  Easy starting, easy on the gas --some kind of quite compared to the 2 strokes.
> 
> Biggest down side is it's a good bit heavier.



Ditto all that.  I've got a Craftsman and it will mow down everything in its path. Weeds,grass,gutter downspouts, siding, brush, etc.  You have to be careful.  I still like it though.  

Better wear long pants when using it because it will cover you in clippings.


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## Doyle (Apr 16, 2009)

I've got the Toro brand sold by Home Depot.  I'm not impressed.  It works OK as a weedwhacker, but doesn't spin up as fast as I'd like.   I bought the limb trimmer chainsaw attachment.   What a waste.  As long as you are holding it out straight, it is fine.  However, if you lift the saw blade up to cut something over your head, the carburator can't feed good and it want to cut out.   How useful is that?


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## rjcruiser (Apr 16, 2009)

They're trash.  I had a briggs 4 stroke weedtrimmer and it worked good for the small around the house stuff, but get it in a ditch and you're not gonna be happy.

Actually, mine burned up.  The problem I see and what I believe caused mine to go was  that I was constantly going at wierd angles in a ditch and the oil was not lubricating it like it should have been with it being at wierd angles.

Stick with the 2 cycle.  You'll be happy and it will last much longer.


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## Killdee (Apr 16, 2009)

I have used the toro and like above said it was junk, heavy as lead not enough rpm, bogs down in heavy work, I would not buy the toro. I still have an Echo thats 6-7 years old that cuts circles around the Toro.


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## ratherbefishin (Apr 16, 2009)

I heard on the radio today that Craftsman is coming out with a propane powered weedeater. I assume it uses the lantern-type bottles. I'm interested to see one, seems like it would be less mechanical problems.


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## RoadRunner14 (Apr 16, 2009)

I used to have a four stroke, and let me tell you I will never go back. Heavy, hard to start, it was a pain. I have a Echo that my brother used to use, its about 8-9 years old, and still cuts like it is new.


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## Miguel Cervantes (Apr 16, 2009)

I have had a Ryobi 4 stroke for years. I love it.


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## killitgrillit (Apr 16, 2009)

I had a ryobi 4cycle for awhile and it was heavy, hard starting turned out to be a pain. bought a 2 stroke echo and love it, had it for 3 years now and it's still going strong.


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## Dead Eye Eddy (Apr 18, 2009)

I've never used one, but I don't think a 4-stroke would work as well as a 2-stroke for what I need to do.  I trim on slopes and cut briers and limbs over my head, and I don't think it could possibly feed the gas and keep the motor parts properly lubricated at strange motor angles.  That's why you don't see (at least I've never seen any) 4-cycle chain saws.  I used to have a Lawnboy 2-cycle push mower.  I could cut grass on a 75 degree side slope with that mower without it cutting out.  All my 4-cycle mowers choke out at those angles because they can't get enough gas.


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## Twenty five ought six (Apr 18, 2009)

> I trim on slopes and cut briers and limbs over my head, and I don't think it could possibly feed the gas and keep the motor parts properly lubricated at strange motor angles.



I use mine with the brush cutter to trim overhead tree limbs all the time.  Never had a problem.  



> That's why you don't see (at least I've never seen any) 4-cycle chain saws.



Weight is the reason you don't see 4 cycle chain saws (or many 4 cycle trimmers for that matter).  Some of the bad boys in the chainsaw competitions are made from 4 cycle motorcycle/snowmobile engines.  Weight isn't so much an issue when you weigh 320 lbs. and are only going to hold it for 10 seconds.


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## bassboy1 (Apr 18, 2009)

How exactly do the 4 stroke weedwhackers function. Regarding oil, particularly.  Seems that if you turned it on it's side to edge the driveway, it would flood the cyl. with oil.  Or does it use some sort of dry sump oil pump?  Not to mention, a single cyl. 2 stroke can be balanced better than a 4 stroke, so do they vibrate more?


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## butshot (Apr 18, 2009)

I have a Stihl 4cycle 2stroke. It starts everytime, does not stall out in heavy work, can use brush blade or string. It will sit and idle forever if you put it down. It has the advantages of 4 stroke and the convience of 2 stroke. had it about 4 years. Would not buy another Echo, mine was a piece of stuff.


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## JW2 (May 4, 2009)

Won't buy anything 4 stroke if I can help it!


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## Twenty five ought six (May 5, 2009)

> Seems that if you turned it on it's side to edge the driveway, it would flood the cyl. with oil.



Don't know how they do it.  My Honda has an oil filler and dipstick.  I've worked with the cutting head in every position possible and no problems.



> Not to mention, a single cyl. 2 stroke can be balanced better than a 4 stroke, so do they vibrate more?



Don't know about balancing, seems to me on  a one cylinder engine, there wouldn't be much difference.  Anyway, the 4 stroke has a lower idle and operating speed, and is heavier.  At idle, I'd say about equal, at operating speed the 4 stroke vibrates less.


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## rjcruiser (May 5, 2009)

butshot said:


> I have a Stihl 4cycle 2stroke. It starts everytime, does not stall out in heavy work, can use brush blade or string. It will sit and idle forever if you put it down. It has the advantages of 4 stroke and the convience of 2 stroke. had it about 4 years. Would not buy another Echo, mine was a piece of stuff.



To each his own.  I will say, the 4cycle 2 strokes are much better than the 4cycles....but they've still not caught on.  There's a reason why the 4cycle and 4cycle 2 strokes haven't sold well.

I've got an Echo SRM-340 and it runs great. Yeah...its a little heavier than the little ones, but I can go through ditches like nothing else


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## Brian B (May 5, 2009)

Nothing but echo for me. weedeater,blower,edger


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## biggsteve (May 11, 2009)

well...i bought a small 2-cycle generator, which i put into a garden cart.  which powers my electric weed-eater, blower, trimmer, etc.
plus--the high pressure washer..the air compressor..the spray gun.
so much easier to bring the electric along with you.  i use a heavy duty 50 ft cord.  i'm disabled, and old.  this works fine for me.--steve


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## 7Mag Hunter (May 14, 2009)

I have a Troy built 4 cycle and its a beast !!!Lots more torque
for heavy weeds...Heavier string than a normal string trimmer...
It has a seperate tank for oil...You fill it when new, and check as
you do any engines oil...Mine has never needed any added...

I still have a Stil for triming around flowerbeds and light stuff..When
I need to cut bigger weeds, I break out the Troy...It is heavier,
but not at all uncomfortable to use...


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## Skipper (May 15, 2009)

I don't think there's a whole lot of difference from one brand to the next motor wise.  I know on my 35 year old Stihl I used to have a problem starting it.  The carburator messed up and it took forever to get fuel going to it.  I'd take a can of WD 40 and keep giving it wiffs till it picked up fuel and went on.  One day I noticed my Farther In Law's Homelite had the same looking carburator on it as the Stihl.  Later on I passed a garbage can sitting at the road with a Ryobi in it.  I picked up the throwaway, took the carb off it, changed the bracket out to the Stihl bracket and it runs to this day.  It's not had an air filter on it in 25 years and no muffler in the last 16 years.  You can look in the muffler hole and see the piston go up and down.  Kinda neat if you weedeat after dark.  It's like being at the drag races, fire coming out the exhaust hole.  

That said, I've got a new Stihl 2 cycle and it's about 3/4 the machine that older one it, twice as heavy, bulkier, and way too much plastic.

Skipper


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## hipster dufus (May 16, 2009)

*bought one*

i used my son in laws 4 stroke troy bilt the other day. 4 hrs weed wacking. a little heavy for such a long job, but not unbearable. used the brush blade on it too. so, i went out and bought the commercial duty 4 stroke troy bilt.i dont like the bump heads so i might end up changing out the head. i still have my after market head from my old one.it does the job and i dont have to remember which gas goes wiyth which engine.i will put a shoulder strap on it soon enough.


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## SmokyMtnSmoke (May 18, 2009)

I have a Craftsman 29cc 4 Cycle that I got off ebay NIB for $75. It runs like scalded dog and has way more torque that my 2 cycle Ryobi 32cc.

I ways a pound or 2 more but worth every ounce. YMMV!


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