Husqvarna, Makita, Echo, Shindaiwa, Tanaka - which brand is most reliable? (house, tractors)

[rhbj03]

I'm looking to buy an pole hedge trimmer. Thanks.

[MSgtMike]

I've got an Echo chainsaw, string trimmer, hedge clipper and blower. They're 2 - 8 years old and none have ever let me down. Around here just about every yard crew I see is using Echo or Stihl. Don't know about the other brands you listed.

[hotkarl]

At the risk of being the laughing stock of this thread...
I have nearly the entire collection of Ryob 18V tools.
So far all very dependable and get the job done.
They have pole saws and trimmers.
Can't beat this stuff for the price.
If you need heavy heavy duty then you need gas powered.
All the big boys are good, Echo, Stihl, etc...

[TRex2]

A lot of it has to do with how much "action" the tools are going to get.

For jobs you do less than once a week and that take less than an hour
then Ryobi or similar battery powered tools might be enough.

At home, I used a Craftsman String Trimmer for years, no trouble.
(I use it for an hour or two, once a week)

But at work, we went through them by the dozen,
(we used them for 8 - 12 hours a day, sometimes 6 days in a row)

then we changed to Echo and they stood up to the use.

My dad, and a contractor friend of mine swear by Stihl.

[arctichomesteader]

I'm more of a Husqvarna fan. I'm not a fan of Stihl, particularly their newer products with the fuel geyser-prone fuel caps.

[rhbj03]

I won't use it often but when I use it, will be a big job and far from house, so I have to go with gas model.

And with gas powered tools' risk of difficult to start, I hope to hunt for Japanese brands because where it comes to machinery, I had good experience with Japanese products...

[StealthRabbit]

Tho Stihl is the commercial brand of choice.... I use Echo. But I MUCH prefer older Echo. (metal vs Plastic). My Stihl HD blade weed / brush cutter was a burden to keep in parts and to keep running

My Echo Pole pruner (replaceable / extension / various attachments + power head) is very dependable and quite robust EXCEPT the plastic (the throttle trigger (like a duck bill) has got bumped and broken 3#) I finally crafted a Metal version

My Echo / John Deere (Echo) Chain saws (Metal, not plastic) are 40 yrs old, and have been cutting 7 cords of wood / yr. I buy spares on eBay to keep them alive, but the only issues have been me crushing them with my dozer, (Leaving them sitting on the tracks, then moving the dozer after the dark... CRUNCH ... or forgetting the saws are in the bucket of my tractor when I decide to load up a log or similar)

The saws start right up and run for many hrs with no issues (even when left unused for several months). Ironically I have NEVER had the head / jug or carb off, or any ignition issues... and they only require a new spark plug every 5-10 yrs!

[TRex2]

Well, the OP isn't going to be able to go back 40 years to buy stuff. I do have a tangential question, though, that applies to this topic.

The saws start right up and run for many hrs with no issues (even when left unused for several months). Ironically I have NEVER had the head / jug or carb off, or any ignition issues... and they only require a new spark plug every 5-10 yrs!

Part of what makes these things reliable as a rock is what kind of fuel and oil you are using, and that is my question (well, four questions, really):
What kind of fuel and oil, and how do you mix and store it?

[StealthRabbit]

I buy 40 YO stuff all the time at estate sales and ebay (VERY cheap). I search USA wide for my CL and eBay stuff, rss works great! (for new postings).
I earned my living as a Plastics engineer... I certainly don't want any of that cheesy stuff on my equipment or cars and especially not my trucks!

• I use std grade consumer gasoline 'ick' for power equipment (all my other vehicles / tractors / dozers / trucks are oil burners) (I recently found 'off-road / marine gas, but have not felt the urge to drive 40 miles to get it)
• I use a synthetic 2cyl oil (have since I professionally raced motorcycles in the 1960's and 1970's... which I still ride those daily...they are PLENTY fast for this ole-timer!) My car is only 48HP (when new in 1976) and 52 MPG!!! so ANYTHING feels fast
• Marine grade Stabil (blue)
• Occasional 'home-brewed' Sea-Foam equivalent (recipe on-line)
• Store in Plastic jugs, (under cover in my 200+ days of rain...) often use for 2 yrs! (I travel a lot, (52 weeks in 2016) so 5 Gal of premix can last a LONG time! My TX location is more sensitive to fuels (hot / humidity inside the fuel shed) Sea Foam is more important there. (To keep carbs / jets / float-bowls clean

As a 2 stroke user for 50+ yrs. I am totally amazed at the stamina of my Echo machines. (I would not expect that from a 'new Echo' with PLASTIC ) maybe I'm lucky... but I bought 2 VERY used, and they continue to run fine (used them all this week). EVL650, and EVL550's and EV of the same (John Deere versions) I have 3 different bars for each (and they are interchangeable!) Very NICE arrangement!, Many of the parts are interchangeable too. ( Between 650 and 550.) but... they have a few PLASTIC parts (I keep spares, or fab replacement parts from Metal)

My Stihls wore out (low compression) and ALWAYS had terrible issues with fuel lines losing flow (collapsing due to ethanol).

[TRex2]

Well, I can tell you that the synthetic oil and the Marine Grade Stabil are
the primary reasons your stuff lasts so long and starts so reliably.

Those are the most often overlooked factors. Regular oil tends to
gum up the reed valves ever so often, and without the Marine Grade
Stabil you would be having varnish issues in your corroborators.

I am a little surprised you run regular gasoline, instead of the Marine
gas, in that humid climate. Surprised that, even with the treatments
it doesn't cause problems.

Which kind of Sea Foam are you making? I have only used that
in transmissions and gearboxes. I know there is Sea Foam for
the crankcase, but I don't think that would apply to 2-Cycle. And
with you already treating your gas, it seems redundant.