Strimers

[carlyai]

Anyone with experience with the nylon chord strimers?

I want to tidy the edges along the cement, tiles and greenhouse. 

I think a blade will damage the tiles.

My experience in the past with nylon chord strimers was that the chord kept breaking and the automatic 'bump' cord feeder was problematic.

Also, anyone with experience with the 24V (can't see a 32v advertised) strimers?

[Crossy]

We don't use electric, Honda 4-stroke only, but I agree the bump-feed units are carp.

 

We use heads which take short lengths of nylon, when they break it's the work of a few seconds to slide another length in and strim on. 

 

Unfortunately I've never seen an electric unit that has interchangeable heads.

[Blue Muton]

6 minutes ago, Crossy said:

We don't use electric, Honda 4-stroke only, but I agree the bump-feed units are carp.

 

We use heads which take short lengths of nylon, when they break it's the work of a few seconds to slide another length in and strim on. 

 

Unfortunately I've never seen an electric unit that has interchangeable heads.

Have to agree with that, we had a couple of electric ones and a two-stroke, they were all 3-4,ooo Baht and none lasted any amount of time. B-i-l's have two strokes and they spend almost as much time fixing them as using them.

 

One of our local shops suggested a Honda four stroke for reliability so we got one a couple of years ago and it's not missed a beat. It cost a little more at around 7,ooo Baht but has proved to be reliable and much quieter.

 

Still wish I had my old GT750 (or even KH250) though, two-strokes can be fun!

[carlyai]

3 hours ago, Crossy said:

We don't use electric, Honda 4-stroke only, but I agree the bump-feed units are carp.

 

We use heads which take short lengths of nylon, when they break it's the work of a few seconds to slide another length in and strim on. 

 

Unfortunately I've never seen an electric unit that has interchangeable heads.

Hey Crossy do the heads come with the Honda 4 stroke or are they extras?

You wouldn't have a part number for the Honda and heads in your back pocket would you?

[sometimewoodworker]

2 hours ago, carlyai said:

Hey Crossy do the heads come with the Honda 4 stroke or are they extras?

You wouldn't have a part number for the Honda and heads in your back pocket would you?

The strimer head we got for ours was an accessory. The shop that sold the weedwacker had 3 or 4 to chose from.

[northsouthdevide]

My friend uses one, but he buys thicker, stronger, cheaper line, and reels it onto the spool. 

He says it works vastly better. 

Unfortunately, he's in the UK, so I can't get a pic off him, but just saying, there's a alternative if you go down that rout. 

[carlyai]

@crossy; @sometimewoodworker

Is the head like in this picture?

[sometimewoodworker]

14 minutes ago, carlyai said:

@crossy; @sometimewoodworker

Is the head like in this picture?

No, it’s a manual not automatic like the one @Crossy has it can take both thickness of line, the strimmer has a Honda engine and is not very noisy.

Edited August 26, 2020 by sometimewoodworker

[Crossy]

Ours is very simple, like this one https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001276166901.html

 

Just feed pre-cut lengths of line through the holes and strim on ????

 

[Mama Noodle]

I’ve got both of these:

 

https://s.lazada.co.th/s.ckItO

 

https://s.lazada.co.th/s.ckzw7
 

I prefer the second one, the first one has 8 strands (4 pieces, doubled) and once threaded, is a bit much for the machine. Bogs it down and grabs the grass instead of cutting it. 

[Mama Noodle]

1 hour ago, carlyai said:

Is the head like in this picture

You gotta but the strimmer heads extra. 

[billd766]

17 hours ago, northsouthdevide said:

My friend uses one, but he buys thicker, stronger, cheaper line, and reels it onto the spool. 

He says it works vastly better. 

Unfortunately, he's in the UK, so I can't get a pic off him, but just saying, there's a alternative if you go down that rout. 

I use a Honda 4 stroke and dependng on the state of the grass and scrub I use a 16 inch steel blade if the grass is high and wet, steel usually for high dry grass, and a disk with 2 mm nylon cord for short wet or dry grass. I prefer 3 mm square nylon as it is tougher and lasts longer. I cut it to 50 cm lengths as that is the optimal length for me.

 

I have about 2 rai to cut and I spend about 1 1/2 hours around 7 am 7 days a week. Then it is rinse and return to the start and do it all over again.

[billd766]

In Crossy's post #9 is the didc I use but I throw those sill bit of nylon away and feed 2 x 50 cm nylon cords instead.

 

I use that on the edges and around the base of trees and shrubs.

 

I buy the discs and nylon at the local hardware shops in the big village and cut the nylon to 50 cm lengths.

Edited August 26, 2020 by billd766
added extra text

[billd766]

8 hours ago, billd766 said:

In Crossy's post #9 is the didc I use but I throw those sill bit of nylon away and feed 2 x 50 cm nylon cords instead.

 

I use that on the edges and around the base of trees and shrubs.

 

I buy the discs and nylon at the local hardware shops in the big village and cut the nylon to 50 cm lengths.

Sorry about the spelling in the above post.

 

The disc that I bought cost me only 70 baht. The 16 inch blade was 160 baht or 300 baht from a different shop.

 

I think that the next batch of nylon that I cut I will try 55cm lengths which is about 22 inches in old money.

The steel blades are 16 inches or 40cm wide but they cut better than the nylon. The drawback is tat if you come across hidden rocks they can break the blade and stones that the blade picks up, really hurt when they hit you.

 

At the end of my daily work I hose the Honda down and scrub the dirt off, replace the nylon or sharpen the blade both sides (I swap the blade around every day) and spray the head with WD40. I check the oil every week and also grease the head every week.

[Crossy]

15 hours ago, billd766 said:

I have about 2 rai to cut and I spend about 1 1/2 hours around 7 am 7 days a week. Then it is rinse and return to the start and do it all over again.

 

Sounds like painting the Forth Bridge. Any particular reason you don't use a lawnmower? We have about 1 rai of grass and a 20" 7.5HP Agastec mower, step-son spends a morning every week (less often in the dry season) mowing and strimming round the trees etc. and trimming the hedges and the rampant bougainvillea (looks pretty but grows FAST!).

 

We have geese, chooks and guinea fowl which help keep the greenery under control too, fully automatic in operation and work every day. They also provide a fertilising and egg delivery service ????

 

This is the Forth Bridge.

 

 

[Damrongsak]

On 8/24/2020 at 9:33 PM, Blue Muton said:

... Still wish I had my old GT750 (or even KH250) though, two-strokes can be fun!

So you rode a "water buffalo" back then?  I worked at a Suzuki shop circa 1973 and got one of those in a wee bit of power slide in the gravel parking lot.  As I weighed about 52 kg, i wouldn't recommend it. 

[baansgr]

17 hours ago, Crossy said:

Ours is very simple, like this one https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001276166901.html

 

Just feed pre-cut lengths of line through the holes and strim on ????

 

This is what I do....I bought some thicker garden twine from Mr DIY about 23 Baht...lasts quite a while befor breaking....that's on a Black and Decker electric strimmer

[rumak]

We had 6 rai.    Now only a large yard,  but still use this beauty for the main cutting. (female accessory

came free).

But, my old and trusty honda trimmer with metal blade is not good for near trees, or walkways, etc.

I will go ask shop if the head can be changed.  Any one here have a clue ?   Sorry, no pic, its just the

standard fairly heavy gas weedwacker with blade ( before the nylon ones appeared)

 

[carlyai]

26 minutes ago, rumak said:

We had 6 rai.    Now only a large yard,  but still use this beauty for the main cutting. (female accessory

came free).

But, my old and trusty honda trimmer with metal blade is not good for near trees, or walkways, etc.

I will go ask shop if the head can be changed.  Any one here have a clue ?   Sorry, no pic, its just the

standard fairly heavy gas weedwacker with blade ( before the nylon ones appeared)

 

I used to have both of those in the picture. The machine on the left used to throw rocks everywhere and toughened up the legs but did a great job. 

The machine on the right works well under all conditions but sticky rice and sometam have change the dimensions somewhat.

I bought the Thai mower frame and attached the engine. I bought it around the shops at the back of China Town Bangkok, I know the area as Baan Mor. If you hunt around there in the mechanical shops you will probably find something.

 

Edited August 26, 2020 by carlyai

[Crossy]

On 8/27/2020 at 6:09 AM, rumak said:

We had 6 rai.    Now only a large yard,  but still use this beauty for the main cutting. (female accessory

came free).

But, my old and trusty honda trimmer with metal blade is not good for near trees, or walkways, etc.

I will go ask shop if the head can be changed.  Any one here have a clue ?   Sorry, no pic, its just the

standard fairly heavy gas weedwacker with blade ( before the nylon ones appeared)

 

All the Honda units have exchangeable blades / heads. There's a hole just above the blade to insert a locking rod (screwdriver) so you can undo the retaining nut on the blade.

 

Important note - To avoid undue frustration remember this is a LEFT HAND THREAD!!! So "lefty loosy, righty tighty" does not apply.

 

Additional note - The angled drive to the head also comes off so you can attach all manner of accessories and reach extenders. Our local "bearings, cogs, spockets and pulleys" shop even has an adaptor with a propeller so you can convert your skiff into a long-tail boat.

 

[Damrongsak]

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

... This is the Forth Bridge.

 

 

I remember reading about that bridge in a book about welding.  Quite impressive.   Over the Firth of Forth. But was that the firth bridge or the thecond or third?  Looks like the big walker things in Star Warths.

Edited August 26, 2020 by Damrongsak

[carlyai]

18 hours ago, Crossy said:

Ours is very simple, like this one https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001276166901.html

 

Just feed pre-cut lengths of line through the holes and strim on ????

 

Raining here today so trip to Mukdahan to have a look for the above is required.

[rumak]

43 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Important note - To avoid undue frustration remember this is a LEFT HAND THREAD!!! So "lefty loosy, righty tighty" does not apply.

ahhh,  good to know !     I'll be checking out the local shop for accessories       thanks.

[billd766]

7 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

Sounds like painting the Forth Bridge. Any particular reason you don't use a lawnmower? We have about 1 rai of grass and a 20" 7.5HP Agastec mower, step-son spends a morning every week (less often in the dry season) mowing and strimming round the trees etc. and trimming the hedges and the rampant bougainvillea (looks pretty but grows FAST!).

 

We have geese, chooks and guinea fowl which help keep the greenery under control too, fully automatic in operation and work every day. They also provide a fertilising and egg delivery service ????

 

This is the Forth Bridge.

 

 

Sadly the land is not level and we are raising a good crop of rocks if anybody is interested in giving them a good home. Another problem is that when we get someone in to prune the trees they do a reasonable job apart from leaving the offcuts where they land.

 

Ideally what I could do with is a small tractor with a grass cutting attachment at the back. It would be good for most of the land but then I would need to go back with the Honda strimmer bale and nylon to finish it off. The decent sit and ride mowers cost a fair bit as does a s/h tractor and grass cutter.

 

At least this way I get some daily exercise.

[billd766]

7 hours ago, rumak said:

We had 6 rai.    Now only a large yard,  but still use this beauty for the main cutting. (female accessory

came free).

But, my old and trusty honda trimmer with metal blade is not good for near trees, or walkways, etc.

I will go ask shop if the head can be changed.  Any one here have a clue ?   Sorry, no pic, its just the

standard fairly heavy gas weedwacker with blade ( before the nylon ones appeared)

 

I have one of those in my old shed. U replaced the blades with a bit of a leaf spring from a pickup truck. It would cut anything in reach but the <deleted> was so heavy. OK on a downslope passable on the flat but hard to push uphill.

 

Mine came without the free female accessory I am sad to say. I tried to get 'er indoors interested and ended up with bent ears and a remark AFAIR that sounded a bit like, I was foolish to have married you but I'm not that crazy. Yes dear was my weak response.

Edited August 27, 2020 by billd766
added extra text

[carlyai]

On 8/27/2020 at 6:50 AM, carlyai said:

Raining here today so trip to Mukdahan to have a look for the above is required.

So purchased my wife's new toy yesterday. Gotta say Global House Muk. have great helpful friendly staff. Pleasure to shop there.

Young guy attached the grass cutting chord adapter for me. I'm not sure the way he attached the grass cutting adapter is correct though, as it looks like you have to remove the SS end cap before you can replace the chords. Is there a better way to attach the head? Everything's nice and tight and seems to fit but ....

..

[sometimewoodworker]

25 minutes ago, carlyai said:

So purchased my wife's new toy yesterday. Gotta say Global House Muk. have great helpful friendly staff. Pleasure to shop there.

Young guy attached the grass cutting chord adapter for me. I'm not sure the way he attached the grass cutting adapter is correct though, as it looks like you have to remove the SS end cap before you can replace the chords. Is there a better way to attach the head? Everything's nice and tight and seems to fit but ....

..

That’s correct though I would/do have both ends of each nylon string protruding giving 4 or 8

[Mama Noodle]

If it’s tight then it’ll be fine, just be sure to know how to “lock” the head (usually a series of holes you can stick a small screwdriver through) so you can spin the nut off. 
 

Also unless I’m mistaken that nut is likely left-hand (reverse thread) but I’m too lazy to go look at mine. 
 

Finally, buy the thickest string that’ll fit and don’t be too rough with it and you can probably finish a whole job without changing string. 
 

Check the oil before starting every time you go to start it. 
 

I run so-hol or benzine in mine no problems, but I do try and run it out of fuel before storing it. 

[Mama Noodle]

1 minute ago, sometimewoodworker said:

That’s correct though I would/do have both ends of each nylon string protruding giving 4 or 8

I find using 8 strands grabs the grass an pulls the head down into the turf, scalping it at the dirt line, unless it’s 100% wide open throttle. 
 

4 strands for me is better as I can run about half throttle still cutting the grass but not destroying the strings while trimming around the walls and sidewalks. 

[Crossy]

We have the same head, attached the same way. The strings that came with it were only long enough to have one side protruding so that's how we run it (4 strings).

 

Yes, at noted earlier it's a left-hand thread ????