Weed Wacker Blades - Which Ones ?

[Chao Lao Beach]

I am going to get one of those 1HP petrol weed wackers that are commonly aviable for 2300-3000 B now. I know the quality is not going to be great, but it is for rare use and will do the job, what is just to much for the lawn mower an in the rocky areas.

My question is they have different default blades on them when buying them, I have no intention of buying specialist blades. This is for mainly big tuffy grass. The options is the 'round' with 3 triangle blades or the long rectangle.

Any advice folks?

[Surin13]

either will work fine, the three blade one is my choice but there isn't a whole lot of difference, but has less kick back then the two blade.

[noikrit]

Sharp !! Just keep them sharp ! and be carefull !! Some of the metal blades snap ... Happy harvesting

[nahkbin]

I do extensive weed whacking. I have a disc that accepts 3 or 4 blades. I buy sets of three blades. I found that two blades would unbalance with the slightest build up.

Good luck. Watch out for rocks and stumps.

[XINLOI]

A tip you might find useful. When you purchase your wacker, get one with a 4 cycle engine. PTT still sells actual gasoline and gasahol. Do not put gasahol in these cheap models, they are selling everywhere. the alcohol eats up the rubber in the carburator and the replacement parts are nonexistant and/or very hard to come by. Mine lasted 1 tankful of fuel before it was filling the crankcase with raw gas......lol

[bunnydrops]

I use the 2 blade at the farm to keep the grass down. The 2 blade really chops it up. The people that cut for feed use the round to keep the grass intact. Be careful. Just last week my BL hit a rock that completely destroyed to lower guard and still put a nice gash in his leg.

[Crossy]

We have the two blade cutter that came with the machine, effective. However since getting a lawn mower we now use the nylon line head that came from the same place as the whacker, great for getting close to walls and trees without injuring them or the machine.

Do pay a bit extra for a 4-stroke engine, quieter and longer lasting.

[samuijimmy]

I do a fair amount of weed whacking too, & used all types of blades too.... from my experience the shorter single blade is better if you have rocks in the ground being whacked! (the stubby three blade one is ok too...) If rock free the longer blade is good too... as long as you can keep it level to the ground... which is not that easy to start off with...

Agree the cheap machines are a waste of money, constant repairs and hard to start ... Honda makes a good one for around 10,000 baht... less repairs... mine has been going almost five years! (no mixing gas with oil too)

In Malaysia you see the back pack machines used every where, (road side cutting) much easier on the arms and back! ... They use nylon line too.... I just never understand why you can't find them here!

[kickstart]

My local shop sells a small triangle blade that are serrated,and bolts on to to a round plate that came with the strimmer, they work well . My best, are knife sections from a combine havester,they are serrated,I use them for toping my napier grass. hard stems,up to 1 intch thick, cuts them no problems.

I get mine from my local wekly secondhand market, 40 bart each .last a long time, being serratted do not need sharpning.

My strimer is a 3500 bart Chinese job ,it is ok ,it does not like gassahol, but the oil is important I use a fully synthetic oil ,from PTT, so far no wear with the engine, after 2 years, it sometimes floods ,one time would not run at all ,found main jet in the carb,gummed up with crap, cleaned it up ,now it runs ok ,some time it dose like hot starting....for some reason,like the OP I do not use it offten, but for 3500 bart............

Where I can I use the cord ,makes a better job, just wish I could find a cassette for the cord, not keep having to put 6 inches of cord on at a time.

Yours Regars

KS

[nedkellylives]

My local shop sells a small triangle blade that are serrated,and bolts on to to a round plate that came with the strimmer, they work well . My best, are knife sections from a combine havester,they are serrated,I use them for toping my napier grass. hard stems,up to 1 intch thick, cuts them no problems.

I get mine from my local wekly secondhand market, 40 bart each .last a long time, being serratted do not need sharpning.

My strimer is a 3500 bart Chinese job ,it is ok ,it does not like gassahol, but the oil is important I use a fully synthetic oil ,from PTT, so far no wear with the engine, after 2 years, it sometimes floods ,one time would not run at all ,found main jet in the carb,gummed up with crap, cleaned it up ,now it runs ok ,some time it dose like hot starting....for some reason,like the OP I do not use it offten, but for 3500 bart............

Where I can I use the cord ,makes a better job, just wish I could find a cassette for the cord, not keep having to put 6 inches of cord on at a time.

Yours Regars

KS

If you have a home pro in your area they carried the cassettes that feed the line automatically

[kickstart]

My local shop sells a small triangle blade that are serrated,and bolts on to to a round plate that came with the strimmer, they work well . My best, are knife sections from a combine havester,they are serrated,I use them for toping my napier grass. hard stems,up to 1 intch thick, cuts them no problems.

I get mine from my local wekly secondhand market, 40 bart each .last a long time, being serratted do not need sharpning.

My strimer is a 3500 bart Chinese job ,it is ok ,it does not like gassahol, but the oil is important I use a fully synthetic oil ,from PTT, so far no wear with the engine, after 2 years, it sometimes floods ,one time would not run at all ,found main jet in the carb,gummed up with crap, cleaned it up ,now it runs ok ,some time it dose like hot starting....for some reason,like the OP I do not use it offten, but for 3500 bart............

Where I can I use the cord ,makes a better job, just wish I could find a cassette for the cord, not keep having to put 6 inches of cord on at a time.

Yours Regars

KS

If you have a home pro in your area they carried the cassettes that feed the line automatically

Thanks for that we have a Home Pro in Lopburi

[Dancealot]

Blades, nylon and plastic cable ties(tie-wrap).

I think nylon is more safe and cable ties can handle tougher jobs. They both have their advantages and in comparison to nylon there's no hard plastic in the fly.

CLB wanted to cut big tuffy grass. I read here that using a blade would be the most dangerous method.

[bunnydrops]

I have seen the backpack Hondas here. North of Korat. Don't know where they got them, I haven't seen one in the local shops.

As for the bolt on blade type. I was going to get one even though they were more expensive, but the shop owner talked me out of it, says they are known to fly off..

Edited November 20, 2013 by bunnydrops

[canuckamuck]

My local shop sells a small triangle blade that are serrated,and bolts on to to a round plate that came with the strimmer, they work well . My best, are knife sections from a combine havester,they are serrated,I use them for toping my napier grass. hard stems,up to 1 intch thick, cuts them no problems.

I get mine from my local wekly secondhand market, 40 bart each .last a long time, being serratted do not need sharpning.

My strimer is a 3500 bart Chinese job ,it is ok ,it does not like gassahol, but the oil is important I use a fully synthetic oil ,from PTT, so far no wear with the engine, after 2 years, it sometimes floods ,one time would not run at all ,found main jet in the carb,gummed up with crap, cleaned it up ,now it runs ok ,some time it dose like hot starting....for some reason,like the OP I do not use it offten, but for 3500 bart............

Where I can I use the cord ,makes a better job, just wish I could find a cassette for the cord, not keep having to put 6 inches of cord on at a time.

Yours Regars

KS

I also have a setup that takes the serrated blades attached to a round disc, In my instance they are mounted to swivel. When the blade is spinning, centrifugal force keeps them extended for cutting but when you hit a rock or something solid, they absorb much of the impact by swiveling back in. This makes for much less stress on the machine from rock hits. Blades don't need sharpening and can be reversed for a second life. Easy to swap out blades too.

Like the cable tie idea though. Is there a place to get the disc that holds the ties or is it a DIY scenario?

[slapout]

The larger sizes nylon string that is avaliable in the real world, is apparently not avaliable here in northern Thailand. I have checked dozens of potential sources as have family members.

There is a disk which attaches to the foot of the weed wacker that is designed for string. I brought back a case of plastic blades made for a Stihl machine and a couple string heads as well (the heads fit onto the Thai/chinese machine) several rolls of plastic string that had a wire core (works a treat)

The wife or myself would cover a third more area with a Stihl machine than the locals using various Thai and or Chinese made machine, even when we rigged them up with foreign string heads. I am past God's santified life span and the wife is no spring chicken, so I attribute the difference more to machine than individual.

Not a expert by any means but we would run 4 to 5 machines for a week a month to control grass and weeds.

[Tywais]

I removed several inflammatory and argumentative posts including those that started the bickering. Keep it civil guys. You can debate calmly but will get warnings or suspensions with the name calling and aggressive posturing.

[kickstart]

Blades, nylon and plastic cable ties(tie-wrap).

I think nylon is more safe and cable ties can handle tougher jobs. They both have their advantages and in comparison to nylon there's no hard plastic in the fly.

CLB wanted to cut big tuffy grass. I read here that using a blade would be the most dangerous method.

I have tryed the cable ties, they not last very long ,I got the idea from the lads cuting the road sides, I see them with a big hand full of ties ,with that amount ,and my experience It is going to cost a lot ,and the down time changing the ties, nylon cord, I think is better. I have seen road side lads with the nylon cord.they have short lentgths , and a smaller hand full .I got a disc that takes the nylon cord from my local shop 170 bart and put the ties on to the disc.

I use to do a lot of road side grass cutting in the uk and on idustrial sites only useing nylon cord ,doing a road side one day a stone flew and went though a car quarter window,the guy was good about it ,it was an insurance job , and on a industrial site, useing a strimmer a stone flew and cracked a office window,so beware.

I agree with slapout,we only used stihl strimers very good, hardly any problems,did have 1 Honda 4-stroke it never seemed to rev like a stihl no one on the firm liked it

I have found with the blades if I hit anything hard the mounting bolts shear's,acting like a shear bolt.with out a lot of damage to the blade, never had a blade fly,bolts a pack from my local shop ,for strimmers ,seems very soft steel ,must be made in China.

Yours Regs.

KS

[David48]

Blades, nylon and plastic cable ties(tie-wrap).

I think nylon is more safe and cable ties can handle tougher jobs. They both have their advantages and in comparison to nylon there's no hard plastic in the fly.

CLB wanted to cut big tuffy grass. I read here that using a blade would be the most dangerous method.

Ran out of likes.

Cable ties ... great idea ...

[David48]

I removed several inflammatory and argumentative posts including those that started the bickering. Keep it civil guys. You can debate calmly but will get warnings or suspensions with the name calling and aggressive posturing.

I'm late into this thread ... how on earth can you get negative bitchy posts about Weed Wackers ...

.

[ozzydom]

My local shop sells a small triangle blade that are serrated,and bolts on to to a round plate that came with the strimmer, they work well . My best, are knife sections from a combine havester,they are serrated,I use them for toping my napier grass. hard stems,up to 1 intch thick, cuts them no problems.

I get mine from my local wekly secondhand market, 40 bart each .last a long time, being serratted do not need sharpning.

My strimer is a 3500 bart Chinese job ,it is ok ,it does not like gassahol, but the oil is important I use a fully synthetic oil ,from PTT, so far no wear with the engine, after 2 years, it sometimes floods ,one time would not run at all ,found main jet in the carb,gummed up with crap, cleaned it up ,now it runs ok ,some time it dose like hot starting....for some reason,like the OP I do not use it offten, but for 3500 bart............

Where I can I use the cord ,makes a better job, just wish I could find a cassette for the cord, not keep having to put 6 inches of cord on at a time.

Yours Regars

KS

I also have a setup that takes the serrated blades attached to a round disc, In my instance they are mounted to swivel. When the blade is spinning, centrifugal force keeps them extended for cutting but when you hit a rock or something solid, they absorb much of the impact by swiveling back in. This makes for much less stress on the machine from rock hits. Blades don't need sharpening and can be reversed for a second life. Easy to swap out blades too.

Like the cable tie idea though. Is there a place to get the disc that holds the ties or is it a DIY scenario?

Global House carries various nylon trimmer attachments including a german designed auto version that you preload several metres of line on and it auto feeds when required by simply bumping the central button on the ground.

[RedBullHorn]

I removed several inflammatory and argumentative posts including those that started the bickering. Keep it civil guys. You can debate calmly but will get warnings or suspensions with the name calling and aggressive posturing.

I'm late into this thread ... how on earth can you get negative bitchy posts about Weed Wackers ...

.

It started when i first mentioned cable tie ... Don't ask~

Edited November 25, 2013 by RedBullHorn

[kickstart]

My local shop sells a small triangle blade that are serrated,and bolts on to to a round plate that came with the strimmer, they work well . My best, are knife sections from a combine havester,they are serrated,I use them for toping my napier grass. hard stems,up to 1 intch thick, cuts them no problems.

I get mine from my local wekly secondhand market, 40 bart each .last a long time, being serratted do not need sharpning.

My strimer is a 3500 bart Chinese job ,it is ok ,it does not like gassahol, but the oil is important I use a fully synthetic oil ,from PTT, so far no wear with the engine, after 2 years, it sometimes floods ,one time would not run at all ,found main jet in the carb,gummed up with crap, cleaned it up ,now it runs ok ,some time it dose like hot starting....for some reason,like the OP I do not use it offten, but for 3500 bart............

Where I can I use the cord ,makes a better job, just wish I could find a cassette for the cord, not keep having to put 6 inches of cord on at a time.

Yours Regars

KS

I also have a setup that takes the serrated blades attached to a round disc, In my instance they are mounted to swivel. When the blade is spinning, centrifugal force keeps them extended for cutting but when you hit a rock or something solid, they absorb much of the impact by swiveling back in. This makes for much less stress on the machine from rock hits. Blades don't need sharpening and can be reversed for a second life. Easy to swap out blades too.

Like the cable tie idea though. Is there a place to get the disc that holds the ties or is it a DIY scenario?

Global House carries various nylon trimmer attachments including a german designed auto version that you preload several metres of line on and it auto feeds when required by simply bumping the central button on the ground.

That sounds very like the Stihl one I used in the UK, if it is, or very similar,I can recomend it.Just got to find a global house.

[Crossy]

We got our bump-feed line head from HomePro, wasn't cheap but is effective.

[samuijimmy]

I removed several inflammatory and argumentative posts including those that started the bickering. Keep it civil guys. You can debate calmly but will get warnings or suspensions with the name calling and aggressive posturing.

I'm late into this thread ... how on earth can you get negative bitchy posts about Weed Wackers ...

.

It started when i first mentioned cable tie ... Don't ask~

For the benefit of David and others who missed the photos, of the back pack whackers, one sees all over Malaysia, Brunei etc, with short nylon cords. I will re-post the images...again!

I have had enough PM's from people asking !

These are great for those who have work these machines day in and day out... easier on the arms, than the heavy whackers they sell in Thailand!

I brought one of the self dispensing nylon thingies the other day, @690 baht at Homepro, (third one I have brought, if I remember ) but the ring where the nylon comes out does not last long, from my experience... the equivalent Stihl types in the west, lasted for ages, but if I remember cost close to 2500 baht equivalent ... just for the dispenser.

Now let's move on.... please!

[kickstart]

For our Jimmy's piece of mind, go in to Thai Google and type เครื้องตัดหย้า Keung-dat-yar, they have some places selling back pack strimmers,Honde 9500 bart or Mitsuifuji 2400? bart,are some I found in, Udon Tanie and Bkk,and else where.