Gas or electric weed eater?

[acemcmac]

I need to buy a weed whacker to mow my lawn

My budget is <$100. I am very surprised to see that there are gasoline options here. I pretty much seem to have a choice between a 6 amp electric or a 0.25 HP gasoline trimmer. Even with the tediousness of my trimming, it's still only a 15 minute job, so I don't know if gasoline is overkill.

Is the tradeoff for the maintanance of a gas trimmer worth the extra power and convienience of cordless roaming?

VERY SMALL YARD... 13 feet by 25 feet MINUS the landing for my deck.

 

[Armitage]

I've never dealt with a cordless one, but the corded ones are a PITA if you have any significant distance or landscaping to drag the cord around. I'd definitely go gas over corded - but cordless may be reasonable.

edit - for that postage stamp electric will be fine

 

[Poulsonator]

As you've mentioned, it's all about how much you have weed-whack. I have a gas one as I have a pretty big yard, and it requires me to trim as well. I bought a Craftsman from Sears along with the trimming attachment. Gas was the only logical option as I have to go all over my yard.

If you don't have much to do, though, electric should be fine. Weigh the costs, add in the convenience factor, see where you stand.

 

[Queasy]

If you have a relatively small yard (1/2 acre or less), I'd just go with an electric.

 

[acemcmac]

Originally posted by: Queasy
If you have a relatively small yard (1/2 acre or less), I'd just go with an electric.

13 feet by 25 feet, minus the landing for my deck's steps

 

[ViviTheMage]

gas

 

[MisterJackson]

electric sucks ass

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Corded......such a PITA you'll end up just never using it.
Cordless....not enough power to do more than edging.

So gas is really the only option unless you're hoping to help Al Gore save th environment one weedwacker at a time.

 

[Fritzo]

Get gas. Electrics aren't very powerful and it sucks dealing with cords. Electric ones also tend to lack power, plus you have to deal with remembering to keep it charged.

 

[vi edit]

For a small yard, I'd go electric. My dad still uses a 15 year old electric one around the house that hasn't had a lick of maintenence done on it.

For all the more space you need to groom, it's not worth mixing fuel up and firing up a gas one.

 

[PingSpike]

Lazy ass. Get down on your knees and use your teeth like the pioneers.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: acemcmac

Originally posted by: Queasy
If you have a relatively small yard (1/2 acre or less), I'd just go with an electric.

13 feet by 25 feet, minus the landing for my deck's steps

Yeah....electric.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: acemcmac

Originally posted by: Queasy
If you have a relatively small yard (1/2 acre or less), I'd just go with an electric.

13 feet by 25 feet, minus the landing for my deck's steps

Electric for a lot that size. Hell, I use an electric and my lot is 50x211

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: sdifox

Originally posted by: acemcmac

Originally posted by: Queasy
If you have a relatively small yard (1/2 acre or less), I'd just go with an electric.

13 feet by 25 feet, minus the landing for my deck's steps

Electric for a lot that size. Hell, I use an electric and my lot is 50x211

Heh...he could probably go with a pair of scissors and be fine.

 

[potato28]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: sdifox

Originally posted by: acemcmac

Originally posted by: Queasy
If you have a relatively small yard (1/2 acre or less), I'd just go with an electric.

13 feet by 25 feet, minus the landing for my deck's steps

Electric for a lot that size. Hell, I use an electric and my lot is 50x211

Heh...he could probably go with a pair of scissors and be fine.

:laugh:

 

[waggy]

i hate electric ones. then again my lot is right under 3acres heh
all i have now is a electric one. until it dies i can't get another. so trying to brake it heh

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: waggy
i hate electric ones. then again my lot is right under 3acres heh
all i have now is a electric one. until it dies i can't get another. so trying to brake it heh

I got a gas one at a fall closeout at Home Depot last year. $48
It's a bit underpowered, but for that price, I can deal with it!

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Armitage

Originally posted by: waggy
i hate electric ones. then again my lot is right under 3acres heh
all i have now is a electric one. until it dies i can't get another. so trying to brake it heh

I got a gas one at a fall closeout at Home Depot last year. $48
It's a bit underpowered, but for that price, I can deal with it!

ahh! i hit HD, Lowe's, wal-mart, target etc and not one had any on closeout. only ones they had were the $170+ ones. i really do not want to spend that much.

i never seem to find the stuff i need on sale.

 

[franksta]

I got an electric one and it's been OK. Dealing with the stupid extension cord is a bit of a hassle, but it was inexpensive and I don't have to keep feeding it gas. For your yard just use a pair of nice Fiskars.

 

[davew0670]

gas...no brainer. You can get a ryobi that also has different attachments (edger, blower, tiller...etc) available for around $100

 

[Amused]

For your tiny yard go with electric. I would say gas if you had a large yard but you have a very tiny garden sized yard.

Gas would be silly for a job that small.

 

[AmdEmAll]

I do landscaping a couple times a week and I would never use anything but Gas. Even for small lawns, its just so much easier and they last a hell of a lot longer.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: AmdEmAll
I do landscaping a couple times a week and I would never use anything but Gas. Even for small lawns, its just so much easier and they last a hell of a lot longer.

Gas engines require a lot more maintenance than electric. Including prepping them for winter storage.

 

[cKGunslinger]

Gillette Mach 3 - The Best a Yard Can Get.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: davew0670
gas...no brainer. You can get a ryobi that also has different attachments (edger, blower, tiller...etc) available for around $100

I have that one and it sucks. The "auto feed" system is useless. The string melts after two seconds of trimming, so you have to stop it and manually advance the reel. :|