Got a Ryobi Hedgecutter and want to replace it with Stihl- which one?

[purpleroad]

My Ryobi combi set keeps on rounding off (the bit where the hedgecutter attachment fits into the engine part. I think I am forcing it throught too thicker branches. It's cost me £120 in total to repair 3 times. Am thinking of getting a Stihl as there better. Which is better the combi or just hedgecutter on its own?

 

[Burnerman]

Personally I go for the individual machines rather than the combi's but they do go out on hire when I am repairing others.
I guess the main question is how much you want to spend, but the Husqvarna 122HD is a good one, and handles branches up to 20mm. Look around for deals!
Stihl have the same spec machine of course......would a long reach machine suit you better? They are really handy.
John

 

[purpleroad]

Personally I go for the individual machines rather than the combi's but they do go out on hire when I am repairing others.
I guess the main question is how much you want to spend, but the Husqvarna 122HD is a good one, and handles branches up to 20mm. Look around for deals!
Stihl have the same spec machine of course......would a long reach machine suit you better? They are really handy.
John

Long reach would probably suit me better. Can you get the 122HD long reach?

If it will definitely last a long time despite being put through thick branches then dont mind paying more. That Ryobi has cost me an extra £30 repairing it every year.


Called the suppliers of the Ryobi combi and the replacement part for the shaft on the engine part was £30- which is what it costs me to get someone to fix it. Got to get another hedgecutter.

Also the strimmer's cable on the same Ryobi keeps snapping off straight away. why's that?

 

[Burnerman]

For a long reach machine I'd recommend the Stihl HL 95 or equivalent - its a tough machine with Stihl's 4-mix engine. However, they are a lot more pricey at £500 odd.
Ryobi stuff is all well and good for occasional use, but my big moan with these is that the entire machine has to come apart for quite basic repairs, which puts an age onto the repair time and therefore the bill.
The strimmer line snapping syndrome has been discussed recently but the main thing is to use a 2.4mm line if you can, don't wind it tight onto the spool and strim from right to left......a light line is fragile, and a too heavy line winds out of the spool courtesy of centrifugal force.
John

 

[purpleroad]

For a long reach machine I'd recommend the Stihl HL 95 or equivalent - its a tough machine with Stihl's 4-mix engine. However, they are a lot more pricey at £500 odd.
Ryobi stuff is all well and good for occasional use, but my big moan with these is that the entire machine has to come apart for quite basic repairs, which puts an age onto the repair time and therefore the bill.
The strimmer line snapping syndrome has been discussed recently but the main thing is to use a 2.4mm line if you can, don't wind it tight onto the spool and strim from right to left......a light line is fragile, and a too heavy line winds out of the spool courtesy of centrifugal force.
John

Is the 4 mix engine not a problem?

Maybe I should get the Husquvana and repair my Ryobi one last time. Us the Ryobi for long reach work. Is a short hedgecutter like the Husquvana still useful or is a long reach all you need?

Does the Husquvana still do nice fine cuts on heather etc? I will use it on my few jobs for people. gardening is a part time job for me

 

[Burnerman]

The 4-Mix engine is just fine......its a good starter and is reliable. Although it has valves, like any four stroke, it actually uses a 50:1 two stroke oil mix as before but produces less pollution simply by being a four stroke, if you get my drift. That is the reason for its development.
In a domestic situation it has a two year warranty, but if you are in the trade its one year.
Whether you need long reach or not is really dependent on the work you undertake, of course so I can't answer that one!
Use the Ryobi for small jobs and the professional machine for the hard work would be my advice here.
Like any other machine, the blades will need a sharpen now and then to retain their fine cut. This is a dealer job, costs around £60 with a two day turnaround.
John

 

[purpleroad]

Getting the huquavana 60cm from world of power £170. They are £240 in local shop.