Forum menu
Middle age is well upon me.
My trusty Jonsered GR50 beast of a strimmer/brushcutter is deid*. Multiple issues. Time for a new strimmer.
Now the equivalent strimmer is £700-£800. I want to spent half of that or less. So I'm not expecting the equivalent. But two handles and the ability to hang it off a harness would be good. Still petrol, of course, anything else is for girls. Unless you can get a diesel strimmer. That would be cool.
Recommendations based on first hand experience appreciated.
*Deid = Scottish mispelling of dead. Been chucking out oil for years, probably running rich. Been stalling when hot for years, carb setup again. Messing about with carb has made things worse. Trigger handle broken and held on by gaffertape. Baffle missing from exhaust. Automatic cord trimmer broken so can feed out cord until it is two foot long and lacerating your shins.
Looks very similar to our Husqvarna 240r.
You can get it repaired by someone who knows what they're doing for less than an equivalent replacement.
But if you do bin it, can I have the gear head? They are the one part whose failure can test the willingness to repair.
I've got a Stihl strimmer, unsure of the cost but it's a decent enough piece of kit.
It's convinced me to stick with Stihl for my new hedge trimmer too.
I've got one of these
https://www.lawnmowersdirect.co.uk/product/honda-umk425ue
After winter start up 4-5 tugs, after that it's up in 2-3 normally. Just entering its third year of neglect and still going well. Comes with a three bladed job and a nylon reel. I've cleared a lot of brambles etc with it. Used weekly/fortnightly.
Really happy with it, I'd buy another.
timber - I think I know what I am doing! Point is the old strimmer is extremely high maintenance I need to maximize free time for the outdoors.
I think Jonsered amalgamated with Husqvarna and they stole the tech and wound up the brand for chainsaws and brush cutters etc. You still see Jonsered manufactured engineering in forestry, but I'm guessing with your username you know this.
Basically tomorrow evening I'll revisit this thread and perhaps go shopping for a new one. The GR50 will not be going in the bin, that's not my philosophy.
The jets can go in the carb' which makes them a pain to balance, gaskets go with age. Carb' was about £45 last time we replaced one. Hot stall could be air leak. Trigger sounds about average, better ear defenders will solve the exhaust.
We keep our pair of 240r running because they slog it out with the blades on, are robustly built compared to newer stuff and also have wider bars than newer stuff.
I have a Stihl FS450 that I bought used on eBay for around £200 five years ago. It sees a huge amount of use through the summer, all it's needed in that time was a service kit, plug, air and fuel filter. Parts are cheap and easy to fix. When it dies I'll buy another used one.
I've tried them all and use loop handle strimmers and harness brushcutter everyday.
I wouldn't buy a Stihl or a Husqvarna.
Echo, Tanaka, Kawasaki. They're more refined than Stihl/Husq. Durable, low vibes, well made. Start more easily, use less fuel. Generally better.
Stihl fs250 here and seen much abuse over 10+ years. Lots of things broke which have been fixed easily. When it eventually dies i ll get another. Its light, lowish vibration and good spares avails.
They really do get abused so its the spares availability i d go for. The cheap ones are mde of cheese.
I've got a Honda like the one linked to above. Still going strong after 4 years of neglect.
Thanks all. Off shopping.
Echo for Echo
Still interested in the gear head off the Jonsered if you're replacing.