Trimmers

[Jack D.]

My local dealer won't sell Husky trimmers anymore because parts are too expensive. Mr. Skaper may have gotten lucky with his Husky's but all brands a prone to repair.

Stihl trimmers suck plain & simple. They had to junk up their carbs to meet new air standards & the new 85's are fraught with problems from hard starts to, sudden fade-outs.

Kaw. or Echo.

[odin]

Scott

The balance is excellent the power is i do believe better then the sthil's i have .
In terms of lightness the husky is quite a bit lighter maybe two lbs lighter.

First day i used it i cut down some overgrown weeds and grass at a lot next to my moms house ,this stuff had not been cut all year .
the husky went thought it like a hot knife though better.
The 326lx has got some torq and power.
If the model scraper was talking about is more powerful then this new 326lx bring it on i want to try to find one .

[Scaper-S2k]

I've got a 325lx, which is now sold as the 326lx. Nice trimmer as is the 322l, which is now sold as the 323l. I actually prefer the smaller one of those two. But, the heavy 232l hands down has more grunt. For whatever reason, the heavy 225l 'supposably' had a 25cc engine. But it is by far stronger than the new 300 series 25cc engines. The entire machine is a beast, BUT heavy. I've got them all, and love them all, but the big old ones are unreal.

I had an independent contractor bring in his Stihl FS85 and I tried it, he tried the Husky 225l. If you didn't know better, you would think the 225 had twice the power and torque. No joke.

It was the saddest day in history when they stopped prioducing that 225. But lucky for the world, the 232l is still on the market!

If you can handle the weight, you will find no better trimmer, or one with more torque and pure power.

[odin]

I think i can handle the weight ,im 6/1 210lbs three tours in vietnam 101st airbourne .

So na i dont think the weight will bother me

[DisHeavy]

Scaper-S2k - nice web site. Very well done.

[Woody]

Scaper:

No offense dude, I know you are not only sold on the Husqvarna's, but are one of their best ads, but.... Making a statement like...

"If you can handle the weight, you will find no better trimmer, or one with more torque and pure power."

Your opinion may be that you will find no better trimmer, but, you CAN find trimmers, in the same class (same weight, options for blade attachment, these actually fall into the "brushcutter" category), that develop MORE torque and MORE horsepower. Like I said, I know you love them, and think that they are the best trimmers out there, but let's not confuse the facts here. We all have our opinions as to who makes the best equipment. They all differ to some degree. But, let us not cloud the facts with our passion for one brand of equipment or the other.

Husqvarna 232L
Power: 1.5 Horsepower
Max Power RPM: 8,400
Weight: 13.7 pounds

RedMax BC3400DL
Power: 1.6 Horsepower
Max Power RPM: 7,000
Weight: 13.4 pounds

RedMax BC4400DW (The Monster)
Power: 2 Horsepower
Max Power RPM: 7,000
Weight: 16 pounds <-- I wouldn't want to carry this thing around!

I could expound on torque, horsepower, and RPM, and the relationship between them, but, suffice it to say, the RedMax BC3400DL is making a LOT more torque at 7,000 RPM than the Husqvarna is at 8,400 RPM. That is a scientific fact. And the BC4400DW is, without a doubt, much more powerful.

As to which is the better trimmer, that will vary with the person using it. I love my RedMax stuff. So do many others. It all comes down to personal preference. I do feel that my Stihl, in comparison to my RedMax, is underpowered. That is why it has become my backup trimmer.

Woody

[Scaper-S2k]

Woody, I do understand what you are saying. But I was speaking of trimmers, not brush cutter categories. You can put a blade on most of them. If bruchcutters were being compared, I would have brought up the Husky 265RX. I think Husqvarna also builds one of the most powerful brushcutters as well. It's 4.1 hp at 8400rpm's. But I was speaking or what we would consider trimmers, designed primarily for trimming.




I'm not saying all other trimmers are garbage, I know they are not.

What I was trying to state was that you can NOT go by the numbers given. The new 326lx numbers say it is more powerful than the old 225l. Well, I have many of both, and can tell ya that the old 225l will chew the 326 in half. It's a beast.


Specs are just part of the thing to look at. If we went by numbers, the residential Ryobi would be more powerful than most trimmers listed here! Heck they make a $150 Ryobi with a 31cc engine right? But it is no where near as strong. But going by the specs, you'd think it would chew up all others. Most of theirs are 31cc. Even Craftsman has a 32cc for about $120.


Seriously, anyone that has ever owned the 225l or the 232l will say the same thing. They are unbelievably powerful machines and seem much much stronger than what their engine says.



Again, I am NOT putting down all trimmers, there are many good ones out there.

[saw man]

i have to agree with Skaper here:

The 232l does have the option of bike handle and blade

Since when do you go by what the Manufacture says for a horse power rating - If the was the case i would have that 6.75 hp Briggs engine on my mower - but I went with a 5 hp Honda , and the funny thing the honda has more power ( I know from experience)

That is a scientific fact.

----- that is the funniest thing i have read all day. how are they testing this hp rating? This will differ from one manufacture to the other, so lets not compare hp "ratings" because it is useless

im sure redmax makes a good trimmer- im not bashing them just how you are trying to compare HP.

[saw man]

Woody i just got this for you from Husky's web site since you added the "RedMax BC4400DW (The Monster)" but failed to add huskys trimmer in that range.


245R
Cylinder displacement 44.3 cm³ / 2.7 cu.inch
Cylinder bore/stroke 42.0 mm / 32.0 mm
Power 2.0 kW / 2.7 hp
Maximum power speed 9000 rpm
Maximum recommended engine speed 12500 rpm
Type of carburator Walbro WT 99
Gear ratio/drive gear angle 1:1.36 / 30 °
Weight 19.0 lbs / 8.6 kg
Fuel tank volume 0.8 l / 1.7 US pint
Fuel consumption 480 g/kWh
Emission, HC 154 g/kWh
Emission, NOx 2.05 g/kWh
Emission, CO 338 g/kWh
Shaft length 1485 mm
Shaft diameter 35.25 mm

and 1 more for ya "The Monster"

265RX
Cylinder displacement 65.1 cm³ / 4.0 cu.inch
Cylinder bore/stroke 48.0 mm / 36.0 mm
Power 3.0 kW / 4.1 hp
Maximum power speed 8400 rpm
Maximum recommended engine speed 11500 rpm
Type of carburator Tillot HS 121A
Gear ratio/drive gear angle 1:1.26 / 25 °
Weight 10.8 kg / 23.8 lbs
Fuel tank volume 1 l / 2.1 US pint
Fuel consumption 550 g/kWh
Emission, HC 128 g/kWh
Emission, NOx 2.7 g/kWh
Emission, CO 350 g/kWh
Shaft length 1335 mm
Shaft diameter 42.0 mm

[44TOY]

I started this rant

and am currently using a 31cc 99 model ryobi. One heck of a trimmer, lacks the engine dampenig, cushy gell grip, and some other amentites. but cost about $150 with tax. About 1/3 the price,very poerful, ruff on operator, versitile, options, seems about 5lbs heavier. but not a commercial trimmer meant to run in your hands all day. If you have ever run a trimmer like the maruyama you know what it fells like in your hands, after a day of trimming 150ft of creeck bank.

[Woody]

Saw Man: Didn't see those listed on the USA website under trimmers... I found the 245R this morning, but not the 265R.... Anyhow, at 19 flipping pounds, the 265R is not in the same class.

Also, horsepower is measured in a standard way. There is no "different method" for computing such, unless you are talking the older Brake Horsepower ratings versus the newer SAE ratings that are used on automobiles. Older methods put the raw engine on a dynamometer and measured horsepower. The SAE ratings, which they started using in the USA in the early 1970's, put the same engine on a dynamometer, but all available options (alternator, power steering pump, air conditioning compressor, etc.) were installed on the engine, and were IN USE, AND the horsepower was measured at the output shaft of the transmission, to account for all parasitic and frictional losses. Note that this only applies to cars and trucks.

You are also proving my point with your statement about the Briggs vs Honda. The Honda develops more torque at a lower RPM. As does the RedMax. See my point?

Scaper: No, we ARE NOT TRYING TO COMPARE DISPLACEMENT HERE! But, you are MAKING MY POINT!

Here are some examples.....

1) You are going down the road at 30 miles per hour. You stick your hand out the window. There is a force applied to your hand. Let us call it F1. Now.... If you double your speed to 60 miles per hour, how much force is applied? Two times F1?? NO!!!! FOUR TIMES F1!!!!!!!! That's right FOUR TIMES!

2) We have an engine that, for the sake of argument, has a flat torque curve. The torque is unchanged from 3,000 RPM to 6,000 RPM (this doesn't exist in the real world, but will show what I am talking about). Once again, the engine will develop FOUR TIMES the horsepower at 6,000 RPM as it will at 3,000 RPM. This is why horsepower ratings are NOT telling the whole story. A SMALL increase in RPM will make a large difference in horsepower. But, for that same engine to develop four times the horsepower at 3,000 RPM, it would need four times the torque. Which would make it feel incredibly powerful.

Frictional losses also increase with the square of the velocity. This is why you will have 2 times the drag at 90 miles per hour as you would at 60 miles per hour.

You make my point exactly when you speak of the 225L vs the 326.

I'm not looking for a war here. I am stating irrefutable fact. Horsepower DOESN'T MOVE ANYTHING! Torque DOES! So you see, it is possible to look at a few things and figure out which trimmer will have the most torque, and thus, will feel more "powerful". Gear reductions give up speed to gain torque. So that is one important parameter. Since no small equipment manufacturer gives a horsepower/torque/RPM curve, the best we can do is to look at the horsepower rating, and the RPM that it peaks at. This DOES tell us something.

Anyhow.... This thread is getting WAYYYYY off the point. My point is this..... Torque is where it is at. The lower RPM/higher torque engines will not only feel more "powerful", but will do a better job at cutting. No matter WHO makes them.

Scaper, if you would have answered the PM I sent you many weeks ago, I would probably own a Husky! Since there aren't any Husky dealers close by, and Lowes won't let you run a trimmer before buying it, I settled on the RedMax. I am very happy with it. I might have been just as happy with a Husqvarna.

To summarize:
Torque is a very important engine parameter.
Scaper loves his Huskies!
Woody loves his RedMax's!
Displacement, for all practical purposes, is meaningless.
We all like different equipment for different reasons.
ALL commercial equipment is pretty well made.
Woody prefers his RedMax dealer to Lowes!! He also paid less for his RedMax than he would have for a similar Huskie at Lowes!
All capitalization is used for emphasis, I am not yelling!

And the big one........

My posts are getting as long as the Grassmaster's!!!!

Woody

[Scaper-S2k]

Woody, I really am not trying to argue at all. Just stating that I like Husqvarna because they are very powerful, and very well balanced, and last an extreme amount of time. I have no doubt the Redmax is a good trimmer as well.

As for your Personal Message to me? I may not have got it. I got an e-mail from this site saying I had to many messages in it and that I had to delete some to get new ones. I deleted old ones, but never got the new ones. Don't know why.

That's all I am trying to say. No reason to argue about brands. Heck, many think the Stihl FS85 is the best thing going. But it feels like half the power of the Husky 225l. It has unreal torque, and unreal horsepower.



P.S. I hoped not to see many more math/physics word problems at my age! I majored in physics at Purdue University.

Seriously.

[hunter]

What ever you do don't buy your Husky's from Lowes. Find a dealer that handles them. Lowe's cannot provide you with the service a local dealer can. I'm lucky that we have two dealers within 10 miles that handle Husqvarna.

[Scott]

wow! lots of good info here guys and I think all parties are on target with this thread, except yes,, dumb ol muffinhead.

Woody,, you're swaying me... so I'm gonna go way down on the other side of the beach(town) and look at those redmax's you're talking about.

I like the feel and weight of my current stihl at approx. 11lbs so I think I'll try to stay in the area of the redmax's BCZ2500S or the lighter husky's 325l. Call me a sissy if you will but after a long day of mowing and trimmin,, I still find myself draggin that 11lb whip on the ground at times.
I had an old ryobi when I first started and brother let me tell ya,, there ain't enough bengay in world to rub my shoulders to stay with that brand. Lighter is better.

[saw man]

if there are no husky dealers in your area then i would not buy one either.

Woody:
The problem i still have with your statement is that Briggs still advertises more torque throughout the RPM range.
I do not buy what the manufactures say about hp ratings - it is B.S.
I will stick with Honda because of reliability and power that i know they have, same with the Husky
But i am in the same boat as you and have no RedMax dealers in my area, so there is no use buying one if i cant get parts - just like you couldnt get parts for the husky

I am just saying dont believe what you read on hp ratings - i was a mechanic at a dealer and have seen all the books on these engines - and their "claimed" graphs of hp and torque look very similar but will not perform the same.

again not saying Redmax is not a good trimmer, i think they are good just dont go by the manufactures #'s all the time