# OK for the future weeder



## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

which of these is the best
http://www.lowes.com/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=183781-65481-BL150
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=LAWN&pid=07179157000&subcat=Line+Trimmers
personally i'm going for the bolens. its a straight shaft with a 31cc engine and its cheaper than the sears. don't know about these types.  
just going to get one after my weeder dies, whenever it does :freak: right now i can't kill it. it was cheap. 25$ and well i just want a new one with a bigger engine. having to rev this one high to cut the thick grass. really thick grass. growing for 5 years type crab grass. and personally i like the price of the bolens. :tongue:
oh and another reason, would like to know the life expectancy. which is better.


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## bbnissan (Nov 7, 2004)

Personally I wouldn't go with either one. The Bolens is just a rebadged Ryobi that costs a little more and the Craftsman is just a rebadged Poulan/Weedeater. I would go and find a regular Ryobi straight shaft trimmer.


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## roperdude91 (Nov 10, 2004)

yardman ym400 from walmart, 31cc engine, cuts through the tall thinck stuff


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## roperdude91 (Nov 10, 2004)

the craftsman is a featherlite motor with a sraight shaft


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## roperdude91 (Nov 10, 2004)

:tongue: :tongue: :tongue: the craftsman is a featherlite motor with a sraight shaft


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## hankster (Jan 1, 1998)

The BL150 Bolins has a compression release for easier starting... the Ryobi branded wackers do not. The only real weak area of the Ryobi engine is the rod. It is made from laminated steel and they can break or if reved too high (not enought string sticking out of the head) the lower rod bearing can fail. Only other real pain in the butt is the EPA caps on the carb are a bitch to work with if you need to adjust the carb.

Other minor things on the Bolins model I've seen are broken flex shafts and spark arrestors that plug.

You will get a 2 year warranty with the Bolins, the Ryobi only has a 1 year warranty but the warranty is pretty strict... if it isn't a manufacturing defect it won't be covered.

The engine on the Sears model you show is not as good as the comparable Ryobi engine but the Sears warrarty (1 year) is much better then the Bolins or Ryobi brands.

As a side note: Sears does Lowes Lawn & Garden repair so if it does need to be fixed under warranty it is sent to a Sears repair center.


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## roperdude91 (Nov 10, 2004)

i take it mine doesnt have the compression relese and thats why its really hard to pull the cord?


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## bbnissan (Nov 7, 2004)

hankster said:


> The BL150 Bolins has a compression release for easier starting... the Ryobi branded wackers do not. The only real weak area of the Ryobi engine is the rod. It is made from laminated steel and they can break or if reved too high (not enought string sticking out of the head) the lower rod bearing can fail. Only other real pain in the butt is the EPA caps on the carb are a bitch to work with if you need to adjust the carb.


Are you sure about the 2 cycles having a laminated rod? In all of my experience, the only Ryobi's with a laminated rod are the 4 cycle trimmers. All of the 2 cycle Ryboi's I have ever worked on have had a one piece cast aluminum rod.

Also, the limiter caps on the carb are a piece of cake to pop off with a pair of diagonal cutters. Just grab the base of the limiter cap with the diagonal cutters and pry them up a little at time. You can get them off this way without damaging the caps or the carb.


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## hankster (Jan 1, 1998)

Yep, Ryobi 2-stokes have laminated rods.. fixed about 1/2 dozen Bolins just before I got off for the winter.

Sure you can get the caps off that way..it's still a pain... you have to take off the rear cover to get to them. Way too much work when you only have to tweak the screw an 1/8 of a turn or so. All the others you just grab the cap with plyers to pull them off... no need to take off any type of cover or shroud. The new carbs with the recessed adjustment screws are the best... just stick in the wrench and adjust away.


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## bbnissan (Nov 7, 2004)

That must be the Bolens trimmers only. I have personally never worked on a Bolens, but I work on Ryobi trimmers and blowers all day long and I have never seen a laminated rod on a 2 cycle (only on the 4 cycle). I even looked through several of the Ryobi diagrams/parts lists for one of my distributors and all I saw was a one piece rod.


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

ok so which will last the best. i just want a new one with a stronger engine. oh and plus you said the the weed eater brand weeder will vibrate alot. well it did until i upped the idle up to a higher rpm and without my finger on the throttle it doesn't vibrate. thats why so in light stuff i wouldn't have to hold the throttle. stops the vibration as well pretty good. hardly any. to none


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## Scott15 (Nov 11, 2004)

Everybody makes everything for other companies and put that companies paint and crap on it and sell it to people who don't care who made it.


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

exactly as long as the engine performs duh. i don't care what brand it is as long as the engine is good.


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## scrench (Dec 8, 2004)

Scott15 said:


> Everybody makes everything for other companies and put that companies paint and crap on it and sell it to people who don't care who made it.


i agree 100 % prime example of this is to me would be the snapper chain saw and the blower lol


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

yep doesn't really matter about the name, just the thing that makes it the engine. thats gotta be the main point of it.


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## scrench (Dec 8, 2004)

get ya a fs- 55 stihl <------((((


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

whats the price.


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## scrench (Dec 8, 2004)

a little under 200.00 you can get one


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

what size engine. and how long can i expect to have this. my weeder as of now is old and has well over 300 hours on it. i want something that will last atleast 6 years of my kinda abuse and running around 3 hours at a time. but i have to say mines done good just the engines a measly 22cc's. having to rev it high is fun but i want something that can do heavy work, last a long time, and be able to run a long period at a time. and take my liking to reving the hell outta it like my weed eater. plus i'd like it to be cheap. under 150 atleast.


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

oh yeah something else. my weeder the last time i checked the rod and all. which was a week ago i beleive. the bearing isn't wallowed out. Right now the piston and rings are all like new and the rod is nice and on normal. the crank and all shows zero signs of warping or twisting. sometimes today i'll find the model # and have it up here because basically i bought that thing not knowing at all about it, hey 25 bucks for a runner that was almost new you can't beat. other ones i know but this one was my first featherlite. revs high and well too. well over the 3,000 rpm limit because well tightening the head on and using blue locktite the thing will fly off about once or twice a year. just is weird you all say they wear out quick but still i abuse it and use it very regularly. and it starts third pull sometimes the second and i hardly prime it. but still want a new one that will give me a few years and be cheap with a bigger engine. so suggestions would be great.


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

ok its a 2001 model. which i bought early in 2001. around january. 18cc's


2001 us epa phl lpwes.0183lt:em 18cc 0154n501469-4
monsterous use on it. the tag was almost worn off. thought it was a 22 but its a 18. hardly could tell it was half worn off as well as the sticker.


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## Scott15 (Nov 11, 2004)

I have a Poulan wild thing blower that is really called a snapper blower that has red paint and snapper stuff. Come on! Snapper doesn't make trimmers blowers and chain saws. The poulan engine on it has some power and it runs good.


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## scrench (Dec 8, 2004)

Scott15 said:


> I have a Poulan wild thing blower that is really called a snapper blower that has red paint and snapper stuff. Come on! Snapper doesn't make trimmers blowers and chain saws. The poulan engine on it has some power and it runs good.ok so what you have is a poulan product with the snapper name on it !


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

yeah dude poulan makes their own, and sells their engines to be used in other stuff.


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