sandt38

Thank you so much. I have been going through cheapies every 2 years. Great input. Dude, I got so tired of wasting my money and time. I would get irritated when they would get hard to start. I generally got a year out of a $100 "Weedeater" or Craftsman weed eater, then I would throw the fucker in the burn pile. 3 weeks ago my eater died. I figure I have been a homeowner for over 20 years, so I have spent roughly 2K on crap weedeaters. Why not buy one that will likely outlast me? I just hope this survives the test of time. Plus I got the bonus of the pole saw, brush cutter, and a lot of other great attachments like a killer blower, lawn scythe, edger, cultivator... and like 14 other attachments. It's really a cool tool.

So I got tired of buying a new $100 weed eater every year. I have a lot of maintenance that I have half assed for years and now I need to do something about it. I decided to look at the multi-task units offered by Echo, Husqvarna, and Stihl. I elected to stick with these 3 brands as they are really excellent units for homeowners and professionals. I want to play with the various offerings like pole saws, hedge trimmers/lawn scythe, brush cutters, etc. My goal was 13 pounds with trimmer, simple trimmer head string swaps, 1.25HP, and a good warranty. I picked up the Stihl first. I started looking at the homeowner's series head, the KM56RCE. It has a 2 stroke engine, 1.1 HP, right at 9 pounds for the head, an easy start (decompression set up), and a 2-4 year warranty. It was decent, but lacked the power I was really hoping for. The price of the head was a really easy $210, and let's be real, it's a Stihl. I have a 50 year old Stihl chainsaw that has outlasted 4 Poulans and an Echo. But the CARB tier was estimated at 150 hours... The professional Series (KM90, KM110, and KM130) have a 300+ estimated tier, and 4 stroke engines rated at 1.27, 1.4, and 1.9 HP rating and priced at $310, 350, and 390 respectively. The pro series also boasts a vibration damping system for the engine to reduce fatigue. They are heavier, but smaller than the 2 stroke motor. I picked up the Echo and was not impressed. Usually they make a great product, but the attachments felt jenky in the connection. They were also very close lipped about the power ratings. At $300 for their top of the line offering, the price was excellent. Their 5 year warranty kicked ass. I like the Husqvarnas. They make an amazing product, but right out of the gate I was turned off by the price. Their models that compared to the Stihl Homeowners series priced out at a whopping $450. At 1.1 HP and that price I stopped bothering with it. I went with the Stihl KM90r. After talking to the rep (fully ready to throw down the money for the 130) I think it is a good fit. He said most pros who use their systems use the 90 motors. The 110 just really uses more gas, and the 130 is so hyper most people don't care for it. SO I grabbed the straight shaft Autocut trimmer head attachment, the brush cutter attachment, the pole saw attachment, and an additional Fix-Cut trimmer head (just insert 8" lines into the receptical, so no winding/etc.) for when the boy uses it. With oils, fuels, additional accessories I wound up spending about a grand on a god damn weed eater. It had better last me a long fucking time. I just came in from using it for several hours. Started on the second pull cold, and 1st pull on successive startups. The trimmer is a monster, it straight throws some trimmings. I'm glad they gave me free safety glasses... I need them. The brush cutter is frightening. I used it for several hours, even grinding a stump down with it. Tomorrow I will be using the pole saw, to deal with some branches around the roof of my house. Unfortunately, I paid a shit ton of money for a weed eater that still requires user effort.

Razor blades and ammonia also work well for glass, Sean.

Random question, what should I look for in a detailer, and what is a 'fair' price? Looking at a wash, clay barring, and a good wax. Plus the interior. While it has been 'washed' a few times recently, she hasn't had a good thourough detailing aince I moved. J A very good friend of mine is a detailer. From his site... Seems like it'd be hard for him to make a living at those rates. Detailing is his love. His day job is as a store manager. His work is ridiculous.

Random question, what should I look for in a detailer, and what is a 'fair' price? Looking at a wash, clay barring, and a good wax. Plus the interior. While it has been 'washed' a few times recently, she hasn't had a good thourough detailing aince I moved. J A very good friend of mine is a detailer. From his site...

Looks amazeballs! It really does!

Ya goddamn cheater! Mine is pretty nice for technical riding in canyons Yeah, I'm a big fan. We do a lot of technical trails and it just makes riding them a joy...

I do miss riding sleds. Back in the 80s we used to ride my grandparent's Chaparral snowmobiles. They were a blast. Nothing like todays sleds, but we fuckin' killed them.

and you better hurry... when I sell his bike I have no spares to ride. I sold the 250 last year to fund a rekkluse in my 450

LOL... its still a good hike from Cherokee to my slice of the boonies.

Awesome!!!! Nice 4 wheeler. Did you go to Ohio to get it? Virginia. It was just a few hours each way. Was saw a ton of Ohio cars on the Interstate.

DO IT!!! Seriously, don't let anything stop you. They are great exercise, and a fuckton of fun. When I bought mine several years back I wasn't sure I could still ride at my age after the cancer and chemo killed my body. But it is so healing, just getting out in nature on an angry beast... just exhilarating.

His dirtbike the day we went to pick it up... It was his Christmas present in '12 Nick getting air riding his first quad My 450R His dirtbike and my TRX The old man on his TRX450R... I better be careful, I might break a hip or some shit. Lookin forward to some good riding with my son this season.

Better to be consistently awesome than Surprisingly sucktastic. Indeed, my good man!

Yeah, he is tired of the bike, and he rode a 400EX a few weeks ago with some friends. He really liked the way it handled and the torque. It is strong and linear, so it is great for wheelies and jumping. Of course, he loves riding wheelies and hitting jumps, so it was a good fit. I didn't want him in a TRX450R just yet (not linear at all, it's a very aggressive torque now kind of quad), so this seemed like a great compromise. Maybe I can sell that dirtbike now. As hard as he rides it I worry about him killing himself on it.

I hate being predictable.

Bought the boy a new (to him) quad today. Took a nice long ride and scarfed up this TRX400EX for a great price. Had a great trip too. Sometimes we just need a little time with our kids as they get older to reset...

The important variable is your power band. My GN had a 4200 in it, but I was dealing with lag. My buddy has a blown 73 Camaro with a 2200 in it. You need ti find your sweet spot and go from there.

Duly noted. I can grab the 600s all day for $150-200 less than the 650s. Is the money for the 650s justifiable? Also, I can get the over ear Momentums for $140 less than the 600s... So... please give me some insight.

An adjustable base will be when I replace the king sized bed. This is just for the current situation, where the bed will become the guest room bed. J I refuse to own anything but a tempurpedic. Best mattress, best sleep I have ever had.

Now you're talkin!

Thanks fellas. I'm really digging what this little amp is doing for the cans, and listening to it mature is super cool... Oh yeah, I have some matched Mullard 6V6GT tubes coming for it. I'm anxious to see what they do for the amp.

Yep, and 100% tube amp, no op-amps in this puppy. I was finding a ton of hybrids and that was not what I wanted. So warm and buttery smooth...

Uh-oh... What a world of difference. I kept within the price range I was hoping, found the power, load compatibility, just about every desire I had was checked off. I have about 12 hours on the tubes, so they are still opening up, but they sound beautiful. I'm anxious to see how it sounds when fully burned in. I am gonna grab another set of cans too. I want over ear. I may go with the Momentums, but I am still curious about the HD600s It's a small footprint, but weighs in at a beefy 7 pounds.

Yeah, that's horrible. My thoughts go out to everyone affected.