Question
Charlotte, I have a fairly large yard and really need to make trimming as easy as possible. Over the last several years I've used both gas and electric 12-14" string trimmers that advance when you bump it on solid ground. I've had little luck with that part; the string always manages to break and I have to open it and pull it out. The blades seem to dull quickly and need replacement. I'm also thinking of going back to gasoline as it's very frustrating trying to get knots out of a 100' electrical cord. I'm going to buy another trimmer. Can you give me tips on what to look for? What's good vs. what's not so good? Thanks for your time.

Answer
Hi Ed;
Sorry I took so long getting this answered. Been a little under the weather.
I have had, Weed Whacker, Weed Eater, and a couple of brands I can't remember the name of. About 10 years ago, I bought a Ryobi. It is a neat little dude. Has a main staff with the motor, and halfway down the shaft, is an attachment area. You twist off the attachment and add another. The attachments are held on by 2 wing nuts. The trimmer was the basic attachment, and the additional attchments I bought were a tiller (tills down to 6 inches) edger, vaccuum,and a blower.
That tiller is supposed to do a pretty good job, because this is a light weight little tool, light enough for a not-so-strong woman, or a person with a bad back. I fit both those catagories, besides being old.LOL
I till through hard clay with that little dude. My husband has been telling me for 10 years, that tool is not heavy duty enough to handle hard dirt, and I am going to tear it up.Well, I Don't have any more hard clay. That lil bugger ate it all up, and it is still going strong. I hit a rock a few times, and it jumped up in the air, but didn't break.
My husband's big tiller is broken down a lot, with him working on it.
Now, maybe mine works so well because God didn't want to hear me say the names I called some of the others, anymore. I lost a lot of religion on them.
I got one of those little wind up reels for hoses. I wind my cord on that.It sets by the outlet, and the cord unwinds as i go. I wind it back up by a little crank on the side. My yard is big enough that I had to get a 150 ft. heavy duty extension chord. A lot to drag around, and the darn things tangle like a set of Christmas lights.
On the staff of the Ryobi, there is an adjustment to tilt the whole thing. You can tilt it a litle or a lot, so that it is at the angle you want to trim or edge, but you still stay upright, instead of having to hold it at an angle, straining your back. You can also position the handle you grasp it by, so that it fits you, and you don't have to contort your body to get the position that is comfortable for you.
If a burgler stole my mower etc, I would prosecute. If he stole my Ryobi, I would hunt him down like a DOG!!!!!
Love that lil tool!
My back is in super bad shape, but I can still use my Ryobi tool. I have to cut down the length of time I use it, but I can use it enough to at at least FEEL like I am not an invalid, for a while.That is important to me.It helps me keep a little of my independence.
check those out.
There is a website, but last time I looked, there were none of the lawn tools listed. I emailed them about where to get a replacement part I needed, and I heard right back from them. If you can't find the tool locally, go to
www.ryobi.com and email them for a store near you. They may have a store locator on the site. I haven't looked at their site in 4 or 5 years.
If I can help more, feel free to write any time.
Charlotte