Swisher trimmer....your thoughts?

[keegs]

Swisher Products : Products: Trimmers

I need something to trim around the pond. The terrain is too rough for the lawn mower. Anyone have one of these?

 

[2manyrocks]

I had a different brand.

My personal experience was that it was not fun on slopes because my machine was not self propelled. It certainly ate into tall material, but any kind of woody material tended to break the cutting lines. The cutting lines on the machine I had seemed to be much thicker than the lines on string trimmers, and more pricey.

I ended up selling it and went to a shoulder mounted Echo brushcutter with a metal blade. In my opinion, the machine I had didn't do a better job for the extra weight and lack of mobility. Plus, the metal cutting head on the Echo brushcutter is much longer lasting on brush than the cutting lines on the walk behind trimmer.

 

[duanekeys]

I just got one of these (not the same brand) for free. I've been looking for one because I thought it would make trimming my fence line faster.

It does not. The ground I am rolling it over is highly uneven and has rocks, etc (not at all like the photo in the link). I kept getting the wheel hung up in the fence because the cord doesn't extend much past it and I was trying to walk parallel to the fence and get a nice clean cut up to the fence.

I'll probably be selling it soon.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

keegs there is nothing wrong with the trimmer. I picked up a used 2010 Swisher ZT mower with 27 hours that I really like.

Years ago I did buy a DR version of the machine in question and returned it. As the other two have pointed out these machines are not so great even if you pay ZERO for them. I am sure they have their place but I just never did find it.

I second a heavy duty line trimmer that can also take a metal blade for your application.

 

[keegs]

Wow..3 for 3...

I saw one (Trim-n-Mow version) at Tractor Supply and it caught my interest. It was $350. I don't typically like to spend that much money without doing some checking first. Maybe I'll try to rent one.

Thanks.

 

[2manyrocks]

My walk behind trimmer was something like $100-$150 used, and I see them on CL for that or about what they are new from folks whom I suspect are trying to get their money back. I got a new Echo trimmer with handlebars and the interchangeable trimmer/metal brush cutter heads for $400 with sales tax. So the cost of the walk behind and the cost of the shoulder trimmers is in the same ballpark.

I think part of the walk behind trimmer problem is that we're all accustomed to walk behind mowers and expect the trimmer to handle and feel about the same. With only the two wheels, you have to hang on to it to keep it balanced and you have to push/pull it. With a four wheel mower, you only have to push/pull.

I don't understand why the things cost so much compared to a regular lawn mower anyway.

 

[keegs]

My walk behind trimmer was something like $100-$150 used, and I see them on CL for that or about what they are new from folks whom I suspect are trying to get their money back. I got a new Echo trimmer with handlebars and the interchangeable trimmer/metal brush cutter heads for $400 with sales tax. So the cost of the walk behind and the cost of the shoulder trimmers is in the same ballpark.

I think part of the walk behind trimmer problem is that we're all accustomed to walk behind mowers and expect the trimmer to handle and feel about the same. With only the two wheels, you have to hang on to it to keep it balanced and you have to push/pull it. With a four wheel mower, you only have to push/pull.

I don't understand why the things cost so much compared to a regular lawn mower anyway.

My sense of it is is that the walk behind trimmer might make the work go a bit faster than the strap on trimmer but I don't "know" that to be the case.

I'd like to keep the area around the pond (about an acre or so) cleared. It's mostly tall grass during summer with some wild raspberries, thistle ...things of that nature...nothing too woody. I've been hiring someone to bush hog it so allot of the heavy stuff that was there has been cut back. But one pass around the pond and the house with the bush hog is about $300.

A new trail cutter is beyond what I'm willing to pay. If I could find something used is another story. Eventually I'm going to pick up a used tractor and bush hog but I'm not there yet.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I too had a wheeled trimmer and sold it because pushing it was too much. Mine used short lengths of ribbed plastic trim line. I would cut lengths of line from a spool and carry them and some tools in a nylon bag on the machine. Cut okay but kind of a pain.

I switched to an FS200 Stihl maybe 8-10 years ago.

 

[2manyrocks]

My sense of it is is that the walk behind trimmer might make the work go a bit faster than the strap on trimmer but I don't "know" that to be the case.

I hope we're not talking about cutting 1 acre of vegetation with either type of trimmer. The effective cutting width of either type of trimmer is probably less than a normal push mower, and it would take forever to cut 1 acre.

You can cover a surprising amount of territory swinging a brushcutter back and forth compared to pushing a walk behind through the same overgrown area. If we're talking about cutting 1 acre, however, then some kind of self propelled brush cutter like a Gravely, high wheel yazoo, a DR or a Bachtold mower might be a better choice.

You might take a look at this post: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/206191-caught-my-first-mole-year-2.html#post2366214

Bachtold has or had a recall on some of their machines, but they were used quite a bit in rental places for many years.

 

[keegs]

I hope we're not talking about cutting 1 acre of vegetation with either type of trimmer. The effective cutting width of either type of trimmer is probably less than a normal push mower, and it would take forever to cut 1 acre.

You can cover a surprising amount of territory swinging a brushcutter back and forth compared to pushing a walk behind through the same overgrown area. If we're talking about cutting 1 acre, however, then some kind of self propelled brush cutter like a Gravely, high wheel yazoo, a DR or a Bachtold mower might be a better choice.

You might take a look at this post: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/206191-caught-my-first-mole-year-2.html#post2366214

Bachtold has or had a recall on some of their machines, but they were used quite a bit in rental places for many years.

Yeah, I'm in bush hog territory with this no doubt toomany but I'm not bush hog ready just yet...

The cutting radius on the Swisher is 22" according to their literature. I have a Sears gas powered weed wacker but it's too light weight for the job. I rented an Echo last year from the local rental place and it too wasn't quite up to the task. I understand there are better gas trimmers out there though. DR??? Gale mentioned DR too. Don't know...

The pond is slightly under an acre by my rough calculation. I'd like to keep a path clear from the driveway down to the pond and maybe keep a perimeter area around the pond clear as well. I guess how wide a perimeter area would depend on what else is on the honeydo that day....if you know what I mean :laughing:.

This photo was taken while standing in the driveway looking down to the pond:

http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz215/keegsbucket/pond.jpg