Shindaiwa string trimmers?

[Sid Post]

Today I went to two different dealers in the closest big town to look at Echo and Husqvarna trimmers. Both dealers had Shindaiwa trimmers next to their trimmers and spoke very highly of them. It seemed odd to me that the Husky dealer had Shindaiwa and literally a 1/2 mile away the Echo dealer had them too.

Are Shindaiwa really that much better? I was told things like they used double piston rings, chromium bores, etc. Was I being fed a line of baloney to get me to buy a higher profit margin trimmer?

The Shindaiwa 235 seemed pretty heavy to me but, the 242 while lighter with a bigger engine is $300 which would get me an Echo 2620. The $200 trimmers seemed bit heavy to me so, I'm debating saving up some for bigger lighter model.

Also, on price. Do these sell at a discount off MSRP usually?

 

[KenJax Tree]

Im not an expert on trimmers but i know Echo owns Shindaiwa

Ask jake wells he knows a quite a bit about the landscaping stuff.

 

[Frogfarmer]

Shindaiwa is good equipment.

 

[jake wells]

Today I went to two different dealers in the closest big town to look at Echo and Husqvarna trimmers. Both dealers had Shindaiwa trimmers next to their trimmers and spoke very highly of them. It seemed odd to me that the Husky dealer had Shindaiwa and literally a 1/2 mile away the Echo dealer had them too.

Are Shindaiwa really that much better? I was told things like they used double piston rings, chromium bores, etc. Was I being fed a line of baloney to get me to buy a higher profit margin trimmer?

The Shindaiwa 235 seemed pretty heavy to me but, the 242 while lighter with a bigger engine is $300 which would get me an Echo 2620. The $200 trimmers seemed bit heavy to me so, I'm debating saving up some for bigger lighter model.

Also, on price. Do these sell at a discount off MSRP usually?

can't go wrong with a shindaiwa 242 basically all the shindaiwa 235 is a echo srm 225 in red colors.
the lightest straight shaft trimmer on the market is the husqvarna 223l at 9lbs dry the others weight 11-12lbs dry and the 223l is great machine and priced a little cheaper compared to the 242.

 

[grassguerilla]

I'll just add that while Shin stuff is typically a bit on the heavy side, it's also fault bullet proof, and decent power for the displacement. The 242 is a very well built and thoroughly time tested trimmer. I believe it has a slightly shorter shaft than most straight shaft trimmers, as it doesn't seem to have the same reach. Didn't check specs, just felt... Short? Maybe a different head angle? Dunno... The 272 is legendary for being rugged and dependable. Although I've heard of commercial operators needing to replace the clutch more than once. Can't really go wrong with Shindaiwa quality.

Myself, I prefer the Redmax 26xx series. Great power for the size and weight. Just "feels right" to me. I'm not a fan of the max torque gear box version.

 

[Sid Post]

Thanks! I think the high torque heads are really pretty specialized so, most "homeowners" will never see the benefit and will notice the loss or string speed clipping lighter grass. Heavy weeds and light brush are a different matter.

 

[grassguerilla]

Exactly Sid. I don't like them for general use. That said, if doing heavy work, they are indeed useful. It's surprising how well they work in thick tall grass or even moderate brush removal. But for regular trimming you just have to piss rev the snot out of them to get any string speed. For my money, the 26xx Redmax has the perfect balance of power, accelerations easily and reliably and light weight. Also run a long time on a tank of mix letting you do huge jbs without stopping to refuel. Many hate the Redmax string head and opt to swap it out for either a speed feed, or my preference the Husqvarna T-35 head. The Husky head holds way more string (30 ft of .095 vs about 18) and advances easily and reliably. The Redmax head requires nearly beating it on the ground.

 

[PissRev]

I looked at the Shindaiwa 242T before I purchased my Husky 525LS. It was heavier with less HP and it didn't have a carb that was easily adjustable. You have to remove a brass plug and a plastic limiter cap to get to a slotted screw.

I will say that the Speed Feed heads are the best in the industry.

Do yourself a favor and look at the Husky 525LS/525LST.

 

[ANewSawyer]

^ what he said! Happy 525ls owner here.