Advantages You Get From The Best Gas Weed Eater
When it comes to maintaining your lawn especially when using grass trimmers, which do you think is the best? The cordless weed eater, the electric or the best gas weed eater? We’ve known for a fact that the corded and the cordless weed eaters are the quietest grass trimmers around. The gas powered weed eater, on the other hand, is noisy, vibrates too much and can release fumes. But can the corded and cordless weed eaters equate the capability of the best gas weed eaters in terms of power, mobility, reliability and efficiency? This matter remained to be a long-time debated topic because many people have different opinions about each type. So this is the time we want to specify their differences, advantages and disadvantages and then we’ll let you peek at the best gas powered weed eater types that you may want to invest in.
Weed eaters which are also known as weed trimmers, weed whackers (or wackers), grass trimmers and many other names are simple machines used for trimming grasses and weeds that have softer stems and leaves. They can also shred leaves, small shrubs, soft outgrowth of saplings and other watery plants by whacking them up with nylon strings that spin up to 200 revolutions per second (RPS) at full throttle. These gardening and landscaping tools are available in three power units: gas-powered, electric (corded) and rechargeable (cordless).
So let’s compare now the power and usefulness between the corded, cordless and the best gas powered weed eater to know facts about them.
Best Gas Weed Eaters - How Do They Work?
Gas weed eaters are available in 2-cycle and 4-cycle engines. The 2-cycle types use a mixture of gas and oil for fuel while the 4-cycles have separate cylinders for its gas and oil. You start both of them by pulling their cords and the magnets on the flywheel powered the ignition coil which will send an electric current into the spark plug and that begins the combustion process of the fuel. Now, what is the difference between these two when it comes to processing fuel and producing power? The 2-strokes complete their intake, compression, ignition, combustion and exhaust with 2 strokes of their pistons which is equivalent to one revolution. The 4-strokes do these 5 cycles in 4 strokes that complete two revolutions. So what does this mean?
According to some experts, when it comes to efficiency, the 4-stroke engines could win because their fuel gets completely burned up as they complete 4-strokes in two revolutions. The more strokes, the better the fuel-air mixture gets burned up. However, the 2-stroke engines are seen to be more powerful as they can produce more torque at higher RPM (revolution per minute), while the 4-stroke engines can achieve higher torque at lower RPM. Meaning, you just have to throttle the engine of the best gas weed wacker with a 2-stroke engine to achieve faster spins of its head.
Torque is the power that comes from the engines and motors. It is a force that can rotate or spin things every time you apply energy or in this case, fuel to the engine. With the best gas powered weed eater, you need torque to make the machine more powerful. However, with the 2-stroke engines, there are some things that the 4-strokes don’t have and vice-versa. Let’s discuss them below.
Best Gas Weed Wacker - Differences between the 2 & 4-Strokes
Efficiency. When it comes to which is more efficient, the 4-stroke can win because it consumes its fuel more efficiently thus can run its engine more smoothly.
Weight.
The 4-strokes best gas powered weed eaters are heavier because they are loaded up to 50% of the hardware compared to the 2-strokes.
Torque.
As mentioned, the 2-strokes can put more power at higher RPM which means when you have to deal with tougher, taller and hardy grasses and weeds, you only need to throttle their gas to put up a good fight with these plants. The 4-strokes can also deal with these grasses at lower and higher RPM but they are better be used for smaller and softer grasses.
Noise.
Because the 4-strokes burn up their air-fuel mixture more efficiently with the oil staying on the crankcase, while the 2-strokes burn their air/fuel/oil mixture at the same time, the 2-strokes create louder combustion sounds and therefore are louder than the 4-strokes.
Durability.
Since the best gas weed eater should be durable, you have to consider that the 2-strokes weed eaters tend to wear out their parts quickly due to higher RPM requirements. So if the 2-strokes are more powerful, the 4-strokes are more durable.
Troubleshooting.
The 2-strokes are known to be easier to fix or repair because they have simpler designs and do not have valves but only ports. The 4-strokes have more parts and therefore more parts are needed when fixing them and are more expensive to repair and maintain them.
User- and Environment friendly.
The 2-strokes require pre-mixing of fuel and oil while the 4-strokes have individual cylinders for gas and oil. Therefore, when the premixed fuel of the 2-strokes is burned up in the combustion chamber, most of the oil does not undergo complete combustion so some of it goes out in the form of fumes or smoke. The more unburned oil, the more fumes are released. The 4-strokes have cleaner exhaust or no smoke exhausts at all if the engines are properly maintained.
Gas Powered Weed Eater Vs Electric & Corded Weed Eaters
For some people, using the gas powered weed wackers is a breeze while for some, these are more cumbersome to use because they are heavier, louder and their maintenance requirements are higher. This is probably why some homeowners still prefer the best cordless weed eater types for use around homes. But if you have to deal with a lot of outgrowths like old shrubs and small growing trees on your properties and have developed hard, woody stems, then you may also consider having the best gas weed eater because predominantly, the gas-powered are more powerful than the corded and cordless weed eaters.
Some people are satisfied using gas-powered weed wackers because they know that these types of machines can put out more juice. Exactly, you can feel right there that these machines can produce more powerful torques that you need to deal with tougher plants. They are also more mobile. Just take a gallon of gasoline with you and some oil and you can go up the hills without worries you’ll run out of fuel for hours.
Corded weed eaters are better off around the house like your garden or backyard to trim off long grasses and weeds that grow around pots and flower plots. Cordless weed eaters are better used if you have a wider and ruggedly terrain lawn or if you need to go around trees or trim your grass that grows under your fences. The only problem is their batteries which after several uses tend to shorten the life of their charges and you will need to replace these with new ones.
Advantages & Disadvantages Gas Weed Eater Over Cordless Weed Eaters
As a continuation of the advantages and disadvantages of the gas powered and the corded and cordless weed eaters, with the best gas weed wacker, you can do what the electric and battery-operated weed wackers can do also. The only main problem with the gas powered is that these machines are a lot bigger, heavier, louder and are not very environment-friendly.
But on the good side, if you need more power with the gas powered, you only need to crank up their torque and trimming the grass becomes much faster. With the cordless weed wackers these have limited torques and if you put them on high-spin capacity, they can drain their batteries quickly. The best gas weed wacker type can offer you greater freedom of movements while you can adapt them easily with the best brush cutter blades and they can do even more efficient work regardless of how tough, hard and large the vegetation can become.
Cord and cordless weed wackers can also be attached with brush cutter blades. But as we have said, their limited power capacity will not be able to make them very efficient cutters against tough plant materials like woody bushes and branches of trees. Moreover, before you assume that your gas weed cutter can handle brush cutter blades, check its head compatibility first. Also, the engine should not get below 1.5 horsepower.
Best Gas Weed Eaters Your Money Can Buy
Husqvarna 4-Cycle 18" Gas String Trimmer
We think that this 4-stroke easy start Husqvarna with an 18-inch cutting width could be your best gas weed eater because of many reasons. First, as a 4-stroke gas string trimmer, you are ensured that it won’t give you headaches from fumes even using it for a whole day. With a 25 cc engine which is equivalent to almost 1.7 hp, this basic grass trimming machine is packed with power and torque. Many health-conscious individuals who are looking for powerful machines for their lawns should be glad that this unit only runs on unleaded gas so there’s no bad-smelling fumes but only clean exhaust that comes out of it.
Second, to release the trimmer line, you only need to tap the trimmer head on the grass so there’s no need for pulling as the line will automatically go out and get cut for proper length as soon as it spins and whip the head’s protector. Third, since this Husqvarna weed eater uses gas, you don’t have to worry when you need to refill because it has a semi-transparent fuel tank to allow you to see the fuel level in a glance.
And lastly, because the most common problems of the 4-stroke engines are their carburetors and sucking too much air which disrupted the air-fuel ratio, this unit can remove unwanted air from the carburetor and the fuel system by only purging the primer bulb. No need to open or loosen the carburetor anymore and release air. This machine has a maximum power speed of 7000 rpm (revolutions per minute) so can you imagine shifting to that speed at full throttle? It is also backed by a 2-year limited warranty. We did not find any negative feature about this machine and we ought to say this should be among the best gas weed eaters that will worth your money.
Remington 25cc 2-Cycle Curved Shaft Gas String Trimmer
We don’t actually recommend using the curved shaft gas weed wacker types but we were impressed by this RM25C from Remington. Why? That’s because it also has a large 25cc gas engine and uses QuickStart technology that makes pulling so much easier. The curved shaft is not a minus point, on the other hand, because it provides a good balance during trimming and cutting the grass as you don’t have to lower the shaft to touch the grass lightly.
Another positive feature of this unit is its Dual Line Bump Head which is, of course, the tapping of the head to release the line trimmer. On the other hand, this machine requires that you use the .095 inch line which is the thicker versions of most line trimmers. This line variety is much stiffer, more durable and fits for greater control when trimming thick patches of grass and vegetation. And with a 16-inch cutting width, imagine how wide this weed wacker can cover and with a thicker line even the tallest varieties of grasses have no match against this powerful trimming beast.
This is a 2-stroke engine so we are expecting that this is packed with more power and can finish 1 acre of grass without straining its engine. Curved shaft weed trimmers are lighter than the straight shaft types and with less vibration so along with its powerful engine, easy start control, and the dual-line bump head, we can say that this could be anyone’s best gas weed wacker for small lawns up to 1-acre grass lots. Also, this unit is backed by a 2-year limited warranty so your purchase is secured. The only negative feature we see about this unit is that tall people may find it difficult to use or they need to squat a bit to reach down the grass.
SENIX 26.5cc String Trimmer Straight Shaft & Bump Head
This SENIX weed trimmer comes from China but as we know, it can fit your search for the best gas powered weed eater because of its features that are almost identical with the best gas weed eaters around. Packed with a 4QL 26.5cc 4-cycle engine, it also boasts of its less vibration feature. People like it because of the straight shaft design that makes it easy to maneuver on thick grasses and weeds when edging and trimming.
The good thing about this unit is it is built with a standardized coupler so you can load it up with a brush cutter blade. And with the dual .095 line bump head, swaying the trimmer’s 17.7-inch cutting head and seeing those grasses clearing away is a satisfaction to watch. This machine has all the things you need for a weed eater for your home use. It has an easy-pull cord for an easy start, a harness for support if you want to use it the whole day, an ergonomic padded handle to avoid hand fatigue and a telescopic shaft to let even tall people use it conveniently.
Aside from these, the gas cylinder is also semi-transparent so you can quickly see where your fuel is up to. For quick troubleshooting, it will be delivered to you complete with an allen wrench if you want to change the trimmer to blade, a T-screwdriver, and an instruction manual in English. As it is a 4-cycle unit, this machine does not require mixing gas and oil so there’s also no fumes with this affordable gas trimming and cutting machine.
My Conclusion
Maintaining lawns can be easy if you are up to the maintenance tasks. And one of the things that you should keep trimming to keep a beautiful and well-trimmed lawn are the edges, around pots, around trees, garden plots and in between narrow spaces that cannot be reached by lawn mower blades. So basically, these areas are the common untouched regions where you could make use of a weed wacker.
In our opinion, if you need a grass trimmer for just around the house and require quick trimming only, the best you could opt for is the best cordless weed eater. But if your grass trimming and cutting goes beyond just cutting soft grass and weeds and need to cut hardie vegetation from time to time you may consider having the best gas weed wacker. Such a machine could offer you the advantage to do tougher cutting jobs, especially if your unit can accommodate brush cutter blades.
For our next article, we want to share with you what we know about the best commercial weed eater types which are even built for tougher jobs.