04-12-2010, 09:15 AM
I got myself a Ryobi 4 cycle straight shaft model from Home depot this past xmas and have so far been happy with it. I did a lot of research before finally deciding to get it despite lukewarm reviews. I think a lot of peoples problems come from either not keeping enough oil in it (since they aren't used to having to add oil separately from fuel) or from putting too much oil in it (it comes with 2 bottles but only needs one for initial fill). I always make sure to run it dry on gas if it is going to be more than a couple days between uses and I check and top off the oil level every time. I ultimately chose it because it was quite a bit cheaper than the Honda and it has the attachment capability. My only complaint is the counter clockwise spin coupled with the size of the guard results in a lot of crap being thrown at various body parts at very high velocity. PSA: always wear full eye protection at a minimum when using a trimmer! Full face and body protection would be even better.