Echo SMR210i (straight trimmer)
Written: Aug 05 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to start, Powerful engine, great line feed.
Cons: A little pricey for a non-commercial trimmer.
The Bottom Line: I highly recommend this trimmer.
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| boat44's Full Review: Echo Straight Shaft Trimmer Smr 210i |
In looking for a good trimmer I checked out Toro, Ryobi, Homelite, Troy-Built and others. I finally settled on this Echo mainly based on reputation.
This model is available at dealers as the 210 and 210i models. The "i" denotes a new starting system where the starting rope is pulled with little effort one or two times and when the system has enough energy built up it engages automatically and starts the engine. It seems to work very well and makes starting this unit a breeze. The "i" system carries a $20 premium and is probably worth it.
This is my third trimmer. A former gas model and an electric were both much cheaper and terrible. This trimmer starts, trims, scalps and even edges with no problem. The engine is smooth and powerful and the bump line advance works fine. The trimmer also does not seem to "eat" line nearly as quickly as the others I'd used. The model is also available with an easy load line system where you simply insert two eight inch pieces of line and trim until you need to insert two more. I opted for the regular bump system because I had read a negative review of the easy load system on another model and I find line systems that work poorly to be a major frustration. Some people praised the easy load system but one person said he found himself stopping the engine and inserting new line every three or four minutes. The dealer said this was probably due to incorrect trimming technique but I decided not to take a chance. The easy load spool can also be purchased separately and added later.
I'm convinced that it's worth spending a little more money for a quality trimmer and Echo certainly makes quality trimmers. The dealer advised using mid grade gas, good oil and running the unit full tilt (at least most of the time). I find it difficult to remember to run the unit full speed as it does just fine at lower speeds and is much quieter. This unit did not seem light after some work but is well balanced and makes quick work of weeds. I've been using this trimmer for several weeks now and it so superior to units I've used in the past that it's removed my main excuse for not keeping the lawn well trimmed.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
boat44
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Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
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