I need a weed eater. I would prefer a gas-powered model to an electric, so I don’t have to worry about a cord (which I would also have to buy) snaking along behind me.
Herein lies the reason for my question: I am not muscular, I weigh 115 pounds and I have some issues (arthritis?) in my neck which cause constant pain in my neck, right shoulder and right arm (my index finger in my right hand has been numb for three+ years). So I need a model which would be extremely light and operator-friendly. All the models I’ve ever been around are way too heavy for me to operate. Does anyone have any recommendations??
If you have problems with your right arm, right hand, neck etc… I would go with electric. You’re gonna have a hulluva a time starting up a gas engine. Especially when it get’s a little older and you have to pull the cord 10-20 times to get it started. As for weight, I really don’t know which is lighter gas or electric as I’ve never lifted an electric trimmer.
Two more things, you should probably make sure you go to a store and physically hold the models you’re thinking of buying to make sure they feel right to you and you may want to look for one that either comes with some sort of a strap, or that you can devise a way to attach a strap. This’ll help distribute some of the load to your other shoulder and back.
I got a really nice adjustable comfort strap for my weedwackers at a John Deere dealership.
I’ve used many weedwackers in my time, and I’ll never get another WeedEater brand machine. They all vibrate horribly, and the line feed system is a pain.