Independent LawnMowing Contractors Of Australia Forum
Results 1 to 12 of 12

Thread: Curved shaft trimmers

  1. #1
    Senior Member BeetleJuice's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    South Australia
    Posts
    1,813

    Default Curved shaft trimmers

    Noticed a few on the forums and seeing local contractors using curved shaft trimmers
    Never owned one would like to know if there's a advantage in having one on board..

  2. #2
    Senior Member BSD's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Sth West Sydney.
    Posts
    1,361

    Default Re: Curved shaft trimmers

    Spare only from 2012-3, ok but sh1t.

  3. #3
    Member hjl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Stanthorpe Qld
    Posts
    834

    Default Re: Curved shaft trimmers

    Only advantage I can see is they are cheap.
    Cheers
    hjl

  4. #4
    Member Redeye's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Shoalhaven ,NSW
    Posts
    5,548

    Default Re: Curved shaft trimmers

    whack on a propeller, might be more useful in a canoe lol




    http://curraronggardening.com/

    "All sin is washed away in the Holy goodness of Beer"
    Book of Redeye, Psalm 69

  5. #5
    Senior Member Arfa Brayne's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    The 'Gong.
    Posts
    520

    Default Re: Curved shaft trimmers

    History lesson for you young-uns............
    Back in the late 70's when we progressed from those manual "star-wheel" edgers and the Victa "tilt-a-cut", to the first line trimmers, straight shaft arrangements were purely used for "brush cutters" with metal blades.
    "Whipper snippers" or line trimmers were all bent shaft - many were fixed drive (no centrifical clutch).

    If you were from that era, you learned to cut with a clockwise rotating trimmer head.

    Later you laughed at the donkeys who flailed around the heavy expensive straight shaft brushcutters , trying to cut neat edges with them, heads spinning the "wrong way"

    I'm not sure when it became a status symbol to have a straight shaft trimmer, still don't see any advantage in using a heavier piece of equipment and paying more for the weight when you can get the same spec motor on a bent shaft as a straight shaft. The motors always die before the shaft wears out anyway.

    Been cutting edges too long to re-learn how to do it counter-clockwise. (Like learning to use a left handed chainsaw for no good reason)
    Couldn't give a rats arse what anyone else thinks - it's how I cut edges.
    "Can't" is a dirty 4 letter word.
    If someone says "Can't" , take the "T" off the end and brew it.
    Sip on a mugfull, relax, and take a look at what you've got left to work with.

  6. #6
    Dedicated Member Cranbourne Lawnmowing's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Cranbourne vic
    Posts
    2,680

    Default Re: Curved shaft trimmers

    Arfa you old fart.

  7. #7
    Senior Member seliment's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Mount Dandenong, Vic
    Posts
    632

    Default Re: Curved shaft trimmers

    Quote Originally Posted by Arfa Brayne View Post
    "Whipper snippers" or line trimmers were all bent shaft - many were fixed drive (no centrifical clutch).

    If you were from that era, you learned to cut with a clockwise rotating trimmer head.

    Later you laughed at the donkeys who flailed around the heavy expensive straight shaft brushcutters , trying to cut neat edges with them, heads spinning the "wrong way"
    I might still be a bit dim becsuse of lack of sunshine due to daylight saving,
    But I am sure that the blade on my Honda straighshaft spins clockwise when viewed from above
    And that both bentshaft and straightshaft machines spin in SAME direction.
    The motors turn in same direction, so a gearhead machine does not have to turn blade counter clockwise.
    Maybe some ppl put the gearbox on 'upside down'

    Joe

  8. #8
    MEMBER Fred's mowing's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    bayside melb
    Posts
    3,223

    Default Re: Curved shaft trimmers

    Up
    Quote Originally Posted by Arfa Brayne View Post
    History lesson for you young-uns............
    Back in the late 70's when we progressed from those manual "star-wheel" edgers and the Victa "tilt-a-cut", to the first line trimmers, straight shaft arrangements were purely used for "brush cutters" with metal blades.
    "Whipper snippers" or line trimmers were all bent shaft - many were fixed drive (no centrifical clutch).

    If you were from that era, you learned to cut with a clockwise rotating trimmer head.

    Later you laughed at the donkeys who flailed around the heavy expensive straight shaft brushcutters , trying to cut neat edges with them, heads spinning the "wrong way"

    I'm not sure when it became a status symbol to have a straight shaft trimmer, still don't see any advantage in using a heavier piece of equipment and paying more for the weight when you can get the same spec motor on a bent shaft as a straight shaft. The motors always die before the shaft wears out anyway.

    Been cutting edges too long to re-learn how to do it counter-clockwise. (Like learning to use a left handed chainsaw for no good reason)
    Couldn't give a rats arse what anyone else thinks - it's how I cut edges.
    Thanks Arfa love the nostalgic posts

    image.jpg
    This is what we used on the parks & gardens dept back in the 70's b4 whippys were readily available to us!
    A gang of us would be sent in the back of an open truck armed with these to do the Main Street in Port Melb Not a lot of OH&S going on in those days.
    You would use the flat edge for edging & the pointy edge to remove weeds from cracks.
    Very much chain gang stuff but, in reality, not that hard.
    If a passing motorist turned on his wipers .......... Tools down ! ThAt sorta thing.

    Must say though, don't think I could go to a bent shaft, I use the straight shaft because it has far more advantages when doing more than verticle edging.

    Cheers Fred.

  9. #9
    Senior Member conrad's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Wavell Heights Qld
    Posts
    224

    Default Re: Curved shaft trimmers

    Has anyone used one of these:

    ynlUTle.jpg

    If used with a shoulder harness I think it might help me keep a hand free so I don't have to put down my beer all the time.



    Sorry, just being stupid.

    I actually don't have much constructive to add. I used to use a bent shaft trimmer around home, but I never did the edges "properly". Just used to tilt the head a bit so you would get that awful tapered look at the edge of the lawn. Hey - I didn't know any better. It wasn't until I started doing lawns commercially than a friend gave me the tip to use a vertical cutting path for edges. I use a straight shaft trimmer now and I can't imagine doing proper edges with a bent shaft... but it's got me curious now, I will give it a try if I ever get the chance...

    Thanks for the history lessons!

    The one advantage I can see for a bent shaft is that it's much easier to keep a horizontal cutting path if you're "trimming" the lawn up against fences, rocks, in corners etc. where a mower won't reach. Trying to do a horizontal cut with a straight shaft takes a lot of control and I find if I'm not concentrating it's easy to gouge the lawn. I guess it changes the way I work a bit - I try to do the absolute minimum trimming with the line trimmer. In an ideal world where no landscapes had 90º corners, I'd only use the straight shaft for edging and use the mower to do everything else.

  10. #10
    Senior Member steveo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Can Bearer
    Posts
    1,700

    Default Re: Curved shaft trimmers

    Makita straightshafts are anti-clockwise when viewed from above.

  11. #11
    Member brett73's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Capel Sound(Rosebud West) Vic
    Posts
    375

    Default Re: Curved shaft trimmers

    Quote Originally Posted by steveo View Post
    Makita straightshafts are anti-clockwise when viewed from above.
    As are Shindaiwa.

  12. #12
    Senior Member Arfa Brayne's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    The 'Gong.
    Posts
    520

    Default Re: Curved shaft trimmers

    Quote Originally Posted by Cranbourne Lawnmowing View Post
    Arfa you old fart.
    Thanks - Ya cheeky bugger !

    Vertical cut edges with a bentshaft are easy. A lot of my new work comes from customers visitors noticing the quality of the edges.
    I really dislike the "mowerman burnt edge" finish a lot of the Jims blokes do.
    Most of my edges are vertical cut (or double cut on the blue ribbon properties) because they look so much better than the flat cut/rip method.
    "Can't" is a dirty 4 letter word.
    If someone says "Can't" , take the "T" off the end and brew it.
    Sip on a mugfull, relax, and take a look at what you've got left to work with.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •