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Thread: Tool expectancy

  1. #1
    MEMBER Fred's mowing's Avatar
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    Default Tool expectancy

    Just wondering what others expect from their gear ?
    When do you feel that a tool has payed for itself & owes you nothing ?
    My stihl hla65 charger & battery payed for itself within 2 days,(even though, I don't think it should be evaluated that way ) my Atom edger still hasn't after many years.
    Thats not to say that the Atom isn't a good machine.
    Honda & Masport mulch mowers have payed for themselves many times over, Shindy multi tool also.
    Poulan chainsaw was rubbish, & B&Decker battery gear was inadequate. (sometimes you experiment ).

    Whats been of great value to you & what do you consider garbage ?

    Lets not turn this into a slanging match though !

    Cheers Fred.

  2. #2
    Senior Member BeetleJuice's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tool expectancy

    Same with the Atom edger but the stick edger attachment just doesn't want to die
    Honda mowers and the old rovers with side catcher lasted a long time
    Had major issues with the earlier model kawasaki trimmers and echo,they didn't like 35deg plus heat
    Shindaiwa,Stihl and honda attachments lasted for years and were a good investment

  3. #3
    Member Redeye's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tool expectancy

    l got a used atom pro, ex-council, for $100....so it may have paid for itself. My water blaster hasn't paid for itself.




    http://curraronggardening.com/

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

  4. #4
    Senior Member geoff's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tool expectancy

    my kaaz back pac blower now 10 years ago works every week at schools and tabarets ...a few years ago my son put straight fuel in it ,thought that was it but it still the best machine for me...money wise probably cost me 700 back then .. what its earned well its contributed to weekly maintenance of schools and tabaret carparks for over 10 years for this particular machine ...paid for itself . ....dont think kawasaki make two stroke machines anymore ??
    although i don't use it my brother in law still has my very first Honda ..thats good be nearly 30 years ago and it still starts first time...some repairs over the years for body etc but does his little yard ...wished i could get those hondas again

  5. #5
    Member Redeye's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tool expectancy

    agree Geoff, backpack blower was my smartest buy.....whats a tabaret?




    http://curraronggardening.com/

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

  6. #6
    Senior Member geoff's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tool expectancy

    hahah well its not a taberat lol thats for sure ya funny bastard lol

  7. #7
    Member Redeye's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tool expectancy

    hmmm, must be a Victorian thing




    http://curraronggardening.com/

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

  8. #8
    Senior Member geoff's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tool expectancy

    Quote Originally Posted by Redeye View Post
    hmmm, must be a Victorian thing
    sorry redeye long time ago was going on about the tabarets ( gaming venues ) and spelt it wrong taberats lol i didn't realise when they were taking the p15 out of me ....

  9. #9
    Member Redeye's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tool expectancy

    yeah, l vaguely remembered that, but couldn't remember what it was lol.....TAB's




    http://curraronggardening.com/

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

  10. #10

    Default Re: Tool expectancy

    Quote Originally Posted by geoff View Post
    sorry redeye long time ago was going on about the tabarets ( gaming venues ) and spelt it wrong taberats lol i didn't realise when they were taking the p15 out of me ....
    You should use a spellcheck Geoffrey

  11. #11
    Senior Member RSM-Gazza's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tool expectancy

    Great Value items
    Marolex 9Ltr Sprayer........................................... ........ For Selective Lawn Spraying
    Marolex 20Ltr Trolley Sprayer........................................... ."..........................."
    Ebay 35Ltr 12V Battery 8hr run 5 speed trolley sprayer........."..........................."
    Hozelock 5 & 10 Ltr hand heldsprayer............................ For target Glyphosate Spraying

    Garbage
    Many hand me down type 5ltr sprayers, Gardenline, Aqua & Hills due to angle of wand nozzle.
    Plus the Hudson Commercial Bak-Pak 15ltr manual crank handle sprayer, which was chucked in the bin after two jobs.

    Gonna be another great year for spraying guys coming out of winter, clover and all clover's buddies are out and about already.

    (Edit, green default or better still red nozzles sourced from ENZED on the Marolex's )
    Cheers Garry

  12. #12
    Senior Member fairdinkum's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tool expectancy

    As far as expectations go, I pay good money for my gear and expect it to do the job and do it well without breaking down all the time. I got some pretty sub standard gear when I was getting started and although it was cheap, probably never paid for itself.

    But my first 2 honda mowers, hru216M1 and hru216m2 have lasted me 7 years and paid for themselves hundreds of times over. I reckon the mower, being around $1600 pays for itself within a couple of weeks, if not sooner. One of them is still my main machine and the other is still going strong just waiting for me to weld the handle back together and put a new gearbox in. Going into my 8th or 9th year now and I've only recently started using my 3rd honda that I purchased 2 years ago...thing runs like crap by the way

    The everyday trimmer I'm happy if I get more than 2 years out of. But even 2 years for a $500 - $600 machine is pretty awesome considering how hard I push those little buggers. Best of those for me have probably been the stihl fs85 and the little shindy I use now. I hammered that stihl for probably 3 or 4 years. Blowers pretty much the same as the trimmers.

    Oh and the ute...just an old 2002 dual cab hilux. I paid too much for it I think. But the thing has never missed a beat. Hard to guage when the vehicle has paid for itself. But a reliable workhorse like that is invaluable.

    Jason Forrest
    Fair Dinkum Lawn & Garden Care
    Servicing St Clair, Erskine Park, Colyton, South St Marys
    0407 435 642


    fairdinkumlawns.com.au

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  13. #13
    Member Vic mgammon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tool expectancy

    If it's honda or stihl and commercial quality you generally can't go wrong. some things may never pay for them selves but if you need them to do a job you need them. I bought a Walker and probably put 2 hours a month on it for the first 6 months, now I'll put between 2 and 6 hours a day on it.

    Life is like a box of chocolates, just make sure no one stands on them.

  14. #14
    Senior Member Scooby Steve's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tool expectancy

    Kawasaki edger, bullet proof 20 years plus old and still going strong. Honda 194's and 195's great machines......i miss them, come on honda pull ya finger out and bring out a mower that's decent again. Stihl multi tool 6 years plus and still going strong. Solo sprayer er not so much, clips breaking, part in the pump went arrhh. If i get 5 years solid use out of a tool i'm generally happy, if it goes longer bonus.

  15. #15

    Default Re: Tool expectancy

    Quote Originally Posted by Scooby Steve View Post
    Kawasaki edger, bullet proof 20 years plus old and still going strong. Honda 194's and 195's great machines......i miss them, come on honda pull ya finger out and bring out a mower that's decent again. Stihl multi tool 6 years plus and still going strong. Solo sprayer er not so much, clips breaking, part in the pump went arrhh. If i get 5 years solid use out of a tool i'm generally happy, if it goes longer bonus.
    Certainly! All my 195's - 6 and 215 are going great. Still have 1 brand spankin new 195 motor sitting in the garage

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