Ideally, this is what I'd like downstairs for when visitors repairmen come. Dusting is so much easier that way. But I seem to be going in the wrong direction.
The speed with which the lawn must be mowed now makes it difficult to get close to the perimeter hedge with the mower. It fights being pulled backwards. I inherited a DR string trimmer/mower exactly like this one, which might be handy. Does anyone have one of these things? How useful are they? I figure this one hasn't been used in at least 21 years. There are some pulleys and linkages underneath that look hopelessly rusted, but I could be wrong. Not bad otherwise. You can still get parts for DR equipment and the engine. Took it for a walk around the yard yesterday just to see how difficult it would be to push. It was easy unless you run into a divot or a fire ant hill. I would not buy a new one, even a less expensive brand. But I've had so much success with lawn mowers ( ), I'm tempted to gamble some parts that I could get this thing to run. It might be the ultimate challenge. Otherwise it might as well go on the curb.
I have a little experience with these. When I was with a non-profit helping folks with home repairs, one of the guys brought his wheeled string trimmer to a home to cut the small gnarly yard. I was impressed with the versatility, and the fact that there may have been random unknown stuff in this person's yard that didn't matter to the trimmer but would make one think twice before using a blade mower. And it did a good job. At the time, I did not have a functioning weed eater (but I got a bunch that "just need a little work") and was so impressed that I thought a string trimmer would be a good solution for me. I trolled Craigslist for a while, did not find one, then Lowes ran a sale and I bought one. It did not meet my needs. It was not as convenient and easy to wheel around to do "regular" trimming as I thought it would be. It was not a better solution than a regular weed eater for my regular foundation trimming needs. I thought that it would be easier than carrying a weed eater, but maneuvering it against the house and around trees and such was kind of a pain on my property. As fate would have it, the thing would die when it got hot new out-of-the-box. I called the manufacturer, they told me to take it back to Lowes and get a refund. So I did, and I took the money and bought a Stihl weed eater. Bottom line: I've since seen these pop up on Craigslist, but I don't really have the need for one with my yard's layout. If I had an area that you described, or property that was on a steep hill or full of exposed tree roots that made using a regular mower unwieldy or unsafe, or even a small suburban yard where a wheeled string trimmer would serve double-duty, I would definitely own one. Those large bicycle wheels make them easy to push around, they're not gonna fling rocks or scalp your yard, they are not gonna sever your foot or hurt anyone, and they do a fine job of cutting. (You can buy bulk-spooled line and cut it to length to save money if yours does not require special ends to mount it.)
Thank you, John. That's just the kind of information I was interested in. I have an electric string trimmer that's good, but don't want to deal with extension cords. It is fine up near the house. I want this to go slightly under the hedge, but not hit the main trunks. It seems like you could control it better than a hand held one. They tend to have a mind of their own and take off in one direction. Had a gas hand held string trimmer long ago, and couldn't keep it running. Also a battery powered, and it wasn't powerful enough. I'm sure both are much better now. I'll see how much the parts might add up to. But it would be fun just to see if I could get it running. Ha!
I had a battery-operated one, too. Then it got donated to a church rummage sale...barely used...with an extra battery. I love the projects you tackle! I see that the engine's branded "DR," but can you tell who makes it? Hopefully most of the mechanical parts will be fine once you get them cleaned up. I have concerns about keeping this Stihl up & running. I try to remember to start it every once in a while, and I use gas stabilizer. It's one thing to have a Troy Bilt sitting useless in the corner, but the Stihl was not cheap. One thing I deleted from my prior lengthy comment was that I bought a Stihl rather than another weed eater from Lowes because I found out that some (most/all?) of that kind of stuff is made specifically for Lowes to sell cheap, even though it is still national-branded. I think this leads to the frustrations we have with them...they cut corners. I bought a DeWalt sliding compound miter saw that I later discovered was a Made-for-Lowes model. You cannot fit DeWalt accessories on it (like a laser guide.) That Model# does not even appear on the DeWalt website...it's a red-headed stepchild. So far it works fine (since I'm not a daily-use contractor), but there's a reason it was less expensive than I could find a comparable "true DeWalt" for sale second-hand.
I like to try and repair old things, but my batting average is probably less than 500. Wheels on the new DR trimmers are plastic. The engine says Briggs & Stratton 6.5 OHV INTEK. I think I can find almost any part for the engine, but it may be plastic too now. Ha! DR was owned by Country Home Products, but is now owned by Generac Power Systems, Inc. The thing starts with a key (also a pull rope). I'm already running into trouble finding a battery. The only one exactly like the one on it is thru DR, and of course ridiculously expensive. Several "almost" equivalent are half as much. Will keep looking. All DR equipment is expensive. Doubt it's any better.
I have the largest of the DR string trimmers and am reasonably happy with it except for the Beaver Blade, which works but I could never get the brake properly installed, so I do not use that attachment. Mine has a Subaru engine (I forget the HP) and it has electric start and in "self-propelled". The self-propelled part is more "power assist" but is still helpful when going up hills or through rough terrain. I got the electric start as my wife doesn't do well with pull-start gas engines. Her only trouble with it is it tends to run away with her. It has a squeeze bar to control the forward motion and when it goes too fast for her, she squeezes the bar to hold on and it just goes faster. If she would just let go, it would come to a stop but she doesn't get that. Instinct, I guess. Shortly after I bought mine, they came out with the tow-behind for an ATV or tractor. If I did it again, I would get that. They also have the big "Brush Hog" version of things with a blade. A local place rents those, and friends who have rented them say they really do the small-scale land clearing where tractors can't go or you don't want to take them.