Just over a year on, and the Echo with the Tecomec head is doing a great job, as long as some decent line is fitted. My favourite so far is Oregon Techni 280, in 3mm. It seems quite durable and cuts well.

I still have not got my starting technique right yet, and I can take several minutes starting the machine when it is cold.
Once it has warmed up, it is a great machine. I cleared the woods in 4 hours yesterday.

I really just popped back in to thank Mick for the purchase advice. 

I have a Tecomec Bump and Go speed feed head on the Ryobi. This is pretty robust, so will probably get transferred over before I give the old Ryobi to the brother in law.

Echo SRM3610TU has arrived.
I put it to use yesterday afternoon and cleared the woods in just over three hours. I spent a bit of time messing around getting the harness etc. set up.

It is an awesome machine, with plenty of power. Only issue was I got through the supplied trimmer line rather quickly. Fortunately I have a stock of some 3mm line, which did the job quite well. The only issue was loading the line, which is a bit fiddly compared to my old speed feed head. I may look at replacing the Z5 supplied with something a bit easier to load. It was down to operator fault, but it is annoying when the line unspools and you have to start again...

I appreciate the help you have given me Mick.
In my initial search I had not considered Echo. I don't know why, as I have a Shindaiwa chainsaw, so I am aware of the brand. Anyway, I will be giving the Echo a blast at the weekend, so fingers crossed, it will do a great job.

I usually use an Airecut blade, but with a 20" cutting width, I think I will be sticking to the line.

Ok, not much feedback.
I am unwilling to take a gamble on a machine that may work, so I have ordered an Echo SRM 3610 TU.

As the new season of garden maintenance is starting, I thought I would drag this back up, as due to CV19 and potential unemployment loomed, I put a new purchase on hold.

Now that the employment seems to be ok, I am dusting off this subject.

I think I am still undecided about a wheeled string trimmer, vs a good, solid brush cutter.

Several options exist on the WST front, the MTD WST 5522 and the Texas Pro Trim 600TR. For a brush cutter, I have narrowed the choice down to the Echo SRM3610TU.

I realise that the WSTs are "low end" machines, so is the better option just the Echo?

Does anybody have any experience with wheeled string trimmers that can provide feedback?

Thanks for the feedback.
I am tempted to get a wheeled brush cutter as well - something like the Grillo HWT 600 Does anybody have experience of these?

Thanks. What are the differences, if any, between the Echo model and the Shindaiwa version apart from colour? Are they exactly the same, or is one a Toyota, and the other a Lexus? I am assuming that the handles may be different, but not much else will be different?

So many questions.....

I have a Shindaiwa chainsaw, and it has been faultless. I did not realise until today that Echo was part of the same group.

Thanks for your time, and responses.

No, not considered a 4wd ride on mower. The ride on I currently have has plenty of life left in it.

The Echo SRM3610 looks to be a good choice, but I noticed the shaft has reduced to 7mm from the 8mm in the SRM350. Is this cause for concern?

It won't get used intensely every day, but when I do use it, I can go the whole day without stopping much.

Thanks for the response. An Echo you say? I shall have a look....
The total garden is 2 acres. The woodland bit is only half an acre.
The ground is uneven, and relatively soft in places as there are a lot of leaves on the ground which are in the process of composting. The ride on gets stuck as I can't lock the diff, so the wheel off the ground (in places) just spins. It weighs 250Kg, so moving it is a challenge.

If a hover mower is no good, then I guess the other option is a big mower, or a wheeled brush cutter? I am assuming the wheeled brush cutter would be better, but it would need a blade not directly fixed to the crankshaft, to avoid shocks from small bits of wood on the ground?

Hello all, my first post and I am looking for advice on how I can make my life easier by investing in suitable garden machinery. I have about 2 acres in total, with the majority of it just being grass.

I have about 1/2 acre of land with a lot of oak trees on it. I need to cut the grass and weeds on a regular basis, say about every two to three weeks. At the moment I am using an old 40cc Ryobi "professional" brush cutter (but I am getting fed up with the amount of maintenance it requires. I think the engine has always been out of balance, as the bolts work loose over time). It takes me about 3 to 4 hours to cut the grass using a 300mm blade.

I am wondering if something like a petrol hover mower would be a good tool for the wooded area? There are a lot of leaves that compost on the ground,  eating my ride on mower gets stuck, and it takes a lot of effort to get it out.

I would be happy if I could get the grass cut in a couple of hours.
I intend to replace my brush cutter with a Husqvarna 535RXT, so the new machine would compliment this.