With all the various deals on gas string trimmers, I'd like to get some advice from the gang here. I don't subscribe to CU/CR

Small story - I had a John Deere branded Weed Eater/Poulan straight shaft with angle drive that served me well. My back yard is fenced in and large. I am also tall, so the long straight shaft was a major bonus. A year ago, I had the house on the market and let it go, and bought a bottom end electric to get by. House didn't sell due to the market, so I'm still here.... and I bought a cheap gas Weed Eater FL20 for $65 from WallyWorld to go on with life.

The catch - while the FL20 starts and runs very well, it uses .065" string that snaps off constantly. I tried .080 yesterday with slightly better results, but it's spool is small. Made it around the lawn once and emptied the spool. Time to upgrade my < 1 year old string trimmer.

Money is tight, so I can't go waaaay out, but what brand seems to be the most reliable at a semi-affordable street price? A refurb is okay. I will say in retrospect, I've had more DOA and failed under warranty Weed Eater products than good units of the same brand - so I am a little hesitant there, but realise there isn't much else.

Homelite trimmers have always served me well. Straigh shaft is good too, easier to work.

I'd check out the national home supply stores and get something in the $100 price range. Do NOT get something at WalMart, because they are junk.

(I also used .080 or .095 in my trimmer......it will ruin the spools of the cheapo wackers quickly)

I prefer a 4 cycle trimmer because then I don't worry about having a gas/oil mixture around all the time. I bought one of the Toro trimmers from Lowes. They have either a straight shaft or a curved shaft. It was around $175 and comes with a two year warranty, not bad at all. No problems here so far, just have to let it warm up a bit like a regular gas engine.

I went with a Troy-bilt TB25 I found at Lowes the other day for $88, plus I had a $10 off coupon. It's a curved shaft but I don't mind as my yard isn't too big and I'm not that tall. So far so good, though I can't testify to the long-term usability of this machine. It has the split-boom shaft link so it can take attachments which is really cool too. It's not too heavy and decently balanced but I think if I had a larger yard I would splurge for something a little better. They had a Husky trimmer there that was super light and balanced but at 3x the price.

If new isn't an issue, consider looking at local lawn shops for equipment that has been traded up. You may be able to get a quality used piece of equipment instead of a new ineadequate one because of your budget constraints. Stihl is pretty good in a gas trimmer. I purchased budget trimmers over the years and investing in a Stihl was a smart move for me.