MY SWITCH TO A BATTERY LINE TRIMMER

So, I finally gave up on my old commercial ECHO SRM-210 line trimmer. You know, the grey 2-cycle one from back in the early 2000's. I believe it was a well used trade-in and lucky me, that's the one my Pops brought home as my "new" line trimmer. I can't deny thing was amazing though, anyone whose had one knows that. The fact that it still runs after the 13 years I've had it and starts on the first, sometimes second pull, is a testament to how amazing ECHO products really are.

It's definitely not of my Dutch heritage/upbringing to throw out something that still works. If it's not broken don't fix it, right? Only the main problems are the noise it omits (I feel I've lost some of my hearing b/c of this thing) and also the fact that I have to change the trimmer head and at this point I'm confident a new trimmer head is worth more than the trimmer itself. I suppose those are my biggest two qualms I had for wanting to get something new, not to mention I had to have a mix gas can laying around just for it.

Anyways, I am sad to see it go. It's been super reliable and it feels like I quit ol faithful but out with the old and in with the new!

I'm not typically an early adapter but I decided I wanted to try a battery trimmer model b/c of the fact that this is the way the world is going and also because gas prices continue to soar. I had some hesitancy b/c I was leaving a commercial model trimmer and was afraid a new homeowner level battery one would be a piece of junk that wouldn't do the job. I did some research and made a trip into Kooy Brothers, since I was assured this was a place where they claim they don't sell junk. Truth be told, I tried all the battery models of ECHO and other brands, in my hands in their showroom, before choosing the one I did. I was so thankful for such a wide selection of products to see all in one place as it really helped me make my decision. I knew if I was going to have this trimmer for as long as I had that last one that it had better be the right one. I also wanted to be able to keep adding to my battery line of tools so I wanted to pick one that I'd be able to do that with. 

Well, I bit the bullet and officially moved on from gas and started my new relationship with none other than the ECHO eFORCE™ battery powered DPAS 2100SB Line Trimmer! 

The top 5 reasons I ended up choosing this model:

1. Fit the best in my hands; Handle position, size, style. It was a clear winner for comfort!
2. It was the lightest in weight in its class, with still good amount of power.
3. Came with the bump feed trimmer head (pre-spooled! Wahoo!)
4. It was good price for what it promised in power.
5. It was scalable (I can add to my battery line up!)

MY FIRST WEEK WITH MY NEW ECHO...

I can honestly say I love this thing. No this story isn't sponsored and no I am not being bias to one brand but I'm speaking from the heart and from my experience using this trimmer. It's not often I get something new for myself so this has been like a toy to me! I really didn't think I would like a battery unit. I thought the battery would die quickly and not be powerful enough. I also thought it seemed a little "wussy" going battery compared to my commercial gas trimmer I had.

To give some perspective, my property is 85'w x 155'l and another property I cut is close to the same but with less grass and more trimming. I line trimmed my property 3x and trimmed the other property 1x before the battery died half way through the 2nd cut on the other property. I was blown away. The biggest factors I'll write out in bullet form to save you from reading so many paragraphs! 

THE NOISE (or lack there of): This is whisper quiet compared to my old unit and a joy to work with, really. I didn't wear hearing protection. I know, it's bad but it was such a difference and I loved every second of it! I loved not annoying neighbours and also still being able to hear someone talk to me (b/c somehow every time you have the trimmer running someone thinks you're good for a conversation).

THE WEIGHT: My shoulder didn't hurt afterwards and it was super easy to maneouvre. Remember, this is the lightest option out of all the ones I tried - the reason I chose this model! It was just perfect.

THE CONVENIENCE: I have a busy 3 year old who I watch as I do my evening yard work. This unit allows me to simply let go of the starting throttle and voila, it stops right away so I can communicate with him. Ok I know all trimmers can stop from the throttle but when I want to restart this ECHO, I just push the throttle lever down again...no setting it down and pulling the cord. Honestly a HUGE game changer when multi tasking and saves me tons of time. Cannot say enough about this in terms of efficiency. If i'm moving obstacles on the lawn or just walking from one area to the next, it doesn't have to be running if it's not in use! Just thinking of how nice it is to not be wasting gas $ makes me happy. Only negative to the start/stop feature I noticed was the fact that my son wanted to use it and at 3 years old, he can easily start it! yikes. (Now I hang it higher up in the garage).

THE FUNCTIONALITY: I hadn't cut my other property in a week b/c of all the rain we'd had and the grass got long behind the building along the property fenceline. This trimmer absolutely crushed thigh high weeds like it was a brushcutter. Even those thick prickle bush weeds! Super awesome performance with no bogging out and no struggle. I felt like superwoman using it!

THE SPEED FEED 400 TRIMMER HEAD: If you haven't used one you are missing out. I spent years manually undoing the trimmer head and pulling on it to get my line out (breaking my nails and hurting my hand). Oh my, this Speed Feed head is a total mind blow! Super quick bump on the ground and more line came out like magic. Absolutely awesome and as good as it sounds.

VERSTATILE: This trimmer allows me to take off the trimmer shaft and replace it with one of 15 different PAS attachments! I'm planning to add to my collection, though I'm still undecided between the pruner or the edger. Both would be great!

THE CHARGING VRS GAS: So when the battery ran out while I was trimming my other property I take care of, I simply took the battery off and put it on a charger. I switched to mowing and weeding gardens while it was charging and within the hour I was able to tackle the trimming of rest of the property with ease. If I had an extra battery it would be handy for sure but if I had planned better that would have worked out best. The charging light on the charger is great too so I can clearly see when it's had a full charge. I found some other brands don't have such a prominant charging light and that was some peoples complaint.

I was a true battery sceptic until this trimmer changed my mind. When you see how powerful a battery unit can be while using it under some rough conditions, it makes you never want to go back to gas.

Well there you have it. My new ECHO battery line trimmer story. I'm thankful for this unit and wish I got it a LONG time ago. Efficiency, ease of use, no gas/no emissions, quieter than gas...so many amazing benefits. It'll be a good summer around the house with one less jerry can in the garage and one sweet new toy.

BELOW ARE THE FORMAL SALES FEATURES OF MY ECHO TRIMMER:

ECHO eFORCE™ DSRM-2100

A battery-powered trimmer that gets the job done. The ECHO DSRM-2100 straight-shaft string trimmer, powered by the eFORCE™ 56V battery system, delivers the quiet, convenience and performance needed to cut grass down to size for hours on end in residential areas.

TOP FEATURES:

• Hi/Lo speed settings for optimized cutting and extend battery life
• Lightweight with cushioned handle grip - for easy maneuverability and increased comfort
• Powerful brushless motor - Provides gas-like performance
• Hi/Lo speed settings - To optimize cutting performance and extend battery life
• Variable speed throttle - Matches cutting conditions
• 14 in. or 16 in. cutting swath - Adjustable for either efficient or aggressive cutting
• Speed-Feed® 400 head - loaded with .095 in. dia. Silentwist® trimmer line
• Reloads in seconds without disassembly

ECHO is a great brand who cares more about their product than anything else. They are seriously under-rated but deserve some high praises for this unit. If you don't believe in switching all your equipment to ECHO's 56V line up, then at least just try this trimmer first. I promise you'll love it. If you're looking for something more professional ECHO has a new X series line of 56V equipment as well thats even a step up from the one I purchased!

Click here for the link to the one I bought

Click here for the link to the rest of the line up

Click here for the link to the 58V line up of tools that came out just before the 56V line made an appearance 

Happy Trimming!