Echo SRM-225 Weed Trimmer Review! Designed for those researching the perfect weed whacker. Also check out my Toro Recycler 20332 Lawn Mower Review: • Toro Recycler 20332 La...
I was in Home Depot looking to buy a Troy Bilt trimmer that was on sale for $59. The employee working the floor recommended the $200 Echo SRM 230. He said if I had any issues with it within 5 years of the date of purchase I could be bring it back and they would replace it with a new one free of charge. That was over 10 years ago and the only thing I have to do to my Echo trimmer is to replace the trimmer line. It has run flawlessly. I replaced the plug and air filter today only because they were over 10 years old, it was running perfect. Very reliable.
Hey bro, I just bought one of these and your post of the common AND personal experience working with 2-stroke engines was just what I was looking for. I had for a looong time paid to have the yard tailored, However, after running into a couple of dead beats, decided to handle it myself. I have no back-end experience with any yard equipment, so thanks for posting. I had it fired up and running perfectly. Awesome!!
After lots of debate, research, and comparisons between the Echo PAS, Stihl Kombi, and Husqvarna combination power heads, I decided on the Echo PAS-225 (similar to the SRM model but with the detachable power head for use with other attachments). I love it!! The speed feed trimmer head is great, the trimmer is so easy to start and has plenty of power despite being only 21 cc’s. This trimmer is more than sufficient for any homeowner use! For the $200-$250 price point, this piece of equipment checks all the boxes.
I hate this Echo trimmer. Can't wait to get another Stihl. Will never venture ever again. Used a Stihl for 15+ years was talked into this Echo trimmer. Hear my echo...buy a Stihl everytime.
Lmao. We just tossed all our Stihls off all our fleet landscaping truck's. We got tired of them being in our repair shop all the time. Stihls r complete trash quality now. Replaced all with Echo products and haven't had a single break down yet. The echos actually have more power too. Hopefully u don't have your Stihls in the shop all the time too. We used all ethol free mixes too. Top of the line mixes. And stihl ran like shit.
I bought the SRM -225 for my 3/4 acre yard that has Bermuda grass which is like pushing a mover on dry beach sand and is 4x more difficult to mow so i bought a riding John Deere 130 model mower also along with a ECHO PB-2520AA Handheld gas blower i ordered 1 hour ago !I have not tried the echo weed eater yet but i like the speed feed head you do not need to take apart to wind up !
Had my hands on this in the store several times it was the one I wanted but no split shaft for the attachments forced me to buy my 2nd choice. very good review I learned a lot about 2 cycle engines that I did know.
Swimbait1 What direction does the head spin if you are looking down the shaft? I have looked for over a month at this and the Stihl FS 56 Rc-e. Got the Stihl today and it’s counter clockwise. 15+ years of clockwise spinning trimmers so counter clock wise is really messing me up. Caught a rock in the lip today so thinking about returning the Stihl for the echo of echo goes clockwise.
I have had the Echo for 10 years now,it has been through a flood,never changed the spark plug and it still starts on the first pull.The only thing I do is use gas preserver,or whatever the heck it's called.The Echo blower still runs but that one was a little more temperamental.The Echo chain saw was great but fell off the bench in the flood and was submerged in salt water.
I have the SRM-225 and I must say, it is one of the best string trimmers I have ever used! I used to use the curved shaft and I was very impressed with this straight shaft. The only thing I didn’t like about it was the shield was small. It would have been nice to have it larger to protect the operator better. One of the biggest “pros” with this trimmer is the pre-mix of gas and oil. When I got this trimmer, it came with a small container and took all the guess work out of mixing the gas and oil correctly. You can purchase the pre-mix at Echo’s website or at your local home repair store, automotive store or Wal-Mart.
I purchased this on 8/31/16 from Home Depot for $199 (reduced from $219). I've owned at least 5 or more trimmers since the early 1980's. I had an issue getting it started at first - probably flooded it. I let it sit for 30 minutes and now it starts just fine. This may replace a perfectly good John Deere $199 Professional Grade curved trimmer which is 8 years old. It was made for Deere by another manufacturer. Loading line is a big hassle. That is one feature why I like the Echo. I like the fact its easier to start (pull). I like that is has a 5-year (consumer) warranty. I'd love English only manuals - crazy thick - safety and operators manual. I will throw these away and put a PDF of both in my Google Drive in case I need them. I used this for about 60 minutes to trim around over 1000 feet of poured edging in my yard and then around 25 ever greens planted in a field in the back of my house where there was a good amount of thick field grass and weeds. This machine with its longer straight shaft made reaching into the evergreen bases easy - even though the unit is kind of heavy. Having said that, I was surprised how well it was balanced. The 8-edge .95 line really tore through the tall grasses unlike the wimpy round string. VIBRATION - after an hour of using this, I really didn't notice issues with the hands and arms shaking. The unit seemed to control the vibration pretty well. I always wearing hearing protection and shatter proof glasses - both a must. I wore shorts and my chins were pretty beat up by flying debris.
HD's price can't be beat. Still $199. Amazon is $262.79 as I type this. My only worry is the SRM-225 isn't in the current Echo catalog or on their web site, so it looks like it's discontinued. Still a good deal? How's Echo support for discontinued products?
Thanks for a great review.After owning a Stihl which has given me nothing but trouble this is the one I will be buying.Good demonstration about warming up for first time and only takes a little time to help the investment for my Echo weed eater to do a light break in run.Cant wait to go to Home Depot to get one.Thanks again!
thank you soooo much! I was torn between this trimmer and a sthil, and after going to forums and researching was leaning toward the echo. now after watching your review I will be purchasing the echo! I am a 49 year old cancer survivor and my old cheapie wally world finally died (thank god) and my boys told me to find a good one and they would buy it for me! SOLD!
What direction does the head spin if you are looking down the shaft? I have looked for over a month at this and the Stihl FS 56 Rc-e. Got the Stihl today and it’s counter clockwise. 15+ years of clockwise spinning trimmers so counter clock wise is really messing me up. Caught a rock in the lip today so thinking about returning the Stihl for the echo of echo goes clockwise.
FS94’s seem to have a lot of carb issues among other things. I can tell you from experience the 94r will never start as easily as any Echo, especially when hot.
Just picked up one this morning at HD..It was between this and the Stihl, very happy with this 225 model...I also love the 5 year warranty, you can't beat it.....Thanks for the great video and the proper break in tip..
Travis, good review. I'm Canadian as well and the majority of my trimmers I use are Stihls. I will say the Basic model that they offer, the fs38, is a decent model that will also last you a good number of years. I've been using my 38 (bought it 4 years ago) commercially and it's never given me any problems.
The trim head cracked on both sides after about 4-5 hours use on weeds in San Diego East . Trigger was annoying, too hard to hold depressed so I removed the "safety" lever and spring and FIXED! I really don't see a safety compromise with this string whip. My previous Echo 231 has been super for about 15 years but died when a "borrower" put straight gas in it (my fault for loaning it! Ordered a new head from Amazon for about $12...
I love my echo ! Ive had it for 9 years now.... i run non ethanol gasoline in it and i use Echos oil in the gasoline. I love it ! Before this my family growing up had 2 echo straight shaft trimmers we used commercially (why i chose Echo when i bought my own) my dad still has those same 2 trimmers.... they must be about 20 years old now...id say the last 10 havent been commercial use just home use but all in all a darn good trimmer....hes replaced fuel lines in them i know but no major failures ....
I just bought me an echo srm-225 today at Home Depot it does require about a 30 break in period in which it may sputter a few minutes,no worries,, but after that its all hammer down smooth as can be on the idle and mid throttle and top end-sweet!!!
I just bought me the same model. 5-25-16 I tell you what : I like it. Bad boy has the power . I did not need to give a full throttle to it much. Does the job. Cant wait to use it again.
Thanks for this informative video. I also bought mine thru Home Depot based on their high praise customer reviews. I learned a few things, which is what I came her for.
Thank you for the break in period advice. I know those airplane engines are finicky. I just purchased new Shindaiwa t235 “whipper snipper “ it’s under the Echo brand kinda of a full commercial version of your Echo. I had an old Echo kinda like yours lasted me about 11 years with zero issues with regular tune ups about every two years. How’s your trimmer running now. Looks like this video is kinda old now. Thanks again
we have one of these at the company I work for. We got it at a local lawn and feed store. it's about 4 years old and runs like a champ. we use it and abuse it. throw it in the truck, throw stuff on top of it. don't take care of it at all. However, I liked it so much that I went to home depot and got one for myself and it only ran one season. I take care of that thing like it's one of my children and yet it only ran one season. this is now the second season and I've fought it every time I've tried to start it.
blosom2315 sorry my reply is so late, as I never noticed it earlier. All you need to do is pull the carb and thoroughly clean it to solve your starting issues. I have to do this on many 2 stroke engines every few years, but funny enough I’ve never had to do it on this Echo yet! 😂
Very good video. Just got back from the store with an SRM225! Runs very smooth. I hope the gas tank will not crack & leak over time like my previous Ryobi
Ray Fuselier, eh, for weight Stihl FS 94R. Power? Depends on how much. The echos are nice but the Stihl Range goes way higher if you need more power. The 131 has 1.9HP and tons of torque. The 240 has 2.3HP. The newest and biggest echo only has 1.8HP
Good old school break in, a bit over kill but better safe than sorry great video I own several trimmers the SRM or pas 266 is my favorite but the pas 225 is the one I use the most. I own both the Stihl and echo brands and I prefer the echo and have for over 20 years. How do you run the carbs rich Mine are set from the factory no more high and low adjustment my friend those days are gone. back before the SRM 210 I have one old SRM 2100 with H-L adjustment and another without. Anyways I enjoyed the video and gave it thumbs up Funny I've being doing this for a while and no ones ever giving me a cookie must be a Canadian thing??
If they run them at the factory that was probably for break in/ QC. Its called DINO or conventional oil and it helps the rings seat properly. It super critical for proper wear in on a fresh engine. Look up mototune usa he does break downs comparing it on some bike engines. Any ways unless you build the engine nowadays, they are broke in at the factory more than likely.
My 200 dollarish echo from home depot was bought 11 years ago for my home use. I've only ever put fuel in it and obviously trimmer line. No maintenance has been needed as far as I'm concerned.
great trimmer i have the same one but here's a tip you should never wear open toed shoes when i mow the lawn and do outdoor work i always wear boots but otherwise good video and awesome trimmer =)
Shayne1973 What direction does the head spin if you are looking down the shaft? I have looked for over a month at this and the Stihl FS 56 Rc-e. Got the Stihl today and it’s counter clockwise. 15+ years of clockwise spinning trimmers so counter clock wise is really messing me up. Caught a rock in the lip today so thinking about returning the Stihl for the echo of echo goes clockwise.
Michael Johnson , odd. You might want to hook up a tachometer to your machine on tank one and compare to tank 5. You will note a difference. Adjusting your carb with a tachometer helps you achieve optimum RPM.
Also, rings do seat and compression actually improves usually over the first ten tanks. Slight carb adjustment and then, assuming no fuel quality or altitude change, you should be good to hook till you’ve clogged up your carb.
I had a model older than this one that I love. My sister has difficulty with tools that are too heavy and she actually loved mine and found it easy to use ru-vid.comUgkx_rBCFuDW1zD6blTGhLkvAkxU657uR_lG . This is a newer model but was even lighter which she really appreciates. She enjoys it and I no longer have to go to her house to trim as she can handle it fine. Haven't used it enough to comment on the battery life but lithium batteries last longer than the old style. Being cordless makes it easy to trim the far edges of the property. The entire yard can be trimmed with one charged battery.
What direction does the head spin if you are looking down the shaft? I have looked for over a month at this and the Stihl FS 56 Rc-e. Got the Stihl today and it’s counter clockwise. 15+ years of clockwise spinning trimmers so counter clock wise is really messing me up. Caught a rock in the lip today so thinking about returning the Stihl for the echo of echo goes clockwise.
Zack Morehouse it also spins counter clockwise when looking down the shaft. I do find this annoying as well actually at it sends rocks flying at my legs because I hold the throttle in my right hand and handle in my left. Would also prefer a clockwise trimmer to be honest.
why would anyone run synthetic two stroke oil? it is being burnt off when you run it...plus run it at the manufacturer mix ratio...too rich and you'll foul plug/piston head and muffler/spark arrestor...too lean (for the amsoil/Lucas oil 100:1 fan boys) and you'll wear it out/seize it...just follow the manufacturer directions
Gabriel S. Yea, it’s the California emissions standard which has trickled down. Not necessarily a bad thing, just something to be mindful of. I only use 100LL in high compression engines that benefit from the added octane level without emissions control.
I was considering getting an electric or battery powered weed trimmer but they seemed weak and flimsy. It looks like gas are the way to go for power and build quality.
Derek Jimenez I’ve owned electric battery powered weed trimmers before. They’re kinda crappy to be honest unless you spend the money on a top of the line one tbh or have a very tiny yard to trim. The gas powered ones just have so much more power and durability like you say.
Derek Jimenez 100%! Don’t buy cheap or in 2 years you’ll be buying again. Believe me, I’ve been down that road... just buy it without ANY hesitation. It will last you nearly a lifetime if you take good care of it. I love mine still several years later!!! I actually own the curved shaft model as well now, just to compare but I like the straight better as I hate the single strand manual insertion head on my curved shaft model. Every time it gets cut too short I have to shut the machine down and insert a new piece of string. I guess I could switch the head out to the same one as my straight shaft has though. Love the speed feed head on the straight shaft!
That's one powerful weedwacker!! Looks like it could do some real damage to a fence post that is not properly protected. Luckily you can install Fence Armor to keep your posts safe!!
There's no need for all that break-in procedure run 50 to 1 per manufacturers recommendations and use either red armor oil or powerblend. With 89 octane or higher non-ethanol gas. I prefer red armor oil with 93 octane fuel.
i have the Troy Bilt TB525 and TB 590 29cc4 stroke - Emission Rated for 50 Hrs i also have a Cub cadet 4 Stroke 25cc - SS 470 Emission Rated for 150 Hrs Also Got a 82V Snapped XD Trimmer - trying that for now
Derrick Z yes that’s totally fine. A richer oil mixture is always safer but its unneeded if using a high quality synthetic oil brand. Any cheaper brand of synthetic, yes 40:1 is all I would recommend. If running Dino oil, 32:1 is my recommendation but it’s a lot of smoke to inhale while weed trimming and engine will never last as long as in synthetic. 😂
Such a great review and it all goes down the tubes in the end for 1) wearing flip flops 2) wearing shorts and 3) starting/operating the trimmer near a child. All specifically noted in the manual as safety hazards and in the world of common sense.
This is America...where people have the freedom to weed wack with their shirts off and in flip flops... Go to communist France is you want more rules and regulations!!!!
Fuck you, i live in Florida and Its too fucking hot to do it in pants. I do have closed in shoes though but fuck the safety glasses my regular glasses work fine
agreed...Supertech universal 2 stroke is inexpensive and works great in all my 2 cycle power equipment - including a srm-225...just get your mix right with non ethanol fuel...$6 for 200ml is a waste of money...but hey - it is your money :)
Wow, that was probably the best SRM 225 new owner review I've ever seen! I'm a Hugh Echo fan and have 8 of their machines, I can tell you with the care you are giving it you will def get 10 years out of it! Check out my channel if you'd like to see my Echo cold starts or on job usage, thanks!
Just as a Caution if you use any 2 Stroke Oil other than the Manufacturers you Void your warranty. So technically you just voided your warranty on your very first start up, but I don't know how they could tell the difference in stihl and echo oil personally, but id through that out there.
No not exactly big huskvarna blowers like the 560 570 and 580 are the same as red max ebz 6500 7500 and 8500 a huskvarna bt150 is weed eater brand completely different
Ya the older stuff is a lot better they have no issues I have an echo pb760ln same as the 770 and after 2 years is needs a carb because on all of the new equipment that's 2 cycle you can't adjust the carb on it's for emissions so I hope to keep my old echo and Kawasaki stuff still going until I stop cutting grass or die
I know this is a 4 month old post. But I had a nice 4 cycle trimmer called a Fource 35cc. This echo SRM 225 kicks its butt completely. 4 cycles are only good for people that don't want to mix gas and oil, the reality I noticed with a 4 cycle is that even though the engines are 35cc, they run like crap or they're not as powerful even with a high cc on the engine. It's quite odd really, but I bought this Echo SRM 225 and it goes through thick woody stalk weeds like nothing. Granted my 4 cycle doesn't bog down, but the 2 stroke is much smoother believe it or not.
Kamikaze Krunch 4 stoke’s are better for torque (low end grunt) and 2 strokes are better for high rpm HP output. In this application I can’t stand a 4 stroke as I want to make quick work of weeds at WOT and want it to be light and fast. 2 stroke wins in this which is why it’s hard to find 4 stroke weed eaters. Plus they’re heavy and overly complicated to build cheaply. Only time I would recommend a 4 stroke engine is for cutting down brush in a forest or for extreme duty THICK brush like forestry. Hope this helps.
Yea just wanted to mention you were saying you were going to run your trimmer at 40:1 to break it in. Well you are actually running the motor lean from what the factory tuned the motor for being 50:1. I know it doesn't make sense since your putting more oil in the gas but I did a lot of research on the matter and the way it works is the more oil in the gas the less gas can cool the engine and in turn more air which causes a lean condition. If you don't believe me research it yourself. Most people don't realize it's the gas that cools a two stroke and the oil just provides lubrication and the oil to gas ratio depends on how the carburetor is tuned. So you see you are burning up your new trimmer instead of running it rich and cooler as you think are. You know ignorance can cost you money.
yeah no,probably a good i dead to break the engine in right, theres nothing worse than messing around trying to get something started halfway through the job
Have you ever tryed evinrude xd100 2 stroke oil? It's by far the best oil I have ever used. It meats all tcw3 standards brp just didn't want to pay for the certification. It is expensive oil but might be something you might want to look into for your rc plains. @eganwp
+Brooks Culpepper Stihl make a decent chainsaw (I own one) but when it comes to Line Trimmers/Weed Whackers, ECHO is the leader. That's the general consensus among those in the industry anyway.
I think this SRM-225 model is the worst ECHO that I've used in 23 years ... I repeat, the worst, cuz when it starts to fail, you can not fix it anymore.
