As far as commercial-quality backyard equipment goes, the Shindaiwa T242 straight-shaft string trimmer provides a good amount of value for heavy-use homeowners, even though it's designed to appeal primarily to commercial users. Despite being lightweight (just 10.5 pounds), it's a solid and well-built gas-powered piece of equipment, from the steel shaft to the heavy-duty debris shield. The workmanship is typical Shindaiwa all the way through -- smartly designed and engineered down to the smallest detail. It uses a 23.9cc two-cycle engine, which -- although not as high-tech as Shindaiwa's hybrid engine -- delivers plenty of power for even the toughest backyard trimming jobs.

If you trim only occasionally or in a small space, the nearly-$300 Shindaiwa T242 string trimmer might be overkill. It focuses its bells and whistles on the features that are most important to the pros, including incredibly durable construction, low vibration (to cut down on fatigue during lengthy trimming sessions) and reliable operation.

From a homeowner's perspective, we think the coolest feature is the Speed-Feed trimmer head, which lets you reload the line in just a matter of seconds. It really is as easy as it sounds. Just thread the string through a pair of eyelets, pull out a few yards of line, then load it onto the spool by twisting a knob. We also really liked the high-capacity, 22.7-ounce, see-through fuel tank, which cuts down on the number of times you need to stop to gas up the trimmer. This trimmer also comes with a nice package of extras called a Professional Landscaper's kit (available from March to June 2007), although most homeowners should appreciate it just as much as the pros. It comes with a canvas tool bag, safety glasses, gloves, a spool of trimmer line and a baseball cap.

The Shindaiwa T242 string trimmer is covered by a 2-year consumer or 1-year commercial warranty.


Pros: Heavy-duty construction, innovative Speed-Feed trimmer head
Cons: Higher price, commercial focus

Warranty
1 year, commercial use; 2 years, residential use