Ijumpman,

You can click on a button on this page to find Stihl dealers in your area. Home Depot has stuff at a fair price and a good return policy and I buy quite a bit of stuff from our local Home Depot. But I didn't buy my chain saw from them because they are a "box store" and they don't have a credible service department. My Stihl dealer took a couple of hours to show me the safe operation and maintenance of my chain saw (including how to sharpen the chain) and steered me to the "perfect" choice for me (in my inexperience, I was going to get a much longer cutting bar than I needed). I think it borders on the criminal to sell chain saws in a box to a potentially dangerously inexperienced user. But enough about chain saws. You are interested in a trimmer, and you can't cut your leg off with that, unless you try really hard.

From what I hear, Echos are good for the money and with only 1000 sq ft of lawn you could probably do all of your trimming with a pair of scissors. (grin) I'm pretty sure that Home Depot and your 20% off coupon will save you some money to start with compared to a comparable Stihl trimmer. And, if/when your Echo trimmer goes bad, you can always buy another one.

Actually, with a lawn that small, I probably would get a good cordless electric trimmer with a rechargeable lithium battery. Cordless electric trimmers have come a long way in the last couple of years, particularly those with lithium batteries. And they have a lot of advantages over gas-powered models.

MM

P.S. I applaud your choice of a reel mower. They don't "butcher" the grass. You probably should set it to cut as high as it will go. A lot of reel mowers tend to cut the grass too short, unless you have one of those hybrid golf-course greens bermudas.

McKinney Lawn and Timber on McDonald at Eldorado
Frisco Lawn and Power on Main Street