
Makita MM4 4-stroke Technology
The use of 4-stroke technology is over a century old, which came along with the combustion engine. OPE tools are another story. Several companies have tried their hands at it over the past couple decades, however only in recent years has it seemed to possibly stick. Still today you hear the high-rpm pitch of 2-stroke […]

Ryobi RY4CSS String Trimmer Review
In our recent Best Gas-Powered String Trimmer Shootout, we ran ten models from various manufacturers through a battery of tests to find out which brands could provide the best performance, runtime, ergonomics, feature set, and value. Today, we’re looking at our overall 8th-place finisher, the Ryobi RY4CSS. For a “budget brand,” we see Ryobi products […]

HHT35STLA Honda 4 Stroke Trimmer Review
The Honda 4 stroke trimmer wound up finishing in 6th place in our recent Gas-Powered String Trimmer Shootout. Honda sent the HHT35TLA, one of three models that the brand has aimed at the professional landscaper. While we’ve had a deep appreciation for what Honda has done in the marketplace with engines over the years, we felt […]

Stihl FS 91 R String Trimmer Review
While the work doesn’t really slow down at this time of the year in Florida, those of us who review tools for a living had a great opportunity to put 10 of the OPE industry’s best string trimmer models up against each other. We wanted to see which brand offered the best performance, ergonomics, features, […]

Makita Couple Shaft Power Head System
Those of you who check in with this site regularly might remember that, back in October 2017, we found ourselves at the GIE Expo. A good time was had by all, and we had the chance to play with all sorts of new or upcoming releases from all the major players in the landscaping world. […]

Makita EB7650TH Backpack Blower
Do you happen to get jazzed about lawn care, and more specifically, do you have a particular fondness for well-functioning backpack blowers? Does fuel efficiency get your motor cranked? How about a cleaner-burning, 4-stroke engine that requires no mixing of fuel? Do you dream about a cool breeze caressing your back while you actively send […]

New 2016 Makita MM4 4-Stroke Hedge Trimmers
Makita seems to have cracked the code when it comes to their 4-stroke engines found on the new Makita MM4 4-Stroke Hedge Trimmers. In many cases, (heavily documented in the motocross world) 4-stroke engines can’t produce near the amount of horsepower that two-stroke does because of the engine cycle. At 1.1 horsepower, Makita’s MM4 engine […]