If you want to maintain a healthy lawn and yard with excellent curb appeal, then you’ll need a few different tools to get the job done right. A lawn mower is a must, but you’ll also want a trimmer to cut grass and weeds in tight spaces and on steep hills the mower can’t reach. Depending on the yard(s) you’re working on, you can also benefit from having a variety of other tools including edgers, hedge trimmers, and blowers.
Whether you’re shopping for home use or you’re a professional transporting tools between clients’ yards, storage space is something you need to take into consideration when you decide to get multiple yard tools. One way to save space—and cut down on maintenance—is to purchase a multi-tool rather than separate tools for each job.
With a multi-task yard tool, you’ll only need to maintain and store one powerhead. Then, you can get attachments to use with the powerhead rather than purchasing separate blowers, edgers, trimmers, cultivators, etc. This saves storage space at home or in an equipment trailer. It also means less work since you’ll only have one gasoline-powered engine or battery-powered motor to maintain.
But which multi-tool should you get? With all the options out there, it can be challenging to narrow your choices down when you’re shopping for a new multi-tool. In this buying guide, we’ll focus on two of the best multi-tool systems around: the STIHL Kombisystem and the ECHO Pro-Attachment Series (PAS).
Commercial or Homeowner?
The first thing you need to consider when picking out a multi-tool is how you’re going to use it.
If you’re a homeowner, then the more budget-friendly option will be the ECHO PAS system, though STIHL’s homeowner model is not much more expensive. Prices on attachments are comparable for the two brands. ECHO does offer a longer consumer warranty than STIHL (5 years versus 2 or 3 years).
If you’re a professional yard care worker, then one of STIHL’s professional KombiMotors will provide the power and durability you need to work with the tool all day. ECHO also offers X-Series powerheads for commercial yard work, but STIHL has a wider variety of commercial powerhead options.
Gas or Battery?
As with other yard care tools now, you have a choice between getting a multi-tool powerhead that’s fueled by gas or powered by a lithium-ion battery. Both ECHO and STIHL offer battery and gasoline powerheads for their multi-tools.
Gasoline powerheads tend to be less expensive. They’re also easier to refuel on the go. Many cities are starting to ban gasoline-powered equipment, though, and they are louder and less environmentally friendly than battery-power.
Battery powerheads are low maintenance, quieter, and have zero emissions. Modern lithium-ion batteries provide powerful performance and quick charge times. The only real downside is that you’ll need to carry extra batteries or take breaks for them to recharge if you have a large yard or work on multiple properties.
How Much Power?
When you’re deciding which multi-tool powerhead to get, keep in mind that the power of the engine or motor determines the available power for all your tools. Decide which of the tool attachments you’ll use the most and need at the highest power, then pick your powerhead based on that.
For example, if you need a powerful trimmer that can handle cutting grass and weeds on large properties then you’ll need one of the more powerful gasoline heads or long-lasting battery power heads. Even if you won’t need as much power for the other attachments, you’ll likely want to get one of the more powerful commercial powerheads.
If, on the other hand, you’ll be using your multi-tool to work in a small yard you won’t need a ton of power for any of the tools. This is also true if you want to keep a multi-tool as a backup tool option on an equipment trailer. One of the homeowner powerheads will suit your needs nicely.
STIHL or ECHO?
While there are a lot of good brands making multi-tools for yardwork, STIHL and ECHO are widely considered among the best. These brands produce reliable tools that deliver quality and performance you can count on. Here at Richardson Saw, we stand behind the products that we sell and we’re proud to carry STIHL and ECHO multi-tools.
Most attachments are compatible with all powerheads. However, some ECHO and STIHL attachments (like the Bed Redefiners) are only compatible with their professional powerheads. Remember to double-check attachment compatibility before purchasing a powerhead.
STIHL
Warranty:
- 2-Year Consumer Warranty on Attachments and Gasoline Powerheads
- 3-Year Consumer Warranty on Battery Powerheads
- 2-Year Commercial Warranty
Powerheads:
- KMA 135 R—battery-powered powerhead
- KM 56 RC-E—gasoline-powered homeowner powerhead
- KM 91 R—gasoline-powered commercial powerhead
- KM 94 R—gasoline-powered commercial powerhead
- KM 111 R—gasoline-powered commercial powerhead
- KM131 R—gasoline-powered commercial powerhead
Attachments:
- 37” Carbon Fiber Shaft Extension
- 37” Shaft Extension
- Adjustable Hedge Trimmer
- Adjustable Power Scythe
- Bed Redefiner
- Blower
- Bristle Brush
- Brushcutter with 4-tooth Grass Blade
- Curved Lawn Edger
- Curved Shaft Trimmer
- Line Head Trimmer
- Mini Cultivator
- Pole Pruner
- Reciprocator
- STILH PowerSweep™
- Straight Lawn Edger
- Straight-Shaft Hedge Trimmer
ECHO
Warranty:
- 5-Year Consumer Warranty
- 2-Year Commercial Warranty
Powerheads:
- DPAS-2100SB—battery-powered homeowner powerhead
- DPAS-2600SB—battery-powered commercial powerhead
- PAS-225—gasoline-powered homeowner powerhead
- PAS-2620—gasoline-powered commercial powerhead
Attachments:
- 3′ Extension
- Articulating Hedge Trimmer
- Bed Redefiner
- Blower
- Brushcutter
- Cultivator
- Curved Shaft Edger
- Curved Shaft Trimmer
- Hedge Trimmer
- Mid-Reach Hedge Trimmer
- Power Pruner®
- Pro Paddle™
- Pro Sweep™
- Pro-Torque™ Trimmer
- Speed-Feed® 400 Trimmer
- Straight Shaft Edger
- Tiller/Cultivator
Conclusion
With only one powerhead to maintain and a wide range of attachments, multi-tools are a space-saving solution for residential and commercial use. The only reason you might not want to get a multi-tool is if you only really need one or two tools. If all you need to maintain your yard is a trimmer and maybe a blower or hedge trimmer, you probably don’t need a multi-tool. But if you want to have two or more tools on hand, then a multi-tool can be a great choice.
If you’re interested in the STIHL KombiSystem or ECHO Pro-Attachment Series, stop by Richardson Saw & Lawnmower. You can see the different powerhead and attachment options in person, and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you have.
