Patriot trim tabs: what are they, how to choose and how to use?

Everyone who owns a summer cottage, during the spring and summer, is faced with the fact that the grass grows throughout the site in huge quantities. Without a doubt, the best way to tackle the grass is with an electric or gasoline trimmer. One of the best trimmer companies in the world is Patriot. It is their lawn mowers that we will consider.

Patriot is a well-known American brand that has been on the market for a long time. Its advantages include an affordable price (relative to other companies), good build quality that will delight you for many years, and, of course, reliability. The price is especially pleasing, because you can pick up both a budget trimmer (around 2,000 rubles) and an expensive professional unit (from 9,000 rubles). And the most interesting thing is that even a trimmer for 2000 will serve you for more than one year, if you follow our advice on operation.

Ease of daily use, "unpretentiousness" to the quality of fuel can please any gardener. These trimmers do not have any specific disadvantages.

When choosing a trimmer, every beginner is faced with the question of which type to choose for their purposes. There are three types of brushcutters: petrol, battery and electric. Let's dwell on each of them in more detail.

One of the types of trimmers, which is characterized by low power and small size. Its use is limited to only a small area with sparse vegetation without weeds. Batteries in such units are also not so hot - they are designed for only 20-40 minutes of continuous operation, and at the same time, their full charge can take a lot of time, most often up to 24 hours.

Of course, they also have their advantages: extremely low weight of the device, compactness, high speed of assembly and disassembly, and it also does not require an electrical network to be located next to it.

List of the best battery models:

• Patriot ET 1200;
• Patriot TR 235;
• Patriot TR 340 XL;
• Patriot TR 230 M;
• Patriot TR 300.

These trimmers are the most common on the market. These units will easily cope with mowing in a large summer cottage, even if the vegetation there is high. The power of the models is on average 1.4 kW, which will allow you to use them comfortably. Undoubtedly, this type of trimmers will be inconvenient for some, because it requires a current source to be located next to you (although the problem is solved by purchasing a conventional carrying extension cord). Due to the limitation in the form of the length of the wire, the comfort of operation in large areas drops sharply, although its performance and power will not be in doubt. It is also worth noting that the models of the presented type cope worse with wet grass (in the early morning or after rain).

The undoubted advantages include their weight, which is even less than that of batteries. This weight is ideal for use by older people, because they can safely hold this brushcutter in their hands for a long time.

List of the best electric models:

• Patriot ELT 1000;
• Patriot ET 1255;
• Patriot ELT 900;
• Patriot ELT 1150.

Petrol trimmers are used by professionals or gardeners whose areas are larger than average. Such units are very powerful, they can easily exceed the power of electric brushcutters by 2 times (that is, up to 3 kW). This high power allows the use of special discs (or other equipment) simultaneously with the line and the knife. Gasoline braids weigh a lot, which is a significant disadvantage for some.

The engines on these devices can be different: two-stroke or four-stroke. In environmental terms, four-stroke engines are much better, because they have a lower percentage of emissions into the environment than two-stroke engines, and they consume less fuel.

The only thing that such brushcutters are limited to is the capacity of the fuel tank. However, no one forbids you to carry a small bottle of fuel with you. These trimmers are ideal for mowing large areas with very strong vegetation, dead wood.

List of the best gasoline models:

• Patriot PT 443;
• Patriot PT 545;
• Patriot PT 555;
• Patriot PT 4355;
• Patriot T 533 Pro.

Patriot makes not only the trimmers themselves, but everything related to them. The brand produces excellent protective covers for all of its and not only its models of trimmers. Among the accessories you can find a variety of fishing lines and knives for every taste. Plugs, spare batteries and any components for assembling brushcutters are presented in a wide range. Patriot is trusted not only by customers, but also by other brands - so, many manufacturers use the products of this company as spare parts. It is Patriot products that appear most often on store shelves.

If we talk about the quality of the covers and everything else, it is not lower than the quality of the trimmers themselves. The company has many years of experience in the production and development of brushcutters and everything related to them.

Before you start choosing a unit for yourself, you should familiarize yourself with all the nuances in order to avoid possible problems. Please note that it is the power of the trimmer that is the main characteristic that determines the area of ​​its application, as well as its efficiency. Do not forget to take into account the fact that on more or less flat areas of the territory for mowing young grass, you will calmly have enough of a unit with a power of about 500 watts.

If you have a medium-sized plot with different levels and varying degrees of overgrowth, then take a closer look at the brushcutters, the power of which will be at the level of 1-1.5 kW. If you have a large area with a lot of grass, as well as if there is a lot of dead wood on it, you should not even look towards the trimmers whose power is less than 2 kW. In this case, it is equally important to buy additional discs, knives and good fishing line.

Battery devices tend to have a lower engine arrangement, but you can still see this arrangement on electric trimmers (a rare occurrence). The bottom-positioned design is much more stable, which is undoubtedly a plus. It can also be noted that the vibration level is much lower, and this, in turn, allows the unit to be operated for a longer time. The only serious disadvantage of this location is that it will not allow you to mow wet grass.

It is much more common to find the top location of the engine. Manufacturers use it on both gasoline and electrical devices. Trimmers with this arrangement give their owner the opportunity to use thicker and more efficient line, as well as a knife if the trimmer is gasoline.

Trim tabs differ in drive type. Devices can be with a flexible shaft, which is most often seen on household models, as well as with a rigid shaft, which is more common among professional brushcutters. A rigid shaft can give the greatest reliability, while a flexible gearless shaft cannot provide the same reliability. The steel cable, through which the torque is transmitted from the engine to the trimmer head, in a device with a hard drive is replaced by a full-fledged gear shaft located inside the bar.

Devices with a rod in a curved position can only use fishing line and ordinary plastic knives, while units with a straight rod can hold ordinary metal knives and discs in their arsenal.

By the design of the trimmer handle 2 main types can be distinguished.

• In simple electric and battery types, the brushcutter is dominated by the D-shaped handle. This handle does not reduce the compactness of the device, but at the same time makes it easier for its owner, because you can hold the trimmer with two hands at once.
• The so-called bicycle handle (aka J- or T-shaped) is found only on professional high-power trimmers. This design allows its owner to move the unit like a conventional manual scythe.

Another important factor, which in no case should be ignored, is the weight of the unit itself. The weight of the device, in turn, is influenced by all of the above factors. The weight of your machine will depend on the type of engine, and on the capacity of the fuel tank, and even on the type of handle. Please note that if you are buying a brushcutter with a weight of 5 kg, be sure to check that the attachment strap is on the device. The best option is when the lashing strap has a "backpack" type - this design will ensure ease of carrying and operating the brushcutter.

After purchasing a trimmer, there are several important steps to take. To make them, disassemble your trimmer and remove the protective cover.

First, carefully tighten the adjusting screw to adjust the fuel flow. As soon as the engine starts to stall or just stalls, unscrew the screw 1/4 back and check the engine. If it starts, screw the screw inward a little. Repeat this operation until you find the very moment at which the engine will not stall, but if you turn the screw even a little inward, it will stall right away.

In the part of the body where the gear block is installed, there is a special hole screwed in with a bolt. You need to unscrew this bolt, and pour specialized grease into the hole using a regular syringe. Depending on your brushcutter, you will need to inject 1.5-2 ml of lubricant. After completing this procedure, you can screw the bolt back into place. The procedure should be performed every 30 hours of continuous operation.

It would be better to change the line from the factory to a new one, if there is a factory one. Measure 4 meters from the purchased fishing line and fold it in half so that one edge is 10-15 cm larger than the other. Form a loop from the longer edge. Now unscrew the box and push the fishing line (the part where the loop is) into the special holes in the spool. Then run the line into the special dividing channels, screw the lid back on and assemble the device.

Check if the starter is working. If it doesn't work, check the plug. The candle should be screwed in tightly, without being covered with excess oil.If it is flooded, pour out the excess oil, wipe and dry the candle, and then screw it back.

After you have completed all these steps, you can start your unit and run it in.

Let's consider standard situations, in which the trimmer may not start.

• One of the most common problems is a flooded candle. Unscrew the plug carefully and if there is excess oil in the chamber, discard it. If the candle is in working order, just wipe and dry it, and if it burns out, replace it.
• Another common cause of poor trimmer maintenance is wear on the carburetor gasket. Nothing can be done here, just replace the gasket.
• If your trimmer is not picking up speed, it may be due to an incorrect carburetor setting. Follow the instructions for adjusting it (see above) to avoid this problem.

Analysis of feedback from forums the most popular Patriot stores show the following statistics:

• 7/10 buyers are satisfied with their purchase;
• 2/10 are dissatisfied due to the wrong choice of the device;
• 1/10 are dissatisfied with the unit due to breakdowns.

In the next video, you will find a detailed review of the Patriot PT-545 trimmer.