Honda UMK425

Have been using an MTD Pro for nigh on 30 years, it's a 2 stroke and getting parts for it is becoming harder, also I have worked it very hard over that period and still have lots of scrub and trees to clear and the motor is still running well but starting to get tired and groans when the going is very heavy.
I decided to invest in a new machine and thought 4 stroke sounded pretty good and Honda is a well-known brand so I purchased the 425, I didn't buy the line head as I already have a couple of them and hardly ever use them anyway. I put a ...

I bought the 25 cc bike handle model. Plus points good harness and balance. Easy start. But low power and the cutter head falls apart constantly about every 30 mins made of floppy cheap plastic. Line cutter fell off after five hours. I am so disappointed Honda used to be a good make. May as well get a Ryobi for 250 now

Its been raining for weeks up here on Tamborine Mountain, and I just finished snipping 1 acre of moderate edging after several weeks of growth. Because its brand new I didn't go past 1/2 throttle, and the 25cc motor did it effortlessly. I'm also not covered in grass, the simple but efficient grass deflector works a treat. The salesperson said the 23cc two stokes have more power but honestly you won't need it. I also did the whole lawn just holding the snipper. I don't feel pumped or tired from not using the shoulder strap, which is great as...

Bought this unit about19 years ago and never missed a beat.A bit heavier than a 2stroke but you get the benefit of the extra power and quieter than 2stroke.I didn't like the original line feed head so bought bump feed head online, much better ,don't have to dismantle trimmer head to replace line,just line up 4 holes and poke the line through. I use it mostly to do garden edges ,about an hours work and on thick buffalo, twice a week in summer, but it does it easily. I didn't get the bike handle model because its to hard to try and turn on a righ...

Never been at the mower shop. Started every time. Has done some very heavy work. I'm just about to replace it after a quarter of a century.Hope they are still as good as 25 years ago.

Use the shoulder strap as its heavier than a 2 stroke.. I use it up to an hour or more straight every day. Speed feed line head. DONT overload it with line, it crosses over & breaks inside the head case. It must be stored with petrol cap up. The cap leaks fuel badly. I have two and both the same. Reliability and performance 10/10. I service every ft night. Very important to do that. Dont complain if you don't. It takes 10 minutes and cheap. Oil (100ml.) and carby air filter. easy.
Plastic cowling isnt that strong.

I have had many brush cutters, from cheap bunnings ones and even a stihl I wasn't happy with at all. I decided to spend the extra $$$ and buy a honda.
I have used it now 3 times and it is definitely worth the extra $$$!
So powerful, so quiet, less vibration then the 2 stroke and very easy to start.
No more hassle with mixing fuels and risking getting it wrong or leave it in storage too long. I think there are only a few bad reviews but thats totally related to bad fuel and fuel that has been stored too long. BP has the best fuel and whenever y...

Bought this brand new and used for about an hour and already in love. It’s much quieter and smoother than my 2 stroke Husqvarna 525RS, with only less power, but enough for me. Would recommend for domestic use.

Mine is now out of warranty continues to stall after short periods of use . Just tried to the house yard and a bit extra stopped 9 times have to wait every time for it to cool down. I have take it back to the place of purchase with this fault never comes back fixed has cost me heaps for no result. If I could afford to I would dump it and by another machine definitely no a HONDA.

So I picked this up after reading the reviews on how good they were and how much better than two-stroke ones.

First off, it does not start “first pull every time” or second, or third - and if it’s hot, you can forget it. The Honda brochures all say these things start easy - decompression blah blah blah.

I regret buying this overpriced junk. Aside from it not starting any easier than a two-stroke, the power is just not there. It bogs down in longish grass, wet grass, thick grass - man it sucks. Super under-powered with zero umph.

Funnily e...

After going cheap with a ryobi and the fuel lines perished after 2 years decided a honda might be worth the extra $. With the honda only replaced primer after 10 years and still has original fuel line. Easy to service yourself and have replaced air filter and spark plug as needed. Like the fact it uses the same fuel as the mower. If you need full power all the time a 2stroke might be better and lighter. For me the throttle control of the 4stroke for varied conditions is another plus. Most issues people have would be fuel related (stale).

I purchased one about 10 years ago. I have never had a problem with it until now and to be honest I couldn't have been happier. It still starts straight away. I haven't been easy on it. If I put it in to be fixed I am sure it would not take long however I am about to upgrade and will be purchasing the same one to replace the old one. I cannot fault the Honda!

I have owned this unit for some years, purchased from Dubbo chainsaws and mowers. First few years were fine, then we developed starting issues, returned to the store for servicing, the unit is used infrequently meaning not every week or not every fortnight as we live in the central west of NSW and grass doesn't grow like lawn and it doesn't rain as much either. I have since replaced carbys, fuel lines, serviced etc, I might get 6 months or less of infrequent use and then it won't start again. Always run 95 or 98 fuel in it. Now we have moved I ...

I bought this about 2 years ago because my new property is too steep for a lawnmower. The whipper snipper has a bit of weight to it, but the balance is pretty good so you don't notice too much.

4 stroke is handy if you don't have any other 2 stroke machines. Doesn't often start first pull, but that may be due to stale petrol. That said, it usually only takes 2-3 goes to start.

It's pretty quiet for a whipper snipper, but ear protection is still recommended, especially at full throttle. It says 80dBA on the shaft.

I find I can cut thick long grass without any hassles, and so far it's been reliable. That said I only have it for domestic use.

Overall, it's expensive, but worth it if you value performance and no hassles.

This is so far the best (and the heaviest) whipper snipper we've ever had.
Quite heavy- and tall- especially if the head is full of fuel. This machine is very quiet, agile and the built is really, really sturdy. Since this one is new it is quite easy to start. We have about 600m2, and a lot of edges to trim. only use it for domestic purpose, maybe fortnightly. we clean it after every use, I hope this expensive machine will last long (it does come with a long warranty).
pro: good built, quite cons: heavy

Edit: sometimes the fuel leaks, maybe because the way we place it. But this should not happen at the first place.