Husqvarna 223R 17-Inch 25cc 2-Stroke Gas Powered Straight Shaft Brushcutter

I'm on about 10 acres and ~4 acres is badly overgrown (the rest is well-maintained farm fields). I'm dealing with brush and weeds 8ft high and hidden stuff everywhere, usually made of metal.My dad has a Husqvarna 345 and it is AMAZING. The thing is a beast with a sawblade, but I have to use string here on this former farm because I hit so much old metal. I went with the 223R because I thought it would do the job without being overkill.First, the bad news -- as with most all Husqvarna products, the assembly instructions are terrible. There aren't too many parts to this and it's quick, but the problem is that the handle connector does not match the instructions (Husqvarna has abandoned the 4-screw plate attachment). It took me a little while to figure out, but I got there.And wow, was it worth the time and trouble. The included line is fantastic and the Husqvarna pre-mix fuel gives me about 2.5hrs of run time per can. I know it's more expensive, but mixing gas and dealing with it gumming up just isn't worth saving the money.This thing just obliterates anything green. I do a quick pass to cut weeds in half, then I cut what's remaining in half again. By this time there's a layer of leaves and stems, so I grind it all down as a sort of mulch technique. Then I do a final pass to polish off the swath. With that process, I can go from 8-10' weeds down to smooth ground with minimal effort. Husqvarna should advertise this as a brushcutter/mulcher because there's so little left over.I've tried a few trimmer lines with the 223R with mixed results. The orange multi-edged line (.0135", I think) absolutely chews everything up -- it's awesome. The problem is that it's very thick and a little tough to wind and finesse, with a spool only holding about 12' of line comfortably.The standard .095" smooth line (grey) is very good. It performs nearly as well as the orange heavy duty stuff while being easier to wind and deal with. 15' is the right capacity for the 223R's spool.(Note: Buy an extra spool AND trimmer line when you buy the 223R. The spools wear out after maybe 15hrs of use, and the trimmer line that comes wound with the 223R is VERY short. It's enough to start, but you'll need more in 45 minutes.)The weight of this machine might be its best asset. I've used the 345, which is about twice the weight of the 223R, and my back feels it. With the 223R (even with the cheap harness) I can run it as long as I want for as many days in a row as I want and not feel sore.I tested the grass blade on a small patch (I can't really use it much because of metal debris) and it was effective. The method for changing between trimmer spool head and blade is very quick and simple, so once everything is clean I'm confident I can switch over to the blade full-time.Most of the time this starts on the first or second (easy) pull. Occasionally I have to do a third. I'll live.I cannot recommend the 223R highly enough. It is light, well-balanced, and powerful. The amount of ground I cover per hour is incredible considering how dense and overgrown the weeds are, and the extra 2-year warranty extension when you buy 3 cans of pre-mix gas (also available on Amazon) is a great value.I'm turning into a pretty loyal Husqvarna fan!

I have owned a 225R for many years. It is a late-nineties model. It had been great. I mistakenly ordered the 223R thinking that was the model that I had. The 223R comes with very weak line. (Barely worth using.) The bump-and-go head does not work for me. (It is more like bump and curse.) It has a blade on the guard that cuts off the line at under seven inches. My 225R can drive the line at up to ten inches with good results so I found the cut-off feature to be annoying. Two years ago my 225R started dying suddenly at random intervals. After couple trips to the repair shop with no improvement I decided it was time to purchase a new trimmer. After struggling with the replacement (223R) I realized the kill wire on the 225R might be shorting-out so disconnected both ends from the motor. It fixed the problem and I have not gone back to the 223R. At some point I will try the 223R using the included grass blade and with other heads. I feel it likely that it can be made effective with certain modifications. (The set-up as shipped makes me wonder if the designers ever bothered to try it out themselves.)I believe that the comments about the instructions are well founded. If I did not have my 225R for reference, I may have struggled some with the assembly. Bottom line is that the 223R fills a gap that is not there. If you need a real trimmer buy the 225R. If you are just an occasional user, there are much cheaper options that will do the job just as well or better than the 223R as it is shipped. With better head and modifications it might be comparable to the 225R but would likely cost just as much by the time you are done.

I just put the 223R brush cutter into service and it is awesome. Let me assure all that I do not work for Husqvarna nor am I compensated in any way for this review. This unit really deserves a 10. Three pulls to get it running and it functioned perfectly with the 4 lobed brush blade. I did not need maximum rpm to get thru the majority of the brush, 1/4 to 1/2 inch buck thorn and choke cherry, and about 3/4 throttle to get thru the 3/4 to 1 inch stuff. The 1 1/2 inch stuff did require full throttle but I really should have been using the saw blade that I bought. I got about 30 minutes per tank of gas and agree with some of the folks who wanted a bigger tank, I hate to stop when things are going so well. Half choke and 1 pull handled the restarts. The assembly directions weren't much but if you are mechanically handicapped you really should get a friend to help. Take the extra few minutes to get unit balanced in the harness, I hate to quit when things are going well, and your first experience will be a good one. I had 2 prior brush cutters including a Poulan (owned by Husqvarna). and neither was worth the $200 and some that I paid. Husqvarna just makes good yard equipment, I also have 2 Husqvarna chain saws and they perform equally well. I will try to remember to check back when I have had the unit for a couple of months.If your looking for a brush cutter buy this one. It's awesome.2 months later and I'm still impressed with the brush cutter attachment. If you sharpen the blade it will take down up to 1 1/2 inch brush but does dull up a bit faster (all to avoid putting the saw blade on). I also tried the string trimmer attachment (came with the unit) and it works very well but is a bit over powered with the trimmer attachment. The string, however, is worth a note in that it seems to be more durable than the regular monofilament commonly available in stores. I will have to buy some of it in bulk and rewind the spool. I would still give it a rating of at least 10 stars.