As someone who has spent hundreds (probably thousands) of hours operating both brands, I don’t think you could go wrong with either a Husqvarna or a Stihl string trimmer. I prefer Husqvarna’s two-cycle string trimmers due to their lighter weight and balanced feel. I have always been a fan of their T35 head, but they have moved toward a different design which they call the Rapid Replace. This new head is geared toward homeowners who are looking for the simplest way to load new line.
The 130L is a significant step up from the 122L, which is their entry-level straight-shaft gas trimmer, for not much more money. The straight-shaft is much easier to maneuver under trees, in tight spots, and for flipping it on its edge to edge your sidewalk. Straight-shaft units can also handle more engine torque. For these reasons, you never see landscaping crews using anything but straight-shaft trimmers.
I have a lot of respect for the Husqvarna brand. Although it’s a Swedish company, I appreciate the fact that this trimmer is built in Arkansas. I’m a fan of everything they produce except for their mowers, which I feel lag behind the rest of their lineup in terms of longevity, performance, and build quality.
While the models have evolved over the years, the company still builds a workhorse that is a real pleasure to use. The Husqvarna 130L is no exception.
Most of Husqvarna’s straight-shaft trimmers that they call consumer models are really more like entry-level commercial units. For example, I bought a 223L in 2007 when we bought our first house. I used it regularly to maintain our one-acre property where we lived for 10 years. It became my primary trimmer for my small landscaping business that I have operated since 2013. I still use it (not just the same model, but the very same trimmer that I bought 13 years ago) to trim our current 18-acre property in addition to its commercial duties. The pull start is the only part I’ve had to replace since it was new, besides one or two trimmer heads which are considered wearable parts.
This trimmer works great with Oregon’s .095-inch Magnum Square Gatorline, which I reviewed here.
A homeowner with a typical suburban lot who takes care to run the fuel out at the end of the season and stores this trimmer properly can easily expect to get a couple decades of faithful service out of it.
