We have 1.5 acres of ex cattle farm so all lawn related machines earn their keep. The UMK425 had a baptism of fire straight after purchase by doing 3 hours heavy use on long grass, weeds, woody weeds etc on a large domestic block. Next day it was used on my block for the usual tasks and I thought did the job with ease. The torque of the motor meant I do not need to use constant full throttle and as a result much quieter over long duration use. The slightly additional weight penalty (over similar 2 strokes) of the 4 stroke Honda was not that not...Read more

I was originally going to buy the ums425 but when I learned that a bent trimmer has a flexible drive shaft instead of a solid Rod drive shaft as in a straight trimmer, I upgraded to this one instead. The Honda dealer told me that in 15 years, he has never repaired the drive shaft of the bent ums425, but I just had a Victa bent/flexible shaft break, so I opted for straight model umk425 instead. Even though Honda seems to be reliable in both I didn't want to take the chance. I used it for the first time today and cut the grass on idle it was that...Read more

I have been using a budget Homelite two stroke brush cutter for 6 years and told myself when it died I would get a decent four stroke honda one. The cheapo finally expired so I went and got the Honda for $500 on special at Haughton Honda. I wish I had done it years ago.
It starts on the first pull every time and runs so much quieter than my old two stroke you could almost get away without wearing earplugs.
I was slightly worried that the Honda wouldn't have enough grunt, only being 25cc and on paper it is low on power compared to two stoke eq...Read more

My wife wanted a good brushcutter/whipper-snipper that she could use. Personally I regard them as 'instruments of the devil'. You know the story.. won't start, noisy, stops when hot, insufficient power, won't auto feed correctly, heavy, bad for your back etc etc. Bitter personal experiences from years ago. So I did a bit of research and opted for this model. Am I converted? Not quite, but close. So, it starts easily, it's relatively quiet compared to 2-strokes, it keeps on running after prolonged use (cutting 600m high heavy grass including tus...Read more

Waited a year to write this review because reactionary sprays when something brainlessly minor happens aren't much use to anyone. You have to live with it for a while.

After buying three of these for the local landcare group I bought one for me because they are so damn good. The commercial grade is a no-brainer for northern NSW properties where if you go away for a week in summer you're flat out finding your house when you get back.

The Honda starts first time unless it's a really cold day, has enough grunt to put a small truck in the sh...Read more

My old 35 year old Stihl FS80 had finally died and time to look for a new replacement. I had narrowed this down to the Stihl FS85R and the Honda UMK425. The Stihl was one of the German made ones and it was certainly built to last and a great machine, but parts are not too had to come by for something this old. After reading reviews and looking at the Honda and Stihl side by side I settled on the Honda and am glad I did. Slightly cheaper than the Stihl and slightly heavier with the 4 stroke motor but I felt a better machine and nicer balance. I ...Read more

I have owned several cheaper brand brush cutters that required excessive effort to start and lacked reliable performance. I decided it was time to treat myself to a good quality brand.
I did the research and decided on the Honda UMK425C.
The Honda starts with the first pull every time, even when cold, unless I’ve forgotten to turn the ‘stop’ switch on!! Yes, I’ve done that a few times.
The Honda runs clean, as it’s a 4 stroke and doesn’t require that smelly oil mixture. The Honda has very efficient fuel consumption.
The automatic bump cord...Read more

Originally we had a Stihl FS80 which run out of time and was not a great machine but did the job, then we bought a Stihl FS90 as a replacement, which was a bad move, you need to read its review. After two or so months with the FS90 we bought a Honda, well the best move we did, as we are a small mowing business any down time is a bad thing, the Honda GX25 engine will give you a reliable bit of gear.

Now for a bit of the bad, our Honda is a little hard to start but when it starts it will run well, until we stop and refuel then the hard start ...Read more

I've had my Honda for three years. It did work great until now. Suddenly hard to start and stops running when it gets hot. Took it to two Honda dealers who tell me that leaving petrol in it for long periods of time without using it causes problems with the carby, petrol becomes thick and clogs the jets. Apparently I am suppose to empty the tank of all petrol when I'm not using it. It's not written in the manual which I highlighted to them, their reply being the dealer is suppose to bring this to my attention as it's a known problem at Hond...Read more

I bought one of these about a month ago, and I can only say positive things about it. It starts on the second pull when cold, and the first when warm; it has more than enough power for what I put it through (5 acres of hills with grass on average half a metre tall and very thick); it's very quiet, especially compared to my 14 year old Kawasaki 26 cc 2-stroke and produces absolutely no smoke; it's a bit heavier, but for the extra power, lower fuel consumption, no smoke, quietness and smoothness, it's well worth it.
Servicing is incredibly easy...Read more