I Want One Just Like My Old One

First of all, you are not the person you were 30 years ago. Yep, I said it. You simply are not 25 years old anymore. Second of all, the type and amount of work that you do has probably changed.

The best way to buy any equipment is to look at what you need today, and also a few years down the road. Are you still burning 1 cord a year, or are you at 5?  Are you blowing 1 acre of thick leaves or just cleaning off the driveway?  Do you own any woods at all, where you may need a blade on your trimmer in the future? Do you have shrubbery that needs trimming?  Just a few items to think about.

If you upgraded, or downgraded your land size, then the job has changed as well. 

The Biggest Challenge is the Small Stuff

Handheld machines are often sold in one of 2 ways. The over-achiever buys something too big for the job, and he becomes dangerous to himself and everyone else around him. The under-achiever buys something too small for the job, and again, becomes dangerous in his own right.