"I am just a homeowner with 1 acre of mixed land, a lot of lawn but dense hedges with lots of trees. The trees have stone rings around them for easy trimming of the grass. I have had lots of 2 stroke trimmers of various makes but this is the best of them all as regards ease of use and reliability. It is my first 4 stroke trimmer. Easy to start due to some clever 'easy pull' system which does work. Stops the situation where you pull the cord and the trimmer is wrenched into the air instead of the motor turning. Always starts easily. Runs smoothly and no oil to keep adding to the fuel. That said I do have to add oil to the engine, just like in a car. Being a 4 stroke it needs regular oil changes, not a lot of oil each time but you must remember to do it. Tappets also need checking from time to time. Not a problem for most practical people I would think, only basic tools required, if not needs a service depot to do them. MTD web site has free .pdf manuals showing service procedures, not for this exact model but same processes and settings. Oil you can do yourself, my only problem with that is that the oil filler is covered by the plastic rear cover. So when emptying the oil, or filling it as you fill till it runs out of the filler hole, it runs down the body of the machine and makes a mess. An screw extension pipe would be a good idea so it missed the cover. If you look at the use manual pictures you will see what I mean. I am sure this is the same on a lot of 4 strokes. So overall, would I buy another 2 stroke strimmer, probably not. Would I buy another of these, absolutely. I tried to start this one this year using some old petrol and it wouldn't run, my first thought was to immediately buy another one in case I was ever without my beloved 990."