I just replaced a couple of junk pieces of equipment with a Tanaka trimmer and a Hitachi blower. Hitachi and Tanaka are the same company and are trying to get a foothold here in the U.S.. I am EXTREMELY pleased with these units and just wanted everyone to know that for the money they can not be beat right now. The engines are rated at 300 hours and they are full crank design. They are very similar in quality to Echo, Husqvarna, and Sthil.