I did the same thing AVB, started with a $10 1980's line trimmer with points and float carby (took days to get it going), then a 31cc ryobi (quicker), then a talon (would have been quicker if not for a fake new NGK I didn't know about), then a series of newer and older ryobis and homelites, have got most for free, paid up to $15 for good ones. Can usually can get it done under 1 hour.
Have been fixing some MTD/Yard Machines 31cc brushcutters this week - 1 with bull handle, the other J handle - rip apart carby, new carb kit, new lines, rip gear head apart, clean and regrease, regrease flex cable, and other little things and they are going. 1 free, the other $10 at the tip.
Only got burnt 2 times with the 2 stroke handhelds - a $15 mcculloch tm251 (Weedeater featherlite) which ended up having insufficient compression (had 20 odd ml of oil squirted down the plug hole to make it seem alright)
and a homelite mighty lite leaf blower (had a slipped pull cord spring with only 1 ft of retractable rope - I was standing out in the open looking at it at the recycling centre and out of no where there was this god almighty lightning bolt very close by followed by deafening thunder - ran undercover and bought it as it looked good and I didn't feel like putting it back). Straight fueled only paid $5 so no great loss.
That being said, the mac ended up giving its coil and throttle lever to my mates one, and the homelites carby and filter housing went onto another mates one (his had the rotochoke without air filter which is just asking for dirt ingestion).
