Review of string trimmer reviews

[RedMF40]

I’m looking to buy a cordless string trimmer, found this one from Craftsman and sold through Ace hardware. 20V with battery and charger. Started reading the reviews and they were unusually long. People loved this string trimmer, couldn’t say enough good about it. One after the other, a real love-fest. Then I noticed something I didn’t see before: “Incentivized. Received free product.” For every single review. Ok, maybe that has something to do with it.

Came across exactly one review that wasn’t “incentivized.”

Read, more or less, “piece of junk, don’t waste your money.” Also mentioned short battery life and long time to recharge. For $100 I was willing to give it a try. I’ll hold off for now.

 

[Tony in SD]

I have a Milwaukee M18 with a pair of 12ah batteries. I have a 4 acre yard with lots of trees and out buildings. So it takes a while to get it all don't. Most of the time Miss Candy does the weed whacking but sometimes I do. She says the 12ah battery poops out the same time she does. There is a shoulder strap that Miss Candy likes. Refilling the string is very easy. I also have the pole saw (chain saw) and disk attachment. The disk attachment will chop right through a full grown sunflower stalk. I highly recommend a Milwauke M18 12an

 

[MarkB_MI]

I find it a bit hard to believe that Ace gave away 385 trimmers in exchange for favorable reviews. That said, I don't think a $100 string trimmer is going to be very good. Heck, they're practically giving them away at that price anyway.

 

[RedMF40]

I have a Milwaukee M18 with a pair of 12ah batteries. I have a 4 acre yard with lots of trees and out buildings. So it takes a while to get it all don't. Most of the time Miss Candy does the weed whacking but sometimes I do. She says the 12ah battery poops out the same time she does. There is a shoulder strap that Miss Candy likes. Refilling the string is very easy. I also have the pole saw (chain saw) and disk attachment. The disk attachment will chop right through a full grown sunflower stalk. I highly recommend a Milwauke M18 12an

Thanks, I’ll look at that one. I like the part about easy string replacement, been an issue for me in the past. I need to clear a good-size area that’s gotten overgrown behind my workshop as well as just regular trimming here and there. Sounds like this would be a good choice.
Gerrit

 

[Dusty MI]

For doing overgrown areas I raise my Z-turn deck as high as it will go.
Dusty

 

[47fivewindow]

I’m looking to buy a cordless string trimmer, found this one from Craftsman and sold through Ace hardware. 20V with battery and charger. Started reading the reviews and they were unusually long. People loved this string trimmer, couldn’t say enough good about it. One after the other, a real love-fest. Then I noticed something I didn’t see before: “Incentivized. Received free product.” For every single review. Ok, maybe that has something to do with it.

Came across exactly one review that wasn’t “incentivized

I couldn't be happier with the Dewalt we use. 20v so it uses the same batteries as my other tools. I didn't git nothin for this review.

 

[ss55]

I’m looking to buy a cordless string trimmer, found this one from Craftsman and sold through Ace hardware. 20V with battery and charger. Started reading the reviews and they were unusually long. People loved this string trimmer, couldn’t say enough good about it. One after the other, a real love-fest. Then I noticed something I didn’t see before: “Incentivized. Received free product.” For every single review. Ok, maybe that has something to do with it.

Came across exactly one review that wasn’t “incentivized.”

Read, more or less, “piece of junk, don’t waste your money.” Also mentioned short battery life and long time to recharge. For $100 I was willing to give it a try. I’ll hold off for now. View attachment 152113

Lot size and lot layout will make a big difference on string trimmer needs. A string trimmer that works well on a quarter acre lot might not work very well on a several acre lot with outbuildings, many trees and long fence lines. Also most reviews could be from people who bought the trimmer that best fit their needs. People with bigger lots might not ever consider buying a light duty disposable trimmer that would last for five to ten years on a quarter acre lot. They go right to commercial grade trimmers, so there will be very few reviews from people who try using a disposable trimmer on a large lot.

I kept adding low mow-over edging and planted hosta borders until I was able to do all my edging with a push mower, no string trimmer needed anymore.

 

[ss55]

I’m looking to buy a cordless string trimmer, found this one from Craftsman and sold through Ace hardware. 20V with battery and charger. Started reading the reviews and they were unusually long. People loved this string trimmer, couldn’t say enough good about it. One after the other, a real love-fest. Then I noticed something I didn’t see before: “Incentivized. Received free product.” For every single review. Ok, maybe that has something to do with it.

Came across exactly one review that wasn’t “incentivized.”

Read, more or less, “piece of junk, don’t waste your money.” Also mentioned short battery life and long time to recharge. For $100 I was willing to give it a try. I’ll hold off for now. View attachment 152113

Check the battery size. The trimmer you posted does come with a small 1.5 Amp-Hr battery. Adding a larger battery could cost more than the trimmer.

 

[Tony in SD]

Lot size and lot layout will make a big difference on string trimmer needs. A string trimmer that works well on a quarter acre lot might not work very well on a several acre lot with outbuildings, many trees and long fence lines. Also most reviews could be from people who bought the trimmer that best fit their needs. People with bigger lots might not ever consider buying a light duty disposable trimmer that would last for five to ten years on a quarter acre lot. They go right to commercial grade trimmers, so there will be very few reviews from people who try using a disposable trimmer on a large lot.

I kept adding low mow-over edging and planted hosta borders until I was able to do all my edging with a push mower, no string trimmer needed anymore.

I tried to make my yard a no string trimmer needed but Miss Candy has other yard art ideas that do not allow that option. Which is in part, why she volunteered to weed whack. To make it easier for her, I bought her the best weed whacker for her particular needs. Light, battery operated (no mixing gas or hard starts), shoulder strap, easy string replacement. M18 was a consideration since I have mostly Milwaukee tools but I still bought a 12ah battery that is almost exclusively used tor the weed whacker.

 

[gears]

Wife & kids like the 40v Ryobi I got. Now I don't need to rebuild a carb or replace a fuel line and start it for them to be able to "help" me with the yard work.

 

[RedMF40]

I find it a bit hard to believe that Ace gave away 385 trimmers in exchange for favorable reviews. That said, I don't think a $100 string trimmer is going to be very good. Heck, they're practically giving them away at that price anyway.

I actually didn’t know how much string trimmer $100 could buy because my previous ones were cast-offs or ones I found here and there. Someone set a Homelite gas trimmer out with their trash years ago. I picked it up and it sat in my truck for a while. One day I hired some day laborers to clear an overgrown lot. Among the hand tools was the string trimmer. “Here, try this.”
It started and ran perfectly, they got a lot of work done with it. That’s been pretty typical of my experience with string trimmers. Would rather go with batter power now.

 

[scootergmc]

I find it a bit hard to believe that Ace gave away 385 trimmers in exchange for favorable reviews. That said, I don't think a $100 string trimmer is going to be very good. Heck, they're practically giving them away at that price anyway.

It doesn't say what free product was received, could've been a string pack, coupon for a free key at the machine, a pack of toilet paper, etc... All you know is that the review was incentivized with a free product.

 

[RedMF40]

It doesn't say what free product was received, could've been a string pack, coupon for a free key at the machine, a pack of toilet paper, etc... All you know is that the review was incentivized with a free product.

That’s true, I’d considered the possibility they didn’t actually receive a free trimmer. Might be the kind of deal where they said “tell us about the trimmer” and you get some product or credit in return.

 

[Phill Tibbetts]

Wife & kids like the 40v Ryobi I got. Now I don't need to rebuild a carb or replace a fuel line and start it for them to be able to "help" me with the yard work.

I have the 40 volt too and the Ryobi blower and chainsaw. Very happy with all of them.

 

[MeanGene1]

I couldn't be happier with the Dewalt we use. 20v so it uses the same batteries as my other tools. I didn't git nothin for this review.

I also have the 20V Dewalt, and also the 4-stroke gas version which is getting lonely. The 20V (and the 20V blower I also got) came with a 5ah battery, and by the time I burn it down I am also ready for a break. It works pretty well, is light and is QUIET. BTW, a 5ah battery lasts longer on the trimmer than it does on the blower. I also use the 20V sawzall with a pruning blade for almost all my tree trimming, I can go up in my Genie lift with 4 batteries and wear myself out, but the difference in arm-weariness from using a small gas saw is subtantial, and those pruning blades are very sharp- I have cut limbs up to 6" diameter with it

 

[chvet73]

I have 40 volt Ryobi tools. Both the trimmer and blower are great. Sold my gas versions of both. I’m not total electric as I still have my 20 year old Honda mower. And an Echo chain saw. They survive cuz they start easy. I have a bad shoulder and recently had back surgery if they were hard to start they’d be gone. I agree with others, no oil no gas is getting more and more attractive at age 76.

 

[B. White]

8 or so years ago I bought some cheap Worx electric stuff. It all still functions and the original batteries are still good. About 5 years ago my wife wanted an electric trimmer for her to use, so since the other stuff did ok and they all use the same batteries I added one. It has become my primary trimmer since it is light enough to use with one hand around ditches. I would not want to use it in fescue or heavy stuff, but most of what I have is centipede or bermuda and it does fine. Most of my fescue is just around a couple of gates and pecan trees, just a small strip at a time for it to handle. I did add a couple of no-name higher capacity batteries from amazon, since the standard 20V that came with it and the other tools takes about four of them charged to cover the four acres or so I worry about keeping trimmed. I think I have used my heavy gas one once since she had me get this one.

 

[Mule Meat]

Can't say if they are alike or not. But I once tried a Craftsman corded trimmer with the motor on the head end of the shaft at an old ladies house. I must say that was the most awkward handling trimmer I ever dealt with. It was so unbalanced that I gave up trying to use it after a couple of minutes and went home and got a gas trimmer.

I have an Echo 56 volt trimmer and use it more than the gas ones I have. It handles like a straight gas trimmer and can use Husqvarna T25 heads like my gas units. When I bought the trimmer. I got two blowers with 5 Ah batteries and chargers cheaper than what the batteries cost alone. Then sold the bare blowers to a landscaping guy. Another thing I like about Echo is the 5 year warranty out of the box with no hoops to jump through to get it.

 

[Ray,IN]

For doing overgrown areas I raise my Z-turn deck as high as it will go.
Dusty

Yep, however; mowing waist-high grass will cause the engine to overheat. It's a good thing I only have one fence row to mow alongside. I do that to keep from getting into the woven-wire fence with my tractor and rotary mower.

 

[RedMF40]

For doing overgrown areas I raise my Z-turn deck as high as it will go.
Dusty

That got me to thinking of the Gravely walk-behind I’ve been meaning to get running. It has two mower attachments, one is like a brush hog and good for rough, untamed areas. It came with my place and was parked in running condition. Just need to wake it up. That area is a bit too much for my cub cadet riding mower.