I'm trying to find an ELECTRIC lawn trimmer that is either a single or duel line. I don't much care if its an auto feed or a bump feed. I just want one that works. When I say works, I mean, of course it has the power to trim a lawn, but also feeds the line without throwing out too much line at one time, or won't through out any when needed. I think I have tried about every brand in the last 10 years and the main problem has always been the line feed.
ANYONE HAVE A SUGGESTION OF A TRIMMER THAT ACTUALLY WORKS THE WAY IT IS SUPPOSED TO WORK?
Thanks.
reviews and suggestions
Hello Cactusjumper, I have two trimmers. The double line B&D Grass Hog: extension cord is a pita to drag around and the auto feed is hit or miss. BUT, if I let things get out of hand, it's the go-to tool to hack back the jungle. My usual every week trimmer is the Ryobi cordless 18v lithium ion battery powered trimmer. I have a LOT of grass and with two batteries I can trim and edge both front and back and a little left over for the matching blower. (three batteries are better) It is an auto feed that works pretty well and has a manual feed button on the spool that helps strip off extra line quicker. the BIG plus is weight. Light as a feather and it does a great job on everything normal. The only thing is the .065 line breaks easier around the rocks and stuff. Until the lithium batteries happened, cordless were always underpowered, now, not so much. The batteries also work with all my other Ryobi tools.
Thank you jkochan. Your information is helpful. I'll do some more searching and looking at reviews etc of BOTH of the suggestions you made. I really never considered the Battery powered trimmer. I don't have a lot of grass to trim around so that might work just fine. The problem would be to find an extra unused outlet in the garage. YIKES ! THANKS
Can I Call ya CJ? I chose Ryobi because it worked with tools I already owned and it worked out great. They're are other voltages now, (more voltage, more work) but it has been great to have one power source for all my need. I've found Ryobi 2B tough enough for home, I use Dwlt at work and don't wish for anything Diff. The Lithium stuff is pricier but at this point I would not accept the older Nicad system. The batteries don't last well and though cheaper to replace, they don't give you the power reservoir I need over time and multiple jobs. Higher voltages are great but there is a much slimmer selection on what's avalable and the $$ is higher.
jkochan, my problem with trimmers isn't so much the power. It's the line/cord feed. Whether its the bump type or the automatic feed line type, the same thing seems to always happen. The line feed just stops working well or never works at all. With the trimmer I have now, I have to take the cap off the string, pull the line out manually and then put the cap back on. This goes on and on through the whole project. Thankfully, my lawn isn't extensive. This problem isn't like the worst thing that could happen in life, but hey, it would be nice to have a trimmer that did what it was supposed to do. LOL
For VERY light trimming, I've had good luck with my Black&Decker lithium (rechargable) battery powered trimmer. It has automatic line feed, and you can buy pre-wound reels that just drop in. Only a rare jam or two, easy to clear. It's also light weight and easy to handle. I don't do a lot of trimming but this has worked well for me.
Not sure if there is any perfect trimmer for auto feeding a line. You might want to check into one of those heads that you insert a very short length of string (usually 3 whips but all of them have double lines). It looks like it would be a snap to replace the line instead of a spool but only if the head works on your current model trimmer.
If you looking for a new trimmer consider the 40 Volt Li-on Ryobi trimmer (dual or single string when you buy it). Battery lasts a long time and charges in an hour.
Here is an idea on the trimmer head that is supposed to be "universal". I saw many different designs at Walmart and Home Depot.
http://www.kotulas.com/deals/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10602&storeId=10152&productId=32658&langId=-1&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=35-227419127-2&utm_source=google_pla&utm_medium=Outdoor%2bLiving%2b%253e%2bLawn%2b%2526%2bGarden&utm_content=174026