Customer Reviews

Weed Thrasher

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

I was tired of how often I was replacing the line on my trimmer but I wanted a comprimise between the blades that would damage my vinyl fencing and the string that broke constantly. This was not it. It took over an hour to install and I am a professional contractor. Even then I had to rig something up because the attachments it came with did not fit. Then the strings that are suppossed to just slide into place had to be forced into place with a screwdriver (a process I do not recommend as the liklihood of slicing your hand is great). Then to my disgust the thrashers broke on every fence post that broke my regular string. But instead of just being able to tap the ground to get more line I had to stop, shut the trimmer off, and get the screw driver and replacement line and swap it out.

This is an inferior product.

Decided to try the Weed Thrasher hoping to end problems with the bump head line dispensing trimmer. Sorry to report that this product does not fit my Ryobi model 975 trimmer. Tried fitting to both the Ryobi straight and curved shaft string trimmer attachments with the same problems: 1) The provided sleeve will not fit over the long shaft on the attachments; and 2) none of the special provided bolts/nuts fit the threads in the tapped hole of the shafts.

Contacted the Weed Thrasher customer service department - they said if the provided bolts don't work then it will not fit and advised me to return the product.

I may try to re-engineer it to work instead of returning it since two-way shipping costs would almost equal the price of the product. (found that the Ryobi long shafts are using a 5/16-18 standard thread - so can use a standard bolt to attach. Will either need to drill out the sleeve provided or create a new sleeve to fit)

UPDATE: With some enlargement of the hole in the mounting sleeve got the unit securely mounted on my Ryobi trimmer .... snapped off the cutter lines within 5 minutes of trimming. Reloaded cutters. Snapped off next set of cutter lines in less than 2 minutes of trimming. Reloaded again ... and was VERY careful only cutting GRASS - no weeds, no vines, no brush, made it about 10 minutes before the next one of the cutter lines broke. They all snap-off where the line meets the "ball" at the end.

If only I could give this product a rating of less than 1 .... this thing is a waste of time and money.

I was tired of the line on my weed trimmer getting tangled or shredding too easily. I figured an "As Seen On TV" item that makes it to a mainstream retailer must be a good product, right? Guess again. I bought a Weed Thrasher at a reputable hardware store, encouraged by the claim that it fits nearly all gas-powered weed trimmers. The Weed Thrasher comes with several flange nuts to try and accommodate various trimmers. Right off the bat, I ran into trouble because none of them fit...and flange nuts are difficult to find in specific sizes...even at major hardware stores like Lowe's and Home Depot (believe me, I checked). Additionally, the instructions included are quite unclear.

So after special-ordering the flange nut size I needed to attach the trimmer, I was all excited to give it a whirl. I fired up my trimmer and started cutting away some tall grass (nothing big, just some thicker grass around my deck). After about 20 seconds, I wondered why it wasn't cutting anymore. I turned off my trimmer to see the nylon cutters already worn down to the nub. I hadn't touched any wood, fencing, or foundation...only grass. Unbelievable. I then realized why they included so many extra cutters in the package.

Do yourself a favor and don't waste your money like I did!

The cutters broke every few minutes and the thrasher bogged out my Craftsman 25cc every 10 seconds when trying to cut down a weed patch. I spent more time replacing the cutters and starting my trimmer than I did actual trimming. Stick with line.

This has been an extremely bad purchase. I have a very small yard and after changing out six different strings I gave up. Yard half done. This product has been a very big disappointment. The only reason I can think of to purchase this Thrasher is for a gift to your ex wife's new husband.

I received the item quickly but it is not universal for all weed eaters. I have a homelite gas powered weed eater and the weed thrasher does not fit. It would require major modifications in order to make it work. The Homelite has a long shaft but the bolt shaped cutout on the inside of the thrasher simply does not fit over the nut on the weed eater. I'm not terribly disappointed; I knew I was taking a chance with a one-size-fits-all unit.

I have used the Weed Thrasher the only issue is, make sure you have heavy duty weed eater or you will burn the motor out. Which I did.

After trying all the nuts and bolts supplied with the Thrasher, and a number of my own, I was unable to attach the Thrasher to my ryobi 875f. I had high hopes, but I truly cannot give this any more than one star.

After snarling our trim line the first time we used our new Weed Eater, we went out and bought the Weed Thrasher. It should have gone down with the Thrasher...there was no way it would fit our trimmer - and I noticed that the package reads that it should fit "some models" - but doesn't give you a clue as to which one.

They always say "Don't Believe Everything You See on TV." That would be a fair warning to those who would buy the Weed Thrasher.

This device isn't easy to install, it won't work with some trimmers and it doesn't save you much time or money.

The ads say the Weed Thrasher attaches to "any size gas trimmer", but neglect to mention they do not work with Ryobi, one of the most popular brands of string trimmers.

I bought the Weed Thrasher to replace the trimmer head on my Ryobi 725R. The old trimmer head was a frustrating pain-in-the-rear from day one, and after several years it was pretty beat up.

My first attempt at installing the Weed Thrasher involved many tools, much cussing, a stab wound to the thumb from a dirty screwdriver tip and a quick trip to my medical record file to see if my Tetanus shot was still good.

The main problem was that the string head cup on the Ryobi was too deep to mount the Weed Thrasher and the center bolt was too short. The vague instructions told me to remove the string cutter head, but I pretty much ruined the thing before I figured it was never meant to come off.

I threw everything in a box and gave up for the day, deciding to a new string trimmer in the morning to replace the one I just ruined. Needless to say, I was disgusted and angry that I had to buy a new $100 tool because I tried to install a $10 accessory.

Later that night, I figured out a way to make the Weed Thrasher fit. After some careful customization involving a Sawzall and a grinding wheel, I was able to cut away enough of the cup to bolt the Thrasher on. But my problems didn't end there.

I first used the Thrasher to edge my driveway. The results were fairly impressive until the "Monster Cutter Blades" snapped off after several feet. Put in a new set of cutters, and they broke off after a few feet. In all, it took well over a dozen cutters to finsh edging a short driveway and a couple short sidewalks.

It was a time-consuming pain to constantly replace the cutters, but what really bothered me was when large chunks of red plastic would break off and go whizzing past me at a high rate of speed.

A few of these chunks were at least five inches long. They were much heavier than any pieces that flew off my old string trimmer, and one hit my elbow hard enough to draw blood. IF YOU MUST BUY THIS ITEM WEAR SAFETY GLASSES! I perform CT scans at a small hospital, and it's pretty damned impressive the kind of damage a flying piece of rock or plastic can do to someone's eye. Come to think of it, if you use ANY power tool wear safety glasses.

After the edging was done, I took the Weed Thrasher out back to tackle some tall thick grass. I wasn't breaking Monster Cutters every 30 seconds back there, but I wasn't exactly conquering the wilderness, either. The poor Ryobi didn't have the grunt to keep the big cutters up to speed in the thick grass, and frequently bogged down. I gave up and used my mower to finish the job.

Obviously, I was not impressed with the Weed Thrasher. When you factor in the cost and time involved in constantly replacing Monster Cutters, the Thrasher is not better than a stock string trimmer. In addition, I will be finding bright red chunks of plastic in my lawn until Judgement Day. At least my old trimmer string was green.

Save your money and buy GOOD quality string line and you will come out way ahead. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to buy a new string trimmer...