Customer Reviews

LEHR ST025DC 25cc Propane Powered 4-Stroke Detachable Curved-Shaft Eco Trimmer

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I received the detachable, curve shaft model as a Father's day present. I've used it twice so far. It was easy to assemble and started after a few pulls. The manual said it takes a few minutes for the engine to warm up. At first, I wasn't impressed with it's power. I had the throttle fully engaged and thought there's no way the optional brush cutting attachment would work, but after a few minutes the rpms really ramped up. I had to barely touch the throttle to get good power.

I found the unit heavy, very unbalanced and awkward to use. I'm right handed and was using my right hand on the throttle. I had to pull up with my right arm to get the trimmer head near the ground. I'm 6'4" and perhaps the curve shaft wasn't the best choice for me. I tried moving the handle, but when I positioned the handle where it was comfortable for me I had to bend my knees to get the trimmer head down to the ground.

The second time I used it it again started right away, but when I was almost done the engine stopped. I thought I was out of propane and went to change the canister. I found the canister covered with oil. I switched the canister anyway and heard a hissing sound coming from the engine (the propane was leaking) and oil was dripping out. I called customer support and they told me I put too much oil in it. I rejected this idea because the manual and an extra flier warned about putting to much oil in. The support rep assured me I put too much oil in and said the full marker on the dipstick is not right. It's about 4/5 the way up the stick and the rep told me the full mark is really about half way up. The hissing sound was coming from the carburetor diaphragm and the rep told me how to reset it (this is not in the manual). I removed some oil and reset the diaphragm and everything appears to be ok.

While I had the rep on the phone, I inquired about returning the curved model and getting the straight shaft model. The rep said they only accept returns when there is a catastrophic engine failure and suggested since I had the detachable model I could buy the detachable straight shaft for $179. Since the curved unit cost $199 this seemed unreasonable to me.

Since I'm stuck with it, I tried to make some improvements. I added some weight to the trimmer end so I wouldn't have to hold up the engine end (only 1 or 2 pounds). This made a big difference. I also want to add something to the handle to make it longer so I don't have to bend my knees.

I rate the Lehr a 3 out of 5 mostly because of the no return policy and the weight. If you're over 6' I would definitely buy the straight shaft model. If you have a lot a trimming to do, the weight will be an issue, but adding a little weight to the trimmer head end to counter the weight of the engine works for me.

I purchased one last summer and have had several problems since. After about 5 minutes of running, it stalled and was very hard to restart. Every few minutes it would stall even if it was running fast, and it would never idle properly. I noticed that it was leaking oil from the recoil starter, so I called the support number where my best experience was getting a very helpful tech. We determined that it had a bad crank seal and they exchanged a new engine to correct my problem. By the time I was up and running, the weather had tuned cold, so I only ran it long enough to test it. Now that spring is here, I got it out and had trouble starting it again. I had to prime the carb to get gas into it, but finally got it going. The first time I needed to let out more string, I bumped the release as per the instructions and it wouldn't feed more string. I have now had almost every part of this thing apart to correct problems. Here is what I have learned both from the techs and from my own experience.

You must remove the gas line from the propane tank after each use or the carb will be damaged. The unit should not be hung on the wall, as it must be stored level to keep oil from leaking. You can only run the motor for short times with the engine not level or it will not be lubricated properly, like when using it for edging because the motor has an oil pump and pickup tube which must be submerged in the crankcase oil to provide oil pressure. The dipstick is not accurate and you will have problems if you add oil up to the full mark and some were shipped with more oil than is needed, so you can't use the entire bottle. The tank strap will be stretched and damaged if care is not taken to get the tank in the right position before clamping it. You sometimes have to prime the carb to get it to start by pushing a small wire or paper clip through a little hole in the bottom of the carb until you hear gas hissing. Most of these problems are not discussed in the manual but make ownership less desirable than I had hoped.

I find it to be heavy and poorly balanced for anything but brief use. I also question the better for the enviroment pitch when it uses disposable canisters that are good for a couple of hours of run time. The only positive features are that it does run quieter than the 2-cycle types and does not smoke.

I would not have bought it if I had known what I do now, plus it cost more than most gasoline versions do.

Now after the second season I find it easier to pull grass and weeds by hand than to fight with getting this unit started. I have lowered my rating to 1 star.

I bought the Curved Detachable Shaft model. The unit was easy to assemble and the engine started on the 2nd try. It appears well built and has plenty of power. The problem I have is that to get the head level with the ground for even cutting I had to hold the engine high in the air with my elbow bent outward which, was very awkward. Since it is fairly heavy and held in an unnatural position my arm tired quickly. I am 5'11" and weigh 185 and am in fairly good shape.

A great idea, well constructed but, could be improved to be more ergonomically friendly. I reluctantly returned the trimmer and hope that Lehr will come out with a better design.

Bought this trimmer last year (used approx 2 hrs) this year tried to start and pull rope malfunctioned. Found you cannot repair - had to buy new assembly. Started up unit and the throttle trigger broke below the housing. Cheap plastic made in china junk. People have a habit of reviewing a product when its new, need to wait until after the shake out,,, Junk product,,, poor customer support,,, they also need to send a parts diagram and list with each new trimmer because you are sure going to need it. Buyer beware,,,,,,,,

I just purchased a LEHR ST025DC trimmer. My original thoughts were 1) Wow its quiet, 2) Seems to have good power, 3) Seems tail heavy and the working angle is weird. After a half hour of trimming and noticing a smell of burning plastic, I shut it off to take a break. When I tried to start it the cord pulled all the way out and the recoil mechanism did not work. I pulled the housing off and pieces of melted plastic fell out. Now I know what the smell was. LEHR requests "DO NOT RETURN THE UNIT TO THE RETAILER", I wonder why. I will see how they want to handle it. I purchased two and they both smelled of plastic. Made in China. Real Eco Friendly.

This is a somewhat quirky piece of equipment, but not as quirky as the company who manufactures it, Lehr.
The trimmer arrived in three pieces. It required only minutes to snap the two shaft pieces together. The third item requiring assembly was the D shaped handle used to hold onto the shaft.
Included with the trimmer is a tool kit, which includes a small bottle of motor oil. The manual instructs you to pour the entire bottle into the motor, and to save the bottle to measure out oil in the future. More on this later.
The trimmer comes with a shoulder strap to help the operator support the unit, as the trimmer weights in at more than 18 pounds, all at the engine end.
A camper style propane canister (16.4 oz), which I purchased at the local home improvement store for $2.19 (Philadelphia suburb), attached quickly to the motor. A few quick pulls and the engine fired up nicely. The engine is relatively quiet, smooth running, and without any exhaust odor.
Maneuvering the 18 pound unit takes some getting used to. It is not for the weak, or short. Because the trimmer does not use an oil and gasoline mixture, the engine can not be extensively tilted. To use the trimmer as an edger, the shaft rotates 90 degrees. That process is quick. The edger is powerful. To advance the trimmer line (0.80) the manual directs that you have the engine at full throttle and then bump the trimmer head repeatedly until the line advances.
After a few uses, I needed to replace the trimmer line. The unit has 2 independent 7.5 foot lines wound in the bump feed unit.
Here my problems began. The manual instructs you to insert the provided allen key into a hole on the collar, turning the collar until the allen key engages a groove inside the shaft. This will hold the bump unit in one place while you turn the bump head counter-clockwise off the shaft, exposing the line storage area. I could not find a hole on the collar. I called the tech support number. The technician stated, "Oh, Lehr doesn't use that type of bump head any more." Then why does the manual devote 2 pages to it, I ask! "Lehr printed 100,000 manuals and we just didn't want to waste them," was his answer. He then instructed me to simply hold the outer bump casing and turn the bump-head counterclockwise. I tried, and it didn't budge. "Yup" he said, "they can really torque up tight." He suggested using two crescent wrenches to help bite into the plastic pieces. "This can be really tough and there are no tricks, just keep trying" was his advise. Before hanging up he asked me if I advanced the line at full throttle. Yes I did, just like the manual said. NO, he said, never do that. It will torque the bump head real tight! But the manual says to!
Then he asked if I added all of the oil in the bottle supplied. Yes... "Pour out about 1 ˝ tablespoons. That's too much oil and you could damage the engine. Oh, and make sure you remove the propane tank when not in use, it can damage the carburetor." Is anything in the manual that's right, I asked?
After two hours of not being able to budge the bump head I called back, and I got the same technician. "Not much you can do about that, just keep trying."
After another hour, I went on-line and order a new trimmer line head at the cost of $22.
Buyer, be aware!

I bought a Sears curved shaft model. It went together easily and started and worked well the first time. I stored it standing on a slant. When I went to start it the second time I went to use it I could not get it to turn over. Oil from the crank case had leaked into the compression chamber. I had to take out the spark plug and drain it out. I guess you have to store it so the engine is upright. It then started after a few pulls and I went about trimming. I finished and shut it off and then thought of another area I wanted to touch up. I switched it on and pulled the rope and it started, but went to full throttle and the rope did not recoil. I immediately shut it down. The plastic cage around the hot parts is also apparently not high impact plastic as it broke easily when the tool feel over in the garage one time. Needless to say Sears has it for Warranty work. I love it when it's working, but not too impressed with the performance so far.

I bought the Craftsman version of this trimmer to replace a piece-of-crap electric trimmer that died on me recently. Maybe I'll review that one next.

I bought the trimmer because I figured the propane would make it easier to use, and less-polluting than regular gas trimmers. There's also less smell from the exhaust.

My first test of the Craftsman was a doozy--a 10' by 100' storm runoff ditch in our development with 3-foot-high grass, blackberry bushes, etc. A very tough job.

My neighbor and I attacked this mess with our trimmers, and I quickly appreciated the Craftsman's fixed-line head. While my neighbor kept stopping to untangle his automatic line feeder, I kept going. The most amazing thing is that ONE of the pre-cut strings lasted about 80 percent through the job. That is just nuts. And it wasn't even the black heavy-duty line, it was the red medium-duty line. Replacing the line on these trimmers is very simple, and the trimmer head seems too uncomplicated and sturdy to ever break.
The trimmer was extremely easy to start, and ran like a banshee. My neighbors liked my new toy, but it did have some minor issues.

The second time I used the trimmer it didn't want to start at all. I literally wore a whole in my middle finger yanking on the cord in frustration. Using the instructions in owner's manual, I was able to adjust the idle and the engine worked great. Now if the manual warns me not to adjust the engine and to leave it to professionals, then why do they provide these instructions?

The trimmer is very heavy, and the strap is not that helpful. I'm about 225 pounds and work out regularly, and I found this trimmer a handful to work with. I can imagine how tough it would be for someone older or smaller than myself to swing this thing around. I found the strap hindered my motion, so I just tossed it aside.

The trimmer came assembled more than the instructions indicated. I spent a while looking for screws that were already assembled on the handle. And the seal on the enclosed bottle of oil was punctured, so I briefly wondered if I had gotten a used trimmer. But I always double-check for a factory seal, so I don't think mine was used. Sears should update the documentation to avoid future confusion.

Because the oil was spilled over everything, I had to carefully measure out the correct amount and pour it in. My mistake, I really should have been checking the oil level as I went and after I filled it. So I ended up with too much oil in the trimmer, and as a result I had hot oil dripping out of the air filter as I was working. I fixed this problem later and cleaned the air filter. The dripping stopped.

The pre-cut strings that came with the trimmer are too long. The trimmer lacked power when cutting with a full string, but seemed much more powerful after the string was cut down a little bit. When I run out of factory strings, I'll cut my own shorter. But as I mentioned above, the Sears strings were pretty darned impressive.

Last, but not least, the band that keeps the propane bottle in place is a bit wonky. At first, it didn't want to snap around the proper-sized propane bottle, but now it wants to come loose all the time. I have heard similar complaints, and can see where this would be a safety concern. I'll keep my trimmer, wait for Sears to issue a recall, and get it fixed then.

All-in-all, I am glad I bought this trimmer and can see it becoming one of my favorite tools. I just wish Sears hadn't dropped the price from $219 to $199 right after I bought it.

I bought the LEHR because I've gone through two electric cordless and a small gas/oil WeedEater in three years. I looked at the reviews and thought I had a 80% chance of getting a good machine that works out of the box and might last two seasons. Turns out I had a 100% chance of frustration, but with a good ending. It turns out the internet is better than the instruction manual. I've combed through the internet and these pages at amazon and made a troubleshooting manual of sorts, but it is not end all be all. There are a few things that should help you if your propane powered LEHR doesn't run like it is supposed to.

Starting out, I assembled the trimmer per the instructions. I inserted propane tank( you need the coleman shaped ones, the plumbing propane tanks will screw on, but they won't fit the holder). I pulled like fifty times with nothing. I knew from what others have said, it should start on the first or second pull. ( The manual says you may have to pull like ten times when you first get it). I was getting perturbed, but then remembered the internet. One guy didn't have his spark plug wire snapped on fully. There is a little black cover on the shroud and I reseated it. Pull, pull, pull, pull x 20 times. Anger was rising to a high high level.

The internet had another guy that had to purge the carb so I took a paperclip, unbent it and jammed it into the paperclip sized hole on the bottom of the brassy looking saucer/diaphram on the carb. There is supposed to be a 'pffft' of propane when you do this. Pull x 20 again. Expletives were muttered like a mantra.

A deeper delving into the internet found another guy that had to adjust the carburator. He didn't describe it but I'll tell you what I did. There is a warning not to mess with the carb, but the manufacturer has told other how to muck with it. I was thinking its broke already so I really can't mess it up too much more. I turned the screw CLOCKWISE and pulled twice-nothing. Turned it another 1/4 clockwise. It sputtered ever so briefly. I felt anticipation like a like a hungry coyote ready to eat a bag full of kittens. I turned the carburator screw another 1/2 turn and it ran on the first pull. Yyyyyyyyeeeeess!

I shut it off and tried to restart with no avail. I started to sink again because I knew this affected others, but bolstered with the fact that actually letting propane into the carb actually let it run, I was not disuaded. I turned the carburator screw another 1/4 turn and it started up on the first pull. I proceeded to keep turning the screw clockwise until the spool started running on the business end, then I backed it off counterclockwise to back where it was running like a champ.

It now runs on the first pull everytime.

A few other things I learned:
-contrary to what women believe, a man should ignore the warnings found in instruction manuals
-shoulder strap is necessary, it's heavier than an electric or battery powered trimer or even a small 2 cycle
-the loop where you click the strap onto the trimmer is somewhat awkward
-moving the attachment point for the shoulderstrap seems to work or putting a one pound weight on the end
seems to balance it out better
-straight shaft if your over 6ft curved shaft if you are under

Another thing worth mentioning is that the company seems to actually listen to it's consumers. The spark plug cover, the cutting head (mine is has the thick stick kind where the earlier ones seemed to have autofeeders), and the use of a 2 oz of oil bottle instead of the 3 oz that lead to overfilling before in earlier customer's trimmers seems to have been remedied or at least had an honest effort towards doing so. That is very encouraging indeed. Another guy on here, Eric, said there are refillable 1 pound coleman-type containers from Manchester Tanks available now in 2011. Their website is mantank.com ( no..for real, it's not a porno site.)I believe they also have a gizmo where you can refill your tank and it'll be a lot cheaper in the long haul than $4+ gallon of gas.
Not every product is perfect. This one is no exception, but everything has shortcomings and I think this trimmer is able to overcome most of those with just a little tweaking.

Purchased this unit with the hopes that it would last a long time and be easy to maintain. When I first received the unit it was easy to set-up and the instructions were very clear. Other than the unit being very heavy (which I am sure is common in other 4 stroke engine designs) it worked very well. However, after only a couple of uses the unit would not idle right. Lehr support was very helpful in walking me through how to adjust the fuel feed and after that the unit ran well again. Again after a few more uses the same thing started to happen. The unit would not maintain an idle and would die. Lehr support again was very helpful and determined that it was a bad carburetor and mailed me a new one. After I installed the new carb it again worked well for a few uses and then stared to die after a several minutes of use. Maybe I just had bad luck as all the research I did indicated that this was a great unit. Perhaps I also set my expectations too high believing this unit would require less maintenance than regular trimmers. It requires at least the same amount of maintenance. I am going back to a light 2 cycle trimmer even if they don't last very long.