Customer Reviews

LEHR ST025DS 25cc Propane Powered 4-Stroke Detachable Straight-Shaft Eco Trimmer

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I literally just bought this trimmer this afternoon - locally. I bought the non-detachable straight shaft from a local discount home/building supply - where they wear orange vests. I had to call the 866 number - in TX - for two problems. The cylinder latch wouldn't close - easily remedied - my reason for calling - and I found that the PRC-made item didn't get an accurate translation re the crankcase oil. The manual clearly states - use all 2.7 oz provided. In reality, it only takes 2 oz - the excess will come out the intake/air filter - messy - and a trait others identified. Now we know why.

The shoulder strap was never mentioned, another rather minor omission. I attached it where it felt good. I assume it will take the usual attachments in place of the .095" string head. It is the first 'real' trimmer I've owned - great torque, especially when my previous experience was with a rebuilt $59 2-cycle - and, many moons before, an early corded electric from Sears. The string, this one is .095" vs the other Lehr's at .080", holds up well. The 'propane smell' blends well with the cut crop of onions, too.

My reason for 4 instead of 5 stars is simple. Those of us attracted to this thing likely are tired of gasoline - 2 or 4 cycle. We would not balk at the extra $50-$75 this unit would have cost had it been made here in the USA - where a language translation wouldn't have been a requirement. The unit is of decent, not exceptional, construction - and, providing spares are available, should last a while. It is not quite a 'professional' tool. I'll keep it.

Easy to assemble, SUPER easy to start for the first time. The auto-feed string head is as annoying as any other line trimmer I have ever used, so I wouldn't let that spoil the party. Only problem I had was the propane canister. The lady at the "home department" store said any "X"cc propane canister would fit, but the one she gave me did not allow the clamping band to secure into the chassis. Also, I had to tighten the spool head onto the base, as it fell off on my first use :) But that too was a simple fix. I have about 3 hours use on mine and LOVE it so far.

Don't normally write reviews, but am hoping this helps someone. I read all the reviews I could find, and no one mentioned the same problem.

I have the Craftsman version from Sears (got it for a bill and a half).

First "real" trimmer (I had an electric one before). I was very excited to get this: a) no mixing gas/oil, b), no gas mess, c) no stale gas or clogged carburetor, d) lower maintenance, and e) "ease of starting".

I was surprised (and mildly frustrated) when it didn't start right up (after reading so many reviews otherwise). I tried a full can of propane, and even tried the "Fast Idle Lock" suggestion from the manual. No luck. It didn't even sound like it was trying to start.

Finally called the number on the front of the manual to get help. He verified a few of the things I had done, then had me check the spark plug wire (it's under the black cover on the front that says "4 cycle"). I had to really pull hard to remove the black plug wire from the plug. Then I pushed it back on, and felt a "click".

After a few more pulls, it started!

*****So the plug wire wasn't seated properly coming from the factory.*****

In fact, this is my second trimmer - the first one was exchanged because I couldn't get it to start (probably same reason), and the pull cord broke after several attempts to start it.


Random notes:
-You have to check the oil with the trimmer on a flat surface, but you can't really add oil while it's flat (unless you use a long funnel). So it would be very easy to overfill the oil. I put in a lot less than I thought would fill it, and it was full.

-Once it started, I had to let it run for a few minutes to warm up. It still runs a little rough, so I might try to adjust the idle/throttle (directions are in the manual).

-I haven't tried to actually use it in my yard yet, so I can't rate it on that.

-Since the pull cord on the first one broke, I'm going to be sure to be extra careful with the pull cord.

-Propane can be expensive if you're always buying new bottles. They can be refilled from your BBQ gas can with a "refill kit" (basically a brass adapter, available on Amazon for $16). I read somewhere it comes out to like 25 cents per refill. Read up on it, and do it at your own risk (it's illegal to transport refilled bottles across state lines).

-I'm looking forward to getting some attachments (especially the edger).

So far it seems to be fairly well built and reliable. Great for your conscience but you'll feel it in your back.

Pros: It has plenty of power and cuts through some pretty tough weeds including saplings & alfalfa which can get pretty ropey. It had some problems with the stray wheat and barley that grows around here blown in from local wheat fields. I've never had a trimmer that could avoid getting wrapped up in the stuff so no marks lost there.

It's relatively quiet, doesn't smoke or smell bad. No mixing and storing messy gas cans.

I got the Poulan trim saw for it and it works great.

Cons: Like most reviewers state, it's heavy, especially with the saw attached. It really needs to have the handlebar style throttle as I feel contorted trying to reach this throttle.

The only other issue for me was starting it the first time. It just wouldn't start. I pulled until I had a blister on my finger and my forearms were cramping. The 1-800 number printed all over the thing was a dead end. Finally I got on their website and found a number to call in California. I got through on the 2nd attempt and they were able to help. Basically I needed to purge the fuel line and it started right up. The next time I used it I reconnected the bottle and had to purge it again. Looks like that will be the routine for me.

I've had my Lehr weed eater since January. In addition to the stock Lehr weed cutting attachment, I also purchased Poulan edger and tree trimmer attachments. The Poulan attachments still work fine on the Lehr device. However, the Lehr weed cutter broke several months ago and is STILL broken.

Here's what's good:
The propane concept and execution are good. This is the easiest to start motor I've ever had on a weed trimmer. The propane tank is easy to replace and one tank lasts several months with a fair bit of use. The power output is good. When running, the weed cutting power was great. The edger and tree trimmer work fine and the attachments are easy to pop on and off.

Here's what's bad:
Looks like the best engineering went into the propane motor and not into the actual cutting/trimming devices. Those are complete junk. I actually had to return the very first device I purchased as the propane wasn't feeding through. The second one worked fine. At that point, I hadn't had to deal with Lehr customer service. The weed trimmer worked OK from January to March. The auto feeder never worked properly, but it cut fine. Then the weed trimmer stopped spinning. It took a couple of weeks to get ahold of anyone at Lehr. No one answers the phone and no one is there on weekends. When someone finally did call me back, they said they couldn't just sent a replacement, even though the thing was only three months old. They did say they could send a replacement cable. I said it seemed like more than just the cable, and the cable was completely stuck. The customer service rep assured me that I wouldn't want to bother mailing the attachment to them to fix because that would take weeks. So, when the cable arrived I took it to my favorite hardware store (local, friendly, helpful) to see if they could replace the part. Two guys wrangled and struggled to get the cable free, and out popped the cable along with a molten blob of plastic that had once been the cable housing. Plastic was melted in patchy blobs the whole length of the cable. Obviously not a customer do-it-yourself cable replacement. So after all that I had to mail the darn thing in anyway, and true to word, the weeks are ticking by.

I ended up just purchasing a Poulan weed trimming attachment. So far great success with Poulan. This Lehr might be worth it if it came without the crummy attachments. Although, the hardware store guys did say at first this product seemed good, but the longer it's out there, the more and more returns they're seeing.

Bought the Sears weed wacker (Lehr) propane powered device. I liked the idea running the propane since I already had numerous bottles of propane and the ability to refill for free. This unit did start easy, but much heavier than previous 2-Cycle devices I've owned in the past. I must also note it doesn't have the same power as either 2-Cycle or even 4-Cycle motors with the same (CC) rating Running time was much better than I would have expected. I would be able to use the device at least 2 hours (During a month) without a problem. Here's the bad news....after 10 months of mild homeowner use the Lehr motor grenaded. Luckily it was warranted by Sears for 2 years. I believe if Lehr had the motor built in Japan with a full crank motor it would still be running, but the Lehr motor is a half-crank motor built in China. With that said I now have a Sears commercial trimmer (Same Price) with a full-crank motor that is much lighter and has a lot more power.

Piece of junk!! Do not buy this. I purchased the Eco-Trimmer and brought it home to try. I was very interested in the environmentally friendly concept of using propane. Once it was assembled, I connected the propane and it started after maybe a dozen pulls. It worked great. The next time I tried to use it the pull starter broke. I wanted to return it then but I was passed the 30-day return where I purchased it.

I contacted Lehr and they said they would send a new pull starter. This took a couple of weeks. After installing the new pull starter, it still would not start. I attached a new cylinder of propane and tried again, nothing. I called the service number and they said the carburetor might be stuck. They gave me a procedure to try which did nothing. I left the unit in my garage and came back an hour later and the propane had all leaked out into the garage. Thank god nothing sparked to cause a fire. This unit is not only poor quality but dangerous.

I called again to the service desk and was sent a new carburetor. The trimmer work the next two times I tried to start it. The third time I tried to use it the pull starter broke again. I tried to get Lehr to refund my money, but the only thing they will do is send me a new one.

This thing is poorly engineered with cheap inexpensive components. You are better off staying with a nationally known company making gas trimmers. Lehr has a good idea, but a very poor machine. Stay away!

I went out and bought this trimmer (Craftsman branded) and was super excited to get it up and running... Well, guess what? It doesn't run. A little bit of fiddling around didn't fix the problem, I pulled the starter cord about 50 times... nothing. Switched the tank with another brand new tank... Nothing. Pulled the air filter off and put a tiny spray of starter fluid in the carb. Replaced the filter. Started, ran for 10 seconds, then died. Tried to pull start again. It started, ran for 10 seconds then died. I removed the spark plug and verified the gap was proper with a gap gauge. Reinstalled, tried the starter fluid again. Same story. So, here I am with a useless piece of metal and plastic that won't run. Looks like it is going back to Sears for repair, replacement, or refund.

I got this trimmer because it's four stroke and works with propane. I do not get along with two stroke oil burners.

It assembled easily but did not start so easy. After many, many pulls on the rope it started and worked fine. But every time I need to restart it was another workout for my pulling arm. Turns out it was a faulty carburetor. The company sent me a new one, which took two weeks due to it being "back-ordered"; they forgot to send it after my first call.

Replacing the carburetor was simple, but you will need to review a YouTube video to learn how to adjust the throttle needle; the new carb did not come with instructions and none can be found on the Lehr website. Once the new carb was in place the trimmer started and restarted just as advertised; one or two pulls.

The string head hit something on the first use and now has a hole in it, but it still functions. I would replace it but can not find any after-market parts for a Lehr. The bump feature for string release does not work dependably, this may be because in Florida we have soft sand and the button can not make solid contact with the ground in order to operate properly.

The strap is useless. I'm 6' tall and using the strap places the trimmer head at an angle to the ground, but it's light enough just to hold with two hands.

I have not been able to get two hours of use out of one canister of propane, as advertised, only about 90 minutes.

If there were no problems with this trimmer I would be singing its praises, but it has quality control issues as others have also stated. So if you don't mind dealing with a few issues, and are looking for an eco-friendly trimmer, I think it's a good buy.

I had a rough start with this out of the box. I got it to start after 50+ pulls but I was unable to keep it running. Every time I let off the throttle the engine would die and it was nearly impossible to restart. After calling customer service, they walked me through some troubleshooting tips and was able to get it started again, but the problem of releasing the throttle and the engine dying persisted. After two more calls, they sent me some documentation on how to adjust the carburetor needle which resolved the problem. It took some trial and error with the needle adjustment and the idle speed but eventually I got it perfect. So out of the factory in China, the idle was not right, the carburetor needle was out of whack, and when I removed the carburetor cover to make the recommended adjustments, I found the air filter wasn't seated in there properly and unfiltered air was getting into the engine; I would recommend checking this if you decide to purchase this unit.

So now the positive--just to make sure (before writing this review), I went to start the trimmer the next day and it started with one pull. The unit is very powerful and the string feed works flawlessly--a problem I've had on several preceding trimmers. I absolutely love the fact that this runs on propane; there is no smoke and virtually no odor from the engine running. So after being very annoyed with the adjustments I had to make on it out of the box, I am very happy. I use refillable propane canisters to further minimize my impact on the environment; however the disposable steel ones are still recyclable. Overall, I'm very pleased with this trimmer.