Customer Reviews

McLane 801 4.75 GT/3.5RP 9-Inch Gas Powered Lawn Edger With Ball Bearing Wheels

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Assembly is easy.
Engine is easy to start and runs well.
Unit cuts properly and is easy to use BUT ......
the belt pulley on the cutter head keeps coming off of the shaft.
It appears to be a friction fit.
There is no set screw or mechanical device to keep the pulley on the shaft.
I have reinstalled it 3 times but it keeps coming off.
I will have to call the factory and find out how to get it fixed.
Other than this defect it is a good unit.
UPDATE:
I contacted the factory and they promptly sent a new cutter head assembly.
Very simply installed in 5 minutes with minimal tools.
Now it works great!
I now rate it 5 stars.

I have had many edgers over the years, but this is by far the best one I've ever used. I received it in 2 days even though I chose free shipping, and my husband said it was very easy to assemble. I was very impressed that it started with only one pull after it was assembled. It has continued to start that easily, & it edges beautifully with little effort. We had tried an attachment to our edger, but it was too cumbersome for me to use. This McLane edger is an excellent edger!

The McLane 801 edger is a much better design than the brands at Sears or Home Depot. It works well, however, it was advertised as having steel wheels but they are plastic. The wheels seem to be the only difference from the lower cost model 101. Also, the throttle is somewhat flimsy. Overall, a nice unit that starts easily and has plently of power.

This edger replaced one from Sears that was, like all Sears products (seems like), made in China. The Sears edger was a piece of junk and pretty much like most Chinese products that I have owned. In my effort to replace all Chinese products it was a most pleasant surprise to find a an edger made in the USA. Even better, it is far superior to the Sears branded edger.

Easy to assemble, easy to start and easy to use. Thank you McLane.

My wife bought me this edger for Christmas and since we live in the NE I wan't able to use it until last weekend. It works perfectly. The blade angle adjustment is very easy to use and the height adjustment is just as easy. The engine starts on the first pull cold or hot and has plenty of power. This unit is a night and day difference from the old B&D electric edger or upsidedown weedeater I used before.

As some others have mentioned, as delivered the throttle sticks. This is easily remedied with some lubrication of the moving parts of the lever, cable and where it pivots on the engine. It's as smooth as can be now. Why McLane doesn't do this at the factory is a mystery because it is so well engineered and assembled otherwise. Overall, I couldn't be more pleased... and Amazon did it's usual great job getting it to us.

The title of this review pretty much sums up my experience with my McLane 801 Edger.

For the last 20 years I have been a Craftsman Edger user, but have really noticed an overall drop in quality with their products over the last 5 years. That is a sad story for another day. I researched the internet for a new edger and after many reviews and talking to my neighbor who also owns a McLane, I decided this was the unit for me.

When I received the edger from Amazon, it arrived in perfect condition. Assembly was easy and the instructions were very well written. The unit comes in two pieces. Since the throttle cable comes pre-attached, the handle assembly was semi-attached with only the upper section requiring assembly. (6 nuts/bolts)

Next was the oil installation. The engine comes with both a front and rear oil access port. (Note: The front one is inaccessible due to one of the front tires resting next to it.) Engine drank almost an entire quart of oil via the rear oil access port. Gas installation was easy.

The final step was a bit of a challenge. The throttle cable only moves to the center position of the full throttle lever range. (50% Range of TRAVEL) Seems this is the maximum travel allowed for this engine. My super human strength teenage son, figured that some "additional" pressure was warranted and instantly BROKE the cable off the lever housing with one swift push.

Seems the cable attachment is secured with a very cheap plastic clip attaching it to the main housing. I found an OEM cable assembly from an online distributor and had it shipped to my house within 4 days. Installation was a breeze, however I noticed the throttle again only has a 50% travel range. From what I can tell, this is maximum speed for this edger. I concluded that the throttle lever travel range and the actual engine throttle do not match in length. Not sure how to fix this other than making sure my family is properly trained on how to use. (Inconvenience)

I noticed there is no gas bulb built onto this engine. However, it does have a vented choke switch on the engine which makes engine start a breeze.

The Off/Ignite Switch is a bit clumsy to access on a HOT Engine. This switch could have been placed elsewhere.

One other nice feature I do like with this engine is the "gas shut off valve". This makes for very safe storage.

Overall, the edger trims excellently and is super quite. Blade adjustments and wheel adjustments are easy to undertake.

Overall I am pleased with this purchase.

This is my first but probably not my last McLane edger.

After 10+ years of using an Echo 2 stroke Stick edger I went back to the original Briggs and Stratton 4 stroke roller type. I cut 2 properties with St Augustine grass in South Florida and am very happy. I got tired of constant carb issues with the oil and ethanol gas mix. This McLane model reminds me of my old reliable Powertrim model that I had back in the 80's.I also find that rolling is easier on my 54 year old back than carrying and rolling the stick type. It works great and is well made and should last me until I mow my last lawn! lol

I purchased this edger to replace a real old brand X model after I had finally run it into the ground. With a bit on online research I concluded that the McLean 800 series was the most cost effective solution for me to edge my 1300 feet of lawn and garden. It arrived on time form Amazon with no damage and was stone simple to assemble.

I filled it with oil and gas, set the choke and it started on the first pull. Once I got it running I also noticed that the throttle handle would not move over the full range. As long as I run it, this is no problem but I noticed that a younger member of my household feels that it was necessary to force the lever to the stop. In any event, the plastic housing holding the throttle lever did not break because the clamp securing the cable to the carburetor was loose enough to allow the cable to slide. I made a simple throttle lever stop and tightened the clamp. Now even Godzilla is not going to be able to push the throttle lever far enough to break it. This is my solution but the factory should really set the lever movement to match the carburetor throttle plate range. I don't know why this is this way but it may be because this model is available with different engine and they are saving a few pennies with a one size fits all approach. It is no big deal and most certainly not a reason to not purchase this model.

In operation, this thing edges just great. The wheels are large enough so it is simple to push (at least on level ground). I can edge my 1300 feet almost as fast as I can walk. That said, with the blade in the trimmer position it leaves a bit to be desired unless the wheels are on an absolutely flat and hard surface. Any softness or bumps and it will hang up or scalp your lawn. For trimming, my suggestion is to stick with a weed wacker. It means another tool, but it will save you a lot of frustration.

When you purchase this edger, I suggest that you order the extra blades and a few belts. Hard ground will eat the blades in short order. It is not like they get dull and can be sharpened, they just wear away and must be replaced. You will need the belts because the clutch does not really exist and hard ground or trying to edge concrete by accident will cause the belt to slip. Once it slips it will start to self destruct in short order. The clutch action on this unit just a spring that releases the belt tension and than the belt slips around the motor drive pulley. When the motor is at an idle this works pretty good, but when it slips at high engine speed the end is near. You can fiddle around with the belt tension spring, if you want, but you need it to slip to protect the engine. Too much tension is not good; belts are a lot cheaper than engines. The good news is that replacing the blade or the belt is a five minute job, all you need is a screwdriver and a single wrench.

Overall, this is a great edger for the money. It is not commercial quality, but it is also not commercial priced. For my home use I expect to keep it running for years to come. If it was not for the short belt life in hard ground I would give it five stars. Highly recommended.

Ease of assembly, With only two weekends under it's belt operation has been flawless and as advertised. No complaints...

regards

In our part of the world near Sunnyside, Wash., we are surrounded by cow pastures that have a horrible weed that sends out shoots in every direction. To keep those obnoxious weeds out of our flower beds and from under our border of Arborvitae and spruce trees, we have found it necessary to dig down and cut the invading shoots.
The McLane Lawn Edger is American made and seems really sturdy. We really like it! I had planned to purchase an edger from Sears, but all their products have bad reviews, are made in China, and seem to be flimsey. One Sears customer said, "Craftsman is not what it used to be."
So we are glad we made the switch to the McLane Lawn Edger instead. We know we will give it a lot of use this spring and summer.