Customer Reviews

Ryobi 15-Inch 26cc Gas-Powered String Trimmer and Brush Cutter with Straight Shaft 890R

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I bought the 4cycle Ryobi sight unseen which is not a good thing to do usually. My love for the environment causes alot of sacrifice on my part which I am willing to do. (4cycle being a step up from 2 cycle in the pollution rating) The machine itself is very powerful with no torque let off when attached to a roto tiller. The "consumer" model I bought comes with a different carborator. This is probably what makes it run kinda rough, almost not peeking. But I can live with it. The carb has no adjustments. Pretty cheap considering how easily carborators can be made. The most dissappointing thing was paying 20 extra dollars for the model with the brushcutter. That was a real rip. You still have to take the end all apart to switch back and forth with the string attachment. All you get for 20 bucks is a typical "tri" blade and an insignifigant plastic shield. What should be included is an extentsion shaft that disconnects like an attachment (that it is) This is typical in the industry but Ryobi should be trying harder. If you can afford it buy the pro model with the good carborator and opt for a seperate attachment between the bush blade and string cutter.

I have used the 890r for three years, primarily as a medium duty string trimmer but also in its designed-for use as a brushcutter. Though properly maintained, the design and construction of this unit are so poor that its service life is severely limited. Early on, it became apparent that the bump head, because of frequent internal jamming, will not feed string reliably and the user is forced to repeatedly remove it to manually extend string. This is pure frustration. Later, more serious defects became obvious. The thin shaft does not hold up under the stresses of vibration encountered in normal use, causing the mounting screws of the Quick-Link coupling to strip their holes. Similarly, the anti-rotation screw which mounts the shaft to the motor housing also stripped loose. Aside from the obvious safety issues (remember that these heads are rotating at very high speed) the owner is faced with either replacing the affected parts (economically absurd) or attempting to tap out larger diameter holes and trying to locate replacement machine screws of the appropriate depth. More minor complaints would include: Noise and vibration. Ryobi markets the four-cycle engine as being quieter and less polluting. I cannot speak to the second, but the claim of a lower noise level compared to quality two-cycle units is not accurate. The owner may also expect poor after-sales support. The customer service line is handled by the typical non-technical staff who are capable only of reading from a script. Reputable landscaping equipment service centers will not repair (or sell, for that matter) Ryobi equipment due to lack of manufacturer support. Be advised that Ryobi is actually manufactured by a company named IDS. IDS also manufactures, among others, Poulan and Craftsman. If you are considering a brushcutter unit or are shopping for a quality string trimmer, I would strongly advise looking at a Stihl or Echo through a local landscaping equipment dealer. The difference in construction is readily apparent. I have not gotten my money's worth out of this shoddy unit and regret the purchase. I will be replacing it with a slightly higher-priced but markedly better-made Stihl professional unit. The only reason I am rating this Ryobi unit with one star is that Amazon does not provide for a zero rating.

I am really a 4 cycle engine fan and this trimmer works great, you don't have to rev the hell out of it to stay in the power band like you do with a 2 cycle trimmer. I also have the edger attachment, it works great with the high torque 4 cycle engine. Low noise level and the attachments make it very versatile tool. In short, a very nice machine.

I love the new Ryobi 4-cycle trimmer. I always hated mixing the oil and gas. What a mess that was. Now I can use the same gas I use in my car for my trimmer. Believe me, it's a much better engine. Plus the Ryobi has tons of different attachments. My favorite is the hedge trimmer.

I reccomend this product to anyone frustrated with 2-cycle engines and the pain of maintaining them. 4-cycle is the way to go.

I was drawn to the attachemets first off. My first purchase was a 2 cycle but after the first season it never ran well. I upgraded to a 990r and was pleased at the power, the 4 cycle aspect and all the attachements fit. The second season it would only run with the choke at half and rough at that. I have replaced the Carb once and this year spent three hours with it to get it running constantly then after 5 min of use the trigger broke. It probably needs a new carb again, not pleased with the quality but like the concept.

What a great product! It is versatile, especially with the optional attachments ( I have the hedge trimmer and the cultivator). I am especially pleased with the power of the engine, even though it is remarkably quiet compared to two cycle engines. It may cost slightly more but it seems to be worth it.

I bought one - and always had trouble with it. It would run fine for say 10 minutes, then it would just stall repeatedly for say another 10 minutes, then run fine for a liitle while. The shaft broke within a year - the authorized repair center in Albuquerque wouldn't repair it as they said it looked like it had been abused. ... and I got another one. Same problems operating it. I'm going to go back to a 2 stroke engine. My previous 2 stroke Ryobi lasted about 6-7 years before the clutch broke - but there were no operating problems.

I like this tool for the 4-Cycle torque it has. It turns the cutivator attachment with little effort even at part throttle. The only thing that I did not like was the design of the blade, however I had an old Homlite saw type brushcutter blade that worked like a charm with no modifications. This is a good tool for a homowner due to its good design, versatility and great value.

Ryobi is a moderate price trimmer compared to other brands. The unit has a lot of power and is easy to use. But the equipment has a lot of negatives. Ryobi products are hard to start and the reliability of the product drops rapidly as time passes. Replacement parts are high. The tap feeder works OK but rewinding and replacing line can be difficult. ... Virtually all the Ryobi trimmers received poor marks. I will never buy another Ryobi product.

Bought an 890R from the local home center several years back...and had to return it within 3 days..[bad carb].the next one [although it ran] lasted 1 week before the auto feed spool broke..took it to my neighborhood lawnmower shop to have manual feed spool installed...and while there found the holy grail of string trimmers...the one and one half horse power Honda....traded in the less than one hp ryobi on the spot and have had zero problems since...the Honda costs more but is well worth it.