Customer Reviews

Troy-Bilt 17-Inch 26cc Gas-Powered Curved-Shaft Trimmer TB425CS

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

 

 

When I first got this trimmer the line kept winding inside the spool and I would have to open it up and pull it back out. After about a dozen or so times it finally stayed out. It has a lot of power. I have to be careful not to scalp the grass near where I am trimming and not to cut any soft wood that I don't want cut down. I like the ez-start, it really is ez to start. I like the 4-cycle engine. I have the blower attachment which is ez to put on.

I haven't had my trimmer for more than 3 months when my driveshaft broke. My last trimmer lasted for 4 and a half years. I expected more out of this thing. When I called Troy they told me it wasn't covered. The driveshaft would cost $60. This sounds like an engineering issue to me.

The 29cc 4 cycle motor has more power, is more quiet and vibrates less than similar sized 2 cylce units. The unit is nicely balanced for use.I used it with a power tiller attachement and found it performed much better and was easier to use than a similar sized 2 cycle unit.

I went through many many weedeaters from Walmart. You know, the cheap ones that you think you can get by with. They certainly look better than the electric type, cause you don't have to tug a cord around and be limited by it's length.
I finally broke down and got a Troy-Bilt TB425CS. And I haven't regretted it since. I've had it for a year now, and it still starts on the first pull, every time. It's nice to have the oil seperate from the gas, then I don't have to worry about the oil to gas ratio being correct.
I definitely definitely definitely recommend getting one of these trimmers. It'll pay for itself and save your hands and sanity.

I am a woman who is only 5 feet 2 inches tall and take care of my yard myself. I bought a $200 Ryobi 4 cycle engine trimmer plus the cultivator and lawn edger accessories. It was heavy and hard to manage, and the way it had to be held was awkward and left burns on my arm. It had quite the routine that had to be followed precisely to get it to start. I couldn't believe how difficult and tiring it was to get rid of the weeds along the fencing.

I decided to try a different model and replaced it with this troy built 4-cycle. I am extremely satisfied with it. It is lighter, quieter and easier to handle than my previous one and I haven't gotten any nasty burns. This sweet thing starts right up-- just push the primer bulb a couple of times and it pull it once--even after it has been sitting for weeks. the handle adjusts to my height and I get the job done in 1/2 the time. I am at the end of the second season with this one and it is just a good as it was when I took it out of the box.

You do have to be patient and make sure you wind the string in carefully. The string usually comes out with a little bump on the knob, but does sometimes get tangled and 'stuck'. I just shut it down, open the spool, and then rewind it. This happens about every other time I use it, but that is a small price to pay for the ease and comfort of using this weed eater. People complain about breaking drive shafts because they bang it on the ground so hard to get the line to release. I never try to force mine like that.

The bonus: My Ryobi attachements fit on this model so I didn't waste my money on them.

I sold the Ryobi in a garage sale for $25. Good riddance.

Plenty of power, nice balance, large cutting path, and very easy to restring. (Read the instructions)

The trimmer is not balanced well. The throttle is too far away from the engine which makes it difficult to operate. If the throttle was moved back closer to the engine, you would have much better control. Unit vibrates excessively. Using without gloves makes your hands sting. I contacted the manufacturer and received a very impersonal "canned" response. I'd never purchase a TroyBilt product again. Very disappointed!

DON'T BUY Troy-Built or MTD Products outdoor equipment!! On this model (and I suspect others) the top drive shaft is defective; as others have mentioned here and other places on internet, it wears out after only about 2 years, right when the warranty quits. I called customer service and spoke with Van (800-800-7310). He claims that the unit worked as it should for 2 years under the warranty; that the drive shaft is designed for 2 years worth of service and that it is a wear and tear item that needs to be replaced from time to time. I told him that is ridiculous, then he hung-up on me. Nice....
With a defective driveshaft ($45+shipping), the rest of the unit is useless. I will have to throw it away and purchase a non MTD related replacement. There are other machines for same money that are better. I would certainly stay away from anything Troy-built, or under the umbrella of MTD Products. Customer service will stonewall you forever; they must go home everynight worried that their company will be there in the morning.

I didn't have this trimmer one season before the shaft broke. It would cost $90 to repair. That would be throwing good money after bad. I will not buy this brand again. Serious design issues...serious rip-off.

I melted our electric weed-eater doing fairly normal weed wacking, so thought I'd go gas. Went to Lowes and bought this about three years ago. As another reviewer mentioned it is powerful. My wife got mad at me because I was damaging some of her bushes and trees. Had to do those by hand. Also, winding the plastic line on it was a giant hassle. I was probably using line that was too heavy, but they say you can wind about 8 feet on it each time but I was lucky to get 3 before the spool would not turn any more no matter what I did. Was pretty happy with it, though sometimes the motor would wind up pretty high before the clutch would engage and it would clunk pretty loud and you know that isn't doing the machinery any good. Maybe that's what broke the drive shaft last week. (No, I didn't break it by bumping it too hard. :) Went to Lowes and of course all the models have changed and they don't carry parts. The cost of repairing it, even myself, if I could find parts, plus the hassle is right on the border line of buying a new one. So I don't know, maybe 40 bucks a year with a three-year lifespan? In the old days this wasn't acceptable but the world has changed much in the last 10 yrs.