I have the Worx GT 18-volt cordless trimmer. This is the more expensive model that features a lithium battery. If you have any amount of lawn trimming to do beyond the circumference of a 5,000 square foot lawn, carefully consider the more expensive model. The battery potential of the standard model is significantly less which means you have less operation time to begin with and gradually deceasing work time as the battery ages. The added expense of the lithium battery is worth the investment.
However beware of the Worx customer service. If for any reason you have a need to invoke a warranty claim on the trimmer, charger, or battery, plan on having at least a free half hour to wait on the phone for a customer service representative. Customer service is only available during a traditional work-hour week. This means if something goes wrong you better be mindful of the anniversary date of your purchase and give calling the Worx customer service your highest priority in your schedule. The email access is unreliable because it seems Worx has only one person responding. If she is out of the office, you will get an automated reply email instructing you to use the phone system.
My lithium battery failed within the time of the one-year warranty. I had trouble reaching a customer service representative during office hours. My email claim resulted in my being redirected to the phone system. Seven days after my warranty expired I finally reached a service representative. Despite the fact of my good-faith effort to get through to customer service the preceding two weeks, I was denied the warranty replacement because I was seven days late. The representatives were empathetically kind about my dilemma but were unable to do anything beyond their willingness to take my order for a new unit. These batteries are expensive.
I submitted a letter of complaint to the Worx corporate office. We will see what they do because I will update this blog entry with a summary of the outcome.
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Update --- July 1, 2010
I have a confirmed delivery of my letter to the Worx corporate office in Charlotte, NC, as of June 14, 2010. My letter was respectfully crafted requesting that my warranty claim be honored, given that my good-faith effort for a timely claim was frustrated by the poorly structured Worx customer service system. As of July 1, the Worx customer service failed to make any effort to respond. It seems that, although the Worx product is a decent yard tool, the buyer would need to understand that Worx is not interested in post-market customer satisfaction. Once you have your Worx tool, you are on your own despite the stated warranty because, in effect, Worx structured the customer service to be unresponsive beyond taking new purchase orders.
I noticed that the tool is designed to encourage the customer to be depended upon Worx to return each year to order spent trimmer line and purchase new batteries. Although the line is "free", the shipping and handling cost is pricey. One would do better to save the spool and rewind it with less expensive line from any hardware store. The batteries are expensive to replace every year. This is especially aggravating considering that ordinarily a reasonably manufactured lithium battery could easily last two or more years at a usage rate of one recharge per week. My battery lasted only 15 recharges. Given the battery price, the actual cost of each battery charge is about $4.00 plus the electrical service fee. I do not know if the competition is any better, but buyer beware of Worx customer service.
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Update --- May 26, 2012
Well, the negative social media pressure may have affected Worx Corporation.
I was about to trash my Worx trimmer at our neighborhood annual dumpster day event. I made one last Google search of product reviews before tossing the trimmer into my trailer for the final destination. One soul recommended checking out a special Worx web site to replace defective ion batteries free. The URL is [...]Choose_Your_Battery.aspx . The process was quick and the battery exchange was prompt. Worx threw in an extra trimmer line spool as a goodwill gesture.
I will give this replacement, WA3512.1, battery one last chance. I will carefully monitor the performance and update my review. If this product fails the two-year life expectancy, I will run the trimmer over with my car.