Customer Reviews

Weed Eater RTE115C 15-Inch 4.5 Amp Twist-N-Edge Electric String Trimmer

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

I purchased this weed eater a few months back. It is very powerful for an electric, so that is a positive. The worst part (at least for me) has been the mechanism which delivers more string when needed. The other negative is the "trimmer guard" which you attach when you are assembling it. (Not the big plastic shield that prevents grass from flying everywhere, but the little metal piece that goes right in front of the spinning head.) It's very difficult to get that off after you've assembled it, so I recommend you leave it off completely. In my case I couldn't get it off, so I took some tin snips to it and cut it off. It serves no purpose.

The main problem with the feeder mechanism is that I almost always found myself with about 1-2 inches of string coming out of the head. This was so frustrating I wanted to literally throw the weed eater off a cliff. I was almost to the point where I was never going to use it again. That's when I tried some different string. I went to Lowes and purchased Heavy Duty 2mm (.080") titanium trimmer line. Thank the Lord that solved my problem! This weed eater is now an unstoppable CUTTING MACHINE and I love it. I would give this product 5 stars if it came with this string. But because it gave me so many problems before cutting off the guard and switching the string, it gets a 3.

I recommend this product only if you're going to purchase the new string with it. If you want to use it as is, right out of the box, I would pass. Thanks for reading.

This trimmer is powerful as attested by the flying debris and a substantial noise level. The biggest negative noticed in using it the first time is a two piece shaft assembly that has such a sloppy connection it rotates perhaps 10 degrees with every pull on the trigger. So when you place the head in the area of interest on your yard border and pull the trigger it moves 3 or 4 inches, kind of like torque steer with an old front wheel drive car. I'm going to need to put some sort of clamp on the shaft joint so it doesn't twist.

I owned an identical unit previously. When I needed to replace it, I couldn't find anything better for the price. If you are OK with using 0.065 inch line, then I strongly recommend this unit. I use it almost every week, and it has been great both times I have owned one. I couldn't find it in stores anymore, so I had to get it online.

I'm purchasing my second RTE115C string trimmer because it's one of the best trimmers I've owned. Easy to use and the refill snaps right in. If I don't have a fresh refill handy, I can refill the cartridge in a few minutes. I'm only buying the second one because I'm giving the older one to my son so he can do his yard without driving over to borrow it.

Have only used it once on light stuff around the front and back yards. It seems to do the job quite well. Have to get used to dragging the cord around behind me, but that's easy to overcome. This unit is far superior to the gasoline Toro I just got rid of. I've had B&D cordless (great to operate, but the batteries cost almost as much as the unit) and the Toro (which was just bad). So far, I like this one much better.

I use the RTE115C primarily as an edger. I edge grass along an asphalt driveway, a brick pathway and along brick flower bed boarders. Total length is about 500 feet and I complete the task in about 10 min.

It cuts grass well and the swival head and its light weight make the unit easy to handle. Power is ample and trimmer line usage is reasonable. It is noisy enough that I feel more comfortable wearing ear plugs when using it (and with most motorized yard equipment). I'm 6 feet tall and would have liked a slightly longer handle. nevertheless, the RTE115C's combination of features and cost made it a "best buy" for my application.

A word of caution when ordering. Amazon lists products that other customers often order at the same time but don't order the "Weed Eater 952-701663 String Trimmer Spool for XT110/112/114/115 .065-Inch" which was listed as of 10/17/09. It doesn't fit this trimmer. The listed "Poulan/Weed Eater 952711602 Centrex RH 0.065-Inch Replacement Spool for RTE115" is correct.

Missing from the list of often ordered items is the trimmer line you will need if you plan to rewind the spool. The unit comes with a full spool installed but no extra spools or trimmer line are included.

I have had this item for almost a month now, and am very pleased. It is not heavy, which means that I don't get tired as quickly. I tackles the weeds like crazy!! I have used it almost daily, and am still using the original string (not re-filled yet). Work is almost fun.

I bought this unit because a more expensive Black & Decker unit never worked. The Black & Decker (GH1000 Trimmer) has a complicated double line system with automatic feed. This itself would be trouble if you manually rewind line instead of buying pre-packaged replacement spools. But the automatic feed did not work. Black & Decker service said they would ship me a new "lever" to make the feed work but it would take a couple of weeks for me to receive it. I needed a trimmer now! My analysis is that the Black & Decker design itself is flawed. Replacing parts cannot make up for poor design. I don't think a "lever" is going to help. I was also appalled when I looked at the reviews for the GH1000 on Amazon. It has "Do not buy" written all over it. I originally bought it based on Black & Decker's excellent reputation for quality products. It certainly taught me to check out these reviews BEFORE I buy. They are very helpful. That's why I'm writing this to help others. Enough about Black & Decker.

I really like the engineering/design of this Weed Eater. The Weed Eater design is simple with a one line system. I like that. Simpler is always better. It worked right out of the box and $30 cheaper than the Black & Decker. I like that even better. It took me about 15 minutes to put it together and give it the first test run. One thing to watch out for when you put it together. The upper and lower pieces snap together and then a lock down collar is twisted until it is tight. Before twisting the collar you have to test that the two pieces have actually snapped together. You do this by trying to pull them apart. The instructions tell you to do this but I missed that point when I first put it together and the two pieces came apart. That's when I reread the instructions. After snapping the two pieces together and testing that they wouldn't pull apart, I tightened the collar which goes over the area where the two pieces join. It is solid as a rock and is not likely to pull apart or twist! If anyone who has already put one together is having problems with "twisting" or the pieces feeling loose, you can reassemble the two pieces making sure they snap together firmly and that should correct the problem.

I gave it a 4 rather than a 5 because it seems to be cheaply built. It is one of the cheapest (inexpensive) trimmers on the market. This is a definite PLUS. But I'm not sure how long it will last in spite of the two year warrantee. All parts that I could see are plastic. I'm just hoping that the Weed Eater engineers know their stuff and that it will last for a few years. If so I will have gotten my money's worth.

The trimmer is very powerful and works quite well so far (I've just purchased it for less than 1 mo). It cuts through its way. However, if you tried to use it to replace your normal mower, you'd better had really steady hands. This one vibrates a bit and you'll feel it's power after holding for 10 min.

I have less than 10 hours on this machine and during the last use the elctric start switch broke. The machine was working on a cool evening and I was in the mddle of trimming. Then it stopped and would not continue. It is a self contained switch in the handle that is easily replaced if available. The repair shop charges $75 an hour so you can see this is a "use it and throw it away" machine. I am out $40 and still need a reliable machine.

Don't waste your time and money.