American Gardener YS24 YardStick 10-Inch 24-Volt Cordless String Trimmer

by American Gardener

Product Features

• Two-in-one tool converts from trimmer to lawn edger with just a turn of the handle
• 10-inch cutting path; 0.08-inch commercial grade line
• 24-volt Power-Core double ball-bearing motor and deep discharge battery; up to 45 minutes run-time per charge
• Wall charge rack included
• Two comfortable grips and hassle-free start switch

Product Details

Supplementary Guide [205kb PDF]

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Product Manual [3.44mb PDF]

• Item Weight: 17.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 16 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B00008BFSU
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: YS24
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (183 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #3,724 in Patio, Lawn & Garden (See Top 100 in Patio, Lawn & Garden)

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  Patio, Lawn & Garden > Mowers & Outdoor Power > Outdoor Power Tools > String Trimmers

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The American Gardener YardStick cordless edger and trimmer is a great two-in-one yard tool for the homeowner; this battery-powered trimmer converts to a rolling lawn edger with just a turn of the handle using the Quickedge Transition design. The 24-volt Power-Core double ball-bearing motor with Power-Core deep discharge battery will give you up to 45 minutes of cutting time on just one charge. A 10-inch cutting swath makes quick work of yard trimming, and when you need more line, just bump the head and it feeds out more .08 commercial-grade line automatically. We like the symmetry and nice balance of this trimmer in hand, too; it comes with two comfortable grips and a hassle-free start switch. The unit stores in the included wall-mounted charger, which indicates battery status with red and green lights. --Kris Jensen-Van Heste

Amazon.com

This battery-powered trimmer converts to a rolling lawn edger with just a turn of the handle. The 24-volt Power Core will give you up to 45 minutes of cutting time on just one charge. A 10-inch cutting swath makes quick work of yard trimming, and when you need more line, just bump the head and it feeds out more .08 commercial-grade line automatically. We like the symmetry and nice balance of this trimmer in hand, too. The unit stores in its wall-mounted charger, which indicates battery status with red and green lights. A great two-in-one yard tool for the homeowner.--Kris Jensen-Van Heste

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

264 of 267 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST Battery Trimmer!, May 19, 2003

By	Robert E. Derby "Moogbass" (Racine, WI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: American Gardener YS24 YardStick 10-Inch 24-Volt Cordless String Trimmer (Lawn & Patio)

I recently moved from an apartment into buying a house. With a house (usually) comes yard care. I needed everything--lawn mower, trimmer, garden hose, rake--you name it!

Gas trimmers were not considered. Friends' and co-workers' experience indicated they were loud, hard to start after a few years, and belch a continuous stream of blue smoke. Plus, I didn't want to deal with the mixing of gas and oil, and filling that wee little tank. Corded electric trimmers are fine, but my yard is big. It would take considerable time to handle the lengths of extension cord required.

So, I started to look closer at the battery powered trimmers available. I checked out the Black and Decker CST1000 and CST2000 (the "Grass Hog" models). The CST1000 was too light-duty, and the CST2000 had a gear drive I thought was doomed to fail after a few years of grass clippings and dust. Plus, neither model had a way to feed line manually in case of jams within the spool. The Toro 24 volt (model 51465) trimmer looked promising, but the safety switch was awkward and required too much constant effort. I didn't consider the 12 volt Toro because of the small 7" cut.

I had never heard of American Gardener before, but several selling points caught my eye. I liked the idea of 24 volts for power and run-time. And with a ball-bearing motor, I am hoping the trimmer lasts several seasons (Both Black and Decker and Toro DID NOT have double ball-bearing motors).

I had the "Yardstick" for a month and think it is well worth the money. The run-time is excellent. I swear I've had mine running for an hour almost continuously munching grass and weeds! The power is also excellent, and the motor is quiet and very smooth. The weight balance is good, and the safety switch is easy to operate for long periods of time. The housing is made of a thick rubbery plastic that looks like it would take the occasional "whoops!"

It is, in my opinion, superior to the other battery trimmers out there. Overall, a well engineered and made trimmer. The only "cons" I can think of is: It takes a long time to recharge (they all do). Figure about a day and a half after heavy use. And with 24 volts worth of batteries, it is no lightweight. But, I have had no trouble carrying for all the trimming I need to do (about an hour).

Kudos American Gardener!! HIGHLY recommended.

75 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great, no hassle trimmer.....if you take certain steps, May 21, 2005

By	Yard Dude - See all my reviews

This review is from: American Gardener YS24 YardStick 10-Inch 24-Volt Cordless String Trimmer (Lawn & Patio)

After years of putting up with a cantankerous, maintenance-intensive gas trimmer I purchased a YS24 trimmer and have not regretted the decision at all. I have used the YS24 for approximately a year and have had experienced no reliability problems. I should add that I use this unit as a trimmer only so I cannot comment on its edging capability. The pros and cons of the YS24 are as follows:

Pros:
Virtually no maintenance hassles - no gas & oil to mix, no spark plug to clean & gap, no air filter to clean, no carburetor to adjust.

No starting problems - enjoy expletive-free trimming sessions.

Clean and quiet - you won't smell like a potpourri of gasoline and exhaust fumes after trimming.

Good run times - I'd estimate run times of between 30 and 45 minutes of nearly continuous use.

Adequate power - OK, so you won't be laying waste to a thicket of saplings with this trimmer, but there is enough power for what the typical yard has to offer. If you're used to a more powerful gas trimmer you have to remember to be patient and take smaller "bites" when encountering thick grass and weeds.

Cons:
Weight and balance - this is my biggest gripe with this trimmer. The heft and balance are such that after about 20 minutes of use I have to put the unit down for several minutes to give my back a rest.

Cheesy line advance - I skirt this problem by laying the trimmer down, pressing the line release button with one hand and pulling out line with the other hand. Note that this is a common complaint for many makes and models of trimmers.

In summary, I feel that the good points outweigh the bad and I would highly recommend this trimmer for use by the average homeowner.

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Quality Concerns, May 21, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: American Gardener YS24 YardStick 10-Inch 24-Volt Cordless String Trimmer (Lawn & Patio)

Pros:

-Charge lasts quite a while. Get about an hour out of it. Trims 3/4 acre yard without any degradation in power.

-Best torque and power for an electric trimmer

-Environmentally friendly

Cons:

-Heavy and can cramp your hand a bit for larger jobs (1/2 acre+)

-String cutter blade broke off after third use.

-Dropped the unit on to concrete from 2 ft. off the ground. Handle cracked and the string guard cracked. My fault, but my old gas powered Toro and Homelite took similar abuse without damage.

-String snaps off a lot during edging (every 3 or 4 feet I had to mess with the string feeder). Edging is a bit difficult if you have some overgrowth on a driveway, for example. The owners manual does state the string will break until the yard is edged a few times, so at least the manufacturer realizes this issue. Thus, edge often and the string won't snap/jam as much (20 - 30 ft on average before having to advance the string).

Recommendation:

-Light duty trimming.

-1/4 acre lots best used, 1/2 acre at most.
-Heavy trimming or edging, not recommended.

Next purchase will be a gas-powered model.