American Gardener YS24 YardStick 10-Inch 24-Volt Cordless String Trimmer
by American Gardener
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List Price: Category: Lawn & Patio See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of American Gardener YS24 YardStick 10-Inch 24-Volt Cordless String Trimmer
Customer Review: Keep the original box and receipt...you may need them to ship it back!
Summary: 1 Stars
I have had one of these for one year. Actually, I have a Craftsman model 900013 which is the same unit under a different label. This trimmer will initially impress you. It's powerful and the battery seems to run forever. It's a very good trimmer and a decent edger. What's not to like? Well, I'll tell you. Read through all these reviews (check out the reviews at Sears, too) and pay attention to those from people who've owned one of these units for a significant length of time...
After about 3-4 months you will begin to notice that the battery doesn't seem to last as long as it used to. Then one day the unit will just stop working for no apparent reason. It will act like the battery is dead, even though it's fully charged (according to the charger). When that happens, just hold the trigger of the unit on while bumping the trimming end firmly against the ground. If you're lucky, it will start working for a few minutes before it quits again. But by then, the battery will be getting so weak the unit will barely cut through anything. The long battery life it used to have is now a thing of the past. If it runs strong for 5 minutes at this point, you're doing pretty good!
My advice? Keep your receipt and box handy. You're going to need them when you return it for a refund/replacement. I wish this thing lasted. It's a great product right out of the box. Unfortunately, it probably won't last you into a second season.
Customer Review: Yardstick A Good Buy
Summary: 4 Stars
I met UPS at the door and the box top was torn off but everything was intact. Easy/quick to assemble. Let her charge over night.
I have a fairly nice sized yard and I ran out of yard before I ran out of charge about 35 minutes into using it and it wanted more.
The power (24-volt) suprised me... but it is not gas. I have St. Augustine and it struggled some but I'm not disappointed. I was pleasantly suprised how easy it was to go from trimmer to edger. The cord is crap when edging and you keep having to tap it to get more string.
I did not have a problem with the line feeder. I want to point out that with a gas powered two lined trimmer, I often would get too much grass and hit dirt and leave a skinned spot. Not a problem at all with this device.
Yeah! I have muscles and lift weights but my arms were tired and shakey when I was finished so the weight division is not that great because of the weight of the battery right at your hands instead of extended behind you like a powered model.
No smell, no mixing fuel, no loud noise, no pulling a cord. Exactly what I wanted. I have a feeling that my weekly yard care is going to be less frustrating, a little easier, and quieter this summer.
Customer Review: Update from previous review
Summary: 1 Stars
I'll begin by saying that I think that a cordless trimmer is a great idea. I chose this model because of the good reviews that it received. The first thing that I noticed was the weight. After about a half hour of continuous use, I felt as though I had just done an upper body workout at the gym, and I'm no lightweight. I would recommend taking breaks, perhaps after 10 minutes of use. This is, of course, because of the weight of the onboard battery. I was willing to overlook this minor irratation. The worst came when on the 5th use the motor just quit, suddenly. I had recharged the unit overnight, and it operated fine for about 5 minutes, then nothing. I contacted the manufacturer, and they promptly responded. They offered to replace the item or repair it. I suggested what the problem might be, and they agreed that that was probably it. I decided to fix it myself, as I did not want to box it up, etc. The problem was simply one of the wires that connects the motor to the onboard batteries was no longer soldered to its terminal on the motor. A simple fix, about 20 minutes (including disassembly). I am willing to upgrade my rating of this product to 3 stars, mainly because of the manufacturer's willingness to resolve the problem.Customer Review: Very Good Cordless Trimmer
Summary: 5 Stars
For a battery operated trimmer, it does the job. I read all the reviews on most cordless trimmers (including the Worx) and decided to purchase this one. I do not regret it. My house is on a 1/3 acre lot with a fence, two decks, and flower beds to trim around. It does the job. I used it for about 45 minutes (on/off) this week and the battery lasted. It probably has the power of the smallest gas trimmers, maybe a little less. It weighs about the same as a small gas trimmer. Do not think it is lighter;it is not because of the 24 volt battery. It seems like it is built fairly solid, although if it were dropped on concrete I would not be shocked if it broke. -But I guess you could say the same of smaller/cheaper gas trimmers as well. For $80, if I get two seasons out of it, I will be satisfied. And after using it for a month or so, two to three summers is what I expect to get out it. This is the first electric or cordless trimmer I have ever owned, I have always used gas before this one. I do not regret buying it and would recommend it to others. There is something to be said for a trimmer that can be picked up and used without the hassle of getting it fueled up and started up. My wife loves it.Customer Review: Five star potential, but...
Summary: 2 Stars
I purchased my unit two weeks ago after reading the rave reviews. I too was ready to abandon my stinky gas trimmer.I was initially optimistic when I opened up the unit. The unit was a bit heavy, but well balanced, and I liked how easy it was to spin the handle on the unit to switch the head from horizonal to vertical. The symmetric switch arrangement was intuitive and easy to use.
After charging overnight, I headed out to start trimming. Almost immediately the spool feed became a real pain. The line would not feed smoothly, making it necessary to remove the spool to advance the line manually almost every time. (I now know why they include a second spool for free...).
This weekend I brought it out for its' second use. This time, the spool kicked out a double length of line. This extra amount of line should have hit the line cutter and been trimmed off. Instead, the line wrapped around the cutter and SHEARED IT OFF, sending the nice sharp chunk of metal flying. Since the line cutter is riveted to the line guard, it is not a user replaceable item.
I'm sending it back in the morning and looking at other models. I haven't ruled out other American Gardner products, but I think I will pass on this one.