Reviews

I purchased this item and have been using it for several months now. When it arrived I immediately notice it's much bigger than the yard trimmer I was replacing, and appeared to be very well constructed. The assembly instructions were easy to follow, especially when many of the major steps had already been done prior to shipment. Pro's Easy start usually on the second pull Very powerful engine Heavy line cord does not easily break on cement or fencing Con's Engine noise has an unusual sound (which has no affect on performance) Long straight shaft was a bit long & awkward for someone used to curved shafts Overall, a high quality product which is a much better trimmer than the one I used to own.

This was one of the best tool purchases I have made in years. I'm sold on commercial grade equipment. I'm done buying cheap tools just to buy them again a couple years later, and this is my start. This replaced a couple year used Craftsman trimmer that never quite ran well, and always took many cycles of pulling with the choke open and closed before I could get it running. Needless to say, any trimmer would probably have been better, except I'm comparing to many others I have used as of lately and this one is definitely superior. First, you can't beat the price, especially with rebate. However, rebate aside, this thing is a good deal under $200 dollars. It is balanced. It is much easier to hold and start than other trimmers I have used. Doesn't really seem lighter, just better balanced It starts. It started on the second pull, after I pulled it once while choked, and it ran until I killed it. Feels like quality. This thing does not feel cheap at all, even the plastic parts are thicker, quality plastic, nothing flimsy. It sounds cool! It has a distinct sound, not like your cheap trimmers, it might be slightly quieter, but it has a sound that I'm calling the commercial engine sound because I can't really describe it. As far as cons, the only thing I can come up with is the way I hold it when I pull it up, every now and then my arm touches the plastic where the muffler is and that is hot, not hot enough to burn, but enough to get my attention. Other than that, no problems.

There are 2 parts missing!! i could not use it without parts. Some parts were in plastic bags which were wrapped outside of the box. No protection at all! The shipping & handling was rough and bad. The price dropped $10 dollars after i ordered it. i don't trust Amazon any more! The safety blade guard showed in the picture on internet, but when i called Hitachi, they asked me to buy it separately plus shipping & handling. i look for other products which all come with the blade guards.

The big question with trimmers -- how does the bump head work and can you rewind your own line without spending hours. The answer here is YES (once you figure it out because the instructions are limited). You cut about three feet (one strand), and I used .080 because it is not as stiff, bend it at the half way point so the two halves point in the same direction, push the line at the bend into the spool notch and hold it in with your thumb while winding the line onto each layer of the spool in the direction shown by the arrow (since its a two line trimmer). After a couple of turns you no longer need to hold the line in the notch. The spool snaps in and out of the head easily. Only recommendation is you might buy a back up spool assembly for that day, two or three years from now when this one wears out. But since this is a simple threaded shaft, a replacement should be easy to find. I have owned this machine for a week and used it several times. Great product especially with this new price. Very good quality. You can find cheaper two strokes but don't count on them to last. For me another key is starting, which takes no more than two or three pulls if you do it right. Once you figure this one out, its a snap especially with the smaller diameter more supple line. I have some tough, four sided line, meaning square instead of round so the edges provide more cutting power. I have the .095 ordered and will probably get the hang of that but really like the way the .080 fed when I bumped it. This trimmer is designed to run at high rpm's and will cut pretty heavy weeds, so the eye protection that came with the trimmer is much appreciated. Thanks for that. This may seem a little simple minded but, if you are trimming on hard surfaces like around rock faces and on concrete, you will eat up any kind of trimming line very fast. So, the trick is staying on the grass side of the walk if possible. And be prepared to rewind your line. I took back a battery powered trimmer I bought at the big box store because it was weak on weeds and the string did not last. I tried a single line trimmer too and it was pathetically slow. The double line battery powered trimmer was difficult to rewind and would not feed. They want you to buy the spools at 6 bucks a pop, which did not even last through one trimming. That's why I bought this Hitachi so I am not paying $6 to $8 per spool every time I trim my yard, which is what some of these trimmer manufacturers want you to do.

Product came with small damage; however, easily and quickly replaced with undamaged unit. Shipping was fast. Purchased product without ever having seen unit. Was not disappointed. I'm used to cheaper trimmers that spin all the time. This has clutch that is cool and spool only spins when accelerated. Also, the bump feeder actually works (in contrast with my Homelite). Engine starts well; did stall out unexpectedly a couple of times, but restarted and continued. Heavier than cheap plastic unit, but well balanced and easy to use. Did some checking, and replacement parts are not readily available, although I think this unit is interchangeable with a Tanaka (owned by Hitachi). Very satisfied with this purchase.

Reviews

I own a couple and not any trouble worth mentioning I stick with synthetic mix and use 89 octane fuel. Use what mix that comes with it first and then upgrade yourself to Stihl ultra hp synthetic mix which has stabilizer with the oil,yes it cost more but what would you rather have performance or aggrevation? Ethanol mixed fuel now is crap for these machines and a synthetic type mix stays mixed with the fuel longer than conventional mix to help from engine damage due to oil seperation hence a lean mixture, and remember to shake your gas container before you refuel your 2 cycle equipment,try to use your fuel up before long term storage and run your trimmer out of fuel before storage This is what i have been doing for 3 or 4 years with continued success season after season. No this isnt a commercial piece of equipment and if you continually trim grass day after day you will benefit from a commercial grade weedeater,but for the money and for some this machine is very adequate for general use and very reliable with a little care and knowledge. Its up to you but the above works for me and the 2cycle oil/ gas mixed equipment i use. (2.6 oz to 1 gallon 89 octane)

Don't know where the "not so happy" came from after my name. Ignore that!!! Quick delviery!!! Got it out of a very beat up box but everything was there and in good condition. Put gas in it, pulled the string several times and it started right up. Only problem, due to our wonderful Goverement sticking their finger in places they shouldn't be and obviously know nothing about, there is no longer a way to adjust air/fuel mixture, so I have to run it on 1/2 choke to be able to run the engine at full speed. Even with a small engine it's able to tear into heavy grass. Also, a very nice feature, you insert 17" strips of nylon rather than filling a spool and using a "bump" to feed string. (If your experience is anything like mine, those bump feeds just don't work well.) Last think, with the smaller engine, it's quite light and easy to handle.

I purchased the Weed Eater SST25 on December 15, 2009 as a present for myself. I let the Weed Eater SST25 sit for about 7 months in my basement. I mixed the oil and gas mix yesterday and was ready to go. I had a hard time getting this refurbished item started and I also agree the packaging was pretty crappy. I paid 55.00 for this so I took a risk. After pulling about 20-30 times I got it started and then would stall. PLEASE NOTE - You will have to adjust the carburator. In my case I needed 5-6 cranks to the right to get it JUST RIGHT. Read the manual step by step. Once that was adjusted it was amazing. I cut TALL WEEDS and THICKET that was about 1/2" thick and it took it all down. Tap and Go was excellent and this is extremely light. This Weed Eater SST25 is just what I wanted! If any issues I will update.

The box was as bad as advertised. It was missing the bolt for the shield. It works well though.

This trimmer suffers from being underpowered. Tall grass bogs it down, the grass folds over instead of being cut. It helps to keep the line at full length, so the momentum of the line will keep the speed higher to cut better. That causes you to use a lot of line. I don't get more than about 30 minutes of cutting per spoolfull. Forget trying to use this to cut light undergrowth, it just runs out of power, won't cut it and ends up wrapping the stems around the cutting head. The double line makes it difficult to wind line on the spool and sucessfully get the spood back on the shaft. You have to insert the two lines into their holes, hold the lines on the spool and slide the spool over the shaft, making sure you don't pinch the line or let it unravel off the spool. Good luck! You really have to have nimble fingers to accomplish that! It is a little difficult to start when cold, worse most of the time when hot. It's easier to start if you can support it on a solid object, so the cutting head can hang over it. There is no clutch to prevent the head from spinning when you pull the starter cord so watch out, keep the kids away. Plan on adjusting the handle till you get it in the right balance. The sting guard doesn't block as much of the grass trimmings as it should, be prepared to be covered with grass trimmings when using this trimmer. On the plus side it is low cost(new around $90), light weigh and has a straight shaft for a long reach.

Reviews

With a 33cc engine, this trimmer is probably one of the most powerful 2 stroke out there. I bought it because I needed a strong trimmer to go with my edger attachment (I had read previously that smaller engines would jam with this attachment because they didn't have enough kick). So the first time I used it, I put it to the test: my yard was way overgrown and between the trimming and edging, I had the PP133 working at full throttle for a good two hours...and it delivered. At 12,000 RPM, this is one mean trimmer! Used with an edger attachment, it kicks dirt like nobody's business! So much in fact that after edging my drive way and sidewalk, my legs were covered in blood (tip to myself: wear a pant, or some sort of protection next time). What a difference from my previous 20 cc Weedeater! With that being said, this trimmer has plenty of flaws; so on to the pros and cons: PROS: *This trimmer has some serious power *Easy start *`kill' button on the handle for quick and easy shut off *Attachments capable (Poulan or other) *Comes with a can of oil and spare strings *Low price CONS: *It goes thru a lot of the precut .115 strings (I've read the reviews suggesting the .130 line; I'll try that). *Precut strings are hard to find *Vibrate quite a bit *Heavy trimmer *Weird head system (no spool, you have to unclip a little plastic cover, remove the old string and feed the new one thru three holes while making sure that you have the same length on each side). It's a simple process, but it gets old quickly as you have to replace the string quite often (maybe the .130 string will help) * The plastic guard on the trimmer is close to useless if you're right handed, and it's not adjustable either. Because this trimmer spins counterclockwise, everything is kicked right at you and you get hit in the legs and face a lot. *Gas thirsty! Despite all the flaws, I give it three stars because it packs a good punch which is what I need. With a stronger string, this could be a 4 stars. With a stronger string and a better head system, it would be a 5. I would recommend it to whoever has a need for a powerful trimmer (make sure you wear safety glasses and pants). For light applications look somewhere else as this would be too much trimmer.

I found this to be inferior to my stihl fs 36. Vibrations are much worse. Cutting is worse. I don't like this line method as much. I think the spool is better. I am going to keep it. I will use it for something that needs a motor.

I've got 2 acres and some thick brush to cut through, this thing tore into it very handily. I followed the instructions for starting it the first time and it roared right to life after 6 pulls. Most of the time I only have the gas pulled about 1/2 way with no problems. When there is a particularly weedy patch (thick weeds 1/4 in thick or more) I kick it up to full throttle and it takes care of everything! Its been mentioned this thing vibrates and at full throttle it does - not horribly, but noticeable. Thats the only thing wrong I've seen with it, but for this kind of power I am not surprised. My suggestion is wear gloves and it's fine. Still warming up to the string replacement - it may be a problem around the driveway and the house, but I only went through 2 strings. I'll update as time goes on, but I am happy with my purchase!

The power of this wed eater is really good. It can cut through most anything with in reason. The only draw back is the vibration it gives out. This is not an easy machine for the weak to use. You have to be strong to be able to handle the vibration. I will not be returning it though.

This is my second gas trimmer. The last one i had was a toro and it did well till it failed. I decided to try this one thinking some more power would be nice. The trimmer cuts well and has plenty of power but the reason for a 4 star is that it is heavy and the caseing can get so hot that if it bumps your elbow it will be very warm almost burning to the touch. Other then that it is a solid cutter for around the home. Would not recomend it for a pro but for joe blow at home its more then enough.