etpm
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2021
- Messages
- 2,017
- Location
- Whidbey Island, WA
- Tractor
- Yanmar YM2310, Honda H5013, Case 580 CK, Ford 9N
I have two EGO electric trimmers. Model ST1510S-FC. I bought one last year and decided to buy another battery for it a couple weeks ago. The new, bigger battery was about 3/4 the price for a new trimmer complete with the new and bigger battery so I bought a second trimmer. Now my wife and I don't need to share. Even though the 4 amp hour battery is considerably heavier it lasts for about an hour of use, and by then I'm ready for a break.
The electric trimmers are heavier than my gas trimmers because of the battery weight. The 2.5 amp hour one is only slightly heavier though. But I am willing to live with this. Not having to deal with gas and oil is great. And not having to keep the thing running when I'm not cutting anything is great. The quietness is great. When I was younger I didn't mind the noise so much, or the gas and oil. But now I REALLY appreciate these features.
The trimmers use .095 line and have no problem cutting through blackberry canes. Salmon berry canes, if new and green, can also be cut with the .095 line. The brushless motor has plenty of power which is why the trimmer needs the .095 line.
If the motor is overloaded it instantly shuts off. Letting go of the trigger and pulling it again restarts the motor.
The trimmer also has one fantastic feature that I at first thought would be a gimmick: it auto loads the line. I don't think this would even be possible on a gas driven trimmer. To reload the trimmer head you push the line through either hole until it comes out the other hole. Then pull it so the ends are even. Then you press a button by the head and the line is automatically wound in. So easy. I never thought something like this would matter much but it really does. Especially since the arthritis in my fingers is getting worse.
I did run into one slight problem, but I have had a similar problem with gas trimmers. When cutting nettles the fibers sometimes get caught under the part of the head that compresses when tapping on the ground to feed line. When enough fibers get in the space the line won't feed and the auto fill function won't work. The fix is simple though. Two tabs need to be pressed to remove the head cap, then a 1/2" nut needs to be unscrewed with a 1/2" socket. Doing this allows the movable parts of the head to come off. Then the nettle fibers are easily removed. The whole operation, taking the head apart, cleaning it out, and putting it back together takes about 5 minutes.
Anyway, I really like these trimmers. I'm sure there are other trimmers available that work as well but I don't now if any others have the auto feed feature, which I really like. I am not benefiting in any way by posting this review, I am not spamming this site. I just thought folks here might be interested in an unbiased review of an electric weed trimmer because there are so many brands available now.
Cheers,
Eric
The electric trimmers are heavier than my gas trimmers because of the battery weight. The 2.5 amp hour one is only slightly heavier though. But I am willing to live with this. Not having to deal with gas and oil is great. And not having to keep the thing running when I'm not cutting anything is great. The quietness is great. When I was younger I didn't mind the noise so much, or the gas and oil. But now I REALLY appreciate these features.
The trimmers use .095 line and have no problem cutting through blackberry canes. Salmon berry canes, if new and green, can also be cut with the .095 line. The brushless motor has plenty of power which is why the trimmer needs the .095 line.
If the motor is overloaded it instantly shuts off. Letting go of the trigger and pulling it again restarts the motor.
The trimmer also has one fantastic feature that I at first thought would be a gimmick: it auto loads the line. I don't think this would even be possible on a gas driven trimmer. To reload the trimmer head you push the line through either hole until it comes out the other hole. Then pull it so the ends are even. Then you press a button by the head and the line is automatically wound in. So easy. I never thought something like this would matter much but it really does. Especially since the arthritis in my fingers is getting worse.
I did run into one slight problem, but I have had a similar problem with gas trimmers. When cutting nettles the fibers sometimes get caught under the part of the head that compresses when tapping on the ground to feed line. When enough fibers get in the space the line won't feed and the auto fill function won't work. The fix is simple though. Two tabs need to be pressed to remove the head cap, then a 1/2" nut needs to be unscrewed with a 1/2" socket. Doing this allows the movable parts of the head to come off. Then the nettle fibers are easily removed. The whole operation, taking the head apart, cleaning it out, and putting it back together takes about 5 minutes.
Anyway, I really like these trimmers. I'm sure there are other trimmers available that work as well but I don't now if any others have the auto feed feature, which I really like. I am not benefiting in any way by posting this review, I am not spamming this site. I just thought folks here might be interested in an unbiased review of an electric weed trimmer because there are so many brands available now.
Cheers,
Eric
