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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 16 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 12 found the following review helpful:
 Multi-use trimmer does it all. Sep 30, 2006
By Joel Mcelrath
I started with the straight-shaft trimmer and soon added the pole saw for lopping off those low hanging limbs. Some pole saws have the motor in the saw and are practically impossible to use because they are so top heavy. The Troy-Bilt motor acts like a counter-balance to lighten the weight of the saw. Now, I've added the brush cutter which cuts tough weeds and grass, but doesn't do much for small tree seedlings more than a half inch in diameter. I've used it two full years for trimming grass, limbs, and weeds (sunflowers) and can usually depend on it starting with 1 or 2 easy pulls. I've had a couple of other string trimmers and hated them because they were hard to start, but the Troy-Bilt (MTD) is very satisfactory. I've recently switched to .105 line and it lasts a long time if you stay away from curbs and foundations.
9 of 11 found the following review helpful:
 Mediocre--Bump Head Wearing Fast/Drive Shaft Flanging Out Aug 09, 2007
By Sir Charles Panther
"Life is hard. It's harder when you're stupid."
(originally posted 6 Aug 07)
I bought one of these at Lowe's last summer, so this tool is coming to the end of its second summer of routine home use. And already the bump head has completely worn out, forcing me first to find (Troy-Bilt parts are not easy to find) and then buy a replacement. Previously I had a Homelite curved-shaft trimmer which lasted 13 years, so this item and its constituent parts are pretty sad by comparison.
As I've had to repeatedly work on and tend to the bump head prior to its going out, I also have noticed that the business end of the shaft seems to either be going out of true or bending, and the end of the unit is increasingly heating up. (Maybe this is the reason the bump head is wearing out; I have no way of knowing this.) I don't expect this entire unit to last much longer, new head or no.
I agree with other reviews that this thing is easy to start. The spring-activated clutch is a neat addition and should be retained. The motor is nicely contained, and the choke and throttle work easily and reliably. The motor has more than enough power to operate this tool. The noise from the engine is much less than other trimmers I've seen.
The tool is a bit heavy, but not too bad. It seems that they have not centered the weight well, and that the motor end is a bit too heavily weighted.
Also, I'm 6'4", and even though this is a straight-shaft trimmer, I'm still having to bend down to get the thing to the deck. I'll have to get a truly industrial trimmer for the next go-round, which probably will be soon
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Update: 7 Sep 07
I got the repair parts, and they didn't fit. Why? Because I finally found the real problem: the very bottom of the metal drive shaft is flanging out/elephant-footing where it meets the bump head, which is preventing the repair parts from going on, and keeping the bump head spring action from taking place. So it's not and never was the bump head, but the cheapo soft metal they've used in the drive shaft. To me, that's an even worse design and/or production decision--soft metal used in a tool which strikes the ground on a repeated basis. I mean, didn't they product-test this thing, with, like robots or something? Or maybe even with real people even? It sure doesn't look that way to me.
Mind you, I'm not pounding this thing on the deck. I'm using the same tapping that kept my old Homelite going for 13 years, without ever having to replace any parts in the head, other than the line. And now this thing's drive shaft is flangnig on me at less than two years? That's unforgivable, and I can't see myself buying Troy-Bilt for anything, ever again.
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Update: 24 Aug 07
Rest in pieces, crummy Troy-Bilt trimmer. The flanging of the bottom of the drive shaft sounded the death knell for this tool yesterday afternoon, the line not feeding at all, so it was dutifully executed at the wood pile, bashed to shards and splinters with the splitting maul, as a lesson to the other tools.
So now it's off to Lowe's to find a replacement, and I'm certain it won't be a Troy-Bilt.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Line feeder is a problem Jun 24, 2008
By Carl Matthews
"Navy Carlos"
I purchased the model TB70SS String trimmer with cultivator attachment. All works well except for the line feed heads that came with the unit. Does the bump feed let out line? Absolutely, but the bump head uses entirely too much line. Never had this problem before with any other trimmer. The entire spool (15-20 ft of line) empties before the job is completed. I tried the bonus fixed line head that came with the unit but it is useless because the line keeps flying off the head while in use. I even went back to Lowe's to ask and ensure I was attaching and locking the line correctly. I am disappointed as this is my first Troy Built unit. I never had this problem with other brands in the past 20 years. I asked TroyBuilt on-line if they had any suggestions. They gave me their warranty blurb and told me to go to an authorized repair center. Did they not understand that there is nothing wrong with the unit except for their design? I guess I will get a universal head and try that. Not impressed at all with their answer or on-line support.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
So nice to use and SO easy to start! May 04, 2007
By Comdet
After struggling with a WeedEater, it is SO nice to use a trimmer that starts every time so easily! This item has been a joy to use! The only problem I encountered was a fussy bump head, which I got around by replacing it with a fixed line head I picked up for a few bucks. The easy start feature, nice even idle, comfortable handle, and well balanced design makes this model perfect for my needs. Did I mention it was easy to start?!? Good job Troy-Bilt!
10 of 13 found the following review helpful:
 Questionable reliability, *very* heavy Aug 13, 2006
By JB
Tnis string trimmer worked well out of the box, those it was *much* heavier than my previous Weedeater Featherlite. It did a better job than the Featherlite in long weeds, but still bogged down from time to time, which surprised me considering the unit's heft. The buump-and-feed mechanism was also less than ideal, causing me to have to stop the trimmer frequently to "manually" let out more string.
But these quibbles became moot after the trimmer ceased to function after using it on a very hot day at the end of July. The unit will now only run for a minute or two; after warming up it stalls and cannot be restarted. It would appear that it overheated on that hot day and is now seriously damaged (and yes I did use the proper 40-1 oil mixture).
BTW, the Troy-Bilt gas trimmers are manufactured by MTD.
See all 16 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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