When my previous string trimmer decided to give up, I chose to replace it with a corded model. I looked at all of the ones that were within my budget and this one just stood out for me.
I like the design of the trimmer. It is easy to grip and it’s not too short so that I don’t need to stoop when using it. I’ve found in the past that shorter trimmers can leave me with a painful back for a few days, either because of the weight of them, or because of the height of the trimmer.
When I first got the trimmer, I had to fit a trimmer guard over the rotary part of the trimmer. This is supposed to be a safety precaution and I wouldn’t recommend that you use the trimmer without it, but it took me over an hour to get it fitted properly because for some reason it just didn’t seem to want to fit in place. Once you have attached that part, its probably best that you don’t bother trying to remove it, or you’ll just have the same struggle again to get it on. It’s metal so I very much doubt that it will ever bend into a better shape to fit on more easily.
As well as the little trimmer guard is a separate and larger guard, which prevents trimmings from flying up and about everywhere. You should definitely use that, as you don’t want to chip all the cuttings straight in your face.
You should be careful with the string coil on this trimmer. Whilst other trimmers that I’ve owned have been quite good ant maintaining a good string length, the string on the Weed Eater RTE115C always ends up being really long. The main problem I can see with that is the fact that when it is that long, you run the risk of over trimming, and even slicing through your own leg. That’s not the best scenario in the world, so if you do have this trimmer, you should exercise special caution about the string and check that it is not a dangerous length. At first you may find this a little frustrating, as dealing with the string feed mechanism is quite hard to get the hang of initially but once you have used the trimmer a few times, its benefits will ease the frustration about the string. You could always try some thicker gauge string from the local hardware store. That often works for mine.
The trimmer itself is powerful and it is enough to get through the thicker stalks and plants. It also doubles up as a handy edger and it made my path look beautiful and defined in about 10 minutes. I would certainly recommend it as a useful corded trimmer.