Ryobi 25.4CC 2 Stroke ZipStart RLT254FCDSN

Temoeramental piece of – Has been temperamental since Day 1. Always has been hard to start, and has never run smoothly, often dying for no apparent reason. Had to replace primer bulb. Fuel leaks. Today when I tried to use it, it started, but every time, as soon as the choke was turned off it died. Finally managed to coax it to a fast idle but would not keep running. SIck of it. I would have expected better from Ryobi.

Get what you pay for! – I bought this Ryobi thinking that it was as good as the previous one i purchased in 2013......unfortunately it wasn,t and it is really cheaply made.....so cheap in fact the shaft broke just above the head whilst being used.......the shaft just sheared off (it was a week old)! Disappointed in the quality now so best to look at other brands.  Show details

Primer bulb leaks Fuel and neither Bunnings or Ryobi can replace the bulb – Ok weight, mostly starts, used in 1/4 acre. Is ok when it works. Goes through a lot of lime and is awkward to reload. Primer bulb cannot be replaced. Must replace the whole carb. Stuck with it and the long grass/weeds til I can afford a real machine. Show details

Long term ownership test - Powerful and Reliable – After buying a cheaper Ryobi model from Kmart in Jan 2016 which started leaking petrol after a few months, it was returned under warranty. I decided to try Bunnings for a look at something more substantial. After telling them the size of my block (600 sq mtrs) on a corner and previous experience with Ryobi, they recommended this model. It was a… Read more

bigger engine and more solid than the others I had before, including some 240v electric models over the years. It came with 2 different heads and I have used the bump feed since new. This can be a bit fiddly to reload with trimmer line at times but works well once done. The engine starts quickly and easily every time. Does not seem any noisier than any other petrol whipper snipper, they all make a noise. What impresses me the most is the power for trimming. It uses a thicker line than my previous whipper snippers, which means the line does not break so often and it makes short work of cutting through grass of any density. The whipper snipper is not too heavy, well balanced when on your shoulder. I would recommend this model after my experience.

Good Whipper Snipper – Light weight and powerfull. Always has been easy to start. Good for small to medium size lawns. Dont like the fact that they have made it a nightmare to tune the carburettor, had to find an old carburettor with an adjustment screw to get it running when it finally broke down. Show details

This is rubbish – This is rubbish. Will have to buy the whole upper boom shaft to fix the throttle lockout. The screws got lossened and the parts inside the plastic cover attached to the upper shaft fell off. Show details

Fantastic little whipped snipper – Always starts after 3rd or 4th pull and does a great job. Has been doing a great job last 2 yrs. Pros: Light weight and easy to use. Cons: Bump spool does not work well. Hates hot weather (Cuts out and won't start) Helpful hints. * Invest in a brush cutter head. * Let idle for about 30 seconds before use. * If trouble starting then turn off… Read more

and give 3 pulls with full throttle then turn on and should fire straight up on next pull. * Always use fresh fuel and oil mix. * Avoid starting on concrete surface /letting idle on concrete/ dragging the plastic tank on the ground when checking the feed line as this will damage the tank and it will leak.

Fuel leak – I reluctantly bought this model after vowing never to buy another Ryobi. The last model I had packed up completely a month after the warranty had expired. I purchased this due to pricing but that has proved to be false economy. I now have a fuel leak so need to buy a kit but I've also had issues with the trimmer head and spool(s) which I've… Read more

replaced a couple of times. It's going in the trash and from now on I definitely won't ever purchase a Ryobi product again.

Will not start – Almost 2 years old. Has been difficult to start but recently it just totally refused to fire up. Ensured it had freshly mixed fuel, changed the spark plug, and carefully followed starting instructions. Also followed the instruction on dealing with a flooded motor. I will never by another RYOBI product. To get only 2 years out of such a simple ma c.f.vchine is ludicrous. The Ryobi engineers should be ashamed of themselves.  Show details

Worst whipper sniper ever – I have been back twice to replace because of not being able to start. My third one has also been difficult from the start and wont idle and sometimes just wont start. I have worked as a landscaper so have a fair idea of how to start properly. Only reason i kept going back was because i had all the attachments from a previous discontinued brush cutter.  Show details

Pretty decent for $189 – Bought this from Bunnings today. Was tossing between this and the 18v brushless since I have some spare batteries from a Ryobi drill. Ended up with this one as the posture and positioning is much better. It is pretty powerful and did cut through some of the thicker grass / weed I have in the backyard. A few things that bothered me. … Read more ·  2

Instructions from the box were really bad. It was very loud and the motor bit gets a bit warm bordering hot. The head also flew off even after tightening with a wrench.

Otherwise I think it's pretty well priced and very good at what it does. No regrets here so far. Will see how well it starts up the next time i use it.

Very noisey, fuel tank leak – I have for 2 years, find it hard to start, and very noisy, after 2 years the fuel tank started leaking. Need t buy a fuel tank that cost around $25 . I had Mikita before and find it much better, I will not buy this brand any more .  Show details

Difficult to start – Salesman tried to sell me the optional electrical starter about $70.Now know why as this is a shocker to start. Once started seems powerful enough and runs well. How hard is it in this day and age to design a machine that starts easily? Will thrash it until it dies then buy a better quality unit. No more Ryobi.  Show details

The most annoying power tool I have ever purchased – Actual model purchased: Ryobi RLT254CSEON ZipStart 25.4cc whipper snipper From first use it lasted 15-20 min and then died rapidly - no chugging or coughing, just a quick drop to nothing. Restarting, including priming and restarting, it revs and then dies immediately. After a long rest it works for around 15 minutes and then dies again. Tried… Read more

again several times over the last couple of months - same result.

Today I did a bit of very intermittent trimming amounting to a total of only a few minutes of actual running, but after the 'magic' time limit - this time around 30min - it died again and refused to restart.

Within days of purchase I was emailing ryobi.com.au customer care - they couldn't come up with a solution or even an authorised repair agent rearby, so it will go back to Bunnings when I get time (1 hour round trip).

Failed just after warranty expired – This model didn't last nearly as long as the previous (and cheaper) Ryobi I had. Only a month after the warranty expired, the primer bulb split. Went to Bunnings and the guy sold me a repair kit for $20. Took it home only to find that the bulb he sold me doesn't fit the 25.4CC model, and Bunnings don't sell any that do. They wouldn't refund the… Read more

kit either. Also, I'm not sure when this started happening, but the head now spins all the time, not just when you have your finger on the trigger. It leaks oil as well. My advice is if you get this unit, keep an eye on the warranty period and make sure you take it back before the warranty expires.

Punches above its weight – First of all always purchase a full crank model. For those not familiar this means the crank is supported fully by bearings instead of a counterweight on one end. Easily spotted by the pull start being at the back instead of down towards the shaft. I actually prefer using this model over the Honda. It's lighter and more powerful (2 stroke… Read more

traits) but not as reliable. Cheap and easily serviced. Huge range of attachments, I use the rotary hoe a fair bit.

Negatives include the easy wind bump head aging quickly making it painful to spool line, and in hot weather prone to vapour lock. This is minimised by using synthetic oil and also using 98RON fuel (the manual says to use 91 octane but this is rated as an AKI, roughly 96RON in our terminology)

Good easy to start – Got it mainly for attachments used the hedge trimmer and the tiller attachment ..it copped a flogging full revs for 3 tanks of fuel bouncing through grass and small roots .. No idea why others have left 1 star...if you mixed the oil ratio correctly it's just as good as the professional machines. Only con is could have made a fuel tank protector /hook to hang it up when finished.  Show details

Another one with a broken cutting head – Lasted just over 12 months before the cutting head started spinning. Looks like a common fault when checking other reviews. Took it back to Bunnings and got a replacement on the spot without any dramas. Considering that this appears to be a design fault, I will take this one back too just before warranty for a replacement if it lasts that long.  Show details

Junk – Purchased from Bunnings a month ago as the salesman talked it up to be amazing. Got it home, put it together and started it - it vibrated like crazy. Rang Bunnings and swapped it for a new one. The 2nd one vibrated less but was such a pain to start. I only successfully used it once. I wouldn't rate it though. I had to rev the hell out of it… Read more

for it to cut through the grass and the line wouldn't pop out when I tried to get more. The guard didn't stop anything from flinging up and hitting me - I was pelted with rocks and dirt on my legs and face. The curved shaft is not designed for tall people and I felt like the end wasn't far enough away from me.

In comparison to my parents Kawasaki line trimmer which is 5 odd years old; the Ryobi felt like a cheap plastic piece of junk.

The other 2 times I tried to use it the piece of junk wouldn't start. I promptly returned it for my money back!

after 2 false starts – Did some research including reading comments on here before deciding this one was the go. Took it home from Bunnings only to find all the screws that hold the guard to head were missing from box. As mine was the last one on the shelf I just took the bits in question back, in the hope of getting some screws to do the job. Bunnings guy was helpful,… Read more

found some different ones in the fixings isle and fitted them for me, before advising me that he won't be charging me for those... All Heart..! Took those bits home and proceeded with assembly, then realised the spring locator clip that lines up the top & bottom shafts had not been riveted properly and had come off and fallen inside the main tube. Retrieved that, ground down the dud rivet, re-riveted and assembled before firing up to use. When using I find long grass is getting tangled around the shaft just above the head and I need to keep stopping the machine to clear this tangled mess. Besides this, motor seems reliable, machine is reasonably well balanced, which is good, because the shoulder strap slips through its adjuster and the machine ends up down by my knee like a rockabilly's guitar. Machine has done about half an hour work now.. Apart from 2 false starts So far, so good

Ryobi is a good value for money machine – On Special for $189. Easy to assemble. Started 2nd pull. Less vibration and quieter than my old Ryobi. Plenty of power so cuts well. Replaced my 8yr old Ryobi as I had given to friend who could not afford a new one. It had done a lot work and was reliable so Ryobi works well for me.

Pieve of rubbish – Piece of rubbish..... brought it new from buñnings and the bloody thing won't even start. Even when purchasing I wasn't keen on Ryobi but the salesman from buñnings assured me that it was a great product. .... I will never buy another Ryobi in my like....