Ryobi 36V Pole Hedge Trimmer RPT3600
VerifiedMPN: RPT36005 reviews
I suffered a major injury using this trimmer due to what I believe is a serious fault in the safety mechanism. While lifting the unit, my right hand was on the trigger handle and my left hand was near the blade. Even though I did not intentionally activate it, the trimmer suddenly powered on and nearly severed four of my fingers. I spent a week in hospital, required plastic surgery, and was unable to work for six weeks.
I immediately reported the incident and sent the unit to Ryobi Australia for investigation. Their response was that “nothing is wrong with the product,” and that was the end of the matter. This is unacceptable given the life-changing risks involved.
This product is dangerous, and I strongly advise anyone considering it to think twice. A hedge trimmer should never operate in this way, and Ryobi’s lack of accountability is deeply concerning.
Purchased in at Bunnings Warehouse for $199.
Poorly thought out design – I bought this 5 years ago to prune and shape my 5 pine trees, about 3 m high. It is very heavy when extended, but with practise it is manageable. Last time I used it, a small piece of the tree fell into the motor assembly, stalled the motor causing it to burn out. There is no screen to prevent this happening, and with a replacement motor the same cost as the new machine, it's off to the junkers. With all electric motors, check that the motor is screened against foreign material intrusion.
Purchased in for $229.
Versatile and efficient – I was surprised to see the negative reviews for this product, so decided to post regarding my experience. We have a 20 metre long, 2 metre high hedge that was massively overgrown. Being able to switch out the middle pole extension allowed for me to easily clean up both the top and sides without the need for a ladder. The whole clean up took a little under an hour and I still had a half charge left on a 4.0AH battery (not included). Cut through a few thick sections with branches around 20mm no problems. Having the motor and battery at the base made it easy to carry through the tougher sections.
Not sure if modifications have been made to this product since the last reviews, but I was very happy with how this pole hedge trimmer performed. Highly recommend!
Purchased in at Bunnings Warehouse for $329.
Heavy, awkward and barely cuts – Generally not fit for purpose. The trimmer only cuts the thinnest and newest growth and just strips the leaves of anything bigger. The trimmer head gets caught in the hedge due to the awkward shape. It is very heavy and the strap is poorly positioned giving you less freedom of movement than a standard hand-held hedge trimmer. Took it back to Bunnings after one frustrating day. My shoulder is still sore from fighting with it.
- Date Purchased:
Save your money and buy 2 stroke....this has no power – Poor power performance...supposed to cut up to 28mm....lucky to cut fresh growth more than 5 mm. Only useful if you want to tidy up an already well pruned hedge to remove very new growth. Was told by Ryobi it could easily cut 10mm stems, however it struggles. Should have paid extra $ and bought Husky or Stihl, like the rest of my tools. Thought 36v might have some power, but definately not.
- Date Purchased:
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