Craftsman  31cc* 2-Cycle Straight Shaft WeedWacker™ Gas Trimmer

It is nice looking, but using it is the problem. Based on the 1st use it is a disappointment.

The line feed malfunctioned 1st use. But I can say the refund was easy

I had a craftsman many years ago and it ran like a champ. So I wanted to get another one but the reviews have been up and down. None the less I go another one. Not too happy. The auto bump and feed does not work so well. I have to keep turning off the machine, unscrew the bottom and pull it out. Then turning on the machine really takes a lot of pulls. At one point did not start for whatever reason. Yes I can return it but what a pain. Just not the same pride behind the name.

There are more expensive 31cc WeedWackers, but the job this model does for the $99.95 price I paid is just about impossible to beat. It was already reduced from it's original $159.95 price by $40. and then $20 more for Memorial Day weekend. It assembled easily, Started with a few more extra pulls than I would of liked, but it took down heavy weed build up without the usual stalling of smaller machines. I purchased the available Deluxe Shoulder Strap, and the extra weight is now a non factor. When clearing heavy areas of weeds, don't be too eager to attack large sections. This will cause long weeds to wrap around the head area and hinder the machines performance. Instead as you would with very tall grass, cut with smaller passes and work the area slowly.I have only had the unit for a short time, but with proper maintenace I expect it to last like all my Craftsman products have....a very long time.

Made for Craftsman by Yardman (MTD) - assembled in Mexico, not sure where the parts come from. Overall a good unit. I had some trouble starting it the first time but since then it starts on the third or fourth pull. The engine is really loud - not really suited to a subdivision. Has more power than you need for trimming grass, I bought it primarily to use with my pole saw attachment since it is lighter than my 4-cycle trimmer. Works withs all of the Craftsman, Ryobi, Poulan and Trimmer Plus attachments. Makes a great pole saw with the 31 CC engine. I also use it with the hedge trimmer attachment since I have some tall hedges and this saves having to break out a ladder. Also this unit is very thrifty on gas. The Mix ratio is 40:1 so if you have other equipment that uses a 40:1 ratio this will fit right in. If you have equipment that uses 50:1 you may want to look at Toro or Husqvarna. If all you are going to use it for is trimming grass I would go with a smaller engine - 25 CC maybe.

I purchased this trimmer because it was cheap and I had a better cutting head assembly that I could use with it. In the beginning, it started up great. As soon as I started cutting weeds it sounded like it was going to shut off. A year later, it was harder and harder to start; after 3 uses (a year later) it would cut off while I was cutting. I would start it and it would cut off. It finally would not start. As I tried to prime it, the bulb would not pop back out. I used it for high grass and general trimming around the house. I am going to see if I can fix my older Craftsman by getting parts from Sears PartsDirect. This trimmer might just be for some parts.

Out of the box was easy to assemble and fair starting. Takes longer to warm up than they say in the manual. There was a dead spot in the throttle going from idle to full speed. Tried adjusting idle according to manual but no help. After 10 to 15 mins of use the little gear box became extremely hot (boiled water on contact) and made more noise than the engine. It came to a dead halt when the throttle was let go. (binding). The line release worked fair. Let too much line out when tapped. Also lacks power to cut tall grass and keep going.

I bought this trimmer as a replacement for my old Sears 32cc. This new one does not have near the power of the old one. The bump head is a pain because everytime I encounter tree roots sticking above the ground, the bump head hits them and pushes line out. I can't get the bump head off like on other trimmers I've had and needed to go on line and ask for assistance so I can replace it with the old head I had on my 32cc unit (that head takes both .130" or .092" line, the type that you cut in a certain length so you don't have to mess with spools). For some reason this 31cc trimmer will not drive the entire end shaft off the 32cc unit, it just bogs down so I want to try just the head. Anyway, if I had it to do over I wouldn't have bought this. I thought it was awfully cheap for a 31cc and I was right. It's not heavy at all as some posters claim but I just like having the capability of using two thickness lines and not having the bump head.

I bought this Craftsman weed trimmer last week & I love it. I looked all around town to find a good dependable weed trimmer and this is the best one that I found and the shaft comes with a 10 year warrantyfrom Craftsman.