Ryobi PLT2543Y 25cc Petrol

Brought mine a few years ago and it hasn't missed a beat. Is a good-looking unit light well balanced an easy to hold. Has been easy to start and has enough power to do most jobs I would not hesitate to recommend

I bought one of these from new and had nothing but trouble from it. The main issue is starting it, it is so unreliable you really don't know whether it will start straight away or if you are going to have to spend a lot of time and effort trying to get it going.

I've seen a few good reviews of this product and can only assume they are genuine, but judging from the others they seem to mirror my experience.

I would say on the balance of these reviews avoid this product unless you've been given it for free. It'll probably need transporting to the dump though!

All I want is a strimmer that cuts well and starts first time, unfortunately the Ryobi PLT 2543 is not it.

started once when new, problem starting next 4 times, now the piece of feises will not start at all. Changed and put in new spark plug, changed gas, this is no dought a boondogle piece of feises equiptment, Ryobi should be sued for marketing this feises eqiptment.

JD for several years, always starts, works well, like any motor, you have to service it.

I really do not understand the negative comments on here, If it won't start that is because you don't understand engines, I would say buy and electric one, but you probably don't understand that either and will strip through the cable.

Had this one for several years and never had any issues. Have to clean the plug from time to time, but its a cheap garden strimmer which has performed adequately. Cut a friends half acre plot with this once and it performed well, but I would have preferred something a little more heavier with a good wire. No complaints to date for average garden work.

From day one it would not start and just went bad to worse

Wish I had known about all the bad feedback before I ever bought this machine. Bought one with all attachments. Only operated it a few times and then would not start (great for arm exercise and raising blood pressure in pulling the chord for ages). So thinking I had unfortunately acquired a faulty machine or somehow had caused the fault I bought a second so as to use the attachments. This machine lasted a little longer but takes a lot of time to start and will not run on tickover. I have to keep the throttle wide open and it only operates for about 5 minutes before dying then won't start again until cold. I think a flight of fighter jets passing overhead would be quieter than the noise level of the Ryobi! I intend to take one apart and see if there is any blockage in the carb but I think the only benefit of it in pieces will be for it to fit in the waste recycling bin. Buy another make but not Ryobi.

Don't understand the reviews on here - I've had mine for around seven years, it lives outside most of the year, and spent one Winter on our garden table when I forgot to put it away. It ALWAYS starts first or second pull, and has never had any form of maintenance. I never drain the fuel at the end of the season, and never have any issues with 'stale' petrol.

Incredible value as it cost me £60 as a brand new, graded machine from a local independent dealer. I also tend to give it some serious abuse - my 1/2 acre of garden is usually left far too long between cuts!

I'm confused why most people seem to have issues starting this machine. My starts generally after 3 pulls from cold and will restart straight away from warm.

Basically the steps I follow (possibly from the instruction book - long forgotten), go like this :

1 - Make sure switch on handle is set to "|" (On) - may sound obvious but its caught me out one or twice

2 - Push the priming bulb on the top down 8 times - you should see it fill with fuel

3 - Put choke full on (orange lever to the bottom)

4 - Squeeze the trigger to give full throttle and pull the starter cord - I tend to hold the mahine in my left hand and push it away whilst pulling with my right

5- Pull the starter until you hear the engine cough (attempt to start), on average, this takes 2 pulls. Once it's coughed, stop pulling and move the choke to the middle position. Keeping the throttle on full, pull again and she should start

6 - Once started, keep the throttle about 3/4 for say about 30 seconds to a minute and then just move the choke to the "run" position (top)

Away you go and strim. As for the feed mechanism, I replaced the strimmer mine with a heaver weight twine from day 2 and never looked back. You do have to clean it out from time to time as it has a tendancy to collect mud and timmings, but other than that its not given me any trouble.

Restarting from warm is basically swith it on, give it full throttle (don't touch the choke or fuel primer) and pull thr cord - generally once is enough.

Hope this helps someone and stops all these useful machines being confined to the scrap heap. If you want rid, you can always send it to me :-)

Why only 4 stara ? - Well basically was using it today and it flicked up a stone which went straight through the glass of my patio door :-(

I thought it was me until I read other peoples reviews. I would achieve more with a pair of nail scissors. Don't buy this utter rubbish. The spool feed does not feed line, the spool head twist nut locks in position and you need the strength of Samson to free it.

This is the worst piece of equipment I have ever bought and should have been recalled.

In the end the spool head twist nut sheared away from its plastic casing and I was reluctant to buy a new spool head for such a crappy piece of equipment.

I have spent hours trying to feed line and in theory you should just have to tap the spool head on the floor and it should automatically feed line, this is a total myth.