written by Lynchpa263 on 11/05/2019
I was excited to use my new mower, and all was well in putting it together until fitting the grass catcher. The distance on the mower itself between the prongs to receive the grass catcher is 22 cm, but the distance on the prongs on the grass catcher itself is 19 cm. There's no way for it to fit. I called the Spear & Jackson customer support number on the manual. They told me I had to call a company called Cleaver, as S&J didn't manufacture this mower! They said S&J is a brand name that includes different manufacturers. So though it's branded as S&J, it isn't S&J. And the customer support number on the manual cannot be used!
written by on 31/10/2018
Wish I had read the reviews before I bought it ,the bump feed does not work all the time and very hard to remove spool head I have large hands and. It's still difficult the balance of the strimmer is uncomfortable plus the pull cord is very low down a d not easy to use .I have burnt my arm on the engine cover housing a few times ,the only good thing was not having to mix oil
written by Audrinau5 on 20/04/2018
Bought from argos but not their fault. I opened an hour later and the main handle and a bolt were missing.. Rang spear and jackson customer services and for some reason they couldnt send the parts out to me. Have to get it back to argos. Total inconvenience. Will not buy spear and jackson again and wouldnt recommend to anyone.
written by Richard_Ha on 06/06/2013
Phoned the repair line which is contracted to Argos. They dropped dealing with S&J grass strimmers. It is cutting out after running a little- how do I access the spark-plug? Was trying to get a manual for the 33CC bush cutter/grass strimmer. Does anyone have one they can scan & send to me please?
written by on 01/05/2013
I bought a Spear and Jackson petrol strimmer from Argos. I used it once and the second time it refused to start I had it in for repair and even the experts can’t get it going! I would steer clear of ANY Spear and Jackson power tools after my experience. Even the repair line were not interested so their customer care are as reliable as their tools DREADFUL!
written by on 29/12/2011
Saw it advertised cheap I took a chance what a clanger.Tried to adjust mixture special key required Isawed the protection alum. around screws removed the H n L mixture screws and put saw cuts for screwdriver use.After that adjusted ok but now I,ve trouble with the coil gone faulty.I live in Portugal near to the sea guess who,s got a new anchor.
written by on 29/07/2011
can anyone tell me how fit bushcutter on m28 strimmer
written by AmershamO on 21/07/2011
Bought this from e-bay. It's a nice machine and worked well. But the spool cap broke (my fault - didn't re-fit it properly). Can't get spares anywhere. Therefore, DO NOT BUY! Mine has to go for re-cycling now. Bought a cordless Flymo. At least you can get the spare parts for them.
written by on 20/03/2011
Don't buy it, there are far better ones for a few more £s. Poor starter. Very heavy, bump feed works when you're lucky, so called 'choke/air filter' fitting is fragile and crude. Joint between strimming/cutter head and the power unit is very weak and wobbly. BUT, yes, very powerful when its in a good mood! Self assembly keeps the price down but not worth the tedium if you can avoid it.
written by Job Done on 17/09/2010
I have the S&J 33cc strimmer/brush cutter, it's excellent!
The first thing to remember with any 2 stroke is to use a good quality 2 stroke oil and be very exact when mixing fuel & oil! If just new run your machine a little rich in oil first time out then keep to the prescribed 40:1 mix. If your machine is stalling check for grass or fibre caught around & or just above the cutting head, if clear then look for dirt in the fuel tank, clean or replace the air filter,also clean or replace the spark plug (always hand thread the plug & tighten at the end when you are sure it's threaded properly) if your machine has been unused all winter don't use the old fuel, replace it with a new mix & if you are still finding problems go to your local auto parts or motor cycle store & purchase carburetor cleaner for two stroke engines and clean the jets in the carb remove the bowl under the carb and clean the inside residue can build up in 2 stroke engines which cause things to glar up and stick, these things are easily remedied. A good tip; If you don't know much about carbs or are unsure/ not great with spanners...., few mechanics would charge you more than £10-15 to do this quick simple task bike or lawnmower mechanics are best.
Heres the thing; I have had & used many other makes of strimmer/brush cutter some of which some of which come close to £1000 and are deemed professional machines which they are! They can ALL give troubles the more expensive the machine the bigger the bill!
These Spear & Jackson "branded" machines are fantastic value for money, they are simple to use, reliable if looked after, easy to start/stop, and will give first class service & work rates from novice to regular/semi professional user. One extra I would add for an easy life is a universal alloy head it will make owning & operating the machine just peachy; no more stuck/tangled/jammed bump heads or blunt blades the head is for heavy duty line (square or twisted type)these types of line will cut the blazes out of just about anything and the heads are easily sourced I got mine from Carrigaline tool hire in Co Cork here in Ireland tel:00353 214 375 121 Noel is really helpful & the part was under '20 I guess if you live elsewhere it would be plus P&P I hope this helps I don't represent anyone or Spear & Jackson just want to give an honest comprehensive review.
written by on 12/09/2010
Bought it because it has "cow horns" . Can be difficult to start . but when it goes it is a cracker . Bump feed works well and the brush cutter is the best I have seen . It tackled brambles up to 25mm thick !
Price was right , but it is not up to the standard of my previous Riobi , but then joint problems made me switch to the S&J . Expandit extras will also fit the S&J .
written by on 20/06/2010
strimmer worked fine last year, but this year it stalls if I use less than 1/2 choke. Tried to loacte the handbook for a fix (cant find handbook) anyone got any ideas on how to fix this?
written by on 19/06/2010
Its really poor. On the plus side its an easy starter. Cant comment on the brush cutter as havent used it.
The strimmer is rubbish. Bump feed doesnt work (never has), and the head retaining knob jams on and cannot be removed. I now keep a jubilee clip on it as i can wack that to remove the head retaining knob. After 45 minutes of strimming the head ovverheated and melted its plastic mount. Also the drive shaft jammed on and would not disconnect until it was cold (the next day). I wouldnt buy this again and i cannot recommend it to you in any way.
written by on 24/05/2010
The bump feed has never worked .After two season the engine slowed down and due to this the clutch would not engage to drive the head.
I sent the unit for repair but the cost would have been so high it was not worth it. I have now purchased a new Ryobi trimmer and so far no problems.
Spear and Jack did not wish to know and neither did Argos.
written by on 20/05/2010
I got a spear & jackson petrol spjbc28 grass and brush cutter new, on ebay. I built it using the instructions. The engine is starting and going ok but not driving the cutter.
written by on 19/05/2010
Good machine, it has coped with everything I asked it to do, it eats brambles and has even chopped down medium size shrubs ! can be difficult to start, however no problems with the spool as per other reviews
written by on 15/10/2009
I bought the Spear and Jackson SPJBC28 brush cutter with grass trimmer spool, expecting to get the reliability of Spear and Jackson but quickly discovered this is not the case.
The bump line feed has never worked; however I have to confess that I have never found one that did efficiently on any strimmer by any manufacturer.
When running, it is an efficient machine and the brush cutter in particular is extremeley effective.
So why the low rating? Well it normally takes about 15 minutes to get it started and if you have to stop or it cuts out then that's it for the day because it just can't be re-started after it is warmed up.
A total waste of money and energy.
It could probably be better marketed as sports equipment as it is good for building up the biceps when trying to get it started.
written by on 21/09/2009
bought the Spear & Jackson SPJBC28 brush-cutter beginning of this summer, found it very awkward to handle and wished i had bought a model with one handle on it.
after that it took forever to try and start it that i usually end up doing a basil fawlty and throw it back in the shed.
i thought maybe i hadn't got the mixture right, so i carefully measured out the petrol/oil mixture and tried again, to no avail i'm back using a heavy duty electric strimmer.
i thought i couldent go wrong with buying a spear and jackson make but i'm afraid i was wrong.
written by on 15/09/2009
the Spear & Jackson product was ok to use its the after care service thats at fault the bump feed is a waste of time the bump broke and i cant get a replacement from the manufacturor
written by on 23/08/2009
My Spear & Jackson has trouble to start, line feed keps breaking, and where can i get spares for it?
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Billofwales's Response to Richard_Ha's Review
Written on: 29/07/2013
being the same S&J has mine ,today I found the spark plug under a small black bulbus plastic cover on the top of the engine and requires a x-head screwdriver to remove the small one only screw to expose the plug cap and lead--I also want the manual to show me how to put a new cord into the pull cord mechanism and have the return spring setup-if you do come across a manual source will appreciate an email to [email protected] -i hope the foregoing helps-bill