Ryobi RBC-52SB Garden Trimmer

WHILST THIS MACHINE DOES PROVE DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN PARTS FOR - ITS THE BEST MACHINE I'VE HAD IN YEARS.VERY POWERFUL, CAN BE USED ALL DAY AND I'VE EVEN BOUGHT ANOTHER TO FIX UP. I DISAGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS POST ON THE LINE HEAD. THIS IS THE BEST SYSTEM IVE SEEN TO DATE. BUMP TYPE JUST USE MILES OF LINE. IVE EVEN BOUGHT EXTRA HEADS AS THEY ARE NOW SCARCE. ITS HEAVY AND YOU WILL NEED A HARNESS FOR LONG STRIMMING PERIODS. FOR THE MONEY I BELIEVE IT TO BE GOOD VALUE.

It's the second season that I have my RCB 52SB

When it works it's great - but the air filter housing dislodged itself, and I require a small part to fix it. It is very difficult to find any parts for this machine on the net.

The next time I'd go with a more popular brand.

I've had a grand total of 5 successful starts on mine in a year. The second time, the starter cord assembly broke. Third time, the carburettor fell off. 4th time, it overheated and sulked, which I diagnosed as a cracked (plastic) intake manifold. Maybe it's just a Friday afternoon job, but some of the vital components seem far too, well, plasticky.

I have a little Stihl that starts every time and just keeps going. It's noisier and vibrates more, but at least it works. And it was cheaper. Lesson learned.

RYOBI RBC-52SB

I am now on second of these machines, the first having lasted a couple of seasons before the starter assembly broke with a 5 week wait for the spare part.

Now I know many will say that they should last longer, but my reply would be 'try to find another machine around 50cc at this price' At the time of writing it's available online (try ebay) for £180 with comparable power machines from other makers costing £700 upwards.

It sometimes can take a good few pulls to start but always does in the end and once running I find it does everything I ask of it, running and working for 5-6 hours a day a couple of days a week.

My biggest criticism would be the difficulty in getting parts when needed but as mentioned at the start, when my 5 week wait was over I ended up with two 52cc brush cutters for under £400. How can this be a bad thing?

I would suggest you buy a better harness than the one supplied, especially if you're going for more than an hour or so at a time. A good quality harness (and this one isn't) will make a world of difference.

In summary, if you have £700 - £1000 to spend without it being too painful then buy a Stihl or Jonsered, they really are the dog's bo**ocks. However, if like me, you don't have unlimited funds then this really is great value. Just remember you don't get a Rolls Royce when you only spend Skoda money!!

This machine is a waste of time. Mine has been back under warranty twice now for the same faults. The recoil unit is plastic and falls apart. Also the fuel tank guard is flimsy and falls apart. Would not be given another.

Don't confuse the Ryobi RBC-52SB with other Ryobi DIY equipment, this machine is a professional tool. It is a bit weighty and really does require the supplied harness but when it's adjusted correctly its a treat to use. Be warned the 52cc engine will kick back if you don't hang on tightly. The only gripes are the throttle latch, which takes some practise to operate, and the lack of bump feed line head. I think with the fixed line head (supplied), more line will be thrown away than used. Fortunately I had A spare bump head from another strimmer, they seem fairly universal, if it has a 10mm left hand female thread it will fit.