Tired of your grass growing over the sidewalk, or dragging around a 50 foot extension cord? The Weed Eater PE 550 gas edger has a powerful 22 cc 2 cycle engine, and an 8 ½ inch blade that cuts to a depth of 2 inches. You have a cordless phone, so now is the time for a cordless edger!
In The Box
Opening the carton I was pleasantly surprised to see that all I had to do was attach the handle with two (included) bolts. No torque wrench or special tools were needed, just tighten the bolts with an adjustable wrench. Packed with the edger was a pre-measured 3.2 ounce container of 2 cycle engine oil (pre-measured for the 40:1 required mix with one gallon of unleaded regular gasoline), and an owner's manual. The owner's manual takes you through setup and startup with easy to follow text and illustrations, and there is even a toll free number for assistance. Should you have difficulties and shun asking for help, there is a straight forward troubleshooting table that should cover most issues. So for your $150 you have everything you need for a perfectly edged lawn except a gallon can of gasoline!
Crank ‘er Up!
Should you not have really edged your lawn in a couple of years or more (I mean really edge your lawn, not turning your string trimmer on its side), it is a good idea to raise the cutting depth to about one inch for the first pass, then deeper for the next cut. Depth adjustment is simply a matter of sliding the adjustment handle forward for a more-shallow cut. Mix the gas by pouring in the oil and shaking it up a few times, then pour it in to the tank. There is an actual "choke" (the mixture of air to fuel is made "richer" by adding less air) and a priming button on the side. 5 pumps on the button, set the choke to full, pull the cord a few times (it is OK if you have to pull it up to 5 times), and it will begin running. It is advised to hold the throttle full for the first few minutes before moving the choke to the "off" position, then start tailoring your yard.
Edging
Operation is really simple. There are two large wheels to the rear and a single "guide skid" toward the front. Keeping the wheels on the sidewalk, the guide will slide along maintaining a constant cut depth into the turf. It will actually "dig" a bit into the dirt so that there is a marked separation between the concrete and the lawn. Letting off the throttle trigger will allow the engine to idle down and the blade to disengage from the motor for safe transit across your driveway. The perpendicular blade pretty much pulls the edger through the turf, leaving you with an almost self-propelled edger. So it comes down to walking along behind the edger while it transforms those ragged edges into a flat-top cut any 1950's teenager would envy.
Lawn Envy
I always envied those tailored lawns in the neighborhoods where I could not afford to live. There was always an image of attention to detail and quality missing from my own front yard. So after an unfulfilling time with my string trimmer, and a stressful bout with a 50 foot extension cord and an electric edger, I broke down and bought a Weed Eater PE 550 gas edger. I used it faithfully for a number of years on my Bermuda lawn, before running the fuel tank dry for the last fall before I began paying someone else to take over the lawn maintenance.
Hibernation
Like I said, after that final edge three years ago I ran the fuel tank dry and rolled my edger to a quiet corner of my garage. Then last year lawn maintenance became my new reality after my retirement move. Confident that it would not start, I picked up some carburetor cleaner, some 2 cycle engine oil, a new gas can, and a gallon of cheap gas. A shot of carburetor cleaner in the tank, followed by a few ounces of premix, all led up to an expected frustrating afternoon "willing" the edger to start. But after going through that cold-start drill in the owner manual it fired right up! Wow, and a few minutes later I had that classy looking manicured edge lawn that draws the eye. Imagine that; following the directions returned me the expected end result.
Maintenance
Double checking the owner's manual, there is very little maintenance required, other than what you might expect for any gasoline powered lawn equipment. The carburetor is equipped with limiter caps, and is not user-adjustable. Evidently carburetor adjustment is a more complicated task than mere mortals a capable of, so it is recommend that you take your unit to an authorized service dealer. Ignition timing is fixed, nonadjustable, just like the carburetor. But you can replace the spark plug annually (a Champion RCJ--8Y plug is recommended, with a spark plug gap of 0.025"). And because the blade is sharpened so as to be "reversible" you can either turn it over when one side becomes worn, or replace it (step by step instructions are provided). It is also recommended that you run the fuel tank dry prior to any long term storage. That said, I have yet to take mine to a "professional" service center.
Warranty and Reliability
Since I had never experienced a bit of trouble with the edger, I did have to dig out that original owner's manual to write this review. ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS NORTH AMERICA, Division of WCI Outdoor Products, Inc., (talk about uncontrolled corporate acquisitions) "warrants original purchaser that each new Weed Eater brand gasoline tool or attachment is free from defects in material and workmanship and agrees to repair or replace under this warranty any defective gasoline product or attachment as follows from the original date of purchase. 2 YEARS - Parts and Labor, when used for household purposes. 90 DAYS - Parts and Labor, when used for commercial, professional, or income producing purposes. 30 DAYS - Parts and Labor, if used for rental purposes." But like I said, after many years of suburban homeowner use I have yet to have a single problem.
Warnings and Special Notices
While somehow the corporate lawyers neglected to warn against drinking the fuel in the tank or using it to trim unruly cowlicks, there are a few in the manual to protect you from yourself: "unit is not equipped with a temperature limiting muffler and spark arresting screen which meets the requirements of California Codes 4442 and 4443. All U.S. forest land and the states of California, Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington require by law that many internal combustion engines be equipped with a spark arrestor screen. If you operate in a locale where such regulations exist, you are legally responsible for installing and maintaining the operating condition of these parts. Failure to do so is a violation of the law."
And
"The blade will continue to spin after the engine stops or after the throttle trigger has been released. Make sure the blade has stopped coasting and disconnect the spark plug before performing work on the blade. Always replace a blade that is bent, warped, cracked, broken, or damaged in any other way. Never attempt to straighten and reuse a damaged blade. Use only specified replacement blade. Throw away a blade that is not flat."
So you have been warned!
As The Sun Sets On My Tailored Lawn
After many years of faithful service, I am more satisfied with my purchase than ever before. As an improvement over either tilting a string trimmer or dragging around a 50 foot extension cord for an electric edger, I have found the Poulan Weed Eater PE 550 Gas Edger to be an easy to use and maintain alternative to ragged edges or other methods of edging. Would I recommend it? Unquestionably; yes!
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