[ponyakr]

Just got off the phone with an Ebay rep. He assured me that they would issue my $50 partial refund, thru PayPal, within the next 48 hours.

We'll see.

Email from Ebay.

" Good news! We issued you a partial refund of $53.56 on Jan 20, 2021. Please log in to PayPal and view the History page if you don't see it in your PayPal balance.

Decision:
This case has been decided in your favor.

Comments:
The seller agreed to issue you a refund, but unfortunately it looks like it was never sent. We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused and have issued you a refund for this case."

Just checked my PayPal account. It does show a $53.56 credit. Don't know why the extra $3.56 was included in he refund. Sales tax credit, I assume.

I just have to wonder about this seller. Surely he must have known that Ebay would not let him get away with false advertising & shipping an item with parts missing.

Wouldn't it have gone better for him, with Ebay, if he had just issued me the $50 partial, rather than doing nothing & waiting for Ebay to do it ?

Bidding on some more trimmers today. Haven't had good luck with Ebay auctions, when there were other bidders. I always got sniped right at the end. But, I don't really NEED any of these trimmers. So, if somebody else wants to pay more than me, there are plenty of other trimmers out there, for me.

PS: When I made a bid on one trimmer, a message popped up. It mentioned a specific price & said that the seller would be more likely to consider a bid of that amount. Didn't say that was his min price. Before I'll pay the price that was mentioned, I'll buy from Lowes, with my 10% vet discount. Can pick it up at local store & check it out in the parking lot, like we did with the Ryobi, at Home Depot.

[johnta1]

Don't know why the extra $3.56 was included in he refund.

Probably to cover Paypal 'cut' of the payment?
(your final in your bank total will be around $50)

[ponyakr]

Originally Posted by johnta1

Probably to cover Paypal 'cut' of the payment?
(your final in your bank total will be around $50)

I reckin that could be. Don't really know how all that works.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

a Buyer wouldn't pay a fee, so probably sales tax = 7.12 %
All of that is yours clean and clear
Bonus !

He rolled the dice and banked on you bluffing / bailing
Since you indicated a couple times it was too much hassle dealing with it.
He's a real gambler and played the con all the way out.

They will draft his payment methods for the $53.56
The only way he could dodge that would be to have closed his bank accounts and canceled or frozen his credit/debit cards during those "3 days".
Which would suspend his eBay account - or terminate it completely.
They don't play slow or sweet when they come for their money.

Congrats on the DirtCheap Ryobi with Battery & Charger. LoL

e d i t
The money they sent you is "eBay Money" - they will deal with the seller themselves.
No more worries on your part.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Just googled louisiana state sales tax
it can vary from 4.45% up to 11.45% depending on parish and city - what in the world ! !
OUCH

[ponyakr]

Originally Posted by Baron Von Zeppelin

Just googled louisiana state sales tax
it can vary from 4.45% up to 11.45% depending on parish and city - what in the world ! !
OUCH

I believe mine is usually charged @ 9.5%. I know it's more than 9, but less than 10.

One reason I know this is because when I buy online from Lowes, with my 10% vet discount, my total shipped price, including tax, will be just barely below the advertised price.

A year or 2 ago, I searched for online vendors that didn't charge tax. But, apparently it is now an enforced law that all online vendors must collect the tax. I assume this may have helped some brick & mortar stores. That took away one of the advantages online sellers had.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

My Ryobi Cup Washers moved a little bit last night, finally.
From Eastlake Ohio allllllllllllllll the way to Akron Ohio.

NorthCarolina state sales tax is supposed to be 7.25% state-wide.
But it seems everyone/everywhere is just charging flat 7% for it.

[ponyakr]

Yep, with 1 min left, somebody else ran their max bid up past where I was willing to go.

It was the 80v Kobalt 2-pack, one having a bent shaft. When it went past $60, I bowed out. With 1 min to go, I was high bidder, at $54. Had been for hours.

Guessing the high bidder will probably get both units in working order & resell on Ebay. But, who knows.

Have discovered(am probably one of the last to do so) that some of these Ebay sellers try to sell what they call "open box" trimmers for as much or more than I can buy new from Lowes, with my 10% discount. Made a $125 offer on a trimmer I can pick up at Lowes for under $200.

Seller made a counter offer of $179.99. With tax, that will make it almost exactly the same price as Lowes.

It's the one I mentioned that we could buy at Lowes & check out in the parking lot.

The auction for the other mid-motor Kobalt ends later today. Execting to get sniped on it, too. Probably be the same guy that sniped me on the 2-pack. I was willing to go to $61.50 on that one. He got it for $62. This kind of stuff makes me think a lot of these auctions are rigged.

If I hadn't lucked out on that WEN chainsaw body, I probably wouldn't be doing any auctions. But, I suppose the hope of getting a real good deal on something, is what keeps the auction process going.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Originally Posted by ponyakr

if you close return i can send partial refund

That would have ended ANY chance of you getting assistance from eBay , if you had Closed the Case.
ka-Boom


filthy dirty dog

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

This kind of stuff makes me think a lot of these auctions are rigged.

You can look at the Bid History and see how it played out.
Timestamped etc ...
https://www.ebay.com/bfl/viewbids?it...53.m1438.l2765

Long ago learned - best practice (as in i'm not involved with making the price run up through the duration) is wait until last 10-15 seconds and put in your maximum feel good bid.
Just 1 Bid - at the end
Once in a while i might do a "marker bid" real low if there are 0 bidders.
And still do my maximum feel good bid in the final seconds.

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
But you didn't contribute to pushing the price up during the duration and prompting others to out-bid your bid, pushing the price upwards more and more.

Have been in some auctions where 8-10 bidders put in snipe bids in final seconds. lol
High Man wins

At one time i had High-Speed Internet and would wait until only 5-6 seconds left.
If you cut it too short, it might not clear the server if others are doing the same thing at the same time.

When i was selling some NOS parts on eBay - i would have 3-6 sniper bidders on every auction.
In the last 10-15 seconds the bid could go from being $185 - and end at $750
Was pretty thrilling

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

The high bidder from the other auction isn't in on this auction - yet.
So he probably won't be a factor on this one.

But look at how you have fed the bidding war on this one
Not the best strategy . fwiw

https://www.ebay.com/bfl/viewbids?it...53.m1438.l2765

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Got the Blue 10" 15t Blade set-up today on the EGo and test drove it some.
Oh Yes, this is the way to do business !
Love This Thang
Brush Cutter Blades are the Hot Ticket for making quick work out of tuff stuff.

No crap flying all around or getting all over me like the string trimmers do.
I didn't have the string guard on it, heck i didn't even put the handle on it yet. lol
Was just holding it by the shaft for a quick test, and got carried away.
Cleared about a 12'x4' section of 4-feet tall real thick briar/vine/weed patch.
Then hit some various sized stuff with it.

Slices right through 1" range stuff and under - with just a sweeping motion whether going to the left or the right even if its dense growth of twiglets/saplings.
Like a weed eater going through grass.
Put it into a 4" tree trunk and it went to sawing right into it - just to test it.
This blade isn't made for that, i was just curious.

Blue Blade will take care of about 90% of my brush cutter needs.
And all my heavy duty weed eating needs.

And the sound - rather the lack of noise - is a real sweet gift.
Very VERY Happy about this

[ponyakr]

Congrats on your tools that work like you want 'em to !

Went over & burned lots of limbs & brush, at the big house. Was gone when the auction ended. Had the high bid when I left. Since I wasn't gonna be here when the auction ended, I posted my max bid, And, of course, the trimmer sold for $1 more than that.

I suppose that if I ever decide to enter another auction, I'll do like you said. I'll just decide how much I'm willing to give, & post that bid with 5 sec or less to go.
If you let the other bidders know your max bid, they know they only have to go $1 higher. I suppose there are many thousands of experienced snipers who make at least part of their living buying cheap & selling high, on ebay. The last second snipe is obviously the ONLY way you'll have a chance to be high bidder on most anything, where somebody else is bidding. It's almost guaranteed the other guy will try to snipe you.

I REALLY don't like Ebay auctions. So, I will probably enter VERY few of 'em, in the future. Will probably just stick with "Make Offer" & "Buy it now" type purchases.

If I see a promising auction on something I'd really like to have, I may try a last sec snipe, just for kicks, not really expecting to win. Hey, if I do win, it'll be a nice surprise.

[ponyakr]

Gave the brush cutters a workout today. TJ used the Ryobi. Toward the end of the session she said the Kurt blade was getting dull. I'm thinkin that MAYBE the thicker skilsaw blades might stay sharp a bit longer than the thin, lightweight brush blades. Can't verify that, yet.

The reconditioned front motor Echo I bought came today, USPS. Didn't get to use it any. After we got back I did put it partly together.

Was most interested in the shaft specs. It is a 10mm, with LH threads. It does NOT have any splines on it. Is has 2 flats, 180° apart. The collar does NOT have a blade arbor. So, you can run any hole size you want, with the correct arbor adapter.

Therefore, I put the 8 1/4" Dewalt blade on it. Used the same homemade adapter I'd used on the Kobalt, with the used blade out of my skilsaw. Since the washer adapter is not thicker than the blade, I didn't need to use a cup washer. Just used a fender washer as a blade hold-down. Used the nut out of the string head to tighten it down, just for a quick test. I assume the nut in the adapter kit I bought will work. Didn't try it yet.

The string guard did not provide quite enuff clearance for the 8 1/4" blade. But, it's made of plastic. So, the carbide burr on a cordless drill notched out the guard easily. May remove a bit more, before 1st major use.

Stuck the batt in it & gave it a whirl. On high speed, it SEEMS to spin much faster than the 40v trimmers. But, who can tell, when it's screamin in the kitchen !

There is almost 2 1/4" of blade exposed. So, it should easily cut thru 2" limbs/trees. Gonna finish putting it together tomorrow. I think it's suppose to rain here. So, I don't know when I'll get to really test it out.

One thing I did notice. Just like the front motor Kobalt, the blade continues to spin long after you let off the trigger.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

I'm pretty sure that Mid-Motor was just a store display.
Could explain why it had the handle on it, wear marks where the shafts go together, and scuffs on battery housing - but no wear at all on the string head.
Or maybe someone used it with a different attachment on it and returned it.

Either way i hate you didn't get it.
The Mid-Motors are rarely on eBay from what i found on completed listings dating back to about November.

But in November or December some lucky buyer got a brand new one in the box with battery and charger for about $135. So keep your eyes open for them.
Wait for a New one - or Like New, OpenBox yada yada

The Front-Motors are plentiful on eBay.
I put that listing that you bought in my watchlist and already got a "special offer" from the seller for 5% discount off asking price. He has a lot of them and the price will probably drop even lower when more time passes.
If yours works great i might get one if he drops them on down even lower.
Be a good prospect for 1-Trick Pony wood-cutter with the Green 10" 40t Blade.

Auctions are a skill , but all the skill in the world won't beat a higher bidder.

[ponyakr]

I made a $100 offer on this 40v Kobalt brushless attachment capable trimmer.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/333864196011?ul_noapp=true

The seller made me a counter offer, only knockin $5 off his original price.

If he won't take $100 + tax, I'll probably just wait for my next plague money, & buy new from Lowes, complete with a Lowes parking lot unboxing & test.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-40-V...ded/1001768536

Both my local Lowes stores show to have 4 of these in stock.

Also now considering other trimmers I wanna try, after my new plague money arrives. One is an EGO front motor model. Since I'll be changing over to a brush blade, is there any reason to buy something other than the basic model, which I assume is the ST1502SA ?

They're only $179 at Lowes, plus tax, which my 10% discount will pay. Plenty in stock at the Monroe Lowes.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/EGO-Power-5...ded/1003130700

The ST1521S has a Powerload head & a carbon fiber shaft. But I can't see how that would help me much, when using it as a brush cutter ?

https://www.lowes.com/pd/EGO-Power-P...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

My Monroe Lowes also has lots of these in stock.

[ponyakr]

Well, the good news is that I think the front motor Echo will make a great string trimmer. It really hums. As of right now, I plan to make it our permanent string trimmer. Should be great for the heavy grass & weeds that grow around our buildings & around TJ's horse lot fence.

The bad news is: The front motor Echo can not be used with a brush blade, at least not the one I have. Apparently, this model is real sensitive to any initial resistance to head rotation. With the string head on, it begins to rotate instantly & will go to max rpm quickly.

BUT, with the brush blade on, it will start turning, then VERY quickly will cut off power to the motor. Takes several seconds before pulling the trigger will get power back to the motor. I suppose this might be referred to as a sensitive "overload protection" system.

Sometimes it takes several tries, while the blade is still turning, before I can get up to max rpm. Now, once it does get to max rpm, either in hi or low speed, it will maintain that speed & easily cut thru a 2" tree/limb.

But, if you let off the trigger, then get back on it, it may or may not keep the blade spinning. Sometimes you must go thru the same procedure I described, in order to get back up to full speed.

So, bottom line: This trimmer will not work with a brush blade, only with a string head.

Another thing I noticed is that there is a noise which comes from the motor area, when increasing rpm & when you let off the trigger, & it is slowing down.

After giving this some thought, I figured out that the noise is coming from the gears in the head. The head on this model, like those of many other brands, does not have the shaft coming directly out of the motor. You can see that the motor is slightly behind where the shaft comes down, which the string head or blade is connected to.

Therefore, there has to be a couple of gears which connect the motor to the main rotating shaft. I'd notice this design on quite a few models.

To me, those gears are just another possible source of failure. So, in the future, when I buy a front motor model, I'll avoid the gear type. Will only consider models on which the shaft comes down directly out of the motor. I assume that all the rear motor attachment capable string trimmers will work with brush blades. You'd think they'd have to. All I know for sure is that the Ryobi attachment capable models will definitely work with a brush blade, without any hesitation. Never thought I'd rate a 40v Ryobi above an Echo. But, this is my experience.

As mentioned, it is no problem fitting a brush blade on this Echo model. Here are pics showing the offset motor, the shaft, the collar, the string head nut, & the nut from the adapter kit I bought. Either nut will hold the blade on.

[ponyakr]

After discovering that the Ryobi brush cutter attachment has an 8mm output shaft, I've wondered if the Trimmer Plus brand brush cutter attachment also has an 8mm output shaft.

Found a diagram of all the parts of the Trimmer Plus.

http://pdf.lowes.com/operatingguides...32084_oper.pdf

According to the part number of the blade retainer nut, this is a replacement for that nut. If this is correct info, it looks to be a 10mm x 1.25 thread nut.

https://www.amazon.com/712-04105-Tro.../dp/B072R25H9M

https://www.ereplacementparts.com/nut-p-283597.html

So, if the Trimmer Plus does indeed have a 10mm output shaft, I'll buy one of those, & try 10" blades, as well as a 9" chainsaw tooth blade. Not saying an 8mm shaft will break. Just assuming that a 10mm brush cutter shaft is stronger.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Disappointment Chapter 2 ---

Checked out one of the entry level EGo Trimmers - the one on sale for $179.
It's an 8mm output shaft - no splines - no arbor on the collar
Probably a really nice weed eater, but wouldn't consider it for a BrushCutter conversion.

The collar is a free-wheel design and doesn't "catch" on the shaft.
The shaft has a flat side that the trimmer head notch catches on.
In short - it isn't made anything like my PowerHead unit - not even close.
The actual string head is a lesser design too.

But it IS a nice light unit and sturdy - for a weed eater only.
Folds in Half
Turns ClockWise
7.3 lbs without Battery /// 10 lbs with 2.5 Battery
Variable speed trigger is 3 set speeds 4000rpm -5000rpm -5800rpm

The ST1521S has a Powerload head & a carbon fiber shaft. But I can't see how that would help me much, when using it as a brush cutter ?

If they have them in stock - it could be worth taking one out to the tailgate and dissecting it.
More Premium model and probably totally different hardware.

Lifetime carbon-fiber shaft and its .5 lb lighter than the Base Model at 6.8 lbs
String head is the better design
IF it checked out - could debate on getting a Recondition from Acme for $159 with Battery & Charger included.
https://www.acmetools.com/shop/tools/ego-st1521s-fc
That was the one i was considering to get in the early stages.
Recon is only 1yr warranty though. fwiw

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

I suppose this might be referred to as a sensitive "overload protection" system.

Bummer
But that is probably exactly what is going on - built in limiter.

..does not have the shaft coming directly out of the motor.
You can see that the motor is slightly behind where the shaft comes down..

I don't understand those with that design at all.
Too many extra gizmos that it shouldn't need
Maybe it is integral with the overload protection.

Never thought I'd rate a 40v Ryobi above an Echo. But, this is my experience.

We are tough customers
The Rear-Motor/Attachment Echo probably KicksAzz
Is it possible to return it and go up to the Rear-Motor ?

Not saying an 8mm shaft will break.
Just assuming that a 10mm brush cutter shaft is stronger.

After seeing the 8mm shaft today - i wouldn't go near one for a blade job.
I thought it was even maybe 6mm or 7mm it looked so small.
Had my calipers with me - it was 8mm
Highly suggest to get the 10mm stuff and use it instead
This shet is dangerous enough just by principle and design - use the better designs anytime possible . !