Craftsman Nextec 12v Grass Trimmer

[my02v6]

Does anyone else have one of these? I bought one for my dad a few years ago since he doesn't like gas OPE, and this is one really light weight trimmer.

The only downside is it used these proprietary plastic flails for cutting, and it seems that Sears basically abandoned the product. Replacement flails that fit cannot be found anywhere. He picked up some universal fit ones a while back that have kept him going, but the hole is just large enough to occasionally slip off.

I'm thinking of trying to change out the trimmer head for something like a Grass Gator, but this isn't a gas trimmer so I think the arbor isn't the same.

I think he really likes the trimmer overall (he's a big Craftsman fan) so I don't want to force him into getting a new one just yet.

 

[Hootbro]

If Sears ever screwed anybody over, it was the people who bought this and then they discontinued it in less than a year with no support or stock of the proprietary flails.

They should have bought back or credit anybody who got these.

 

[Ign]

I wondered about it too. Saw it in one of the product line cards that came with my right angle impact driver. I also found that it no longer seems to exist. Not really sure why Craftsman thought 12V could power a line trimmer, esp when they don't even offer an XC battery like Milwaukee.

Good luck w the Grass Gator thing. I did that to a B&D corded unit ('cause the auto feed thing ***** but all trimmers seem to be going that way and apparently we're all too lazy or stupid to know when to advance the line on our trimmers.......BUT I DIGRESS....) and it let the magic smoke out of the motor pretty damn quickly. This was a Grass Gator intended for a gas trimmer and I had to get jiggy with a bit of machining, a bit of crude grinding, a bit of BFH'ing.........and I'm sure there was a bit of beer consumption in there too just to make it fit. I knew from the start it probably wouldn't work but the GG head was cheap enough I wanted to try.

FWIW I think all the GG heads are made in the US, and I think it's awesome a company is trying to make replacement line trimmer heads that might actually be durable and somewhat universal.

edit: have you searched YouTube? I found a video of a guy who put a Rhinotuff (I think?) head on a different trimmer. It may have been a gas trimmer. But he also had to get creative and cut the factory head open to reveal the nut underneath. His video inspired me to try to fix my electric B&D, but my ultimate failure was too small of an electric motor in the trimmer.

 

[Ign]

More rambling: I also don't like gas and just want a basic, simple electric trimmer for the small amount of weed eating that I do. Now that it seems they all have auto feed heads, I've just resolved myself to have to buy a new trimmer every couple of years. Yeah, it's wasteful and terrible and part of our disposable society. Part of the problem is that the intial cost of these trimmers is so low it's hardly worth trying to source parts for them unless the parts are REALLY inexpensive. And at the time no one was offering the auto feed head or replacement parts for it. Maybe that's changed??

I got a B&D recon from CPO for $30 a couple years ago with free shipping to replace the aforementioned B&D that died. If it lasts me two years that's $15/year. If I can get three seasons out of it I'll be psyched.

I just picked up a Homelite scratch 'n dent at my local HD for $20 'cause the price was right. Also has auto feed, which is working for now. FWIW it's the smoothest dual-line electric trimmer I've used, but I don't know how long it'll survive.