Cordless string trimmer and blowers

[k1rodeoboater]

I'm thinking about picking up a cordless string trimmer and blower. Currently dragging a corded string trimmer around the house and starting to get annoyed with the cord. A blower would be a nice addition to take care of the grass clippings and blow the sawdust off stuff in the garage (when I get to that point). Are the 18/20V systems any good or should I skip them and go straight to the 40V or bigger ones? Currently invested into the Ridgid system, but no string trimmer in their lineup. So I'm not opposed to a new brand.

My property isn't big enough to justify gas. My house is on less than a 1/4acre IIRC. I now my yard with a corded mower and 100' cord for frame of reference. Takes me about 45min to 1hr to do it all including string trimming.

Eta: I'm half tempted to make my own lithium battery pack mounted to a pack frame with a small power inverter to convert my corded tools to cordless. But for the cost jumping ship to the cordless options is probably cheaper.

 

[manwithtools]

I can vouch for the Milwaukee 18 volt units. They work great, my son and I and several friends have them - trimmers and blowers - used on properties between 1/2 and 10 acres.

I don't think you can judge them on voltage alone as far as performance is concerned. In other words, 40 volts is not necessarily better than 18. Let's see what other folks have to say regarding real world experience with other units.

On thing to strongly consider when making the move to cordless OPE is the battery and tool platform. I have 20 plus M18 tools that I can share the batteries and chargers with. That fact alone makes the choice of which to buy very important. No sense in having a battery system that is dedicated only to the OPE and then another for cordless power tools.

 

[todd_fuller]

Right now the OPE market is pretty dynamic. Dude on youtube has a whole channel on OPE reviews, KiteArmy.

A couple things to consider are:
- does the trimmer take attachments - edger, etc? I have an Echo that takes standard PAS attachments.
- is the blower/other tools worth a ****?
- do they have a mower if you plan on doing that too? Some have a mower but they're terrible.

 

[Zewnten]

I have the milwaukee blower and trimmer for a 1/4 yard, not lot haha. A 9 amp battery does it all with some to spare, trimmer has plenty of power and the blower does fine, not backpack blower power but keeps up with smaller gas blowers fine.

 

[powertrip]

Ryobi 40 Volt. Mines still going strong with the original battery still after 4 years. Plenty of power, definitely more than a 18v comparable. I also have a blower, chainsaw for small branches, and hedge trimmers. All work perfectly fine. A proven lineup with a 5 year warranty on the tools. Cheaper than a lot of other options in the cordless market too. They are expand it compatible.

 

[stonesfan68]

I’ll give another vote for the Milwaukee trimmer and blower. I have the first generation trimmer (no attachments available) and it works great for my suburban Houston yard. I’d hate to drag an extension cord around. Plus, once you get the battery there’s a lot of other tools that can be had.

 

[mrvm]

For light trimming + blowing the Ryobi 18V 4Ah batteries have performed well. Any extended use needs an extra battery. Blowers or any high drain motors like saws burn up nearly any brand battery endurance relatively quick. Cordless mowers sound convenient but the run-time would be an annoyance.

 

[k1rodeoboater]

I have been tempted to go red on multiple occasions. But more so with their 12V lineup than anything. Honestly I'm expecting to acquire a new platform with this. It's too bad I don't need any of the other attachments or yard tools. That might actually make the decision easier. I figure at the point I would need a new tool the manufacturer likely will have abandoned the lineup for the new hotness flavor of the decade.

For light trimming + blowing the Ryobi 18V 4Ah batteries have performed well. Any extended use needs an extra battery. Blowers or any high drain motors like saws burn up nearly any brand battery endurance relatively quick. Cordless mowers sound convenient but the run-time would be an annoyance.

Yeah I figure on needing two batteries. I only need to blow off the edges of a patio and about 40ft of sidewalk.

I went with a corded mower for the run time reason. Well that and I couldn't find a cordless reel mower. Super happy with that choice for the most part.

 

[manwithtools]

If you are on 1/4 acre as you say, one 9.0 M18 battery would do all the trimming and blowing you could need to do with no problem. I've ran the string trimmer for nearly an hour on one battery.

 

[Monte406SS]

I have a Stihl backpack blower that I've had for years which I use for leaf cleanup in the fall. Started getting into the 18v Ryobi stuff last year and got their blower. It is perfect for quick cleanup of the porch, deck, driveway and sidewalk after trimming and cutting. It is light weight and has plenty of power. My echo trimmer has been acting up and now I'm thinking of trying the 18v trimmer. Good luck.

 

[seber]

I just found a 40 volt Kobalt blower. It is extremely handy and for my use it works great. but it has no more power than a corded model. If you need serious power I would be looking for a gas unit. Mind you, I have never used the Milwaukee unit so I may be all wet.

 

[engineer2]

No matter what you get, you'll love being free of the cord. It'll save you 10-15 minutes every time you mow. You will also find yourself blowing leaves off the driveway more often.

I see Ridgid fans have been begging for a string trimmer fo a couple of years.
If you are looking at a new battery platform, check out Makita, Milwaukee and DeWalt for the biggest selection of outdoor tools.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

With lithium-ion batteries as good as they are now, there's no reason not to go cordless.

Don't let higher voltage trick you into spending more than you need. I have the Milwaukee M18 trimmer and blower and have plenty of power and battery life with either a 9ah or 12ah battery to cover my 3 acre property. Usually put the 12ah in the trimmer and either a 5 or 9ah in the blower to clear off the driveway, but I've done the whole property on just a single 9ah.

My friend has the Ryobi 18v trimmer and blower and they're good enough that I can't see how the 40v system would be any better.

You mentioned you already have the Ridgid platform, but I would look at other brands and see if there are any of their other (non-OPE) tools you'd be interested to get in the future, and go with that brand's 18 or 20 volt lineup. Then you can invest in other non-Ridgid tools you may want in the future. If you go with a 40 or 80 volt setup, you're stuck using just their OPE with the batteries, which aren't cheap.

 

[powertrip]

With lithium-ion batteries as good as they are now, there's no reason not to go cordless.

Don't let higher voltage trick you into spending more than you need. I have the Milwaukee M18 trimmer and blower and have plenty of power and battery life with either a 9ah or 12ah battery to cover my 3 acre property. Usually put the 12ah in the trimmer and either a 5 or 9ah in the blower to clear off the driveway, but I've done the whole property on just a single 9ah.

My friend has the Ryobi 18v trimmer and blower and they're good enough that I can't see how the 40v system would be any better.

You mentioned you already have the Ridgid platform, but I would look at other brands and see if there are any of their other (non-OPE) tools you'd be interested to get in the future, and go with that brand's 18 or 20 volt lineup. Then you can invest in other non-Ridgid tools you may want in the future. If you go with a 40 or 80 volt setup, you're stuck using just their OPE with the batteries, which aren't cheap.

I've used and own the Ryobi 40v and 18v and the 40v is far more powerful.

 

[stingray1966]

Just got the 18 fuel trimmer with the 9.0 battery and get 10 mins and it dead



Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[k1rodeoboater]

I see Ridgid fans have been begging for a string trimmer fo a couple of years.
If you are looking at a new battery platform, check out Makita, Milwaukee and DeWalt for the biggest selection of outdoor tools.

Well technically they do....well their parent company TTI owns Milwaukee and Ryobi as well. I did see a Ryobi battery adapter that allows you to use Ridgid batteries. I'd consider that if they work with the octane batteries. Got a 3AH and 6AH along with a 1/2" impact this week as part of their BOGO promotion. Half tempted to get their circular saw and two more batteries but I don't have a need for one yet. The impact was more a, "I've been wanting this for 4 years" thing.

 

[ex-x-fire]

Those cordless blowers are great for clearing gutters, I've been using the Worx line up.

 

[Wamsutta]

I used a DeWalt 20 volt yesterday at work. I was fairly impressed by the airflow it puts out. It would definitely do what I need to do around the house. I want to get something like it eventually to blow my patio off.

 

[Citation]

My yard isn't very large (damn it) and doesn't take too much to mow. If that applies to the OP's yard I would suggest looking at the low cost Black and Decker stuff. I previously had (still have) a B&D 18V NiCad trimmer. It was bought on some clearance sale for something like $35. A few years back I was at Lowes and they had one similar to this
https://www.lowes.com/pd/black-deck...-edger-capability-battery-included/1000696620
for $20 with two batteries. How could I say no?
OK, in comparison to my older 18V the "high" power setting is about the same as the old one. The low power setting is never used. I really like the wheel that rolls on the ground when you put the thing in edging mode. Not all of the B&D 20V trimmers have that wheel. My older 18V model didn't have that. Honestly, that's about the only advantage the newer trimmer has. Both are about as good as my previous LOW end gas string trimmer. If you need a true "gas equivalent" this isn't your choice. If you don't need much then the B&D is a really affordable choice.

Since I had the B&D batteries (2 with the trimmer) I decided to add two more tools to the lineup.
First was a blower similar to below (no idea who this seller is)
https://wescodiscount.com/shop-all/...s-blower-battery-charger-not-included-lsw20b/
No where near as powerful as my plug in blower/leaf vac but sufficient for getting the grass clippings off the walk.

I also added the 5.5" circular saw. Again what sold me was not that this was some great saw but the price was just so affordable. I have a typical 7.25" corded saw but in my case it really is nice to have a quick access cordless tool. Yes, the Ridgid 18V saw that works with my drill batteries would be a lot more powerful... it's also almost $100 more. The B&D stuff is attractive because the price is just so low that I didn't have to justify as a tool I need for my work.

Given that I lucked into the trimmer and 2 batteries for a giveaway $20 price, I'm right at $100 all three tools. If your needs are light, give the B&D a look.

 

[Trock03]

My cordless blower is probably my favorite cordless yard equipment purchase ever. Ego 56 volt 580cfm. It's a beast but will **** the 7.5ah battery down in about 20 minutes of near constant use.
Liked it so much I added the string trimmer and edger. Both of them will run all day on the same battery.

TC

 

[Viper32]

Ego is the only way to go when it comes to cordless outdoor equipment.

 

[Den69rs96]

I used a DeWalt 20 volt yesterday at work. I was fairly impressed by the airflow it puts out. It would definitely do what I need to do around the house. I want to get something like it eventually to blow my patio off.

I have this blower. It has 400cfm at 90mph. I originally bought it to clean our camp site when we go camping. It also works great and cleaning the grass off my tractor and blowing the clippings off the walkway and driveway. It struggles with wet grass or leaves (low mph) where as either my husky 570 back pack or stihl hand held would have no problem. However I find myself using it more and more to clean out the garage etc since I don’t have to fill it gas or warm the engine up.

I also bought a dewalt 20v cordless hedge trimmer which I absolutely love.

For a 1/4 acre or less I would definitely go cordless.

 

[Davefr]

I've gone all in on the 40V Kobalt tools. (pole saw, grass trimmer, hedge trimmer, chainsaw and the blower is now on order).

I wanted them for a second home so I didn't have to hassle with gas.

They all do a fine job, are decent quality and 40V seems adequate.

The pole saw is worth it's weight in gold!!!

The chainsaw is only adequate for small tasks. It cuts slow and vibrates. It's absolutely no match for a gas saw but very coveniant.

Kobalt offers these tools in kits w/battery/charger or bare tool and they have a very broad product lineup including multiple battery capacity options. Prices are attractive with a coupon or on sale and reviews are generally positive.

 

[cbacres]

Ryobi 40 Volt. Mines still going strong with the original battery still after 4 years. Plenty of power, definitely more than a 18v comparable. I also have a blower, chainsaw for small branches, and hedge trimmers. All work perfectly fine. A proven lineup with a 5 year warranty on the tools. Cheaper than a lot of other options in the cordless market too. They are expand it compatible.

I'll second the motion here.
Bought one for wife 2-4 yeas ago, she loves it. Also have the chain saw and blower, real happy with all.

The chain saw will surprise on how well it cuts, were on 5 acres and shell cut most of the stuff up to 3" or so, I'll finish off with my Sthil.

 

[mrjaw14]

3rd motion for Ryobi 40v. I bought a cordless string trimmer to do touch up between major weed eating with gas. It's pleasantly surprised me! I wanted a 2nd battery and caught a deal on a blower/battery combo. I now use the electric blower more than my gas. the battery doesn't last as long in the blower as it does the string trimmer, but it's so much more convenient than gas.

 

[L.Cheapo]

My FIL has been using the Ryobi 40v system for at least a couple years. He loves the string trimmer and blower. He says he can do his 50x100 lot at least twice on one charge. He's super picky about his property, can't be a stray blade of grass or leaf anywhere. He bought one or both of them for a song at HD on sale at some point.

 

[rc77]

I have the Ryobi 40v string trimmer and 20" mower. I think the brushless trimmer is almost as good as a gas one. I have just under 2 acres. I have a 60x60 fenced in for my kids and dog. I can cut inside the fence and trim the whole yard on 2 batteries. I also have the 18v trimmer and the 40v blows it away.

 

[k1rodeoboater]

I also have the 18v trimmer and the 40v blows it away.

Glad to see someone with both chime in. My neighbors bhave 18V stuff and they seem ok but nothing spectacular. Seems like most can get by on one charge for string trimers. Their blowers seem weak though.

 

[buckwheat_la]

The Makita dual battery has been great. My chainsaw, blower, and trimmer kick serious ***. I invested heavily in the dewalt 40v line and of course they are discontinued but my employee's really like them still.

 

[BQuicksilver]

I'm all in on the M18 lineup, that said, I have Black and Decker 18V yard tools.

Why? 1) They have a bigger lineup (pole saw, extended hedger, etc)
2) They're super light. That 5lb hedger is WAY easier to use than the 9lb M18 when you have to hedge giant bushes for an hour, and my wife is more comfy.

1/4 acre as well.